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Chapter 30
“99th Year Since Debut Pro Gamer”
Park Yong-won was staring blankly at the “My Info” page on the Ball client.
[‘Knife in the Left Hand’: Challenger, 450 LP]
The emblem of the Challenger tier shone brilliantly, radiating dazzling light.
Just watching that sight made his face split into a big, goofy grin.
A chuckle leaked out between his teeth without him even realizing it.
“Pffft, hehehe, pffft—!”
Sure, some people might dismiss this achievement as nothing more than “farming an empty house.”
After all, it was the preseason, a time when most pros went on long vacations.
But still.
Was Ball always this easy?
Honestly, none of that mattered.
Recently, Park Yong-won’s solo queue record was an astounding 14 wins and 3 losses.
Unbelievably strong results for someone playing in the Grandmaster–Challenger range.
I actually made it to Challenger tier!!
For Yong-won, “Challenger” had always been a wall.
A wailing wall that didn’t even let him dare to touch it.
He had often despaired while stuck in the middle of Grandmaster, wondering if maybe he didn’t have the talent to make it as a pro.
But then—
I owe all of this to Do-su.
Ever since teaming up with Lee Do-su, Yong-won’s entire Ball life had completely transformed.
What the hell kind of game had I been playing until now?
Even saying it aloud was painful.
Vision.
Overall in-game mechanics.
Detailed character mastery.
Early jungle pathing and macro strategies.
Each time he corrected his habits based on Do-su’s feedback, it felt like a clogged artery bursting open.
Now I’m sure—I really can become a pro.
Once the small habits that had been holding him back were corrected, Yong-won’s raw, instinctive sense began to shine even sharper.
When his overwhelming power—the kind that could overturn bad situations—was paired with proper planning, the result was explosive, even beyond expectations.
At first, he had wondered if his improvement was just because Do-su held up the mid lane so well.
But no.
If anything, in solo queue without Do-su, his performances had been even more destructive.
Did that mean he was stronger in solo queue?
Of course not.
When combined with Do-su’s shot-calling, his play rose to another level entirely.
It was just that with someone of Do-su’s overwhelming caliber on the team, it wasn’t easy to outshine him.
Honestly, Do-su was such a monster that winning against him didn’t even feel possible.
Well, Do-su is in a league of his own.
Thinking of him, Yong-won couldn’t help but grin again.
How had such a lucky gem like Do-su rolled into his life as a teammate?
If he could, he’d want to stay on the same team as Do-su even after going pro.
Not just as a gamer—Do-su was an incredible person too.
Their mid-jungle synergy was like matching soul frequencies, an uncanny level of harmony.
But with Do-su’s skill, he’ll probably join one of the top-tier teams soon.
After watching him up close, Yong-won could confidently say: Do-su was a once-in-a-generation genius.
He’d seen plenty of prodigies before, but never someone with such overwhelming talent.
For all Yong-won knew, Do-su was already receiving offers from countless teams.
His pro debut was probably just around the corner.
Compared to that, I still need more time.
Objectively, Yong-won wasn’t yet ready for a pro team—let alone a prestigious one.
Sure, he had grown immensely compared to before the tournament, but there was still a long way to go.
It was true he had broken through the wall between Grandmaster and Challenger, but inside Challenger, another suffocating wall awaited at the top ranks.
Only by surpassing that could he truly call himself “pro level.”
Even looking at his friend Kang Woo-seok, who was a “true” Challenger, Yong-won could feel the difference compared to Do-su.
Once this tournament is over, it might not happen right away… but someday, I’d love to play on the same team as Do-su.
As he thought that, his eyes fell once again on the glorious Challenger emblem on his monitor.
Bzzzz—
Whatever the case, just looking at that emblem made him feel like he owned the world.
I could honestly stare at this all day and never get bored.
He was lost in that thought when—
BZZZZ—!
His phone suddenly started buzzing with a long vibration.
The caller ID made his eyes go wide.
Huh? Do-su is calling me first?!
And not just a text—but a direct call.
Startled, Yong-won quickly grabbed his phone.
Usually, he was the one who had to reach out first.
This was the first time it was the other way around.
Heh, so the kid knows how to call first, huh?
With a grin, he tapped the answer button.
Click.
“Hey, Do-su!”
– Hyung, do you have time after team practice later?
“Time?”
– Yeah. Want to grab a drink with me?
The unexpected suggestion made Yong-won’s eyes nearly pop out.
“Huh? You wanna drink?”
– Yeah.
He was curious about the reason, but figured he could just hear it in person.
So—
“Of course! Let’s do it!”
Yong-won readily agreed.
After team practice.
I met Yong-won at a barbecue place near the PC café.
“What is this, seriously? Do-su asking me out for drinks?!”
As soon as we sat down, Yong-won teased with a sly grin.
“Finally opening up to me, huh? Hmph!”
“What?”
I gave him a wry smile, and he laughed along with me.
“Haha. So? What’s the big reason behind this drinking invitation?”
“You’re impatient. We just sat down.”
“Oh, right?”
“Let’s order first.”
I turned around, raising my hand.
“Excuse me! Two servings of samgyeopsal and a doenjang stew, please!”
“Sure~!”
Before long, we devoured the first round of meat and ordered two more servings.
By then, we were halfway through our second bottle of soju.
In the middle of chatting about the upcoming tournament, Yong-won poured another glass.
“Alright! I think it’s about time we get to the main point, huh?”
I clinked my glass with his and nodded.
“Yeah.”
“I’m ready! Just say it!”
As we downed our drinks together, I finally spoke.
“Let me ask you first. You really do want to become a pro gamer, right?”
“What kind of question is that? Of course I do!”
“I’m aiming to go pro too.”
“Obviously! With your talent, not debuting would practically be a crime!”
I looked him in the eyes, deadly serious.
“That’s why—I want us to go pro together.”
“Of course! I said I’m gonna be a pro too—wait, what!?”
Yong-won froze mid-sentence, staring at me with wide eyes.
“I want to join the same team as you and make our debut together.”
His eyes widened to the max. He even hiccupped in shock.
“Hic!”
“I’ll need your agreement, of course. That’s why I called you out today.”
Yong-won rubbed his face with his palm.
“Hold on… whoa! I’m sober all of a sudden.”
“Don’t exaggerate. You don’t even get drunk after four bottles.”
“Well, yeah, but… are you serious?”
“Dead serious.”
He gave me a worried look.
“Are you drunk…?”
“Don’t worry. I can’t drink as much as you, but I’m fine.”
“No, Do-su! So you’re saying you and I join the same pro team and debut together?”
“Exactly.”
“But… why?”
I smirked and refilled my glass.
“Why? You don’t want to?”
“No, no! Of course I’d love that! But honestly, isn’t that a loss for you?”
“A loss?”
“Come on! You could easily pick any top-tier team you wanted.”
“Maybe. But here’s what I have in mind…”
I carefully laid out my plan for a “Dream Team.”
I told him salary or team size didn’t matter much to me.
What I really wanted was to win everything—not just the domestic league, but international tournaments too.
To achieve that, building the perfect team came first.
That’s why I intended to hand-pick my own ideal roster.
And he was one of the members I wanted.
After listening to the whole plan, Yong-won stroked his chin.
“…Yeah, you really are different.”
“Different?”
“It’s just… geniuses think on a whole different level.”
“Genius? I’m no genius. Just ordinary.”
“Bullshit! If you’re ‘ordinary,’ then I’m… I don’t even know. But anyway—”
He crossed his arms and nodded.
“Okay, I get it. You’re aiming big. The ‘Golden Road,’ huh? Sounds reckless as hell.”
“It is reckless.”
“And who knows if you can even build your own roster.”
“Negotiations won’t be easy.”
“But tell me this—why me? Why include me in your dream team?”
“Because you’re one of the few people I can be completely honest with.”
“Heh, because I’m comfortable, huh?”
“But that’s not the only reason. Like I said, I want to achieve the Golden Road. No team in history has ever done it. You can’t reach that with just a group of nice players, right?”
“…”
“I believe you’ll grow into a world-class jungler, one who can shine even at Worlds. The biggest reason I want you is because I believe in your potential.”
“!!”
That’s right.
I knew better than anyone just how high his ceiling was.
If he honed his skills, he could become the sharpest spear among junglers.
“You believe in my potential…”
Yong-won’s eyes suddenly lit up with a fierce gleam.
His expression was conflicted—bitter, yet happy at the same time.
With a crooked smile, he replied:
“I’ve always been good at self-awareness, you know. And I know the truth—without you, I’m still a half-baked player who can’t even do one man’s job.”
“….”
“So I’ll prove it. That your faith in me wasn’t misplaced! That we really are the strongest mid-jungle duo!!”
Blushing slightly, he scratched his head furiously before raising his soju glass.
The liquid sloshed out over the rim.
“Damn it, that sounded so damn cheesy! Anyway, I’ll do my best not to keep you waiting too long. For now—cheers!”
Our glasses clinked loudly.
I set mine down and picked up my chopsticks.
“So, I’ll take that as your agreement?”
“To what?”
“That no matter the team, no matter where we start—I’ll handle negotiations, and we’ll challenge it together.”
“I already said yes, you idiot! Don’t make me repeat myself!”
“Just making sure. No backing out now.”
Yong-won suddenly remembered something.
“Oh, right! I was curious earlier. Are there other members you’ve already picked out?”
“Yeah. You’re my top priority, so I asked you first. But I’ve thought about the other lanes too.”
Hearing “top priority,” Yong-won couldn’t hide his grin—even his dimples showed.
“Really? Heh. So, anyone I know?”
“For top lane, I think you know him better than I do.”
“Top? Who? …Wait. Don’t tell me—Haneul!?”
“Yep. I think Haneul could become a really solid top laner.”
I shrugged.
“What do you think?”
“True, Haneul’s growth after switching to top has been insane.”
“So you agree?”
“Of course! I couldn’t ask for more. I’m already close with him too!”
“Great. I’ll ask him then.”
“Hey, Do-su!”
Yong-won raised his phone.
“Why don’t we just call him over now? He lives super close to here.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, like a five-minute walk.”
Strike while the iron is hot.
I nodded.
“Let’s call him.”
