NOVEL NEXT Chapter 39 - National Team Selection (1)
Chapter 39 National Team Selection (1)
Baek Jin-woo’s daily routine remained the same:
run the Intermediate Weekly Dungeons repeatedly and train his summons.
The only difference?
The focus of his training had shifted to Cyclone Slayer, affectionately called “Doldol.”
– Kreek, Kreek…
To an outsider, Doldol’s skill set might seem underwhelming.
—
[Skills]
– Assassinate: Temporarily becomes invisible. The first attack deals 100% critical damage.
– Cyclone: Swings its scythe in a wide arc, dealing area damage.
—
That’s it.
Stealth, approach, and a single sweep of its scythe.
But.
What happens when that skill is pushed to its limits?
Cyclone Slayer could spin at such insane speeds that it became a whirlwind of death, annihilating everything in its path.
Its AoE splash damage wiped out all enemies within range like a vacuum cleaner.
‘The National Team Selection is in a week.’
Baek Jin-woo pondered as the event loomed closer.
Would it be wise to use summons like Lamba, Hun-gyo, and Poryong for the tournament?
Average players wouldn’t recognize them, but those familiar with Battle of Summoners—especially veterans—would immediately know their identities.
The Wind Fairy (E-grade), Training Instructor (E-grade), and Explosive Dragon Sage (D-grade) had once been staple choices for many players.
Especially.
The Five Emperors, the current world-class rankers, would undoubtedly know them.
‘Then again.’
So what if they did?
Back in the day, it might have mattered. But now, with his team rapidly growing stronger, Baek Jin-woo no longer felt the need to hide his identity.
If they figured it out, so be it. If not, even better.
‘Let’s bring them all out.’
If he truly wanted to keep a low profile, he wouldn’t have entered the National Team Selection in the first place.
‘But skipping it isn’t an option.’
Baek Jin-woo had a good reason for participating in PvP, both in the game and now in reality.
The rewards were massive.
In the game, monthly rankings came with enormous rewards. For seven years straight, JinuGod had never failed to claim first place.
That was how he earned his nickname, One Heaven (一天)—the god of gods among veteran players.
The rewards in reality were even greater.
Unlike the game, where rankings were calculated monthly, here they were determined yearly.
Rewards went not only to individual players but also to the nation as a whole.
The system distributed resources such as natural resources, minerals, and advanced technologies based on global rankings after the World League.
Some of these technologies were so groundbreaking that they outstripped modern science.
This meant…
World League results could directly impact national power.
For example, Rachel’s home country, the UK, had seen remarkable growth, becoming so powerful that even the US couldn’t ignore it.
Taiwan, where Baekcheon hailed from, had similarly risen, breaking free from China’s shadow.
This was why the entire world was obsessed with the World League.
‘Korea can’t keep falling behind.’
Though Baek Jin-woo could be calculating, he wasn’t the type to sell out his country.
He had patriotism, just like everyone who passionately cheered for the national team during the World Cup.
For the past three years, Korea hadn’t even made it to the top 16.
Every year, they were eliminated in the preliminaries, facing bitter disappointment.
But now, things were different.
‘Because I’m here.’
Baek Jin-woo clenched his fist.
Patriotism and rewards—he’d take it all.
***
### The Day Before the Selection
Yoo Ji-ah had taken care of all the applications and paperwork, leaving Baek Jin-woo with only one task: training.
Equipping Doldol with suitable runes, Baek Jin-woo focused solely on leveling it up.
Finally, the day before the selection, while heading to the Player Headquarters auditorium for registration—
“Ha ha, Baek Jin-woo! Over here!”
The familiar, bearded figure of Park Chang-seok waved.
“Long time no see.”
“How have you been?”
“Thanks to you, I’ve been doing well.”
Baek Jin-woo was genuinely grateful to Park Chang-seok.
Without him, he might never have met Yoo Ji-ah, nor would his growth have been as smooth.
“Ha ha, I should be thanking you. Taking part in the National Team Selection under my name—what an honor!”
“I heard about it.”
Yoo Ji-ah, who trained with Baek Jin-woo every morning, had mentioned Park Chang-seok’s wager.
“You made quite the bold bet, huh?”
“Ah, yes, that… Ha ha. I apologize. I let my old age get the better of me.”
“No need to apologize. It’s good.”
“…Pardon?”
“It shows how much faith you have in me, doesn’t it?”
That’s right.
Trust should be met with trust.
Frankly, Baek Jin-woo wasn’t worried.
No matter who he faced, he felt no pressure.
He didn’t think for a second that he could lose.
‘If I can’t take first place in Korea… I might as well give up the One Heaven title.’
Losing with his current EX-grade team?
That would be absurd.
***
The National Team Selection Format
Park Chang-seok guided Baek Jin-woo to the spacious auditorium, which was bustling with people.
“Wow, there are a lot of participants.”
“Well, it’s not so much that there are many participants… It’s just that everyone’s here together.”
Participants, guild representatives, and Headquarters staff—all had gathered for the final registration.
Cheers and words of encouragement filled the air.
“Actually, there aren’t that many participants. That’s because of the seed system.”
“The seed system?”
“Yes. Thirty seeds are given to the top 30 rankers, 10 to large guilds, and 10 to Headquarters council members. That makes a total of 50, but usually, only about 30 people apply.”
“And they pick 10 from that pool?”
“Exactly.”
It made sense.
Allowing just anyone to apply would waste time and resources.
The system prioritized rankers while also leaving room for unranked talents.
‘Not bad.’
Since Baek Jin-woo wasn’t a ranker yet, he was participating using Park Chang-seok’s councilor seed.
While waiting in line with Park Chang-seok to register, a smirking voice interrupted.
“Well, well, Councilor Park Chang-seok.”
It was Im Hee-su.
Park Chang-seok frowned.
‘What’s that snake up to now?’
As Im Hee-su approached, two men flanked him: Oh Ji-myung (Rank 9) and Park Ho-seop (Rank 10).
‘Who are these clowns?’
Baek Jin-woo tilted his head.
The two stared at him with thinly veiled disdain, like predators eyeing prey.
‘Annoying faces.’
Though tempted to retaliate, Baek Jin-woo chose the polite route.
“Baek Jin-woo, nice to meet you.”
“Haha, I’ve heard a lot about you. You look even better in person. I hope you gain valuable experience from this selection and grow from it.”
A veiled insult.
The implication?
He wasn’t a contender, merely here for the experience.
“Oh, I certainly hope so.”
Baek Jin-woo remained calm, neither rising to the bait nor prolonging the encounter.
After exchanging brief pleasantries, he moved on.
“Are those the guys?” he asked Park Chang-seok.
“The ones involved in your wager?”
“…Yes.”
“They have terrible faces.”
While Park Chang-seok fretted, Baek Jin-woo was unfazed.
‘If the chance arises… I’ll eliminate them.’
If not, no big deal.
***
Im Hee-su’s Scheme
Watching Baek Jin-woo walk away, Im Hee-su smirked.
“Did you see him? He’s just a nobody. All you have to do is take him out in the group stage. Easy, right?”
Player battles in the National Selection were split into two phases:
1. Group Matches
2. Solo Matches
The first phase weeded out most participants, leaving only the strongest for the second.
“Sure thing. Knocking out some rookie shouldn’t be a problem,” Oh Ji-myung said.
“We’ll take care of him,” Park Ho-seop added.
Im Hee-su grinned. “Good. Once you’re in, you’ll both get your rewards. Generous ones.”
—
Later, sipping iced coffee, Baek Jin-woo watched videos of previous selections.
‘It’s straightforward enough.’
The tournament started with group battles in a massive arena, followed by solo matches.
Victory was determined through a league-style point system.
Scanning through the past winners, he noticed one thing.
‘I’m not even on their radar.’
Online forums dismissed him entirely:
└ Baek Jin-woo? Why’s he even on the list?
└ Lol, he’s just riding Yoo Ji-ah’s coattails.
└ Group stage? 1-minute elimination, calling it now.
Baek Jin-woo chuckled.
‘Ah, ignorance.’
They’d find out soon enough.
Even at his current level, Hun-gyo alone might be enough to win.