'It feels good, but something about it bothers me.'

Lee Shin thought to himself as he drank some water.

A thrilling comeback victory!

He had overturned a completely disadvantageous game with sheer force and speed, making the victory far more exhilarating than a typical win.

However, even as he savored his triumph, Lee Shin maintained a cold, analytical mindset.

Shin Ji-ho didn’t realize that his opponent was him.

It had been Shin Ji-ho’s strategic mistake—he had attempted a containment strategy, aiming to starve his opponent of resources.

Because he had given Lee Shin time, Lee Shin had managed to squeeze every last drop out of his main base and natural expansion to amass a final army for a comeback.

If Shin Ji-ho had known his opponent was Lee Shin, he would never have given him that time.

In the end, it had been a victory earned by exploiting Shin Ji-ho’s momentary complacency.

'Still… is this a new build?'

Lee Shin studied Shin Ji-ho’s playthrough while watching the replay footage.

He was surprised by the build order—constructing a barracks first, then immediately expanding to the natural base.

And yet, the defense had been solid enough to fend off an early assault using the two-armored-unit build.

'In that case, I can’t use the two-armored-unit build. I’ve been out of touch with the latest trends.'

The last time he had visited the arena, there had been no human-versus-human matchups, so he hadn’t had a chance to observe any new builds.

Now, he was finally catching up.

'Let’s give it a try.'

Lee Shin started a new game, mimicking Shin Ji-ho’s playstyle exactly.

It was certainly nice to have a surplus of resources from the start.

However, it didn’t quite align with his usual aggressive playstyle.

'If human-versus-human games are played like this, the fans are going to find it boring.'

The human race was already specialized in defense.

If both players started with an economic advantage, it would become even harder to launch aggressive attacks once their forces grew.

In the end, it would turn into a drawn-out war of attrition, with both sides fortifying their lines and engaging in a prolonged struggle for dominance.

'Let’s see if there are any other builds.'

He began studying human-versus-human matches that had taken place after his retirement.

Just then, his old 3G flip phone vibrated. Checking the screen, he saw that the caller was Manager Bang Jin-ho.

"Hello?"

- It's you, isn't it?

"What do you mean?"

- The match against Shin Ji-ho earlier!

"Why would I play against Shin Ji-ho?"

- Player_SIN—that’s you, isn’t it?

"Who’s that?"

- Cut the crap and be honest. Who else besides you could push Shin Ji-ho like that with sheer speed?

"If there’s such a player, you should hurry up and recruit them."

- It’s you, isn’t it? They say he’s a retired player. If it’s not you, then who?

"How do you know the active player isn’t lying? Anyway, it’s not me, so stop bothering me."

With that, he snapped his flip phone shut.

A moment later, it started ringing again—Manager Bang Jin-ho was calling back.

- Why’d you hang up, you bastard?

"I thought the conversation was over."

- Damn, you’re rude as ever. Are you really going to be a coach?

"I am. Are you planning to recruit me?"

- Yeah, but let’s put the contract on hold for now.

"Why?"

- I need to renew Shin Ji-ho’s contract first. Coaches can be hired outside of the transfer season anyway.

"Then I’ll wait until the summer transfer window closes."

- Fine, but… are you really not Player_SIN?

"I’m not. My wrist isn’t even fully healed yet—how could I play against Shin Ji-ho?"

- Damn it, I was just starting to enjoy this.

The call ended abruptly.

As Lee Shin resumed his game, a message notification popped up.

- You have received a message. Would you like to check it?

He clicked "Check."

The message read as follows:

[Hello. This is Manager Bang Jin-ho from MBS. I was truly impressed by Player_SIN’s skills and felt compelled to reach out. If you’re available, I would love to meet and have a discussion. Please do get in touch.]

Lee Shin smirked and quickly typed out a reply.

[Is this fun for you? Scam artist, go enjoy yourself somewhere else. ㅗㅗ]

June 2020, the World SC Grand Prix had begun.

A festival for eSports worldwide.

From Korea, three players who ranked in the top three win rates of last year’s pro league entered the individual competition. In the team competition, last year’s pro league champions, Twin Star Electronics, participated.

Meanwhile, the teams that were not competing were given a break.

However, there was another event that eSports fans were eagerly watching aside from the World SC Grand Prix.

June was the transfer season.

It was the time when fans focused on which players their favorite teams would recruit or trade away.

The biggest name in this year’s summer transfer market was MBS’s ace, Shin Ji-ho.

Ranked fourth in last year’s pro league win rates.

With Lee Shin gone, he was undeniably the best human player in the country.

His contract was set to expire, yet no news of a renewal had surfaced, leaving MBS fans anxious.

To make matters worse, he was the number one target for multiple teams this year.

Fans worried that they might actually lose their ace to another team.

MBS team management was just as restless.

Because eSports was still a young industry, most fans were more attached to individual players than to teams.

With no specific home city affiliations for teams, if Shin Ji-ho left for another team, a significant number of fans would follow him.

Director Park Sang-hyuk urged the MBS broadcasting company executives to offer a higher salary, but his request was ultimately denied.

To the older, conservative executives, eSports was still just a children’s pastime, and they considered any excessive investment a waste.

In the end...

"I'm really sorry, Manager."

Shin Ji-ho bowed his head.

"Well, there’s nothing we can do. You and I are both professionals."

Manager Bang Jin-ho accepted the decision calmly. Though his face showed discomfort, in the cold, professional world of eSports, players who decided to leave had to be let go.

Even if that player was his prized student, whom he had nurtured since his rookie days.

"Even if I go to Twin Star Electronics, I won’t forget everything you’ve done for me, Manager."

That’s how it was.

The powerhouse team Twin Star Electronics, who had won last year’s pro league, had ultimately snatched Shin Ji-ho away.

A two-year contract worth 800 million won!

As if dreaming of becoming the Real Madrid of the eSports world, despite already having an overwhelming main lineup, they had still recruited Shin Ji-ho.

Every other team had their eyes on Shin Ji-ho, making MBS’s offer of a two-year, 500 million won contract seem laughably small.

And so, Shin Ji-ho packed his bags and left the team.

His spot in the practice room and the dormitory was now empty.

'At this point, we have no choice but to bring back Lee Shin.'

With Shin Ji-ho gone, there was no one left in MBS to oppose Lee Shin’s return.

They needed a star to keep the fans engaged after losing Shin Ji-ho—even if that star was a coach rather than a player.

And since the salary they had set aside for Shin Ji-ho was now available, they could easily afford Lee Shin’s proposed one-year contract of 100 million won.

Director Park Sang-hyuk agreed, and they finally reached out to Lee Shin with an offer.

'Is it really not him?'

Manager Bang Jin-ho thought of Player_SIN.

The undeniable performance that had completely overwhelmed Shin Ji-ho!

If they could secure such a player, they wouldn’t just compensate for the loss of Shin Ji-ho—they would gain even more strength.

However, his attempts at communication with Player_SIN weren’t going well.

No matter how sincerely he tried to persuade him, all he received in return were messages filled with insults, calling him a scammer.

"If some active pro brat is playing a prank on me, I swear I won’t let them get away with it."

Manager Bang Jin-ho clenched his fist tightly, trembling with frustration.