One Man Army

Chapter 114 [Episode 59] The Best One (The first in the world) 1

@ The Best One (The first in the world)

“I am a person who is usually not easily surprised… But this time, I was really surprised. Gale and Immortal. How did you keep these two identities separate? It’s really amazing.”

Sang Hyuk had wanted to call to tell her, but Lee Mirae rushed over immediately as soon as she heard it. In her opinion, for something this important, she could not just simply talk on the phone.

“I told you before, but this is the secret that only noona (older sister, blood-related or other close person) and the CP know.”

Sang Hyuk had revealed that Gale and Immortal were the same person only for Lee Mirae PD(Production Director) and Kim Yunho CP(Content Producer), the only two people who saw Gale’s real face. Because it was hidden, but not on purpose, so he had revealed himself and asked the two to keep the secret.

“Don’t worry. I won’t tell to anyone. You don’t have to worry because the CP is not the person who likes to talk about these things. But, is this something to hide? I think it would be daebak(jackpot) if you reveal it.”

“I did not hide it because there is a big reason…. It’s  just there is no reason to reveal it. Just keep it secret until it is revealed naturally.”

“Ok, I got it. But if you were going to The Best One, you have to tell me in advance. Then I would have gotten you cleared up to the final seed.”

“It’s okay. I won the preliminary competition and have secured the final seed anyway.”

“Indeed, if you think about it, you are even cooler.”

Lee Mirae sincerely cheered Sang Hyuk. She worked as the PD who was responsible for Sang Hyuk while at same time she looked at Sang Hyuk as a man, not as a client/friend.

She didn’t know the reason, but Mirae could feel a very mature charm from Sang Hyuk.

Sang Hyuk was a charming man, although she could not actually hit on him because he was young and they had a business relationship. So she had no choice but to cheer him.

“People are saying it a lot these days that the winner is Immortal anyway… so, are you confident?”

Lee Mirae looked at Sang Hyuk who had been watching the internet while sipping the ice americano that she had bought for him.

“I don’t know. I’m not really sure.”

“What? Why is the World Class Immortal saying something so weak?”

“Oh, you have to listen to the Korean words to the end. It doesn’t mean that I’m not confident to win, but that I’m not confident to lose.” *

Sang Hyuk joked lightly and smiled.

“Kyaa, as expected! This is who you are.”

Lee Mirae nodded and rejoiced. Kim Jongwoo PD called several times a day and asked her to find out some of the hidden secrets of the Immortal from Gale, but she just said she will do it but really she just lightly blew him off.

Although Kim Jongwoo PD was her boss, there was not much business between them since he was not her direct boss, so she did not feel the need to do the favor.

* * * *

The main event was scheduled to start in a week.

Originally Sang Hyuk was going to play Shadow Forest as well as Way of Proof, but he gave up Shadow Forest because he got too interested in the preliminaries.

Honestly, if he also played at the Shadow Forest, he had the confidence to chew up everything, but because it would have been a lot of nuisance, so he gave up to control his pace.

Thanks to it, Sang Hyuk was even more relaxed. Although the finals started in the 32nd round, Sang Hyuk did not even need to participate from the beginning, as he was in the 8th round, having received one of the four seeded positions.

While waiting, Sang Hyuk was getting ready for his Hydra Invasion in the remaining time.

He was going to hunt the Hydras right after The Best One.

The calm time passed.

In the meantime, Sang Huk announced through live Channel One that Immortal, the guild master of the One guild, will go to The Best One.

This was matched to what Kim Jongwoo had promised before. In return for doing the interviews, Sang Hyuk took all the highlights from the tournament, so the footage is now available on live Channel One.

A week went by, Sang Hyuk finished preparing for the Hydra Invasion and in the meantime he also finished preparing for the finals.

All that was left was to keep playing the finals every day for a week at LGN Headquarters.

LGN provided accommodation for those who came from the provinces, but Sang Hyuk did not need it because he could drive to and from his house.

Although he came to the opening ceremony because of the requirements for the finalists, but if today he can finish the simple photoshoot and the official interview, it would be four days until the quarter-finals were to be held, so it was okay to come back later.

Until then, it was more convenient to watch live broadcast at home. Of course, LGN wanted him to watch the other competitors’ games at their VIP showroom if possible, but Sang Hyuk politely declined their request. He knew what they wanted, but he did not feel the need to do so.

It wasn’t whether he was interested in it or not, but the broadcast of the selection was visually more brilliant than he had expected. But Sang Hyuk, no, the Immortal, sat silently without expression.

Actually, he had participated in more spectacular ceremonial pageantry. Though it was not as player but a director, anyway thanks to his memories, nothing showed on his face. *

Rather, Immortal was interested in the other side of the drawing. Immortal carefully looked at each participant in the finals and began to look for those he knew.

He could recognize many people more than he thought.

Most of them would later become professional gamers.

Because the  league has yet to be formally announced, so the concept of EL pro-gamers has not been established.

But in the contest, those who will be pro-gamers in the future, were also participating as well.

“Won’t more than half of the users who participated in this competition be the first-generation of EL pro-gamers? There was a definite reason for the success of this competition.”

Immortal nodded lightly and realized clearly why The Best One once had a great success in his previous life.

“Anyway, why did he look at me like this?….. It’s Gye Baek.”

Thanks to the introduction by the host as ‘Gye Baek’, a top ranker of the Gladiator Hall and a strong candidate for the championship, Sang Hyuk was able to recognize his identity.

Immortal gently greeted Gye Baek using his eyes, who was still staring at the Immortal. Since Gye Baek came to the draw, he often looked around and there was a reason why he did it.

Gye Baek laughed brightly with a satisfying look when Immortal found him.

“I’ll have a cup of coffee after the draw.”

He didn’t know about others, but at least Gye Baek was not a burden to meet.

Anyway, the introduction of the moderator continued and of course Immortal was introduced. Immortal was introduced as the strongest player with all kinds of rhetoric.

As soon as he was introduced, a thunder-like shout burst out from the audience. He was literally the number one candidate for the championship and the one who received the most attention of the people present, so the shouting continued without stop.

It was just the drawing for the matches…. It should not have this level of interest.

After the draw, the individual interviews started.

Before that, Immortal was visited by all kinds of LGN affiliates. It was a bit annoying, but it was only a handshake and a photo op, so it was acceptable.

Moreover, it was not meaningless either. There were also welcoming faces among the officials.

For example, the caster Jeon Yongmin or Jang Minho, who was still a beginner commentator but later will be called the best professional commentator of EL in the future, they were people with whom he had maintained a good relationship in his past life.

Sang Hyuk had drank with them both occasionally and talked about all things even the personal things, so it was nice to see both of them like this.

Of course, in his current life, he has seen them for the first time, but at least they were friendly with Immortal. So unlike the other visitors, he treated the two people very kindly.

After several hours of visits and interviews by many people, the official schedule was over.

Right after the official schedule end, Immortal first visited Gye Baek.

Gye Baek was also looking for Immortal, so the two met right away.

“I did not know I would meet you here, Immortal. I honestly thought that Lone King would have participated, not Immortal, so I eagerly looked for him…. Is Lone King not involved?”

Gye Baek was sincerely happy.

“He cannot participate in the offline competition because of personal reasons. I did not ask for the details.”

“I see. Oh, we are not supposed to be like this. If you have time, let’s get a cup of coffee.”

Immortal moved to the nearby coffee shop with Gye Baek while continuing the conversation.

Gye Baek’s real name was Yoo Daehoon. As Daehoon revealed his real name, Immortal also revealed his name. The two of them were the same age, so they could converse comfortably.

Of course, they still used the honorifics and were careful to each other, but thanks to the bond they had in the game, unexpectedly they were able to talk as if they were close.

Yoo Daehoon talked and Sang Hyuk listened, but because Yoo Daehoon was funny so the conversation did not get boring.

Originally, Sang Hyuk was going to break up with a cup of coffee, but while he happily talked to Daehoon, the dinner time came and they even had dinner together.

It was like he was swept away by Yoo Daehoon’s pace, but this didn’t feel unpleasant.

Rather, Sang Hyuk felt good.

In the end, Sang Hyuk had dinner with Yoo Daehoon and drank with him until dawn. It was almost morning when finally the two broke up. When they left, the two of them were very comfortable with each other and they were put their arms around each other’s shoulders.

“Emmm….”

Sang Hyuk, who returned home after calling a driver, barely got up after almost 10 hours of sleep.

He has been drinking a lot, for the first time in a long time, so his head hurt like it was broken, but he still felt good.

“Friends….”

Sang Hyuk, sitting on his bed, laughed as he recalled last night.

After returning from the past life to the present life, Sang Hyuk’s life was mainly tied to the game.

Of course, there was nothing bad or or was there dissatisfaction. It was very fun in the game. However, the point was that the pleasure that he felt while drinking and hanging out in real life yesterday was not in the game.

Yoo Daehoon, who was now his friend, told Sang Hyuk yesterday, “The world is wide and there are many things to enjoy.”

It was hovering in Sang Hyuk’s head longer than he had imagined.

“Well, slowly and carefully like this… let’s find pleasure.”

Sang Hyuk rose from his bed and nodded. He did not have to rush. The things he has to do now and the things he wants to enjoy are overflowing anyway. Especially, Sang Hyuk wanted to have more pleasure in the game.

The times that he felt so scarcely in his past life seemed to be abundant in his present life. *

Sang Hyuk who is only in his early 20s.

He had time to spare.

* * * *

The first episode of The Best One became more popular than expected and kept attracting viewers.

Fans from all over the world watched The Best One live on the internet and the enthusiasm was off the charts.

Eight players survived from the 32nd to the 16th rounds.

And the eight users completed fiercely for the four seats in order to play again in the real quarter finals, and finally four players were to fight against the four who were seeded.

Up to here, it took just four days.

After the quarter finals and the semi-finals were played for two days in a row, the finals were scheduled to take place two days later.

Although it was a very tight schedule, the tournament was unexpectedly so popular and it has to proceed because it has a pre-arranged schedule.

LGN opened a hot online event to make the atmosphere even hotter.

And the confrontation that will make the heated atmosphere explode at once, was the first game of the 8th round.

The battle of the strongest user, Immortal with the first person of China, Xiao Fang.

Of course, this battle was the most popular match of the 8th round.

Chapter 114 [Episode 59] The Best One (The first in the world) 1 – End

Editor’s Notes: I’m pretty sure the author intends to let the reader know that Sang Hyuk has been the director of more spectacular broadcasts than this in his previous life, so he’s sitting there thinking about what he would do different, basically grading the director, and finding him lacking.

Editor’s Notes:  It sounds weird, how the sentence emphasizes “Korean”.  That’s because in Korean, you sometimes need to listen to a sentence completely to figure out what the speaker is saying. This was why the translator used this phrasing.

“it’s not like in english, the pattern normally ==> subject verb object..

in korean ==> subject (sometimes it’s missing) object verb”

Editor’s Notes: Awwwww….