"Minjae-hyung, there's a big problem!" Park Ara's voice came in from the voice communication feature.
Minjae opened the map and looked at what was happening.
"I'm here. What's going on? Did something happen?" he replied, zooming in on the pings the others left.
"Yeah! Han Jisung is already Level 3! He drove me out of the East Wing and almost took out Minseok!"
Another voice joined the comms—Hyunwoo's.
"Minjae-hyung! Two Players of the enemy team just made it to the Gardens! They're both already Level 2!"
Tch… you really haven't changed at all. You've already got the edge in stats…yet you're still farming.
Trying to stomp us clean, huh? Not happening under my watch.
"Park Ara, are you at least Level 2 right now?" Minjae asked through the comms.
"Yeah, just barely! Why?"
"Good," Minjae nodded. "Listen up everyone, here's the new plan. Ara, Minseok, Hyunwoo—I want all three of you to move toward the Gardens and contest the other two Players. Even if you don't manage to eliminate them, just annoy them."
"And most importantly," he added. "Make sure they never make it to Level 3, got it?"
"Got it!" Ara responded almost immediately, as he heard her hurried footsteps on the other side of the line.
"Wait, Minjae…" Hyunwoo hesitated. "Wouldn't that leave Han Jisung uncontested in the East Wing? What should we do against him once he reaches Level 4?"
"If he wants to farm, let him," Minjae said calmly. "He wants a clean stomp…but let's see how he does it without a team."
"And don't worry," he reassured Hyunwoo, pulling out the ring from his pocket before inspecting it once more.
"I have a plan."
***
"Managerrr… can't we just pick one already? I'm like…so bored out of my mind right now," a female voice sighed.
Then, a male voice interrupted immediately, "Alas! This is a decision that determines the success of our team. How can you treat it so lightly?!"
"Mm…because they're all kinda bad?"
"That is precisely why careful judgment is required—"
"Pause it," Choi Seongjin said, clipboard still in hand as he jotted something down.
"…This one."
A technician looked over before nodding slowly, rewinding the clip. Kang Minjae had burst out of the shadows before ending one of the members of Group 9 with blinding speed—the exact movement only existing on one frame of the replay.
"Stat Conversion, huh…" the manager muttered.
"What do you guys think about contestant Kang Minjae?"
After a moment of thinking, one of the two voices said loudly. "Well, isn't it just—super great? Like, why don't we just pick this guy? The skill's got good vibes!"
"You cannot base such decisions on mere feelings!" the other voice cut in immediately. "A man's worth should be decided by his honor and ability. Why are you asking us this?"
Manager Choi Seongjin set his clipboard down before rubbing his chin slightly. "Because…he might be our last piece."
Both figures got up from their chairs, staring at the clipboard before they both gasped at the same time.
On the clipboard, a single word was circled around and around again: Captain.
"You're super duper sure about this?"
"By the Nines! Isn't that far too hasty?!"
"Yes, I'm sure Yui… And stop speaking like that, Jihoon," Seongjin said flatly. "Do you wanna be Captain?"
The person named Jihoon went and peeped down almost immediately, shrinking into his shirt before answering.
"No…and didn't I tell you to call me, Arthur…?"
"I'm not calling you that."
Suddenly—
"Wait, wait—look!" the girl called Yui leaned forward, pointing at the screen. "Things are going down for real!"
All eyes turned to the feed as they saw the encounter in real time. Three figures from Group 7 clashed against two from Group 9. From a glance, the advantage was obvious.
"Three against two," Arthur said, folding his arms. "They have the upper hand."
"...Ah, this is why you're soooo not fit to be the captain."
Arthur frowned. "What do you mean? Their numbers—"
The girl pointed to the three figures before pointing at Group 9's members. "Group 7's only got one person who managed to farm to Level 2, while the two in Group 9 are both Level 2."
"They're just wayyy stronger. That Minjae guy is in super trouble."
On the screen, Park Minseok surged forward, his axe high up in the air as he charged recklessly into the other two members of Group 9, who seemed to be tired.
"Ahh, he's going too far," the girl sighed softly.
"Running, are you?!" Minseok barked, pushing harder, completely ignoring the distance forming behind him.
The other two from his team lagged behind, caught for just a fraction of a second. "Minseok, don't!"
"…He's burdened with poor teammates. Oh, bless his soul."
Vines snapped upward from beneath the soil, coiling together as they snapped onto Minseok's leg.
"What the—?!" the kid struggled, kicking and bending. "Shit—get off me—!"
The Player that he was chasing stopped and turned around, a big smile on his face as he raised his weapon.
"Tough luck, kid."
"Wait—!"
But it was too late. Minseok's body froze before shattering into hundreds of blue pixels. Silence filled the room as everyone watched what happened.
"…Reckless," Arthur said after a moment. He was the only one to vocalize what they were all feeling.
Manager Seongjin picked up his clipboard, immediately crossing out Park Minseok's name before setting it back down again.
He then turned back to the technician. "Put Group 7's comms up."
The man nodded, immediately pressing a button. The nearby light turned from red to green as Minjae's voice rang out.
"How the hell did that happen?!"
Another voice joined, Park Ara's. "He just charged! We tried to stop him from chasing but he wouldn't listen!"
"Fuck," Minjae replied. "Okay, listen to me. Wait for my calls, I'm almost there."
But as soon as his comms finished, one of the Group 9 members attacked instantly, casting some kind of lightning spell and letting it loose toward the two remaining Players of Group 7.
The spell struck partially true. Both members, realizing they both don't have enough agility, hurriedly threw themselves onto the ground. Both their HP bars dropped dramatically, falling at around a quarter of what it once was.
That was when Minjae burst out onto the Gardens. He looked around at the situation before turning back to check. His eyes widened as they saw his group members on the ground.
He ran over to them, putting a hand on Park Ara, "You alright?!"
His voice was drowned out slowly as the manager turned to look at something else.
On another monitor, contestant Han Jisung had just finished clearing out the East Wing, wiping a sweat as he turned toward the direction of the Main Nave.
Manager Seongjin placed both hands on the table as he leaned forward, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"Now…show me what your decision is, Kang Minjae."