NOVEL NEXT Chapter 317
Goals are important.
When it comes to performing any task or job, having established goals plays a significant role.
Besides being the reason or cause for decision-making, having a firm goal can double the efficiency of work compared to those without one.
For example, when exhausted and feeling like collapsing, recalling the motivation behind setting those goals can inspire strength, helping one regain the original mindset and strive harder during the journey.
Even if the goals may appear impure or incomprehensible to others, they act as a landmark within one’s heart. It’s somewhat akin to a value or belief system.
Setting goals and outlining detailed tasks in advance means that, no matter how fierce the storm, one can stand firm and eventually reach the destination.
The Abyss Pro Gaming Team MG, based in the U.S., had such a goal set by their trainee, Brutal.
“Top rank in the server?”
“Yes.”
The boy with hazelnut-colored hair replied calmly to the coach’s question. His name was Brutal, and he was a 17-year-old.
Brutal had just joined MG as a trainee a month ago. Initially, he was a streamer focusing on Abyss, whom the coach had taken notice of and recruited as a trainee.
He was a gamer who enjoyed stylish play based on his inherent physicality.
With his uncontrollable movements and performances that resembled a magic show, he reached the celestial realm just six months after entering Abyss.
Among the U.S. users recently playing Solo Rank, there were almost none who didn’t know the nickname Brutal.
A talented young boy who appeared like a comet. The coach had recruited him primarily because of his high Solo Rank score.
However, it wasn’t feasible to immediately assign Brutal to the team.
There were no gaps in the team roster, and even if there were, inserting a one-month-old trainee into it would have been unprecedented for various reasons.
Most importantly, Brutal didn’t meet the conditions set by the Abyss Pro League. He was still only 17.
The Abyss Global League imposed restrictions that allowed players to participate only from the age of 18, due to the game’s inherent brutality and player education reasons.
No matter how skilled Brutal was as an amateur, he could not compete in the league until he turned 18, meaning he had a one-year gap.
Naturally, this one-year gap arose. Brutal’s coach, wanting to ensure as much freedom as possible for him, asked if there was anything he wanted to achieve. The response was none other than reaching the top rank in the server Solo Rank.
They asked if there was anything they wanted to guarantee, and the answer was achieving the number one spot in the Solo Rank on the entire server.
“It won’t be easy.”
One server had already secured the top spot. The North American server where Brutal and MG were active. Not long ago, Brutal proudly claimed the highest rank there.
However, just because one server had achieved the number one spot didn’t guarantee that they could dominate every other server.
There were currently more than one or two servers operating. Just thinking of the ones that came to mind included North America, South America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Turkey, Brazil, Russia… counting them all would leave me short on fingers.
Among all of these, the biggest problem was of course…
‘Korea.’
Korea had held the supremacy of the Abyss Global League for years.
Korea was making achievements in the Abyss that would be universally recognized in the international arena, and not only in the pro leagues but also in the Solo Rank, which was known as the playground for amateurs.
‘Scouts are said to be watching with their eyes lit up.’
Just like Brutal, top-ranked Solo Rank users received recruitment offers, and even players left behind in team competitions or those on the bench frequently received such offers.
Not just in the Korean league, but Korean players were active in various places including North America, China, Europe, and the Philippines.
In fact, the most commonly seen nationality of players in the Abyss Pro League was Korean. Korea was undeniably the powerhouse of gaming, specifically of Abyss.
Korean players were sold not only to their own teams but also abroad as foreign mercenaries.
Right now, the coach was in charge of MG, which happened to have two Korean players on the team.
The Solo Rank, where these Korean pro gamers grew and thrived? The level was definitely not low. It was said that North American rankers would need to lower their tier by one level when they went to Korea.
What could possibly be the reason Korea had such high-level users? Despite the country not being particularly generous to esports.
Once, I was curious about why Koreans were especially strong in gaming, so I asked the players, and I received a shocking answer.
“If you lose in Solo Rank, you lose your parents.”
Since I heard this from the Korean players of MG, it had to be accurate information. When the coach first heard that answer, he trembled all over.
Gambling your parents on a game! How cruel!
That was something only a devil would do. It was something that couldn’t be called a game anymore.
It was akin to gladiators in an arena fighting while betting everything they had, where the loser would lose their honor and face a death game.
In the arena, the gladiators risk everything in a duel; the defeated lose their honor and become mere echoes in a death game.
The coach finally realized why Koreans had such a strong presence in the esports scene.
Thus, he could offer this advice to Brutal, who declared he would challenge for the number one spot in the entire server:
“Korean servers are dangerous. It’s a realm inhabited by demons.”
“…Demons?”
“Other places might be okay, but that one requires caution.”
Though his advice was somewhat misunderstood, it wasn’t wrong.
In the subsequent challenge for the number one ranking in the entire server, it was indeed the Korean server that became the biggest obstacle for Brutal.
*
[Recently, Yangbong has been on a rampage, shaking things up ㄷㄷㄷ]
(Brutal posted pictures after claiming the number one spots on the North American, European, and Brazilian servers on his personal SNS)
Brutal, a trainee at the North American pro team MG, is 17 in Korean age.
Industry insiders say he’s an all-time great talent, but he’s not old enough to compete in the league yet.
So, perhaps out of boredom, he’s been challenging everyone across the servers.
Already, North America, Europe, and Brazil have been dethroned from their solo queue number one spots by Brutal.
What’s shocking is that this happened just a month after he started his rampage.
The speed is astonishing, and even industry folks are looking into who this kid is.
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-Where’s MG located?
ㄴ It’s a North American pro team, it’s written in the text; learn to read.
ㄴ But don’t you know how legendary MG is?
ㄴ Sure, but MG flopped in the group stage at the Cup…
ㄴ Legends don’t matter anymore ㅋㅋ these days, a lot of people say MG has lost their edge.
ㄴ Better off joining A9.
-What’s up with getting beaten by a trainee and not even the second team? ㅋㅋ Looks like solo queue standards must be pretty low.
-17 years old? ㄷㄷ Young kids do perform well.
-Hmm… Is that all?
-North America, Europe, Brazil? That’s where pros hardly play solo queue.
-He’s coming to Korea too?
ㄴ O right, he has a goal on SNS to rank number one in Korea and said if he fails, he’ll give away 2000 subscriber tickets.
ㄴ Even giving away useless stuff like that.
ㄴ At least give away MG tickets or merch, geez.
-Why don’t you aim for the Mid-tier server first before jumping to Korea? Going there already?
ㄴ For real, getting number one in the Korean server will be the toughest challenge ㅋㅋ.
ㄴ If I hear this unheard of kid gets number one in the Korean server, I’ll acknowledge it, for real.
ㄴ He says he won’t challenge the Mid-tier server because of its toxicity.
ㄴ Toxicity? ㅋㅋ suddenly I like him.
LMAO suddenly likable!
[So is that Brutal doing a personal broadcast or what?]
The world has gotten so good that he’s chattering in English while live subtitles pop up next to him.
His playstyle is refreshing; it seems worth watching, right?
– What the heck is Brutal, you nerds?
– Is it viral? He keeps posting.
– Seriously giving off unlikable vibes;;
– Why do we want a viral overseas pro wannabe? The market is just different.
– Reminds me of the bully who tormented me in middle school, it’s annoying.
N-no…
N-non!
N-so the bully had quite a Western look, huh?
N-LMAO, the bully is Brutal’s main character.
[Is it Brutal or Vital? So when's the Korean server coming? ]
I have nothing to watch these days; I’d rather break some dojo.
When does it start?
– I heard it’s from 1 or 2 tomorrow.
N-oh.
– But what’s his main champion? From what I hear, he seems physical-heavy.
N-He mainly plays hand-flick champs like Lennok, Shan, and Cruyff, yeah.
N-Typical smurf champion.
[LOL, even Lee Jun Hyuk struggles to be rank one in solo queue.]
Is a mere trainee coming to break dojos? And in the North American league?
So cute, so cute.
– Is it really that hard for Lee Jun Hyuk to be rank one in solo queue?
N-Pro players are busy; they’re running scrims all day.
N-Aside from that, he does seem particularly weak in solo queue.
N-He mentioned it’s tough because there are too many variables and it’s different from team games.
N-After getting hit with a DDoS and three intentional trolls in a row, he stopped playing solo queue.
[Honestly, it seems like he won't even make it to pro and will just stay amateur, LOL.]
I feel like he’ll get cut by some Challenger VTubers or Fusion Gaming Academy kids.
– Fr, seems like he’s just a gag gal, I watched him in his personal broadcast, and he wasn’t even that good.
– Just stirring the pot because he’s bored; it wouldn’t be weird if he couldn’t even hit Challenger when the Korean server comes.
– I think he’ll drop out around Kayak’s level.
N-? Does he look like a Joso to you?
N-Kayak has weakened her image lately, LOL. She’s usually locked inside the top 20 every season.
N-It’s not about Kayak, he’ll drop out around Taker.
N-Taker is just a pokey, right?
N-You disrespect the fundamentals of Taker?
N-After the tournament, his form has been rising, so he’s a banger now.
N-Banger or pokey, freakin’…
N-Taker detection complete.
N-It’s fascinating how such trolling catches attention in the gal.
The very next day, Brutal’s Korean server breaking dojos broadcast went live.
And the result shocked everyone.