Descent of the Demon Master

Chapter 547. Peaceful (2)

“My... personality?”

Park Yu-Min's eyes widened at that unexpected reply.

“Yes, hyung.” Choi Jeong-Wu repeatedly picked up his drink before putting it down as if his nervousness had gotten the better of him.

“But, my personality is the problem? How?”

“I don't know if it's your personality or disposition, though. It's... Mm... Right, I think that must be it.”

“Jeong-Wu, I'm having trouble trying to understand you here. So, uh... How can that be a problem while gaming?”

Choi Jeong-Wu slowly nodded. “Hyung, you've been like that in the past, right? How should I describe your playing style as? Like... uh, you're like Lee Chang-Ho?”

“Lee Chang-Ho? You mean, the famous go player?”

“Yeah, him. You gave off the same exact feeling as him, hyung. Unless you know you can definitely gain something, you never commit to a move. Even if you look like you're taking your time leisurely managing your waves, everyone suddenly realizes you've already half-won the match. And then, even when you're at the climax, and only a small push from you would've ended the match in your favor, you still look out for that one-in-a-million chance and push for an even more comprehensive victory. That's your type.”

“Mm...?”

“Back then, that kinda mindset worked. Actually, I'd say it's a great way to play that game. However, Galaxy is a single-player title, hyung. This new one is a multiplayer team-based title.”

“Yes, I know.”

“If you partnered with someone in Galaxy, you wouldn't have played in your usual style. There would've been variables outside of your control, after all. But this game has more variables than Galaxy, you know? Even if you've totally shut out the enemy lane, other lanes could still cause a problem, right?”

“...”

“But, hyung. Even in situations where you could've gained an upper hand, you still bide your time, waiting for something to happen. Should I say... It feels like you believe being stronger than your opponent is the only way to go? That's why you can't respond in time when your opponents are moving around on the map, hyung,” said Choi Jeong-Wu as his expression grew a little pained. “Pros who are popular in this game and praised for being really skillful are all proactive and aggressive, you see? Those who give off the air of, 'I might lose this game, but I'm still gonna wreck you,' usually reach the upper ranks of the pros.”

Park Yu-Min contemplatively nodded. This advice sounded similar to what the team director said to him earlier. “So... it's aggressiveness?”

“Well, rather than aggressiveness, it's... How should I say this? Competitiveness and obsessiveness verging on being petty? You need something like that, hyung.”

“Hmm...”

“Stuff like management and control-related skills all come after that. You gotta have the aggression of wanting to trample on the opponent first. I mean, you felt it yourself, right? You were fine during one-on-one but had a huge problem during five-on-five, didn't you?”

Park Yu-Min nodded again while rubbing his chin. Since the pro gamer said the same thing as the pro team director, was there a point in thinking about this anymore? Now he knew for sure what his issue was. However, how should he go about solving this?

“Jeong-Wu... What should I do to become more aggressive?”

“Well, that's the hard part, I guess,” Choi Jeong-Wu sighed, then took a gulp of his drink. “Not much we can do about your personality, hyung. However, we're gamers, aren't we? A problem involving games should be solved through more gaming, I think. For instance, you could play with or against another player with all the qualities I just told you about. You know, someone really aggressive in his gaming. That disposition might rub off on you if you stick by that person long enough. But, uh…” Choi Jeong-Wu put the cup down while looking troubled. “Hyung, you're already a Challenger-rank and a semi-pro. Finding an aggressive player that matches your level might not be easy. Even if you do find someone like that, they must be pros themselves or have developed their 'unique' way of playing.”

“...I know someone.”

“Huh? Really?” Choi Jeong-Wu hurriedly looked up at Park Yu-Min's somber-sounding voice.

“...Yeah, there's someone who fits that bill perfectly. A dude with a mindset of I don't care how this round unfolds as long as I can beat you to a pulp... A pro-level gamer with the attitude of never, ever yielding to his opponents even if it's the end of the world. Yup, I definitely know someone like that.”

“E-eh? There's someone like that? Really? And he's got enough time in his schedule, too?”

“Not sure about his schedule, but yeah, he's a real person. For now, he's not a pro, but he's good enough to debut as one in less than ten days if he wants to.”

Choi Jeong-Wu looked at Park Yu-Min weirdly. “You're, uh... not messing with me, right? Hyung?”

Of course, Park Yu-Min wasn't kidding. He was being serious. Dead serious, too!

“I can't speak for any of his other qualities, but…” Park Yu-Min muttered in a slightly withdrawn voice. “The mindset of defeating the opponent no matter what... This dude I'm talking about might be the worst example of that mindset in the entire world.”

And that dude went overboard too often, too!

***

“Huh? You want me to play that game with you?” Kang Jin-Ho narrowed his eyes.

“Yeah,” Park Yu-Min nodded.

Kang Jin-Ho didn't say anything and just pouted while staring at his friend. Park Yu-Min sheepishly avoided meeting that gaze by turning his head away.

“Hmm... Didn't you say something about changing your surname by a deed poll if you ever played a match with me again?”

“...W-well, that's not what I meant, Jin-Ho. It's, uh, it's like...”

Kang Jin-Ho firmly shut his mouth. His expression now hinted at how cranky he was—an emotion he rarely expressed.

Park Yu-Min saw that and panicked slightly. “B-back then, I was an idiot with zero discernment in what's good and bad in this game, Jin-Ho. That's why I didn't see your true worth.”

In a situation like this, pacifying his friend was the best course of action. Unfortunately for Park Yu-Min, though... It seemed Kang Jin-Ho had studied some aspects of a seasoned negotiator.

“Hmmmm...?” Kang Jin-Ho slowly cocked his brow and sneakily pushed the desperately-clinging Park Yu-Min away. “So, you're saying you need me now?”

“Y-yes. That's right.”

“Listen here, Park Yu-Min,” Kang Jin-Ho muttered while haughtily leaning against the chair. After crossing his legs, he began smiling oh-so-hatefully. “Everything has a corresponding price. That is a fact. A never-changing truth of this universe.”

“...”

“So, what will you do for me? Oh, my dearest friend?”

“W-what do you want, exactly?”

“A packet of... cigarettes!”

“...?” Park Yu-Min dazedly stared at Kang Jin-Ho. His friend didn't seem to be joking judging from how serious he looked, so... “...Is that all?”

“What's the matter? Is it too much?”

“...Uh-whew.” Park Yu-Min sighed deeply. “I'll buy ten packets, okay?”

***

Park Yu-Min frowned slightly.

'Seriously, he... He's not human.'

In various meanings, too! Firstly, a person would never charge blindly forward while not even bothering to look back once. Humans naturally retreated if they sensed an imminent threat to themselves, after all!

Just how many people in this world played video games with a mindset of killing their opponents no matter what, despite the obvious risk of their own characters dying? Well, Kang Jin-Ho was one such person. He was doing exactly that with a straight face!

As for the other meaning...

'Holy cow. He actually survived that?'

Kang Jin-Ho had become good enough to survive despite his nonsensical way of playing. He quickly acclimatized to the game's little nuances and tricks, then relied on his supernatural control skills to make his nonsensical playing style... actually viable!

—What the f is up with this punk?!

—Gotta be using macros. Report!

—Macros won't let you do that crap. Have you never played against someone using macros before?

—Maybe he's a pro running an alt?

—What? When he's playing like a dogsh*t?

'Right, Jin-Ho does play like crap.'

Park Yu-Min fully sympathized with his opponents. If this was soccer, then what Kang Jin-Ho was doing was equivalent to obstinately dribbling toward an area with five defenders just so that he could break through the wall of defense and score a goal. And he was doing that repeatedly, too!

Even so, his method was actually working. Even though he was resorting to a play style that looked thoughtless and ineffective, Kang Jin-Ho was actually succeeding! The defenders from that comparison must be feeling like shooting themselves in the head or something from this... abuse!

'Their movements are getting duller.'

After experiencing the same humiliation a couple of times in a row, the opponent team's control had gotten noticeably sloppier. In the end, games were played by humans. Experiencing something completely out of expectation would inevitably break their willpower.

Once one's mind was no longer focused, one's control over their actions would become sloppy. This was the competitive edge. This one little thing had the power to affect the entire match!

'So, this is the difference...!'

Park Yu-Min was a pro in a single-player game. This meant his understanding of a multiplayer game would be weaker than his competition. If a situation was not under a player's control, they should work toward creating as many variables as possible in what they did control!

When Kang Jin-Ho created variables through his aggression, Park Yu-Min analyzed the situation to find the best way to gain the upper hand, then put that plan into practice. While doing all this, Park Yu-Min was getting a valuable lesson on the advantage of having an aggressive streak.

'Even though I don't think I can do this...'

Park Yu-Min could only smile wryly. Knowing this kind of play style didn't mean he could copy it, though. Still, knowing that it was possible already proved to be a massive help for him. Of course, the director and Choi Jeong-Wu probably weren't referring to this kind of aggressiveness. Even so...

'They might even try to scout Jin-Ho after witnessing his play style...'

No, that wouldn't work. In a multiplayer team game, Kang Jin-Ho would be like poison. Even though Park Yu-Min arguably knew Kang Jin-Ho better than anyone, playing a computer game with the latter still stressed him out this badly. In that case, how much worse would it be for strangers?

Most likely, no one would be patient enough to deal with Kang Jin-Ho's thought pattern and aggressiveness. And that would surely create many troubles for the team.

“We... won,” Kang Jin-Ho calmly muttered. Although, anyone with eyes could tell that he was trying to hold back a content smirk from floating up on his lips.

Park Yu-Min glanced at his friend and chuckled softly. “Let's get something to drink first. I'm sure you want to smoke, too.”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded while pushing his chair back. “Yeah, let's do that.”

“Okay. Let's go.”

***

Pshooohhi...!

The sound of a cola can opening sounded a little sharper than usual. Park Yu-Min watched Kang Jin-Ho gulp down the bubbly cola and chuckled again. “I guess you will never get tired of drinking cola…”

“Mm?” Kang Jin-Ho stopped drinking and tilted his head.

“You only drink either coffee or cola, you know?”

“Mm...” Kang Jin-Ho narrowed his eyes and glanced at the cola can. “Well, there was a time when I would've killed people for a sip of this, you see.”

“...Your parents are not a big fan of sodas, huh?”

Kang Jin-Ho quietly chuckled without saying anything. Quite a few people now knew that he was a returner. However, his closest friend still had no idea. If that didn't qualify as irony, what was?

Even then, Kang Jin-Ho didn't see a need to mention it. Knowing the truth wouldn't be great for Park Yu-Min, after all. Close friends not keeping any secrets from each other was commonly accepted as fact, but to Kang Jin-Ho... He didn't believe one needed to be fully honest in order to maintain one's friendship.

“I'm guessing you were having trouble on your end?” Kang Jin-Ho smoothly steered the conversation away.

Park Yu-Min took the bait. “Yeah, you're right. I need more practice, it seems.”

Kang Jin-Ho smiled affably. Even as he was trying to deal with many different things at once, talking to Park Yu-Min like this reminded him that he still had a lot to learn.

If one wanted to argue about who had the noisiest surroundings, not many people would rival Park Yu-Min's environment. He probably never had a moment to solely focus on something since... Well, since forever. Even then, he never complained about it and continued to race toward his dream.

“What a superman you are.”

Park Yu-Min tilted his head. “Ng? Did you say something?”

“No, it's nothing important.” Kang Jin-Ho slowly shook his head.

So many people in this world seemed amazingly capable to Kang Jin-Ho. He wouldn't even dare dream of living as passionately as them.

“Hey, Yu-Min...”

“Yeah?”

“Is it getting tough?”

“No, it's not that,” Park Yu-Min decisively refuted it. “I told you this the last time, right? Instead of competing like crazy just to become the number one, I'd rather fall behind and do things at my pace.”

“Yeah, you did say that.”

“But then, I did fall behind, and... That's not sitting well with me, you know?”

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled at that. 'Right. Yu-Min's always been like this.'

Park Yu-Min might look like the world's nicest person on the outside, but his heart contained as much hot-blooded competitiveness as everyone else. Someone like that wouldn't readily accept falling behind his peers.

“Yu-Min?” Kang Jin-Ho called out his friend's name.

Park Yu-Min looked back at his friend. “Yeah?”

“Do your best, okay?”

“...What's gotten into you, dude?”

“Don't worry about it,” Kang Jin-Ho chuckled, then tossed the empty soda can into a nearby bin. “Alright. Let's go back to your training, shall we?”

“Wait, you... Is it okay for you to be here? Aren't you crazy busy?”

“I am. However, nothing's more important to me than helping you out. Even if I have a ton of things to do.”

“Hah. Don't make me laugh, okay? I know you just wanna goof off.”

“You got me there.” Kang Jin-Ho cackled while heading inside the PC Room.

Park Yu-Min smiled gently while getting up.

'Thanks, Jin-Ho.'

Of course he knew. He knew that Kang Jin-Ho was dealing with a lot of serious stuff lately. Even then, Park Yu-Min still asked his friend to come and hang out like this because... He felt awful about not being able to spend time with his friends recently.

'I wouldn't mind if things stay this way, though...'

Even if they grow older...

Even if time continued to tick by...

...As long as they could stay as friends.

“Wait for me!” Park Yu-Min called out and hurriedly chased after Kang Jin-Ho.