Chapter 23
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The fourth live broadcast of Mir Guild’s raid begins again today.
The raid party, which had returned a few days ago, has already started training for the next raid, but due to the nature of league broadcasts being entirely pre-edited recordings…
This allows the broadcasts to continue without breaks until the next raid.
You could say it’s a system similar to a drama series.
└ Ooooh, it’s starting. Just like the preview said, it’s a night hunt, haha.
└ Haha, ordered some chicken.
└ Excited, excited!!
Perhaps because of this.
At some point, the broadcasters began creating league broadcasts to resemble an actual “Drama” or “Variety show.”
To recover the high costs of licensing and broadcasting rights, they needed to hold even one viewer in front of the screen, which led them to add “fun” or “storytelling” elements to meet the viewers’ demands.
Some experts even evaluate a broadcasting station’s capability by how entertaining they make league broadcasts.
However, this pursuit of entertainment for the sake of viewership ratings sometimes… no, very often, creates victims.
For instance, through malicious editing or… malicious editing, among other things.
And the protagonist and victim of the 4th Mir Raid broadcast was Park Soo-bin.
└ Hey? Is today’s broadcast the X-Man episode? Why is it just showing one person, haha?
└ I told you before. Park Soo-bin is the weak link.
To be honest, from the broadcasting station’s perspective, there’s no one better than him.
He’s the youngest debut in the world! Not just in Korea but globally!
In an era where becoming a hunter is increasingly difficult, a hunter this young is a merit in itself.
His gloomy face is a bit of a drawback, but that can be handled with some clever editing.
On the other hand, for Park Soo-bin, such attention was a poison.
Because he was utterly failing to meet the expectations of the spotlight.
└ Look at him, there he goes again, body-tanking, hahaha.
└ Slip!
└ Isn’t a supporter supposed to stay in the third line? Is it normal for them to be stuck in the middle like that? I’m genuinely asking because I don’t know.
└ Let’s cut Soo-bin some slack. He’s still young.
└ LOL, did you see that shield? It couldn’t even last 0.5 seconds, hahaha.
The raid party, which briefly showed a gap due to Park Soo-bin’s mistake, quickly pulled themselves together under the Mountain King’s stern roar and regained stability.
From that point on, Park Soo-bin moved as if trying to make up for his mistakes… but his errors continued until the end of the battle.
― Beep!
With a press of a button on the remote control.
The large CRT screen went black, showing Park Soo-bin biting his lip. Reflected in the blackened screen were four people.
“So, what are your thoughts, everyone?”
With the announcement of the second raid schedule, Lee Shin, Vice-Captain Chae Dong-ha, Strategy Analysis Team Leader, and Raid Leader Kim Jong-pil had gathered in the strategy analysis room.
Chae Dong-ha cautiously spoke first after reading the room.
“It seems clear that he still needs more experience. He’s fine initially, but as the battle progresses, his movements become noticeably stiff, even to my eyes.”
The Strategy Analysis Team Leader quickly added to Chae Dong-ha’s words, seemingly in agreement.
“Soo-bin… ahem, Hunter Park Soo-bin has shown mental fragility from the beginning. He tends to perform well but often spirals into consecutive mistakes after a single error. Personally, I think his debut came too early… That’s just my opinion.”
“Oh-ho~” Lee Shin, who had been mechanically adding interjections, finally turned to Kim Jong-pil.
Unlike the others, he looked at him with eyes full of anticipation.
As if to say, “You’ve seen it, right, senior?” and, true to his reputation as the Mountain King, Kim Jong-pil gave the correct answer.
“Defense. The current raid party has a defense problem. Overall, the defense is severely lacking.”
“!!”
Having watched scene after scene of Park Soo-bin’s mistakes, they naturally thought it would be about him. But to suddenly point out the raid party’s overall problem?
Chae Dong-ha and the Strategy Analysis Team Leader were taken aback.
Meanwhile, Lee Shin finally smiled brightly and snapped his fingers.
“Correct! As expected of our Raid Leader. We’re on the same page.”
That’s right.
The current limitation and weakness of Mir Guild.
It was defense.
“The raid party isn’t an individual game. It’s a 15-person team battle. Soo-bin being inexperienced? We know. Being young and lacking experience? Who doesn’t know that? But that’s a secondary issue.”
Park Soo-bin’s mistakes shouldn’t simply be dismissed as personal errors.
The important thing is that the goblins managed to reach him at the center of the second line!
Even though they were surrounded, they not only broke through the thick shields of the tanks but also managed to penetrate through the surrounding dealers to stab him with a rusty dagger.
What does this mean?
“The defense line. The formation was completely broken.”
The scene that starkly illustrated this.
― Click!
Lee Shin pressed play, and the video resumed on the previously blackened CRT screen.
The first battle after entering the gate.
Without Kim Jong-pil’s guidance, they had faced the goblins in chaos at that moment.
“Do you remember this situation? Didn’t it seem strange while watching this?”
Lee Shin rapidly analyzed the footage, speaking as the video replayed.
The tanks moved forward, leaning into the enemy, while the second-line dealers, who should have been keeping pace, backed away.
The gap between the front and back widened, and the goblins seized control of that space.
Thus, the tanks became isolated.
“There was a clear difference in power. Despite such a critical mistake, they concluded the situation without a single injury. That means they’re that overwhelming.”
Once again, the applause was Kim Jong-pil’s.
“Despite the overwhelming power gap, that scene still happened, which makes it even more troublesome.”
“YES! You’ve articulated exactly what I wanted to say.”
“Distance, spacing, coordination—there’s not a single thing that isn’t a mess.”
“Don’t forget vision and movement patterns.”
“To put it another way, it’s a relief that it was goblins. Excluding a few patterns, they have very limited ranged attack patterns, so the mistakes didn’t stand out as much.”
“Were they panicked because it was their first time? That’s a ridiculous excuse, but fine. I’ll generously overlook it with my broad heart. But even accounting for that, their response afterward was just awful.”
“It was bad. Really bad.”
“And everything we’ve mentioned so far…”
“Yes, it’s all related to defense.”
“So, the core of the issue is.”
“Defense.”
Passing the ball back and forth, Lee Shin, the top veteran of this field, and the unparalleled commander Mountain King, identified the crux of the problem.
“Offense draws the crowd, but defense wins championships. It’s an old saying, but there’s nothing more accurate. Defense is the most definitive indicator of a raid party’s overall level.”
“People often think that only tanks need to worry about defense, but that’s completely wrong. Properly, everyone should be involved and paying attention.”
“But many overlook this obvious fact. Some don’t even seem to understand the concept.”
“I get it. Defense isn’t fun. It’s boring, it doesn’t get much spotlight, so except for tanks, it’s often neglected. Especially with a raid party like ours, where the average age is young.”
“Moreover, considering that I can’t join the frontlines, the raid party is effectively 14 members.”
“Defense is weak, and we’re down a member? Oh my God!”
“To put it bluntly, it’s a teamwork issue. They’re not a team yet. It’s something that will improve over time as they gain experience.”
“Exactly, teamwork. It’s something time will fix.”
At this point, both Chae Dong-ha and the Strategy Analysis Team Leader’s eyes began to dart around rapidly, as if they fully understood the problem.
That’s right.
The current Mir Raid Party is bad at defense.
With the exception of the Mountain King, the entire raid party is made up of rookies. Their lack of experience has created a significant weakness in their defense.
Of course, as the two mentioned, this is a teamwork issue.
As they gain experience and spend more time together, the team will naturally become more cohesive, and the problem could resolve itself.
The issue is…
Unfortunately, the announced schedule wasn’t going to wait for them.
“LV4. ‘Imp Archer’s Advance Base.’ It’s the gate with the highest attack level among the League 4 raids.”
Three days remain.
They have only three days to come up with a breakthrough solution.
Everyone looked at one another. A brief silence filled the room.
“……”
“……”
Someone, say something.
Under the silent pressure, the Strategy Analysis Team Leader was the first to surrender. Soon after, Chae Dong-ha scratched his head and raised the white flag.
Now, only two people remained.
Kim Jong-pil shrugged his shoulders and made the first move.
“It’s not much of a method, but if we proceed as steadily as possible, clearing the gate won’t be difficult. However, like in the first round, we can’t expect any groundbreaking records.”
This was the best suggestion Kim Jong-pil, who couldn’t participate on the frontlines, could offer.
However, Lee Shin didn’t seem satisfied as he scratched his chin repeatedly.
“Hmm…”
What he wanted wasn’t just any result.
He wanted overwhelming results.
To erase the guild’s sense of defeat and restore the faded prestige of its once-glorious name, they needed to dominate League 4 with overwhelming performance.
—If that’s the official reason.
On a personal level, Lee Shin wanted to maximize his points in the stingy League 4, and breaking as many records as possible, including a winning streak, was the most critical.
“What does the Representative think?”
The baton was now passed to Lee Shin.
What will he do? All eyes were on him as he scratched his chin and pondered for a long time.
“Well, there’s no choice.”
He found his answer.
“We’ll have to go shopping.”
??
What… what did he just say??
* * *
In an industrial zone of Sasang, Busan.
The noisy rails came to a halt, and the trucks bustling in and out all left the area simultaneously.
Hardware stores, parking lots, 24-hour convenience stores. Every light turned off, and the neighbourhood came to a standstill.
Night fell.
A night more enchanting than the day.
“The store is now open.”
With a sharp sound, the veil was lifted, and the underground black market’s doors opened.
One by one, ultra-high-end entry-level cars pulled up, and as they stopped, individuals dressed to the dress code stepped out under the guidance of the hosts.
When the son of a mid-sized company president from Busan waved his hand, the son of a guild master responded with a middle finger.
An elderly local tycoon and a city councilman clicked their tongues at the foolish display, muttering about the younger generation.
One by one, Busan’s elite wealthy and powerful figures stepped onto the red carpet.
And then.
A black sedan approached from afar.
The appearance of a Rolls-Royce Phantom made everyone freeze in their tracks.
Though the people gathered here were impressive in their own right, it was, after all, just the Busan scene.
Even if all the wealth gathered here were pooled, it wouldn’t come close to matching that family. Even if all their power were combined, it couldn’t compete.
“Welcome.”
The apex predator of the food chain.
Here comes Lee Shin of the Lee Do Group.
“Good to see you all.”
With the sudden appearance of a VVIP, the head host, who had been in the lobby, hurriedly ran out and bowed.
Lee Shin stepped out of the car with a gentle smile, and Chae Dong-ha, who had exited from the opposite side, ran over to drape a coat over his shoulders.
“…He really came. Is he insane?”
…Of course, the impure muttering could be heard in the process, but Lee Shin was a magnanimous leader who knew how to cover for his subordinates. He pretended not to notice.
Amidst the bewildered crowd, parting like the Red Sea along the red carpet, Lee Shin strolled leisurely as if it was only natural that he was the star of the show.
“Our market offers a full range of services for your convenience, including dining, spa, and massages. Please let us know if you’d like to use any of them.”
“Sorry to interrupt. I believe the auction is starting soon. Could you take us to the auction house directly?”
“Of course. I’ll escort you to the auction house immediately.”
“Thank you.”
“If you require anonymity, we have masks prepared…”
“No need for that. It’s not like I’m committing a crime. Thank you for the consideration, though.”
Lee Shin smiled brightly.
The female staff blushed.
Now, she wasn’t even trying to hide it.
Watching this, Chae Dong-ha sighed in disbelief and leaned in to whisper as he stuck close to Lee Shin.
“What are you thinking? Shouldn’t you explain by now?”
“About what?”
“This! Is this normal?”
“What’s not normal about it?”
“Are you serious? This! Shopping!! Here!!”
Just four hours ago, they were having a strategic meeting. Then, suddenly, this man says, “Haha, I’m going shopping! No one can stop me!” and shows up at a black market. The least he could do is explain his reasoning. Why the sudden madness??
With a slightly exasperated tone, Chae Dong-ha voiced his concerns, but Lee Shin only widened his eyes and gave a rather charming smile.
It wasn’t his usual smirk, where one corner of his mouth would curl up slyly—it was a full-on, deliberate, seductive smile.
“Well, who knows~?”
Lee Shin winked as he walked past.
‘Ha…’
At that moment, 25-year-old atheist Chae Dong-ha suddenly started to believe in God.
Oh, Lord, just one punch. Let me land one clean hit, I beg you.
Please!
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