Chapter 136
Sojun was receiving the hottest attention among the participants appearing in LoS.
Despite showcasing Kael’s “Judgement Sword in 4 seconds” and Eric’s insane prediction shots, such plays did not garner much attention.
To be precise, they did attract attention momentarily but were dismissed with thoughts like, “Wow, they’re good,” or “That’s possible too”.
However, when another issue was added to such skill, the situation changed.
Assimilation Rate: 10.
The number that Sojun had casually revealed, simply to make a point, had a bigger impact than expected and became a topic of discussion for a long time.
The reason was simple.
Generally, people’s assimilation rates are distributed between 50 to 70, with the average around 60.
Therefore, it was commonly acknowledged that skills neither improve nor worsen significantly based on the assimilation rate.
Further, even for rates between 80 and 90, while there might be an effect, it is considered negligible.
But then, what if it’s 100?
While foreign bronze users sometimes have rates over 100, which means it’s not absolute, it’s a well-established fact that being on the extreme high side of the assimilation rate means one is generally good.
They quickly adapt, learn, and build proficiency, climbing higher. They find easier entry into the world of professionals.
Indeed.
An exceptionally high assimilation rate holds significant meaning. There’s only a small percentage who have it.
So there were people curious about Sojun’s assimilation rate from the beginning.
They wondered if it was exceptionally high.
Yet, when revealed, it was the exact opposite.
And it was a case that had never appeared before.
An extremely low number.
“10, you say! 10! Can such a number even come out?”
There was talk.
There was evidence too.
However, even after seeing it, some people couldn’t believe it and went so far as to inquire with Surface.
Of course.
“They said they couldn’t disclose it.”
Personal data was precious.
Thus, people began to speculate on whether Sojun had any reason to lie about his low assimilation rate.
For attention?
Having already become a successful streamer with 20,000 viewers, if controversies arose from being found out as dishonest, the loss was solely his. He’s not someone who had nothing to lose.
Looking at past cases where streamers with a lot to lose had still caused incidents, it proved that humans aren’t rational beings.
But the users of LiVen thought there was no way Sojun was unaware of that.
Openly lying to garner attention was a whole different matter.
Thus, only a minority voiced the opinion that Sojun was attracting attention on purpose.
So then, what was left?
There was a lot.
The theory of the uselessness of assimilation rate.
“Isn’t it possible that a drastically low rate like 10 doesn’t make a big difference?”
– Right off, you notice the quality difference even when you use a good capsule or a bad one. Can you call it okay even when it’s as low as 10?
– For real, being this low makes it significant.
It was completely shattered.
“Then should we suppose that Sojun is just a noob?”
– Note) This hypothesis vanished after getting hit by the 4-second Judgement Sword.
– Does the Heavenly Demon seem like a rookie?
└ “Whoa, rookie!
– Even the league challenger Spoon lost~
Completely broken.
Then the next theory emerged.
The theory that he can levitate in reality.
“This guy flies around in real life, perhaps? Literally, LOL because he can’t fly around in virtual reality due to low assimilation.”
It was a hypothesis that added a scoop of nonsense, leaving one wondering if they understood its meaning.
Breaking it down, it implied, “In reality, he can show even crazier moves, but this is the weakened version!!”
It made some sense, albeit just a little.
– It has some possibility being 10.
– Did he live an organizational life for real…?
– Oh LOL he’s a Murim warrior LOL .
– Should he have been made an athlete? Seems like a national loss.
There were even people who got it right.
However, the person who wrote that comment, and the numerous people who glanced at it while scrolling down, did not realize it was the truth.
Thus, it became a mystery.
How could Sojun, who had an assimilation rate of 10, play the game, how was he so skilled, and to what extent exactly did it affect his ability?
Three days was too short a time to answer all those questions.
Therefore, the operations team considered this and placed Sojun first, drawing much attention.
And.
“I wouldn’t buy.”
“It seems like it’d be better not to buy.”
Thus, Ha Yunho and Taewoo spoke up simultaneously.
– LMAOLOLOLOL LOLOLOL
– Are they roasting a friend without mercy? LOLOLOL
– And they wouldn’t buy the streamer?
– If it’s Taewoo, it’s because he’s sick of being beaten at home by the streamer! I’m sure of it.
– For realLOL I installed CCTV in their house, and he does seem to be getting beaten often.
* * *
Taewoo immediately answered to Ark’s question and soon realized someone else had answered simultaneously, looking to see who it was.
Ha Yunho.
The two quickly exchanged their thoughts. They grasped each other’s intentions.
“Are you aiming for him too?”
“Yeah, I am.”
They shared a sly smile.
Then Taewoo sent a private message to Ha Yunho.
The fact that this whole process took less than a second would have surprised Sojun if he knew.
“I’ll handle the personal parts. You go ahead with what you prepared about his skills.”
“Got it.”
Now, most people on the video call saw only their faces, so there weren’t many who caught this entire process.
Although there was nothing wrong with it, such collusion’s key was subtlety.
Indeed.
Collusion.
“I didn’t expect him to aim for that guy too, but now we have to cooperate.”
Regrettable, but it’s inevitable.
Ark spoke.
“Ah! We have an immediate response. From both of you! Sojun-nim’s current position is mid, and the grade is A. Would it be okay to ask what exactly concerns you? Let’s hear from Team Leader Kim Taewoo first. It seems like most viewers know you’re quite close to the player. Why wouldn’t you take such a close friend!”
As expected.
Taewoo erased from his mind the prepared shortcomings of Sojun’s skills. Ha Yunho would address that.
They had agreed on that. In less than a second.
What he had to do now was to instigate and fabricate.
This pre-festival, which 200,000 people watched just on the official account, was a venue for sharing the thoughts of the team leaders.
To use in tomorrow’s auction.
Thus, they became confident.
“That’s precisely the reason.”
“Excuse me?”
“There are many memories, informed as a friend, that make me hesitate to recruit Sojun as a teammate.”
Their purpose.
To lower the demand for Sojun to eliminate competitors.
Saying they wouldn’t bid but end up buying was not unseen, so it didn’t matter how much they insulted now.
“Insulting might be a bit risky though.”
Anyway.
“Wonder what he’s gonna say.”
He had much to say. Sojun was a strange fellow, after all.
Searching his memories, Taewoo decided to talk about how Sojun acted during the school sports competition.
“Is that so? Could you perhaps share a bit of what that is?”
“There was a class tournament in the first year of high school. Back then, Sojun acted as if teamwork was nothing to him. You know how we all practice together during physical education or in the morning, right? He didn’t even participate.”
In reality, Sojun abstained from participation because whoever he joined would inevitably win.
Even though he proposed to coach them, it could still be seen as a lack of teamwork.
“Oh, is that so?”
“Moreover, he’s good at politicking. He knows how to create divisions within the team to manipulate things as he pleases.”
From the sidelines, while watching the game, Sojun would determine who made mistakes in each match and made sure his friends were aware, convincing them.
Then, he would take only that friend to the chamber of spiritual and temporal isolation after school.
Later, after the sports competition ended, they realized.
Sojun had been bringing each one with any excuse, even if it was nonsense, to spend some time training them.
“Hahaha…”
“Also, he has a tyrannical attitude. Claiming he’s always right!”
Indeed, Sojun was always correct.
Thanks to his training and guidance, their class won the sports competition.
“It was fun.”
The memories came flooding back.
Thanks to Sojun as a common foe, the classmates bonded as one.
They cultivated camaraderie and team spirit.
“Now that I think about it, maybe the past was a bit glamorized. It wasn’t fun at all.”
Perhaps the physical pain was easily forgotten, leaving only the strong memories of victory.
Anyway, what mattered was their team had won.
Therefore, they had to recruit Sojun.
“Dear viewers, please take into account that this sounds more like friendly banter against the participant since they’re close friends even living together. Honestly, this much isn’t really spicy, right?”
Ark added a suitable explanation.
“Now. Let’s hear from Team Leader Ha Yunho, shall we?”
* * *
– No wayLOLOLOL Typical Taewoo reason.
– Aren’t they just gonna buy him anyway?
– He was their schoolmate and roommate; it sounds credible!
– But would there really be no teamwork? LOLOLOL Would they do that in official competitions?
– We’ll see in tomorrow’s auction whether it was nonsense or heartfelt.
Ha Yunho took a moment to compose himself.
While Taewoo had sprinkled irrelevant information, it was his turn to seriously bring him down.
‘Even if we both compete, it’s uncertain how high the bid will go, but nonetheless excluding as many competitors as possible is a must.’
Ha Yunho had entered knowing Taewoo was aiming for Sojun.
『In reality, it seems rather vague.』
『Really?』
『Yes. During an internal match I held a few days ago, Sojun-nim defeated Spoon-nim but did not win the game. There were no additional kills in the lane either. He wasn’t overwhelming. Moreover, for the past three days, he continued to play only the two heroes he used before.』
Sojun had played those two heroes purposely to appear enigmatic while minimizing strategic exposure.
And Ha Yunho highlighted this aspect.
『One of the things required from A players in LoS is playmaking. Turning the game around and leading it to victory.』
『So you’re saying he hasn’t fully proven himself in the league yet!』
『Indeed. Furthermore, his assimilation rate is too low. There might be other heroes he’s not good at. Given it’s unknown how this would play out, Sojun-nim seems a risky bet.』
『Ah. Of course, it’s hard to overlook such issues, right?』
『Naturally, if these risks weren’t present, I would imagine he’d be amongst the top items in A. Possibly even reaching 500 points.』
Each team leader is allocated points depending on the difference from the average bidding points for their grade, starting from 1,000 points.
Therefore, Ha Yunho had the most “bullets”. Yet, since the order of auction items was random, point circumstances might vary accordingly.
『Then at what bid would you participate?』
『Within 200 points, I might consider taking a shot at him.』
『Thank you for your input. Now, shall we hear from another team leader? Rain-nim! What did you think?』
Streamer Rain was one of the two female streamers among the six team leaders.
『Excuse me? Oh. He’s really handsome.』
『……』
『Oh! No other intentions, I was genuinely impressed. Seeing the picture, my words just slipped out.』
『……』
『Uh, I also primarily play mid, don’t I? So, there’s hardly any possibility for me to recruit Sojun-nim. I hadn’t really given it much thought….. Ark-nim? Why aren’t you responding? Ark-nim?』
-…
– Wait a sec, where did I put my death sentence?
– Looking for companions to raid Sojun’s room
– He’s making the viewers feel deprived
– Damn, the world’s just cruel
“I find myself suddenly hating the world too……. Haha. Now, what are your thoughts, Mental-nim?”
With a regained smile, Ark spoke, and a slightly indifferent response came from Mental, a top-tier streamer in his late thirties, like Ha Yunho.
“Um… Yeah. Was I the only one considering bidding?”
“Excuse me?”
“Isn’t this guy a must-have?”
“Wow!”
With the anticipated reaction, Ark’s tension rose.
Unlike other team leaders who would adjust their strategies based on auction scenarios, Mental made many decisions based on spontaneity and intuition.
He sometimes purchased items he was smitten with for absurd sums.
For that reason, there was a saying that the biggest variable in the auction wasn’t the order of items, but Mental’s intuition.
And he picked Sojun.
“Are you serious?”
“Haha. Having heard no one else would buy him made me more resolute. I must have Sojun-nim for our team.”
“That’s right!”
– Mental bro… is this one’s victim this time? LOLOLOL LOL
– Everyone’s saying they won’t buy it, so why get more resolved? LOLOLOL
– Hilarious.
– Can’t break Mental’s stubbornness ㅅㄱ
– He’s in his 40s, it’s only natural for him to be stubborn!
– Why are you sneakily lying that he’s in his late thirties? LOLOLOL
With an unpredictable element like Mental stepping in, Taewoo tried to maintain his composure.
‘Damn. I crafted the plan so meticulously, and this guy has to bite! What’s it gonna cost me tomorrow?’
Meanwhile, Ha Yunho steeled himself internally.
‘Alright. Whatever it takes, let’s go for it.’
TL’s Corner:
Someone else is interested.