Invul League’s veteran caster, Ho-eun.
His post-work routine was checking the popular posts on the game community forums.
It wasn’t because he found the community itself entertaining. He was no longer the young man he once was, and joining in with the younger generation brought numerous difficulties. However, he had to consciously and consistently monitor these forums to keep track of fan trends.
He didn’t need to review every single post. He only needed to look for the ones that highlighted key developments within the pro scene or posts with significant reactions.
Once done with the communities, the next step was checking internet broadcasts and video platforms. Especially, reviewing highlights from streams hosted by pro players often proved beneficial. Mentioning any notable events could elicit positive feedback.
‘Even though the official broadcasts might seem stubborn, they’re actually constantly attuned to the fans’ opinions.’
In this era, you have to treat fans like a demanding boss to survive.
In Ho-eun’s opinion, e-sports professionals who get too close to their fans don’t last long. But similarly, getting too distant isn’t advisable either. That’s why it’s crucial not to be completely ignorant about the community.
He needed to avoid overly sensitive topics while swiftly identifying any beneficial issues. Above all, no matter how dignified one may appear in front of the fans, they couldn’t afford to stop struggling behind the scenes.
By navigating this balance, certain trends naturally became apparent—sometimes even revealing ways to create them.
[Top Posts]
– Gawol Playoffs Review.review
– Toppoki Eating Broadcast Highlights Compilation
– Reasons Behind the Rumors of Gawol’s Preparations
– Are We Seriously Going to Let It Slip Away Again Like We Did With Phantom?
Gawol.
The flame that ignited in the Arena and never extinguished—not even for a single season.
Ho-eun didn’t often bring her up on official broadcasts, but Gawol was undeniably a name everyone needed to know by now.
In fact, Ho-eun’s personal interest had prompted him to even dig into her evaluations before Arena. Compared to her mysterious past, her recent appearances had become more frequent. Especially after Arena, her image had grown clear.
– Drrrring, drrrring!
Who on earth would be calling at this hour?
“Yes, this is Ho-eun speaking.”
– I apologize for bothering you after work, caster. Unfortunately, there’s been a hiccup in Yurang’s schedule.
“Excuse me?”
– They’re asking whether we can replace the guest commentator with someone else.
Naturally, his brow furrowed, but Ho-eun had been in the business for long enough to keep his polite tone unwavering. That said, the content of the request was anything but pleasant.
This was just a week before the League’s semifinals. It wasn’t easy to view the sudden change of a guest commentator in a positive light.
“Suddenly?”
– There’s been an internal situation that seems unavoidable.
“I understand, but how does this affect us? If we don’t have a guest commentator for the Sigma match, rumors will abound.”
– That’s the thing…this story is circulating internally.
What initially started as mild irritation after receiving the call quickly transformed into intrigue.
– So, what do you think, caster?
“It seems fine. But has the other party agreed yet?”
– We’re planning to at least make the proposal.
—
*
A hot breath escaped from my lips.
“Member, let’s try one more time!”
“Uh, aaaahhh…!”
My stomach tightened abruptly, and the heat rushed through my body, aimlessly circulating inside of me. I strained, tensing my abs as much as I could.
“Just a little more, just a little more, just a little more!”
“Ugh—pant, pant!”
“You’re doing so well, member! Let’s try once more!”
Strange.
It felt like we weren’t nearing the end. When I glared at the trainer, all I received in return was a bright smile.
The woman who had seemed so genuinely kind at first glance turned out to hide a terrifying demon within her. For the entire 60 minutes of our session, she mercilessly pushed me to my limits.
“Let’s do just one final attempt?”
“No, I really can’t do anymore!”
“Alright, then that’s it for today!”
“Aaaah…”
My body, which had reached its limit, collapsed onto the floor. My breathing was labored due to the impact of the ab exercises. My chest rose and fell repeatedly as I exhaled and inhaled.
Sweat poured from my back like rain. Actually, it soaked most of my body, and my leggings were drenched. The clammy feeling was slightly bothersome.
I didn’t want to wear these kinds of tight-fitting clothes because they stuck uncomfortably to my skin. But I had been convinced by the argument that friction could damage my skin, and the added benefit of maximizing my range of motion sealed it.
Anyway, I only exercised in Sigma’s exclusive gym. There weren’t many people around to make me feel embarrassed.
“Well, thank you for your hard work today! See you next Monday!”
“Yes…”
“And don’t forget to send pictures of your meals.”
“Ahh, alright…”
After the trainer left with her ever-friendly smile, I lay sprawled on the floor for quite some time, catching my breath.
I tend to give credit where it’s due, and I must admit, there’s nothing to criticize about this body of mine as a woman. My hair, skin, appearance—there wasn’t a single feature that didn’t evoke envy.
Not to mention the secret no one else knew. Not a single hair grew on my body, not even in the most private areas, making me unnaturally smooth and soft. It was almost as if the body itself rejected imperfections.
Despite my indulgent lifestyle, this body had endured it all admirably. Even under the slothful routines that would make pro gamers cringe, it held strong. Had my left leg not been impaired, one might’ve called this flesh a divine gift.
But there was a problem.
“My muscles aren’t growing enough…”
It’s not that my exercises were entirely fruitless. Thanks to Sigma’s support, I had started working out, and my body was undoubtedly improving in many ways. There was more vitality coursing through me than before.
However, there was a matter of direction. Instead of getting buff, my body seemed to be leaning more feminine.
My soft body showed no signs of changing no matter how hard I pressed it. While I hadn’t expected to bulk up into a mountain of muscle, I hadn’t anticipated this level of resistance either. Still, the workout was started for health reasons, so it’s probably better not to dwell too much.
It was then, as my breathing returned to normal, that I happened to check my phone.
[A new email has arrived: Infinity…]
“Sip…”
This time, it’s probably just another advertisement, right? After receiving notifications from the gaming company post the console incident, I always jumped at the thought of bad news. Checking the email required quite a bit of mental preparation.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t just a simple ad. Yet, it wasn’t from the security team either.
[Title: Infinity Corporation’s League Guest Commentator Invitation]
This was serious. What should I do in such a situation…
—
Luche, help me.
“Wouldn’t it be alright? In fact, unless there’s a special reason against it, attending might be for the best.”
“R-really?”
“Yes. It’s a good opportunity for you, Da-eun. There’s no reason to stop you.”
Across the table, Luche leisurely chewed on her salad. It wasn’t exactly the same as mine, but we were both eating greens, and for some reason, they tasted better now that my palate had changed.
“I understand your concern, but just because we’re from the same company doesn’t mean we all share the same thoughts. The security team and the league operations team may have different interests.”
“Even though we’re from the same company?”
“Different teams have different goals. The league operations team likely—very strongly—wants you back in the game.”
Is that even possible?
I thought everyone at the same company was in sync.
Maybe this was just a misunderstanding from my lack of corporate experience.
Still, I trust Luche’s words more than my own bias. She’s usually accurate.
“In that case, I’ll accept the offer. Thank you for the advice.”
“No need for thanks—it’s my job since I pushed you into it. Oh, just one quick thing.”
We were almost done eating, and I was about to get up when Luche stopped me.
“I know you’ve been trying hard, but we should push for Da-eun’s recruitment even faster.”
“Did something happen?”
“There’s a rumor that foreign mercenaries will be allowed starting from the Summer League. Until now, they’ve been holding off, but something serious must’ve happened.”
“Hmm…well, I don’t mind anyway.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Who’s thanking whom here?
Regardless, this is good news for me.
I want to get back into the game as soon as possible—just one more hour, one more minute—it would definitely be a beautiful stage in the pro scene, standing there confidently.
A few days later, I made my way into the official Pro League studio.
