A Basement-Dwelling Loser, the Inquisitor – Chapter 84

If you ask about the best eSports team in South Korea right now, naturally, various opinions will emerge from people.

However, narrowing it down a bit changes the conversation.

The game that is currently gaining the most popularity worldwide, New Dimension, is an RPG that also supports its own AOS and PVP modes.

Tournaments for those two modes are held on a massive scale.

So, if we were to pick the top team in each of those categories?

If you ask ten people, ten will surely answer, “Both are Sirius.”

They clinched the championship in the New Dimension PVP Worlds First Season.

And they also proved it by winning the New Dimension AOS Worlds First Season.

At least for the present, Sirius is unequivocally the best and strongest team.

But that’s a story that only resonates with the fans.

For the professional gamers themselves, that was definitely not the end of the matter.

They constantly needed to show that the results they had achieved were not merely a momentary flash of brilliance.

It might sound cruel, but the weight of the word “pro” is indeed that heavy.

They can gain significant wealth and fame in exchange, but it’s a Möbius strip where they must continuously prove themselves.

With just one mistake, they could become a has-been.

With just one loss, everything they’ve built could be invalidated.

That’s the world of professionals.

And since the professional gamers at Sirius were also aware of this, they felt no discontent with the grueling training itself.

However.

“Why do we have to do this, Captain?”

That didn’t mean they accepted everything blindly.

There were complaints and things they couldn’t understand or wanted to accept.

It’s only natural for anyone, even a pro, since we are all human after all.

“Why do we have to be taught by a streamer? What is there to learn from them?”

★

[Ga-eun: Rene, have you thought about talking to our captain?]

[Ga-eun: It’s not a team offer, but they mentioned they have a request.]

When I woke up, I found a miscode message from Ga-eun.

What’s this?

Didn’t our connection end that day?

No. It would be hard to even call it a connection; it was more like we just happened to know each other.

In other words, my answer is a no.

[Inquisition Officer: I’m sorry. I’m busy…]

To think of sending a message asking for a favor to someone I’m not close with so casually.

It turns out when I said, “I’m an introvert too,” it was indeed a lie.

Of course, with my clever head, I could see the flaws in that logic and realized it was a lie from the start.

[Ga-eun: Would you at least consider hearing me out just this once?]

[Ga-eun: I promise there will be a reward.]

“Hmm….”

But it seemed like she had no intention of giving up.

What on earth could she be asking for?

Honestly, if I said I wasn’t curious at all, that would be a lie.

The person is someone known as the pinnacle in New Dimension.

If someone like that is asking me for a favor, it surely means there is something significant behind it.

What could that request be…?

Since she said it’s not a team offer….

Hmm. I have no idea.

[Inquisition Officer: I’ll listen to what you have to say.]

In the end, I sent that message.

“…Why?”

After hearing the story, that question arose.

★

When Rene played in AOS mode, everyone questioned her judgment.

The same went for Jaehun, the captain of the Sirius team.

However.

“This isn’t luck. I believe it’s all calculated actions. It’s just that she can’t explain it in words.”

Jaehun had to accept the results brought by the team’s strategy analyst.

What Rene showcased at that time wasn’t merely a coincidence; it was undeniable skill.

“Well, it’s possible due to the difference in skill… but still, that play can’t be dismissed as mere luck.”

Why did Rene venture into the enemy jungle at that moment?

A fight broke out mid-lane, and the cooldowns of the early skills are long.

If she kills the enemy before those cooldowns reset, even if the enemy mid-laner joins the fight, it won’t significantly impact the outcome.

The bot lane was under heavy pressure against the tower due to matchups.

In other words, even if a fight breaks out, it takes time for the jungle to engage because of the extended lane.

The ally bot lane joining was entirely impossible at that moment, but since the goal was simply to kill the enemy jungler, it wasn’t a big issue.

Thus, with the confidence of assured victory, Rene entered the enemy jungle.

Of course, if you were to break it down, it was a play that wouldn’t work among professionals.

In professional play, they would predict the enemy jungler’s path, conserve their skills, and apply lane pressure accordingly. Without everyone working for her, that play would absolutely fail.

Yet, the truth that Rene’s play had its logic was ultimately established.

…If it had been Ga-eun’s play, perhaps she could have understood that intention from the start.

“She’s not the type to rush in without thinking, huh….”

So, when the environment is set up.

Could Rene still pull off such plays when all her allies are moving solely for her?

Jaehun was curious about that.

The confidence that she could undoubtedly win in a one-on-one and the skills backing that up. Plus, the judgment to grasp the surrounding situation instantly, even without communication.

He was very curious whether all of that could apply to those who bore the name “pro.”

Unable to hold back that curiosity, Jaehun ultimately made a request to Ga-eun.

[…Yes. If it’s just once, I’ll give it a shot….]

“Thank you, Rene.”

Fortunately, Rene agreed to Jaehun’s request.

“Phew….”

After finishing the call, Jaehun let out a big sigh.

“I wonder if everyone will understand….”

Of course, the fundamental reason was Jaehun’s curiosity.

But as the captain of Sirius, he wasn’t asking Rene solely out of curiosity.

The AOS mode Korean tournament for New Dimension, the second season of NAK, was about to begin.

That meant professional gamers would once again have to prove their skills.

Especially for Sirius, who won the world championship last year, even more.

In such circumstances, would the members be able to understand Jaehun’s decision?

Highly competitive professional gamers, swelled with ambition and pride?

Even for Jaehun, who was friendly with the members of Sirius, that was not easy to guarantee.

But Jaehun steeled himself, thinking it was all for the team.

“I’ve invited Rene, who is currently active as a streamer, as a short-term play coach. I asked her to guide you all. I think you’ll learn a lot, so make sure to study hard.”

He gathered all the members of Sirius and conveyed that fact.

★

Crash!

The sound of slamming the table echoed.

“Ha….”

The man who slammed the table was Owen, the jungler for the Sirius New Dimension AOS team. After swallowing the curses that rose to the tip of his throat, he sighed.

“Seriously, guys. Is this really right?”

Responses to Owen’s statement didn’t come, but the atmosphere was shouting loud and clear.

Absolutely not.

“What are the captain and Ga-eun even thinking…?”

Inviting a streamer itself didn’t seem bad to him.

Even professional gamers often streamed to interact with fans.

But that streamer is coming as a play coach?

That was inconceivable, the four sitting there thought.

“Everyone knows she’s skilled. But that’s only among streamers; she’s still an amateur, right? Why do we have to learn from her?”

The gap between pros and amateurs is far greater than one might think.

[Am I not a professional gamer? Nah, I’m not. No, I can’t be.]

[I’m not planning to, but honestly, I barely ever get offers.]

[But to be honest, I used to wonder. I mean, I’m pretty damn good, aren’t I? But why do I barely get offers to become a pro gamer?]

[So I asked someone in the industry, and they told me I’m good at solo queue, but not in AOS mode.]

[I heard there’s a clear difference compared to someone with real potential as a professional gamer.]

[Hey, don’t get mad. If an expert said that, there must be a reason.]

[Back then, I was rather prideful and didn’t understand it, you see?]

[So I proposed to that person: if I win against someone they say has potential, will they acknowledge me?]

[And they were like, “Sure,” and set it up.]

[What happened? … Well, as you all might have guessed, I got utterly wrecked. I couldn’t even fight back.]

[It wasn’t just the difference in lines. It was purely the difference in mid-lane, which brought defeat. My teammates were also all pro players.]

[So I completely gave up.]

[I realized back then that the difference between pro and amateur is way larger than I had thought.]

Once, in the New Dimension AOS mode, a mid-laner had won the solo rank first place, beating Ga-eun, and he said such things on stream.

But now, an ordinary streamer comes as a play coach?

“Just because a Traveler managed to pull off a surprise on an Assassin back then, if I were in that situation, I could do the same. It’s not a solo rank; it’s a casual game. What’s so amazing about that play?”

It was something absolutely incomprehensible as a professional gamer.

“If she had been good enough to teach us, she’d be a professional gamer by now. But her not doing so means she knows it wouldn’t work among pros.”

None of the three rebutted Owen’s statement.

The first reason was that they agreed with him.

The second reason was that since Rene’s position was jungler, Jaehun’s words could be taken in a different context by Owen, the team’s jungler.

“Regardless, I’m not accepting this. I can’t stop her from coming, but if she tries to teach me something, I’ll crush her with skill. Then neither the captain nor Ga-eun can say a word. Don’t think you all can just sit back and let this slide.”

“Okay.”

The other three genuinely nodded their heads at Owen’s declaration.

★

[No, you could react like this….]

“So how do I do that…?”

[Why can’t you do this….]

“I think doing this much is still considered good, right?!”

[If you’re a pro gamer… um. Nope.]

“Damn it, huh….”