"Heh! Take that, kid!" Ignis flexed on the ese brat after the game. "How did you like that, huh? Git steamrolled!"

  "........." Jin ighe provocatioe being older, that woman was ag like a total brat, so there was nothing to say to her.

  "Heh, you're so depressed you 't even speak?" Ignis went on. "That's uandable. After all, you went up against The Great Ignis! It's an honor for a kid like you to even have a ce to fight me, you know?"

  "My, isn't that enough bullying for one day?" Esmeralda interjected.

  "Huh? What bullying? I'm just teag this brat here an important lessohe one who started with all that disrespeg nonsense."

  "Yes, and I believe you’ve already taught him a good lesson, haven’t you? I'm sure he uands how amazing you are by now."

  Not really. Jied. I bet if she didn’t cooperate with Hawk, then she wouldn’t be able to pull off a ploy like that.

  Jin ignored Ignis and Esmeralda a on to speak with the bystanders, the judges of this entire event. Unfortunately, their rea was about what Jin expected...

  "Well then, that was a rough ride, haha." Even Ro, a guy with practically zero uanding of Cssmancers, was saying as much.

  "Do you uand why the game turned out the way it did?" the Sweepers' coaquired. It must have been an exam question.

  "Yes, I do." Jin repared for this one. "I rushed during the early game because I felt pressured. That gave Ignis and Hawk the opportunity to push the ne when I wasn't present."

  "Correct, that was the first turning point of the game," the coach agreed. "Even though you were fag an Orc, you held yround well until that point. But, that one decision to rush things with your ult cost you everything.”

  "Yes, it was all my fault..." Jin lowered his head. It was so stupid of me. I let the pressure get to me. The coach even reized that I was handling the Orc well, despite how one-sided it looked.

  Part of what fueled Jin’s rashness was the fear of being perceived poorly by the judges. He felt that Ignis was ag way too cocky with him, so much that he was obligated to punish her for it.

  I thought that if I let her get away with it, then it’ll reflect poorly on my performance. But, turns out the Sweepers’ coach is much more reasohan I expected.

  In the end, that entire py proved to be ily pointless. There wasn’t much for Jin to gain from it, yet it was so risky that it single-handedly ruihe entire game.

  "How dreadful, how dreadful," Ro said. "To think that even the ese Wonderboy make such mistakes."

  For the huh time, I'm KOREAN. Jin barely held that one in. With so many yers of frustration piling up, he was in no mood to eain this old man's nonsense.

  As, he had no choi the matter. The old man tinued pursuing the topic.

  "How did you let that happen?" Ro asked. His vague phrasing reeked of ignorahe old man probably had no idea what he was really asking, or what would be the correswer.

  heless, he fired the question anyway, as a formality of sorts. It robably some sort of personality test. The goal here wasn't to get an objective expnation, but rather, to see whether Jin will own up to his mistake.

  "They outpyed me," Jin answered. "I didn't expect them to use such a tactic at that point in the game, so I let my guard down."

  The expnation was as generalized as possible, without diving into any specifics. Ro won't be able to uand anything more plicated than that, so it was best to keep this simple and straightforward.

  "I see, I see." Ro nodded even though he probably had no idea what Jin was talking about. "And, what are you pnning to do to prevent the same mistake iure?"

  Aypical ignorant question. Jin thought. It wasn’t the kind of “mistake” that’ll happen that often, sidering the trickery that was involved. But, of course, he ’t uand such delicate matters.

  "First of all, I will review the game to see all the circumstances of that situation. That should give me a better idea of what made me make the mistake and how it could be avoided iure." A generiswer to a generic question. This robably the kind of thing Ro wao hear.

  "Oh, so you pn to review the game?"

  "Of course," Jin said. "It is the first thing I do when I return home. I already took important notes for each game." He showed his phone s, which was filled with notes he jotted down after each game.

  It was always best to leave a proper rec of his mental o ehey were not fotten. Especially, for these two games, there were so many things for him to review.

  "I see, I see." Ro nodded in satisfa, with his big smile refusing to leave his face for even a moment. "Very good, very good. You're already dug yourself like a pro, haha."

  "That’s the idea." Jin nodded.

  The club in Korea trained him toward being a pro, so they drilled the “pro mentality” into him from a young age. Therefore, even though some of his aight have looked "impressive" to others, for him it was as natural as breathing.

  He was born into that kind of enviro, molded in it. Therefore, in this new x enviro, he had to asd to the level of a pro ASAP.

  The other kids here grew up in a far zier, far more fiving enviro. They didn't experience even half of what Jihrough in order to get to his current level. As such, even though they were close iheir skill couldn't be further apart.

  "But," Ro started, his voice more stern than usual. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but avoiding blunders is a big part of what defines a prht?"

  "Yes, that true..." Jin had against this. It was an uedly sharp observation, especially ing from that clueless oaf.

  "It'll be quite the problem if we put you on stage and you actally do something like this, you know."

  "That true," Jin agreed. "Everybody makes mistakes, but a pro is obligated to make less than others. Most importantly, critical mistakes should be close to zero."

  "True, true." Ro nodded repeatedly. "So, you really do uand what it means to be a pro, despite being so young. As expected from the ese Wonderboy!"

  It's KOREAN. Jin grumped. But, I have to say, this old man is really sly. He acts all nid clueless, but theches you off-guard with serious questions like this. This is almost like a surprise interview. Holy, I wasn’t quite prepared for this.

  The only reason Jin was able to quickly deflect Ro's tricky questions was because of the training in Korea. The coaches over there interviewed everybody on a regur basis in order to monitor and gauge the pyers’ mis. So, through rough experience, Jin learned what these examiners usually asked and what ahey wao hear.

  "If I may add," Aegis stepped into the versation. "Even though it's about my sister, I have to admit she did him dirty back there."

  "Oh, is that so?" Ro blinked.

  "Yes, she and Hawk pulled a nasty tri him. It's not a py you see every day, especially not in a friendly scrimmage. They specifically targeted him with that py."

  "I see, I see. They tried to take him down on purpose."

  "Yes, that's how it looked to me. It seems he made these two pros take him 100% seriously. It's quite the achievement, really."

  "As expected from the ese Wonderboy!" Ro celebrated. "To think that he's good enough to drive our B-League into a er! Impressive work, isn't it, Bernny?"

  "Yes, he pyed well..." Berantly agreed, despite the somewhat insulting w toward the team he was coag.

  While Ro was raving about this new piece of information, Aegis’s eyes met with Jin's.

  "I hope this helps you out a little." Aegis veyed that message with a sophisticated smile.

  Is he trying to help me out? Why would he? Jin wondered. Is he feeling some sort of camaraderie toward me because we pyed on the same team? No, I doubt that’s the case. Two games aren’t enough for that.

  "I just really want to help you out, that's all there is to it." Aegis responded with a smile to Jin's suspeg stare.

  There is no way I will believe that. Jin deepened his suspi.

  StormBlitz’s captain was a smooth talker who excelled at reading people and the mood. A crafty pyer like that wouldn't make a move uhere was a motive behind it.

  Well, no point w about that. Jin shrugged. As long as he isn't trying to sabotage my ces, I don’t mind. In fact, I should wele his good words with open arms.

  Jin needed any support he could get to pass today's sele. His ces seemed det during the first game, but they fell into oblivion after the sed game. So, any positive words from others were much appreciated; they should help his case immensely.

  "Well then," Ro addressed the Sweepers' coach. "What is our verdict, Bernny?"

  "You make it sound like an easy question I answer on the spot." Bern sighed. "It’s not like he’ll immediately py on the Sweepers even if he does pass, you know.”

  “Right, right.”

  “I'll have to run this by the ers first. I’d say it’s more Collen’s decision than mine.”

  "Collen is the ers' coach," Ro expio Jin, theuro the versation at hand. "Alright, alright, that's fair. Collie’s input will have the most weight, so it’s best for him to see the wonderboy in a."

  "I'll send him repys with some pointers.”

  "Good, good." Ro nodded. "That aside, what’s your current take on our wonderboy? Is he pro material?"

  "Holy, I don’t think he’s ready for the pro se quite yet,” Bern stated. “He shows a lot of promise, especially for his age, but he’s still rough around the edges. I’d say he needs at least one more year to develop and improve."

  "I see, so you say he's half-baked at the moment."

  Jin took the beating without interrupting the coach. The judgment was about as harsh as he expected, so he didn't have anything to say in his defense.

  "I say, he'll be greatly from sparring with pros on a regur basis," Bern tinued. "I 't promise the Sweepers will always be avaible, but I could probably fit in a scrim every now and then."

  "That's good, that's good. On that note, how about putting him on the Sweepers during pro scrims? That might just give him the kind of experience he needs, don’t you think?”

  "... I'll have to check the legality of that” Bern frowned, clearly not too amused by the proposition. However, Ro ighat and turo Jin.

  "Of course, you’d be ied in that, right?”

  "Definitely."

  "Good, good. Spoken like a real young pro, haha! But anyway, Bernny…” Ro tinued inquiring about the oute of the exam, almost begging for an immediate verdict. However, the Sweepers’ coach refused to eain this silly old man.

  “It’s really important for us to decide how to proceed from here, though,” Ro insisted.

  "It'll be o see more of his games in a petitive enviro. For example, the middle schionals be a good pce to start."

  “The regionals…” Jin made a difficult expression. He had a lot he wao say, but he had to hold it in. It won’t do me any favors to sound rude, but...

  His entire reason for ioday was so he could get away from that lowly “petitive” se. But, if he says it like that, then it’ll sound very arrogant and might cost him some credit points. Therefore…

  “I’m fih proving my skill at the middle schionals if that what you want. But, if I’m ho, the petition there won’t let me exhibit my full power.”

  "Even if you believe the level of petition there is beh you, there isn’t really aer alternative for someone ye. Besides, if you think it’s going to be a breeze, then yreatly uimating Cssmancers as a game.”

  “That wasn’t my iion.” Jin was quick to retort. Looks like I didn’t hide it as well as I hoped...

  “Regardless of individual skill level, you’ll be fag pyers who are just as serious as you about winning. It’ll be a valuable experience."

  “I see…” Jin wao object, but he wasn’t sure how that’ll pan out for him. So, instead, he bowed his head, as if agreeing to the coach’s assessment.

  “We should keep his progress throughout the year,” Bern delivered his verdict to Ro. “If he does well during pro scrimmages, and he does well in the school se, then we clude he’s ready.”

  “In that case, I say he should go all the way and wiionals!" Ro smiled like a fox. “Surely, a wonderboy like you carry his team that far, am I right?”

  “Of course,” Jin responded without hesitation. “If winning the middle school nationals is a requirement, I will get it done.”

  Holy, it was an unfortuurn of events. Jin was trying his best to avoid that low-level petition, deeming it a waste of time for his skill level. Ahat same underwhelming petition somehow turned into Jin’s ticket for the pro se.

  So be it. Jin thought. If I have to destroy that lowly petition in order to prove my worth, then I'll do it. I'll carry the Leopards all the way through nationals. Once I achieve that, nobody will dare to question my skill level ever again.

  On that he exam came to an end. Jin and Ruez left the Sweepers' private training room and headed down the elevator.

  "Disappointed?" Ruez asked.

  "Yes," Jin replied. "But, I didn’t perform best. The pressure got to me."

  "I saw. You cared just a little too much about showing off, didn’t you?"

  "I suppose. In my experience, better py a little different when it's an exam."

  "Hmm, that makes some sense," Ruez agreed. "Do you have a lot of experieh evaluation exams like this?"

  "Yes, more than I'd like."

  "Haha, sounds like the sele process in Korea was really rough." Ruez smiled wryly. "So, what are your pns from here?"

  "I must wiionals," Jin replied without hesitation.

  "I see. So, you'll be joining the rest of the team for practice, right?"

  "What other choice do I have?" Jin sighed. "But, no point joining the training regime. At this level of petition, we only o cooperate on a minimal level. So, I’ll only join matches."

  "I see. That's a det pn.” Ruez nodded. “Though, truth to be told, I nning to keep your existence a secret from the other teams, at least until we face a strong team.”

  “Why?”

  “Simply because you’ll destroy most of the teams in the region. That isn’t beneficial to anybody, I’m sure you agree."

  "Yes, it’s a waste of time. I have no problem sitting out on matches like that," Jin said. In fact, I would sit out on this eour if it were up to me.

  "The way I see it," Ruez said. "In ion, the only team that has a ce of giving us trouble is StormBlitz. So, that'll probably be the only mat which you'll e on stage, at least until we get to nationals."

  "Good."

  "With that said, you’ll still have to attend every scrimmage, just in case."

  "No problem.” Jin nodded. “Does that apply for scrim as well? From what I uand, that’s the least likely team to cause any trouble."

  "I wouldn't be so sure about that," Ruez argued. "Stratus might've been the weakest team in the region for a long time, but they got an iing lihis year. I'm very much looking forward to what they do."

  "It will be embarrassing if the champions struggle against the weakest team. I wouldn’t be able to show my fa public if that happeo me."

  "Yes, I'm sure the audience will roast the team quite badly if that happens."

  "Well, it doesn’t really matter." Jin's eyes glinted dangerously. "If the Leopards mess up, I step in a the enemy instead."

  "That's the spirit." Ruez smiled meaningfully. Looks like the trip was worth it.

  From the get-go, he estimated that Jin had about a 10% ce of passing the exam. These were rather impressive odds for a middle schooler, but failure ractically iable.

  "It'd be a waste to e all the way here just to fail." That’s what Ruez thought to himself back when he sidered this whole proposition. He genuinely wao help the talented boy to reach great heights, but reality had its limits.

  Young-jin was too young and his skill level wasn’t quite up to par with the standard of the petitive se. He definitely wasn’t too far off, which was impressive for his age, but probably not impressive enough for a team to recruit him. A young prodigy had to be truly exceptional in order to break through the age barrier.

  Therefore, it was only natural to assume he’ll likely fail. And, after failing, he'll just be back to square oh all his problems.

  "That is, unless I vert his failure into motivation." And so, Ruez's little scheme started that day.

  Failure was an important ingredient frowing up as a petitive pyer. After all, it was her than failure that motivated humans to keep w harder.

  Therefore, Ruez wao ehat Young-jin’s failure today will bear the same fruit.

  "If he doesn't pass, then ask him to wiionals." That's the tip Ruez gave to Ro and Bern. It was a mutually beneficial suggestion, so they had no reason to refuse.

  And so, from a hopeless exam that was bound to deliver nothing but failure and disappoi, today’s exam transformed into oh many bes. Jin got a taste of the pro se, he learned some important lessons through battle, and he impressed the Sweepers’ coaough to be invited for more practice matches.

  On top of all that, he now had a clear achievable goal to strive toward: winning the middle schionals, and eveionals. Truly, the exam turned out to be extremely beneficial.

  And of course, it makes my life easier too. Ruez smiled meaningfully. Now that the boy is motivated to wiionals, he’ll be more cooperative with training and matches. It probably won't be necessary for him to take the stage anytime soon, but ohe time es - he'll do it without any objes. That's the kind of serious boy he is.

  And so, it was decided that Jin will fun as the Leopards’ trump card. It was yet unclear what role he’ll py at the regionals, but the Leopards will definitely o borrow his services for the nationals.

  For now, the team probably won’t be fag any serious threats that’ll require using the trump card. For example, the Leopards vs. Stratus scrimmage was just around the er, but that was just a joke matchup in most people’s eyes. After all, it was a game between the "reigning champions" and the "weakest team".

  Though, I wonder... Ruez didn’t want to write them off just yet.

  Stratus had two big surprises this year: Chessmaster and Gunz. Those two were high-caliber pyers, definitely good enough to rival StormBlitz's fi. So, that duo should pose a challeo Cato, at least.

  But, will Stratus be impressive enough to push the Leopards into a er and force Young-jin onto the stage? Probably not, but only time will tell...

  DarkestCymore