[TS] The Return of The Gamer - Chapter 37

Male colleague 1 glanced at my face, then wore a puzzled expression and looked around.

“…Or not?”

Then, as if he thought he had misheard, he turned his gaze back to the screen.

Because I didn't have the luxury of paying attention to other things, as it was a very important situation.

‘Did he miss it?’

Well, realistically, he probably wouldn't think I gave him advice.

In a way, it could be seen as the power of my unique appearance.

‘Phew…….’

Only then did I breathe a sigh of relief inwardly.

I almost got into big trouble.

‘I need to be careful.’

Fortunately, I got away with it because I was in the middle of a game, but if male colleague 1 had pressed the issue, it would have been very difficult.

‘Even when I’m already sensitive when I’m losing a game.’

Even though I was frustrated, I actually said that out loud… I think I'm pretty amazing.

And…….

‘Ah.’

I soon realized a significant fact and urgently turned my gaze to the left.

If my younger sibling had been watching this scene, I would have to be prepared to be harassed for the day.

“No, I told you to use smoke, not throw a grenade!”

Should I say it was fortunate?

Or should I say it was divine intervention?

My younger sibling was now fully engrossed in the Survival Ground, wearing even a headset.

‘If he had seen this…….’

I would have been able to see my younger sibling, with a mischievous smile, teasing me all day long.

Having dismissed the dreadful thought, I barely managed to take my eyes off male colleague 1’s screen and turned my gaze to my own monitor.

There were some trivial news articles, which I had put up as a sort of smokescreen.

-50-year-old kills acquaintance, claims ‘diminished mental capacity.’

-Low-interest rate era, the coin craze, is this okay?

-High school student missing. Currently under intensive investigation.

The world is truly a strange place.

……Well, not that I can say anything about it.

‘Should I check out the community?’

However, I stopped that as well.

I was worried that if I were to look at the Legend of League-related community, male colleague 1 might see it and connect it to what had happened earlier.

‘…I shouldn’t have said unnecessary things.’

So, all I could do in this situation where I could neither do this nor that was to skim through internet articles that didn't interest me much.

Of course, I changed the category.

It was E-sports.

Although the articles about Legend of League were the main ones, I thought it wouldn’t be too strange for others to see me reading this.

-MAX, recruits ‘KingGodEmperor,’ a new remote dealer, to take charge of the bottom lane.

‘Oh, he went to this team.’

The professional scene of Legend of League is currently in the midst of the Stover League around the world.

Of course, I also enjoy watching professional games, but I don’t pay close attention to them even during the Stover League period, so there were many interesting articles.

-MYE LaLaLa contract extended for 2 years. From a rookie to now the pillar of the team.

It was an article about Jungle's Slave, whom I often met in Solo Rank.

Two-year contract extension… He seems to be planning to bury his bones in MYE, his current team.

‘Well, it's not a bad team either.’

I looked at other articles.

‘Oh, this friend is retiring. Well, it seems his form has declined a lot recently.’

Professional gamers are one of the professions with a relatively short lifespan.

Of course, some players have enjoyed glory and popularity for a long time, but it's only a small number.

Professionals must prove themselves with their performance, and professionals who don't perform will eventually face a lonely end.

Of course, the end of a professional is not the end of life.

It is an era where there are countless people who have succeeded after transitioning from professional gamers to internet broadcasters such as streamers. There's no need to be depressed.

Soon I looked at other articles as well.

‘This team will be pretty good this year. The members are good. Maybe they can even go to the Red Cup?’

In the world's best Korean league, there are only three tickets to the Red Cup.

Naturally, the competition is beyond imagination.

If you still dream of the Red Cup, and if you are a team that has had relatively poor results in the previous season, rebuilding on a large scale or recruiting new players in the Stover League is not an option but a necessity.

In other words, it means that the teams' desire for outstanding players and talented prospects must be hotter than ever before.

Moreover, I, who was just a rookie, was offered an outrageous offer of 800 million won in my first year with all sorts of options not long ago.

‘There aren't many yet.’

I roughly looked through these and other articles, but it seemed that the overall team members had not yet been announced except for a few players.

It's either not yet confirmed for recruitment, or there's an embargo.

Having read all the related articles in an instant, I had to climb the hill of boredom again.

If I were outside, I would have been looking at the scenery while walking around, but here, all I could see were the screens in front of me and the screens on either side.

‘I can't play games even with a computer in front of me… what is this.’

Wishing that my identity issue would be resolved soon, I turned my gaze to my sibling's screen.

“Behind the tree at 240 degrees! Ah, this is a two-way angle. Let's get out of here first.”

If I were asked whether it was fun or not, it would be correct to say that it was.

Nevertheless, my gaze went to the Legend of League screen on the right.

The situation didn’t look so good.

‘That judgement earlier was too big.’

If I had acted as I had said, I wouldn't have been caught up in the opponent's operation, and I wouldn't have known the situation.

It was a big mistake.

[Defeat]

In the end, not long after, male colleague 1 lost.

“Hah…….”

Even though he lost in Solo Rank, male colleague 1 only sighed a little and didn't show any other reaction.

Well, even if Legend of League is a game famous for destroying personalities, it rarely destroys a person's personality in the first game.

Of course, there are games that destroy a person's personality in the first game, but it's only an exception.

On average, you usually have to see some bad things for about three consecutive games before you naturally get a shotgun.

“…Do you watch Legend of League competitions too?”

“Yes?”

Male colleague 1, who was looking around after the game was over, showed interest when he saw the articles I had opened.

He seemed to think we had the same interests.

I was momentarily stunned because I hadn’t expected him to speak to me, and I answered belatedly.

“Ah… yes. Sometimes.”

Considering the mistake I made a while ago, it would have been better to just say ‘I opened it by mistake,’ but my mind didn’t work properly because I was in a daze.

Regret is always late.

“Aha.”

Male colleague 1 had a strange expression for a moment.

Did he catch me? Did he catch me?

…That's not how I should have answered.

I should have just pretended not to know.

As all sorts of thoughts were running through my head, male colleague 1 said.

“You don’t play games separately?”

What does that mean?

Is he suspecting me?

No, strictly speaking, I was the one who did it, but…….

My head feels blank.

But, as they say, even if you enter the tiger's den, you can survive if you keep your wits about you.

“Ah, I usually do, but not now.”

“What kind of games do you usually play?”

“Well… various ones.”

And then silence followed.

I realized a while ago, it’s not just me, but male colleague 1 doesn’t seem to be very sociable either.

‘No, is this normal?’

I don't know.

I don't know at all.

[Game Found!]

[Accept / Reject]

In the middle of this pointless conversation, a queue appeared on male colleague 1’s screen.

That was fortunate for me.

‘I hope he just lets it go like this.’

Of course, it’s normal to be suspicious in this situation, but I still hope he just lets it go.

“Umm, what should I do.”

“What should I do?”

“Is this good?”

During the ban and pick, male colleague 1 seriously considered his pick.

As if he wanted someone to hear.

“I wish someone would tell me……”

The end of the sentence was subtly left hanging.

Only then did I understand.

Where male colleague 1's gaze was directed.

‘Look at that?’

This is an obvious probing.

I know that too.

But.

“I think Silas would be good.”

Current tier Challenger.

And as the current rank 1.

The blood of the advice-giver, which boils within me, just couldn't stand still.

“Yes?”

As if he hadn't expected me to fall for his probe, male colleague 1's face was full of bewilderment.

“Um… I saw them playing Silas a lot in competitions. Or am I wrong?”

Rather, let's go out there confidently in times like these.

As I spoke nonchalantly, male colleague 1's expression changed strangely.

“…Now that I think about it, it seemed like that.”