Chapter 71
Outlaw
There were many reasons why I chose this nickname, but the most significant one was that it signified my escape from the shadow of the Prisoner.
Since the life of a prisoner locked up in jail was over, it was only natural that I would become an outlaw roaming the world.
Moreover, on the surface, it seemed completely unrelated to the Prisoner, which gave it extra points.
It had a sort of connection, yet also a distance.
It was precisely the ambiguous nickname I wanted.
Well, there were similar words like Desperado that could work too…but something about the sound felt heavy, so I went with Outlaw.
Besides…
I mean, I made it sound easy, but honestly, the process wasn’t as simple as it seemed.
First off, the nickname itself was somewhat rare, so, of course, it was already taken by someone else, and I had only just managed to get in touch with that person recently.
If I hadn’t been able to reach them, I’d be stuck using a name like Outlaw4148 until I finally debuted as a pro.
Of course, I didn’t want that, and to put it plainly… well, yeah. I bought it.
Although I don’t know all the details, I’m pretty sure there’s no rule against trading nicknames that would disqualify me as a pro.
‘…Right?’
Honestly, I felt a bit uneasy about it, but I figured it wouldn’t be a big deal.
I could just pay a fine if they asked, or return the nickname if they wanted me to.
‘So…’
I booted up my second computer, which I usually don’t use, and logged into the secondary account where I’d secured the Outlaw nickname in advance.
[Welcome!]
[Outlaw]
I opened the nickname change window on both accounts simultaneously.
[This is a summon name that can be changed.]
It felt a bit strange to let go of my long-standing username GameIsFun4148.
‘Should I try to secure the nickname with the secondary account instead?’
That random thought crossed my mind for a moment, but considering I’d have to change the nickname twice, it seemed ultimately pointless, so I dropped it.
‘Well then.’
I slowly changed the secondary account’s nickname to something else first, then immediately changed my main account’s nickname to Outlaw.
[Summon name has been changed!]
[Restarting the client.]
I became Outlaw.
*
Li Zhi-Xuan, who hadn’t logged out of the game results page, let out a deep sigh.
[SY Rainbow: sorry]
[SY Rainbow: I don’t know]
After the game ended, Li Zhi-Xuan sent a friend request to Rainbow.
And he numbly waited until Rainbow accepted his friend request.
To be honest, he had his doubts.
Rainbow was one of the pro players with the largest fandom in the world, and he worried that his friend request might be ignored.
[SY Rainbow – Online]
Fortunately, Rainbow accepted the friend request.
As soon as Rainbow accepted it, Li Zhi-Xuan asked if he knew the whereabouts of the Prisoner.
Rainbow seemed quite taken aback by the sudden question from a foreign pro regarding the Prisoner, and there was a brief silence.
And after a considerable wait, the response he received was unfortunately negative.
‘As expected… Even Rainbow doesn’t know.’
He had hoped against hope, but as expected, it turned out to be true.
Li Zhi-Xuan simply thanked Rainbow and logged out of the Legends of League client.
It was about time for his flight.
‘In the end, I couldn’t find anything.’
Having stepped foot on Korean soil and searched high and low for the Prisoner, he still had found no clues.
But Li Zhi-Xuan didn’t give up.
‘Someday.’
He would definitely find the Prisoner.
And he would grasp the Red Cup trophy together with him.
‘And… that Raise I encountered last match.’
Li Zhi-Xuan remembered him too.
Even though it was just one game, the skill he displayed was exceptional.
He performed at a level that even made the Prisoner come to mind against the entire SY lineup.
‘If that guy’s skills are genuine, he’ll rise up before long.’
When that time comes, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to formally scout him.
Of course, since he never even considered the competition for a starting position, GameIsFun4148 would have to play a different lane instead of mid.
‘I’m going to grab everything.’
While Li Zhi-Xuan was lost in thoughts, Coach Jang Seok-Hwan came to find him.
“Ready?”
“Everything’s set.”
“Good.”
Li Zhi-Xuan left the dormitory, which he had grown somewhat attached to, alongside Coach Jang Seok-Hwan.
It was time to return to his homeland.
*
“Ugh, I can’t deal with these trolls anymore.”
“Who said that?”
The friendly match for team bonding turned into a disaster after a huge comeback loss.
Even if it was just a casual game, the ultimate goal was victory.
Naturally, it would be a logical outcome if tensions only grew between them.
‘Though, feeling a bit odd… How about a solo queue match?’
Ryu Jin-hyuk reflected on the earlier game.
He recalled the decisions and movements, skill shots, everything that Raise and GameIsFun4148 showed, and he felt a surge of passion for the game.
Just as Ryu Jin-hyuk was contemplating whether to jump into solo rank or not…
‘Huh?’
[Friend Request 50+]
A new friend request had come in.
Normally, he would have just ignored it, but perhaps due to the influence of GameIsFun4148, Ryu Jin-hyuk checked the friend request list.
And felt puzzled.
‘What’s this?’
GRS Nightmare.
He was one of the rivals who had fought until the very end in the recent Red Cup finals and a foe he had just faced in the previous match.
It was him who had sent the friend request.
Under normal circumstances, Ryu Jin-hyuk wouldn’t have accepted it, but since he had encountered Nightmare several times in solo rank, he remembered his ID on the Korean server.
‘Should I accept it then?’
So, he simply accepted the friend request, but… Nightmare abruptly asked about the Prisoner’s whereabouts.
[qq7785dd55: Hi]
[qq7785dd55: Where’s Prisoner?]
Why was Nightmare suddenly looking for the Prisoner?
Ryu Jin-hyuk felt a surge of confusion, but since he had no idea how his response would be received, he chose his words carefully.
[SY Rainbow: sorry]
[SY Rainbow: I don’t know]
I don’t know where the Prisoner is.
[qq7785dd55: Thank you]
[qq7785dd55: Goodbye]
The conversation ended there.
Nightmare logged out right after, leaving Ryu Jin-hyuk staring blankly at the screen.
‘…What was that about?’
Actually, it wasn’t particularly strange for someone to look for the Prisoner.
Still, Ryu Jin-hyuk felt an odd feeling about someone trying to find the Prisoner through him.
‘Do they know something?’
No one knew the reason behind the Prisoner’s disappearance.
However, the Prisoner had left a farewell message for Ryu Jin-hyuk before vanishing.
He could never play the game again.
That’s what the Prisoner said.
Whether the Prisoner had left similar messages for others, he didn’t know, but at least the reason for the Prisoner’s disappearance remained a mystery.
Soon, it could be said that only a few people, including Ryu Jin-hyuk, would know about it.
In such a situation, the reason Ryu Jin-hyuk didn’t talk about the Prisoner’s farewell was simple.
If the Prisoner had wanted to make his end known, he would have used a different method, rather than leaving a separate message for Ryu Jin-hyuk.
It was a sort of courtesy toward the Prisoner.
‘…I’m not planning to make that mistake again.’
Ryu Jin-hyuk still regretted the interview he had done that day.
It felt like he had killed the Prisoner.
‘What was he asking about… just asking for the sake of it…?’
The bond between Rainbow and the Prisoner was no secret.
In fact, the two were famous for having played together since the early days of Legends of League.
Therefore, Ryu Jin-hyuk asked his teammates if many people were searching for the Prisoner.
“Oh, you didn’t know? Our team and other teams were in chaos over the competition for the Prisoner’s recruitment.”
“…Really?”
It seemed that his teammates didn’t find it particularly strange either.
Which made sense.
He was the very first 2000-point jungler.
Of course, solo rank and tournaments are different, but there’s no denying that talent.
Moreover, the Prisoner was a player even Ryu Jin-hyuk himself acknowledged.
It wouldn’t be surprising if other players felt the same way.
‘Still, something…’
Amid that feeling of unshakeable unease,
Ryu Jin-hyuk was wide awake through the night.
*
The placement test began.