Palestine, a country in the Middle East. Constantly embroiled in conflict with Israel, a rare moment of peace had finally arrived. The reason was simple.
『This is strange. Is that all the personnel Korea has?』
『Surely, they’re not disregarding our Palestine, are they?』
『No way. Korea might be formidable in the Diamond league or higher, but they’re a minor player below Platinum.』
Al Zyra, the best broadcasting company representing the Middle Eastern world.
Since the emergence of Galaxy Arena, the channel had elevated itself to become the largest arena channel in the Middle Eastern world and was currently broadcasting a special match in Palestine.
『But just a few days ago, didn’t something unexpected happen during the Platinum debut match?』
『Yes, both 1st and 2nd place in the debut match were taken by Korean players.』
『The whole world was surprised. Not just the results, but the content of the match as well.』
The video of this Platinum debut match, where TWC channel’s viewership was continuously rising. Just like the broadcasters covering the arena matches, the three hosts and analysts present at the scene had all watched the debut match, some even watching it live.
It was natural.
『Even though Kim Shimun showed exceptional demon control, his individual skills were also quite remarkable.』
『Yes, did he deal with our promising players easily?』
The region where Kim Shimun spawned. Hadn’t he swept away the place where Middle Eastern players primarily spawned by himself?
Our promising players from Palestine, Zayed Khan and Suad, couldn’t last long either.』
『No, I think they held out well enough. Our promising player from Morocco couldn’t even last 30 seconds against him.』
Palestine’s analysts smiled bitterly, not with consolation but with regret. In the debut match, it’s a clash between promising players, not rankers. Even if one loses in the debut match, it wouldn’t invalidate the promotion to Platinum.
Moreover, there could be plenty of room for growth later, so losing in the debut match wouldn’t be a big deal. However.
『Thank you for the praise, but… from the perspective of having to face Kim Shimun again, there are a lot of concerns.』
If they faced Kim Shimun again, the story would be different.
『The weight of the debut match and the special match are different, aren’t they?』
『That’s true… Besides, we are in a position where we must secure the seed for this special match…』
『Oh, now that I think about it, just like Korea, Palestine also needed to secure the seed for this special match.』
『Yes, that’s why there is a lot of attention in many aspects. The drawing of the opponent from the beginning was a problem as well. Of all countries… to start by picking Korea.』
Starting by picking Korea from many countries, followed by various regrettable stories from the Palestine analysts.
The host of Al Zyra glanced at the other analysts.
『Still, fundamentally, since they are a weak team and there is a difference in the number of personnel, wouldn’t the special match be different?』
『That’s right! Judging by the greetings exchanged between directors of each country, it seems Korea’s personnel have been confirmed as 8 people.』
Quickly interrupting his musings, he threw out positive comments. Luckily, perhaps such efforts had an effect.
『Well, no matter how good Kim Shimun is, facing our 30 warriors who received joint training must be overwhelming.』
The Palestine analyst’s expression brightened considerably.
『Exactly!』
The host of Al Zyra quickly steered the conversation.
『Furthermore, isn’t Kim Shimun participating in the special match through the option to add more members?』
『That’s right. Even with 8 members, they increased the number with the option to add members, yet it ended up decreasing.』
『The strategies tailored to Kim Shimun from the Palestinian side must have been prepared, so this match is worth looking forward to!』
『Isn’t all of this part of Allah’s plan?』
『Haha! Well, personally, I predict a one-sided victory for Palestine.』
The Al Zyra commentators quickly brightened up.
But they weren’t the only ones.
– From 31 to 8?
– This is the protection of Allah.
– I saw on the Korean community sites. Did the Korean association dismiss a lot of players?
– Their division is natural. Korea is a country that has allowed various cults since ancient times.
– Allah is looking after his children and daughters!
Starting from the countries in the Middle East watching Al Zyra’s broadcast.
– Seriously. What is Kim Muyeol thinking?
– Even though he’s a dictator, isn’t this crossing the line a bit? Going with just 8 without a word about the other 22?
– Everyone, you know who Kim Shimun-nim is.
– 22. If he’s a Korean, let’s just support him ㅠㅠ.
– Ugh LOL . Kim Shimun is Kim Shimun. 8 is 8. Let’s differentiate. Is this special match a joke?
– Seriously, even if it’s Kim Shimun, going with 8 against 30 is a bit… plus the option for the opponent to use additional rights.
Even Korean viewers. Strong opinions about Korea’s defeat were prevalent. It was expected.
“Basically, the debut match was practically a demon feeding frenzy, right?”
“Yeah. We even fought directly with several people. In the end, we were beaten before the Middle Eastern guys united.”
– That was the strategy. The demon summon was possible because there were demons.
While boasting a overwhelming performance in their Platinum debut match, it was mainly due to the actions of the demon race, who are at the Diamond level.
– I acknowledge that Kim Shimun is strong… but team matches are different. Probably a loss?
– I agree. They have additional rights, too. If 30 people move strategically, it’s over.
– Even in Platinum, they only have one mage class player. Even that 8 people, haha, I’m not going to watch.
– I can’t watch either. The opponents are probably all experienced players. It’s obvious if they work together as a group.
Despite Shimun’s strength, in the end, it was all about individual skill. Even with Shimun’s skills, with dozens of players matching as a group in team matches and the addition of options, a defeat was inevitable.
With Korea’s defeat prevailing in public opinion.
『The region for the special match has been selected.』
The two directors exchanged greetings and selected the map.
To be precise, there was some awkwardness in saying they selected it.
Because without additional influences like the additional rights.
The map for the national showdown special match was always randomly chosen.
『The region is ‘Blue Desert’.』
『The event is ‘Occupation Battle’.』
After the event was determined.
“Ha…”
The Head Coach of South Korea’s Platinum team, Jang Yoon-sik.
“As expected, they don’t use additional rights for maps and events.”
He wiped his forehead with a handkerchief.
“But still, blue Desert and an Occupation Battle…”
This was the worst of the worst.
“I’d rather have a normal desert map.”
Just looking at the map was enough to see. As the name suggests, the sands here don’t carry any warmth. It was essentially a place no different from a frigid snowy field.
Therefore, a team with many support and mage class players had a significant advantage in basic condition management.
“With only one mage class player and one support user in our team…”
Unfortunately, the incredibly crucial mage class player increased to one only after Kim Shimun joined.
As for the remaining sturdy support users, due to the reprimand of the association president from yesterday, only one was left standing.
In other words, six combat users, one mage class player, and one support user had to enter the Blue Desert for an occupation battle. And that’s not all.
By the ear of Head Coach Jang Yunshik, who was buried in thought.
“Hehe! Your face looks quite grim, coach Jang.”
The Palestinian coach’s sly voice rang out.
He was half joking.
“I heard you lost as many as 23 players overnight?”
Then, with a face mixed with pity, he offered words of comfort.
“It’s just the way it is for us. No matter what happens on the front, we just have to move according to orders from above.”
“Indeed…”
Jang Yunshik sighed at the comforting words that weren’t really comforting. However, it didn’t take even a minute for his expression to darken even more.
“Anyway,”
Where did the earlier demeanor of the coach offering comfort as an equal go?
Like a judge pronouncing a death sentence, the Palestinian director spoke.
“The map and event have been decided. I’ll use the option to add additional rights at this point.”
He took out an extraordinary piece of paper from his pocket and threw it towards the floating system window. The paper melted into the system window smoothly.
Then,
『Using additional rights.』
“Let’s choose the additional options we will add…”
The Palestinian director grinned slyly.
* * *
Swoosh.
A cool wind blew under the blazing sun. As a result, fine particles of sand danced in the air, but oddly enough, it felt more like snowflakes in a snowy field than sand in a desert.
It wasn’t just the feeling.
『Starting the National Championship Special Event.』
『The area is the ‘Blue Desert,’ and the event is ‘Occupation Battle.’』
Blue Desert.
Contrary to common knowledge that deserts are hot, this place, where the sand is entirely blue, showcased a chilling winter-like weather.
“Brr! It’s cold!”
“Damn it!”
The Korean players spawned were each wrapped in shivering bodies, exhaling white breath. Under the blazing sun, shivering bodies wrapped in white breath?
There was one more thing that welcomed the Korean national team.
『Occupation zone being created.』
『Earn points in the occupation zone or eliminate all other players.』
『Additional option activation』
It’s the activation of an additional option.
『The added option is ‘Restricted Activity Range.’ The target is the player ‘Kim Shimun.’』
『Until the end of this arena match, the ‘Activity Range’ of player ‘Kim Shimun’ will be restricted.』
Contours swept the floor similar to marking territory, tightly enclosing the representative team.
Just as the system said.
The outlined circle focused on the target of the Restricted Activity Range formed a circle with a radius of about 20 meters around Kim Shimun.
“Ah…”
“We lost…”
Players sighed. In response, sounds of disappointment flowed from the mouths of the seven. It was inevitable.
“What can we do if we’re blocked right from the start!”
Restricted Activity Range.
As the name suggests, an option that completely limits the target’s range of activity. The player in question could not cross the outlined circle.
Thud.
“Well, it’s no use after all.”
Indeed, when Kim Shimun tried to sneak his foot outside the circle, he was blocked by a transparent wall.
“That’s why you shouldn’t use the additional option activation first!”
“Sangmin-ajussi, what do we do now?”
The faces of the representative team were filled with even more despair. They had brought in reinforcements using the additional option activation.
Moreover, with 23 out of the original 30 missing from the national team roster due to yesterday’s incident. Now, even the reinforcements they brought in were being targeted, leaving the seven players in a state of utter darkness.
Furthermore.
“This is a territorial battle, isn’t it!”
Isn’t this match a territory battle?
To gain occupation points, one must step into the occupation zone.
“At least we need long-range support, but with such a restricted activity range!”
“We can’t even face 30 opponents with 7 of us…”
With the strongest forces tied up like this, they couldn’t even receive long-range support. The distance between this place and the marked occupation zone was quite far.
Then.
“Indeed, we’ll surely lose like this.”
Finally breaking the silence of the players’ sighs, Lee Sangmin spoke calmly.
“Middle Eastern countries generally have strong combat and support capabilities.”
True to his ten years of experience and seniority, Lee Sangmin calmly assessed the situation.
“If we abandon the long battle formation and wait for them to come to the occupation zone, we will win. Most likely, that’s what they will do.”
The situation described by his words was indeed bleak.
“And since we are the only variable and the mage class is also tied up, we probably won’t even step into the occupation zone.”
Unlike the situation described, Lee Sangmin’s face showed no signs of darkness. Instead of a bitter smile from the absurd mismatch. The gaze of the representative team followed Sangmin’s clear gaze.
There.
Thud!
“Hmm. It seems there’s no part of the body that can go beyond.”
There was Kim Shimun experimenting with the restricted range in various ways. Sangmin approached him.
“Kim Shimun-ssi, how is it? Is there any magic here that can reach the occupation zone?”Even though he was in his forties, Lee Sangmin was still using honorifics.
“I used to watch your broadcasts often. If that brain of yours or some kind of dark ray-like magic could support me, I think I could handle this situation,” Sangmin said.
It seemed like his long years of experience and seniority were behind it, or maybe it was the trust he had in Shimun. Instead of complaining about the gloom, sang-min sought a winning direction.
Shimun, who slyly smiled, replied, “No. It probably won’t work. The skills aren’t as long-ranged as you think.”
“Too bad. With that kind of firepower, I could somehow manage to compete. Then how can I bring the opponent towards me somehow…,” Sangmin said with a hint of disappointment, briefly clicking his tongue.
But he did not lose heart and continued to explore other directions. In Shimun’s eyes, there was a touch of childishness in Sangmin.
“There must be a reason why he has been active for so long.”
While most people saw Sangmin’s long time spent in the platinum rank as a flaw, Shimun did not. Turning the tables on what others considered a flaw in Sangmin’s long career, as a first-generation player maintaining a top position in platinum for over 10 years and being selected for the national team of platinum players each time, Shimun thought, ‘This kind of person will eventually climb to diamond.’
Sangmin may not know it at present, but Shimun, who had experienced past lives, was aware of it. The middle-aged man in front of him would soon be promoted to the diamond rank and continue to act as a reliable force in the guild of his younger brother, Fighting Fathers, even after the downfall of South Korea.
Did Sangmin interpret the smile in such a different way?
“It seems like you have some kind of plan,” Sangmin replied with a smile.
“You catch on quickly,” Shimun nodded and nonchalantly lifted his left arm.
“What… A kind of artifact?”
Sangmin’s head cocked slightly, for there was a cylindrical object with a sharp front attached to his left arm.
“Well… something similar,” Shimun chuckled and extended his left arm forward.
“Just as I wanted to experiment in real combat. Now the situation has arisen,” he said.
With those words, a buzzing sound rang out. On the tip of the cylinder attached to his left arm, a complex pattern of black energy emerged.
“By the time you reach your destination, the occupation area should be neatened up,” Shimun signaled as the black energy shot straight ahead once he finished speaking.
Flying in a parabolic curve far away, the black energy concealed its form as it dissolved into thin air upon reaching a certain point.
Shimun shot the black energy twice more after that, and each time, they melted into thin air as well. Then, a shattering sound was heard.
A cruel cry echoed with the chilling desert wind.
TL’s Corner:
What’s Shimun cooking?