Back in reality, Kaiser stared solemnly at the black orb in his hand.

‘Use it whenever you like, but once you do, the orb will disappear.’

Recalling the words of Demon Lord Flauros, Lee Shin’s thoughts grew complicated.

It was a secret he didn’t particularly want to know anymore.

He could go on living without ever finding out.

His wrist had healed, and he was healthier than ever before.

He had returned as a player and could now play the game he had dreamed of to his heart’s content.

There was no problem at all.

But still...

‘Even so, I should know.’

Lee Shin thought coolly.

It wasn’t obsession. He had already overcome the pain of the past and was ready to leap forward again.

Stronger rivals than before, like Choi Young-jun and Park Young-ho, were ready to challenge and excite him.

However, there was no guarantee that such an assault wouldn’t happen again.

That’s why he needed to find out who was behind it. Whether he would take revenge or offer forgiveness, he would decide that himself.

Lee Shin gripped the black orb.

‘I want to know.’

Following Flauros’s instructions, he focused on what he wanted to know in his mind.

‘The full truth behind the attack on my wrist.’

Crack!

The black orb shattered, turning to powder and scattering.

The black dust transformed into a thick mist and seeped into Lee Shin’s head.

Various memories began to rise chaotically in his mind.

In front of a bathroom sink.

A masked assailant stood, breathing heavily with a metal pipe in hand.

And he himself groaned in pain, clutching his right wrist.

The horrifying memory was still vivid.

Cold sweat formed on his back.

The memory began to rewind.

It was no longer from his own perspective—it was from the masked assailant’s.

He saw a young man preparing to put on a mask.

He looked to be in his early twenties.

He had dark brown dyed, permed hair, and on his right shoulder, an unrefined, dirty-looking tattoo.

He was a stranger Lee Shin had never seen before.

Lee Shin felt a slight sense of relief, but he couldn’t relax just yet.

Someone close to him could have instigated that thug.

The young man’s name was Jang Min-jae.

After graduating from high school, Jang Min-jae had left home and was living in a tiny studio apartment.

He wasn’t alone.

His girlfriend was also living with him in that small space.

Going a bit further back, Lee Shin saw Jang Min-jae arguing with his girlfriend.

“What are we supposed to do now?!”

The girlfriend cried, hysterical.

Jang Min-jae pulled a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth, his face full of irritation.

“You bastard! You’re seriously smoking in front of me right now?”

Her fury escalated.

“Ah, fuck, seriously.”

Jang Min-jae stormed out. Lighting the cigarette with a lighter, he grumbled to himself.

“Getting pregnant all of a sudden, jeez.”

They had met at a club, hit it off, and started dating. Not long after, they moved in together.

“How the fuck am I supposed to know it’s mine?”

Though he said he didn’t care, his face was twisted with anguish.

Whether to have the baby or not, they needed to go to a hospital—but he had no money.

He couldn’t ask his parents, who lived in the countryside. If they found out, he wouldn’t just be beaten to death by his father; he might be dragged back to the countryside to work on the farm with him.

If his strict father learned that the son who had moved to Seoul for college prep had gotten into this kind of trouble instead of studying, his reaction was all too predictable.

After finishing his cigarette, Jang Min-jae returned to the apartment.

His girlfriend was still wiping her tears.

“Hey, stop crying already. Let’s just go to the hospital first.”

“With what money?!”

“I’ll figure that out somehow! Just decide whether you’re keeping it or not.”

As he spoke, Jang Min-jae pulled on a jersey from the clothes hanger.

“Where are you going?”

His girlfriend asked tearfully.

“To borrow some money!”

He replied irritably.

“I’ve got a friend who’s doing well. I’ll borrow it from him.”

He didn’t even want to be near her right now—his mood was too sour.

Jang Min-jae then stormed off.

And where he headed was...

‘No way.’

It was near the player dorms of Hwaseong Electronics, a Korean 1st division e-sports team.

‘It can’t be.’

Lee Shin didn’t want to believe it.

But the most famous pro gamer affiliated with Hwaseong Electronics was, without a doubt, someone he knew very well.

Jang Min-jae pulled out his phone and made a call.

–Hello?

“Hey, it’s me!”

–You? What’s going on?

“Just happened to be in the area, thought I’d drop by.”

–In the area?

“Yeah. Let’s grab a drink.”

–Man, I’ve got an important match next week.

“Just one drink. You’re telling me to go back after coming all this way?”

Lee Shin heard a sigh on the other end of the call.

–Fine.

“By the way, I’m craving chicken and beer.”

–Annoying bastard.

Jang Min-jae chuckled.

Soon, the player came out of the dorm—a young man with an average build and sharp, upward-slanting eyes.

‘...!’

Lee Shin’s heart sank.

...It was Hwang Byeong-cheol.

“Yo, Mr. Superstar! You’re killing it these days.”

“Killing it my ass. I should be practicing, and you show up now of all times.”

“Come on, what’s a friend for?”

Hwang Byeong-cheol gave a small grin.

“Friend? You haven’t called once.”

For a moment, annoyance flickered across Jang Min-jae’s face before disappearing.

‘Nice line. Friend, my ass.’

He didn’t like the guy.

Back in high school, they had been inseparable. They skipped class together, drank, played pool, and went to PC rooms.

They used to be wild together, but one day Hwang became a trainee for a pro team and started blowing him off, saying he was too busy with practice.

They used to mess around together, and now he acted all serious and responsible—Jang Min-jae couldn’t stand the sight of it.

But whatever.

He needed money now. Once he got it, he wouldn’t need to see him again.

While eating chicken and drinking beer, Jang Min-jae began recounting old stories of when they used to hang out.

However, Hwang Byeong-cheol didn’t seem to enjoy reminiscing about the past.

He had insisted on only having a light drink, but unable to resist the temptation, he gradually started downing more and more beer.

As the alcohol took hold, Hwang Byeong-cheol began to talk more.

“Yeah, I used to hang out and mess around with you.”

“Weren’t those the good old days? We just messed around like crazy without thinking.”

“Not really……”

“Ah, fuck. Now you’re pretending that never happened?”

“It was what it was. But when I got scouted as a trainee for Hwaseong Electronics, I told my dad about it.”

Hwang Byeong-cheol spoke with a lonely tone.

“And he was really happy.”

“……”

“He was always yelling at me, but suddenly he patted my back and told me to do well. That’s when I realized how much I’d let him down. He was the kind of person who’d cheer me on if I tried to do something, and I’d only ever made things harder for him.”

‘Ah, fuck, this is ruining my buzz.’

Jang Min-jae was irritated, but he held it in without showing it.

However, the more Hwang Byeong-cheol talked, the harder it became for Jang Min-jae to bring up the topic of borrowing money.

He said that his family was drowning in debt and his father’s business wasn’t doing well, so all the money he earned was poured into supporting them.

Still, he said most of the debt was nearly repaid and that things would get better after this year, sounding hopeful—but Jang Min-jae was only focused on his immediate need, and his expression darkened.

“Hey, but if you win this time, isn’t the prize money insane? Wasn’t it 100 million won?”

“Don’t even mention it, that’s exactly what’s driving me crazy.”

“Why’s that?”

“My dad’s coming to cheer me on in the finals next week……”

“Isn’t that great, though?”

“Lee Shin.”

Just that one name, and Jang Min-jae instantly understood.

“He wiped the floor with me last time in the finals.”

“Ah……”

“My parents were cheering their hearts out, and I got crushed 3-0 right in front of them. Didn’t even get a chance to show anything I had prepared…… that guy’s like a fucking demon.”

‘Not giving you a chance was part of the strategy I prepared.’

Lee Shin thought indifferently but also felt a bit sorry.

When they faced off in the first half of last year’s individual league, he’d even used a baiting strategy to make Hwang Byeong-cheol look like a fool.

It was more thrilling than just crushing someone with sheer skill.

Knowing that his parents had watched that in person made him feel a little guilty.

‘Still, a match is a match.’

Even if he were in that situation again, he would’ve done the same. In fact, he’d planned a similar strategy for the latter half of that year’s individual league as well.

“That guy probably has something similar planned again this time, and it already has me worried. He’s not satisfied with just winning normally. It’s like he needs to make me look like a complete idiot to feel good.”

‘Because that’s what the fans love.’

“Man, I wish someone would just break that bastard’s wrist.”

‘……!’

At those words, Lee Shin froze.

“Why? Should I break it for you?”

Jang Min-jae responded with a dangerous look in his eyes.

“What?”

“I’ll smash that bastard’s wrist. Split the prize money with me fifty-fifty, deal?”

“……”

Hwang Byeong-cheol looked at Jang Min-jae as if he were pathetic.

“Just shut up and drink, man.”

But even as they drank together, the blazing light in Jang Min-jae’s eyes didn’t fade.

The individual league’s domestic prize money was 100 million won.

Half of that was 50 million.

Even after taxes and deductions, it was a huge sum.

Jang Min-jae had previously resorted to mugging drunken people at night when he needed money.

Unlike Hwang Byeong-cheol, who had turned his life around, Jang Min-jae was still far off track. Doing something like this wasn’t difficult for him.

As they parted ways after drinking, Jang Min-jae grinned as he watched Hwang Byeong-cheol’s back as he returned to the dorm.

“You asked for it, Hwang Byeong-cheol. I did it because you told me to. So if it all works out, you owe me. If not, maybe I’ll confess everything. Don’t you think?”

And the next day, Jang Min-jae attacked Lee Shin, who had easily advanced to the finals after winning his semifinals match.

South Korea was thrown into chaos, but Jang Min-jae didn’t care and quietly summoned Hwang Byeong-cheol to threaten him.

Hwang Byeong-cheol raged, asking if he was insane, but Jang Min-jae smirked and said,

“If I get annoyed, I’ll go confess and say you made me do it. What are you gonna do if I say that? You think people won’t believe it? If that happens, we both go down together, got it?”

“You son of a bitch……!”

“Hey, Mr. Superstar. Let’s help each other out. My girlfriend’s pregnant and I’m dying here, you know.”

“……!”

“Isn’t that what friends are for, huh?”

Hwang Byeong-cheol was at a loss. The eSports community was engulfed in fury.

Who would believe the truth?

Regardless of what really happened, just being involved in the incident could end a career. The public didn’t want the actual culprit—they just wanted someone to blame.

That was probably where things first went wrong.

The finals were held against Shin Ji-ho, who had advanced by default.

Both players had been mentally shaken, and the match was a disaster.

The prize money was withdrawn in cash and handed over to Jang Min-jae in several installments.

Hwang Byeong-cheol desperately wanted to end things there, but even after a long silence, Jang Min-jae kept coming back asking to borrow money.

He couldn’t handle the sudden windfall and blew it all recklessly.

That was when Hwang Byeong-cheol’s slump began.

Paah!

The flashback ended like that.

“Ugh.”

His head throbbed from the sudden wave of dizziness. Lee Shin staggered unsteadily and collapsed onto the bed.

It seemed to be an aftereffect of learning the truth about the past. Thankfully, it was just a mild dizziness.

Stifling the urge to vomit, Lee Shin gave a faint smile.

‘Thank god.’

He was relieved to find out it wasn’t someone close to him. Unlike the rumors, his rival Hwang Byeong-cheol was innocent.

That thug Jang Min-jae didn’t matter. How he’d be made to pay for what he’d done wasn’t something that needed to be figured out immediately.

‘Now I can finally focus on the game without worry.’

At last, it felt like he could completely put the past behind him.