4.

Buja woke from his nap feeling refreshed. After a good stretch, he exited the individual match instance, and the dazzling sight of Namsan Mountain came into view.

'This is nice.'

The ensuing barrage of camera flashes proved that the victory he'd seized just hours ago was no mere dream. It was an undeniable glory, witnessed by tens of millions.

He waved at Jeong Seora as she approached him with a welcoming smile.

"Brought home the win," he said.

"You were amazing," she replied.

Her smile was brighter than ever, even though this was only the beginning of the National Team Selection Match. She wasn't feeling pressured about the upcoming team match; she was simply happy the opportunity had finally arrived. That happiness stemmed from a confidence born of conviction.

'We'll show them what we've prepared. All we needed was for you to secure the individual match.'

She would prove, once and for all, that their guild's third-place ranking wasn't due to a lack of skill.

"I don't have to participate in the team match, right?"

"That's right."

Both Jeong Seora and Jeong Cheol had been certain of it, which was why Buja had agreed to sit out. Assuming stats would be normalized just like in the individual matches, he would certainly be a help, but a guild—and the world—isn't run by one person alone.

Team matches, in particular, couldn't be won by a single standout player. One person could steer the situation to their advantage, but victory required every team member to be in sync. This was the Jeong Cheol Guild's chance to prove that to the world.

It was less about giving them a chance and more about not ruining theirs. If Buja, who had just shown such overwhelming prowess, also participated and won the team match, the victory would be attributed solely to him. That would stray far from the win-win agreement they had made.

They had to show their own strength. They had to break through. Even if it meant losing, even at the cost of their spot as national representatives, they had to be the ones to shatter the wall of the SJ Guild, which had held the top spot for five long years.

That was the reason for their decision. Seeing him nod without a hint of doubt, Jeong Seora offered her thanks.

"So, about that gift you promised me if I got first place… you're not just going to pay me with words, are you?"

At his playful joke, meant to lighten the mood, Jeong Seora sidled up to him and whispered in his ear.

"After this is all over… should we go to the bathhouse together?"

He fell silent. Though it sounded like a simple invitation, considering how often he had sung the praises of the special baths, her suggestion sent his imagination soaring. The slender fingers that lightly traced his side only fanned the flames.

"You can't take that back," Buja said, immediately taking the bait. "If it means we get to watch the full version of the finals together, I'd be more than happy to."

After sharing their private conversation under the gaze of thousands, they began to walk.

"What about the interview?"

The question came not from Jeong Seora, but from the vice-master of the Jeong Cheol Guild, who was also Buja's dedicated manager.

He answered nonchalantly. "An interview sounds good. Though if we're going to lose, I think it'd be better to do it after dark."

'Heh.'

His mind still buzzing with ulterior motives, he headed for the interview area.

* * *

The victor draws attention. Every action of his is scrutinized.

"There's been a lot of talk that your ability to switch weapons is an option from the item you acquired in the last event. Did you somehow bypass the weapon normalization, or was it a class ability?"

"You can ask any of the other participants. They'll tell you that once you enter the event, all armor, weapons, and stats are standardized. I heard on my way out that there's speculation about my abnormally high stats and attack power being a bug, but unfortunately, that's not the case. I'd appreciate it if you'd just understand that it's all related to my class skills."

He had to clarify things that should have been obvious, while all sorts of envious rumors circulated as fact. It was unavoidable. The flood of attention came from all sides, and trying to respond to every little thing would only breed more speculation, spreading with exaggeration and embellishment. A single slip of the tongue could return as a dagger, and the smallest mistake could be treated as a mortal sin.

This wasn't something he had much experience with, so he couldn't handle it with a veteran's poise, but he had already run countless simulations in his head and decided on his response.

"As some of you may have realized, this event is fair, but it isn't equal. The old method of ranking players based on the time they've invested over five years doesn't apply here. But by the same token, the rankings aren't decided by a user's raw skill alone. I simply had the most advantageous conditions for this event and the talent to utilize them, which is why I won. Perhaps… if Shin Hyeseong had a Legendary Class, that final attack might have turned out a little differently."

Life is always a crossroads, a choice between two paths. Trying to catch two rabbits at once is just wishful thinking; in reality, you often end up with neither. Having already revealed his face and become famous, Buja decided not to hide anymore.

"Does that mean—!"

"Yes. I'm a Legendary Class user."

The impact of that single statement was staggering. The moment the words left his mouth, every reporter's hand shot up. Their questions would be dozens, hundreds, all different, but the core of them would be the same. So, he continued without waiting to hear them.

"As for the specifics of my class and its skills, I have no comment. Those of you who watch my video channel might have a rough idea, but that's different from me officially admitting it. I plan to continue my video activities, and through them, some of my skills and class characteristics will inevitably be revealed. I'd like to leave those little discoveries as a bit of fun for my subscribers. More importantly, while I haven't been officially chosen as the national representative yet, there's still a more important competition ahead."

'I'll go my own way. I don't care what anyone thinks. If you want to know, if you're curious, then follow me. But no one can interfere with my path.'

It was a statement and an attitude that could easily be perceived as arrogant, but it was a choice he could make because he didn't make his living off public opinion.

"During this National Team Selection Match, I realized something," he continued, yet he didn't turn his back on those who followed him. The ability to give them the satisfying moments they craved was a privilege unique to those who forge their own path. "The gap created by time can be closed with individual effort and luck. But the class you're granted upon awakening… that's a gap you can never close. I was lucky enough to get a good one, and now I'm in the process of earning the chance to represent our country and restore Korea's fallen prestige. I will do my best to show you what I can do, without being arrogant."

He left the interview, saving the one thing everyone wanted to hear for later.

"Seora," he murmured, "I held back on the trash talk just in case. I'll let it fly if we win the team match."

The short, impactful interview was provocative enough to spread like wildfire online.

—Look at that confidence.

—You'd think he already won the whole event lol.

—It'll be hilarious if the Jeong Cheol Guild bombs the team match, right?

The reactions were just as heated.

—He's earned the right to talk like that. He has a Legendary Class, won the individual national trials, and didn't just win by a fluke—he completely styled on Shin Hyeseong.

—He's not being a jerk about it. He won what he had to win, confidently revealed he's a Legendary Class, and shared his ambition to do well as the national rep. Guess there are a lot of haters out there, huh?

No matter what was said, opinions were bound to be divided. The debate over who was right or wrong would continue, regardless of the truth. Only one thing mattered.

The result!

—Why are you all fighting? Just watch the team match in a week. If the Jeong Cheol Guild gets picked as the national team, we should cheer for them to do well. If they get eliminated even after Kim Buja got first place, then the Jeong Cheol Guild just ends up being a guild that tried to ride his coattails. Whatever the outcome, it doesn't change the fact that Kim Buja is a comet the likes of which we haven't seen in a long time.

To see the outcome, people's attention naturally turned to the team match. The weight on the shoulders of those remaining grew heavier.

—If Jeong Cheol doesn't get at least second in the team match, they should just give up on ever being number one.

—If SJ can't even get first in the team match, they should just disband the guild and go back to exporting semiconductors. How can they live with the shame of not being able to beat a small, elite guild of self-made players after pouring in all that money?

The participants, who had started the individual matches with relatively light hearts, now felt the pressure mounting. For anyone who thought effort might not change the outcome, this was it. A week of hellish training began for the users participating in the team match.

When they gathered again at Namsan a week later, their eyes were filled with venom.

5.

Kim Buja had clear reasons for wanting to participate in the event as a national representative. Money, fame, popularity—it was a chance to grab all three things that any human would want to hold at least once in their life.

Besides, it didn't even require much effort. He was just a player who had recently hit level 7. By simply doing his best and gradually revealing the power of his Legendary growth-type class, which others had never seen, he could more than satisfy the expectations placed on him. That was why he had revealed his Legendary Class after finishing the selection match.

And there was an even more important fact.

[You have completed the achievement: 'Overwhelming Victory (L)'.]

[You have completed the achievement: 'I Hit, You Don't (L)'.]

[You have completed the achievement: 'Dominator of the Individual Match (Provisional) (S)'.]

Events were beneficial for growth. He had obtained two Legendary-grade achievements at once. One for winning against an opponent five or more levels higher, and another for winning without taking any direct physical damage. The final Special-grade achievement needed no explanation.

By obtaining these, he was now just one achievement away from activating the Level 2 effect for his Legendary achievements. Naturally, he had to participate in the event as a national representative. The main event would surely be littered with opportunities to gain more Legendary-grade achievements.

No, considering he received a Special-grade achievement just for winning the 'Individual Match (Provisional)', winning the main event would guarantee a Legendary. The motivation was automatic. And the additional rewards were jaw-dropping.

[You have completed the final achievement.]

[Your Level has increased by (1).]

[You have completed the final achievement.]

[You have acquired (5) Stat Points.]

[You have acquired 4,000 Gold.]

The rewards for completing the final stages of 'Overwhelming Victory' and 'I Hit, You Don't' were completely unexpected. Stat points were hard to come by, but he had gotten them before, so that was one thing. But the level-up reward was something he had only ever received through Gold Missions until now.

'Now I have a reason to do achievements, too.'

From Kim Buja's perspective, there was no longer any need to deliberately slow down his leveling. Now that he had activated the Constellation system, he could enter dungeons of previous levels anyway.

To make that happen, the Jeong Cheol Guild needed to win the team match. He couldn't predict the outcome if SJ took first and Jeong Cheol took second. He didn't know what the point distribution would be between team and individual matches for the provisional event.

So, they had to win.

The air at Namsan was thick with tension. Watching the determined payers enter the venue on TV, he opened his Gold Shop and bought chicken and beer.

"Let's see who wins."

He had the leisure of a victor.

* * *

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