[TS] Obsessed Gamer: The Ultimate Return – Chapter 82

Thump thump.

My heart races.

What words can I use to express this fluttering sensation?

I feel like I might die from the excitement.

I can’t help but think that countless amateurs here for the test must be feeling something similar.

-YSG.

After passing the name “YSG,” the first thing I saw was the front desk in the lobby.

Maybe it was because I came in with Coach Park Tae-Hyung, but the staff merely acknowledged us with a nod and didn’t stop us.

“This way.”

As we passed the front desk, a hallway appeared. The hallway split off into two branches on either side of the front, and Coach Park, almost instinctively, began to head left but quickly turned to the right instead.

“Oh, this side is for the first string…”

It seemed they operated the practice rooms for the first and second strings separately.

“Well, it’s still the same floor.”

I had heard that at other teams with a more developed academy system, the first string and second string dormitories were sometimes entirely different, so being on the same floor in the same building felt like a significant privilege for the second string or trainees.

The close physical distance between the first and second strings had its disadvantages, but the advantages seemed far greater.

“It’s a big deal for second string or trainees to join a first string scrim.”

Photos of players who had been part of YSG hung along the hallway.

There were display cases, but instead of the trophies that should have been there, plush toys sent by fans took their place.

“Well, it can’t be helped.”

YSG’s results had been poor not just last season but always.

The best they achieved was the playoffs two years ago…?

As I wandered the hallway, lost in thought, silence enveloped us naturally.

The first to break the silence was Coach Park.

“Oh, by the way, have you been playing much Solo Queue?”

“Ah, yes, I reached Master with 98 points.”

“……What?”

Coach Park was momentarily dumbfounded.

After all, it was surprising for an account that had only reached Dia 3 just three days ago to suddenly become Master.

“Uh… you mentioned you didn’t have a previous account, so have you not been playing Legends of League for long?”

That was the question I had expected.

Legends of League was a game with a long history. For an unprecedented genius to pop up and reach Master with a 100% win rate was absurd.

While I had said I didn’t have my previous ID, it was obvious it would be a blatant lie at this point.

“Well… I did have an account back then, but I quit a few years ago.”

I was surprised at how smoothly the lie rolled off my tongue.

Saying I quit recently might raise suspicions of a connection to the Prisoner, so I intentionally chose a few years back.

Well… that would mean I had taken a break from Legends of League for several years due to the gap between “a few years ago” and “Outlaw,” but I figured it would be enough to roundabout it.

“…If that’s the case, is the reason you concealed your previous account related to a disqualifying factor for professional eligibility? Perhaps a surrogate…?”

Coach Park’s voice took on a heavier tone. He seemed to entertain some strange thoughts.

“Absolutely not! A surrogate? I’ve never done that!”

I never thought I would get accused of something like that, so I vehemently denied it.

I didn’t want any misunderstandings to obstruct my path before I even began.

“Really?”

“Yes, yes.”

“In that case, that’s a relief. Excuse me, but what was the tier of that previous account…?”

“I reached Challenger at 1000 points.”

In reality, it was more than that, but…

Regardless of that, Coach Park’s expression turned again to one of shock.

*

“……Indeed!”

Coach Park realized his judgment was accurate and silently cheered.

Challenger at 1000 points.

That had many implications.

It’s said that for gamers aspiring to go pro, each tier has its own stages.

Below Master, it’s frankly tough to dream of becoming a pro, while getting into Master, Grand Master, and Challenger each involves different pathways to going pro.

Masters must prove themselves, Grand Masters compete, and Challengers simply choose.

In that sense, reaching Challenger at 1000 points could be seen as a kind of free pass to professional debut.

Just reaching Challenger means countless offers, both domestically and internationally, but to be 1000 points?

Considering there are existing pros who can’t even cross that line, it’s quite encouraging.

“Hmmm, I see.”

Coach Park struggled to hide his excitement.

If Outlaw changed his mind, they could miss out on a promising recruit, so he needed to be cautious.

“Could it be that your nickname back then was…?”

Prisoner.

For some reason, Coach Park felt that the words would leap out at him from Outlaw standing right in front.

“It was just a barcode nickname.”

It was merely a misunderstanding.

“Ah… I see.”

A Challenger with a barcode nickname…

Had there been an ID that reached 1000 points, Coach Park might have heard of it at some point, yet sadly, he didn’t recall it.

The barcode nickname was meant to obscure identity, which made it even more difficult.

‘That’s not what matters here.’

It no longer mattered who Outlaw was.

What mattered was what Outlaw would show from now on.

“This way.”

Would he become a hope for the crumbling YSG, or would this just be an empty dream?

*

It might be because this was where the second string practiced, but the inside of the Y So Games Dormitory and practice room was surprisingly ordinary.

How should I put it… to phrase it nicely, it had a much more human feel than I had expected?

Despite being called a practice room, the arrangement of the spaces was nothing short of chaotic.

There were easily over ten computers scattered around, but with limited seating, they were crammed in together, naturally creating a high occupancy rate.

‘That spot is next to the sink. Isn’t that uncomfortable?’

It looked like a half-finished office building with practice space poorly set up.

Furthermore, the bedrooms I saw on the way looked like they accommodated at least four people each…

‘Even if I combined the entire second string practice room, it would still be smaller than my own room.’

That was my honest impression.

Of course, it was something I would never voice aloud.

“The entrance test will be conducted through team scrims for about a week. If you pass, you’ll start as a trainee like the other players.”

“Ah… okay.”

“Accommodations… might be difficult. During the test, you’ll need to be back to the dorm by 9 AM every day. Is that alright?”

“Yes, yes. No problem.”

Commuting was something I could easily ask Kim Secretary for.

In reality, I intended to commute even while actually living as a pro, so I was rather glad about this suggestion.

“And for the gear you’ll use during the test, you can bring your own, or since there’s an empty spot, you can use the one over there.”

He meant the spot next to the sink.


Since there wouldn’t be a chance to set up a new desk, I nodded.

“I’ll use what’s there.”

“If it doesn’t fit, you can grab a keyboard and mouse from the shared equipment room over there, or bring your stuff next time.”

After a brief explanation, Coach Park lightly clapped his hands.

“Alright, everyone.”

Only then did the players, who had been deep in their games with headsets on, slowly turn their attention toward us.

“Uh….”

“…Who?”

“Eh.”

Surprise and confusion were palpable in their gazes directed at me.

It couldn’t be helped.

Honestly, even I thought I looked stunning.

“I mentioned it before, right? We’ll be testing for a week. Oh, by the way, what was your name again?”

I never asked.

“My name is Yujin.”

As I bowed, I heard sounds of gasps coming from various corners.

Yeah, I understand completely.

“……Anyway, that’s the situation. …Oh, right. By the way, how old did you say you were?”

I never asked.

“I’m 23 years old.”

“……What?”

Here comes another surprise.

“Uh… Ah, it’s nothing.”

It was no wonder Coach Park was flustered.

And putting my appearance aside, the age of 23 was definitely not young by professional gaming standards in Legends of League.

A 23-year-old isn’t considered young in this field… even upon reflection, that’s a tough profession.

Seeing that he only just now asked about the most important age for a pro only reinforced my sense that the invitation process itself felt rather sloppy, but at that moment, it didn’t matter.

What mattered was that I was on my way to becoming a pro.

‘Surely… my heart is racing.’

Knowing this didn’t make it settle down, showing that the human heart is just like that.

“All the friends here are younger than you, Yujin, so I suggest you speak comfortably.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Then I’ll speak comfortably. Everyone here is younger than you, so you can speak casually.”

“Yes.”

“I would love to introduce each one of them, but since it’s currently in-season, I’m quite busy and can’t dedicate much time; so let’s start the test right away, shall we?”

This was, in a way, the obvious thing to do.

Right now, I was just a candidate for a test, not even a trainee, and it was in the middle of the season, so there was simply no luxury to waste time.

“Yes.”

“Great. Hey, Hyesung! Set up the room. Live server.”

“Set it up!”

“Smart guy, as always. If you have any questions, ask him. He’s the most experienced here.”

“Ah, okay.”

Here we go, it’s really starting now.

It felt a bit rushed, like something out of a storm, but as I sat in front of the computer, I felt my distractions fading away one by one.

Of course, that peace didn’t last long.

One of the trainees sitting next to me timidly spoke up.

“Uh… what’s your ID…? I need to invite you.”

“Ah, it’s Outlaw. Outlaw.”

“I, I sent the friend request.”

For just a moment, it felt awkward to the point where I wondered if such a conversation could even exist in this world.

‘Is this… the social skills of basement gamers?’

…Well, honestly, I’m not in a position to judge anyone.

“I’ve sent the invite.”

“Ah, I’ll just adjust my settings in practice mode for a moment.”

“Ah, okay.”

Shortly after moving my mouse a few times in practice mode, I felt something odd.

‘What is this?’

It seemed like it was lagging…

‘Hmm.’

……Is my monitor 60Hz?

It looks like this isn’t going to be an easy start.