"Thanks, you two. Good luck with the competition tomorrow!" The pretty woman retracted her handheld tripod. Then, she shook hands with Caleb and Rebecca while thanking them. Then, she handed a fan-made postcard to Caleb and asked for his autograph.Several people lined up behind her then.Rebecca leaned in for a closer look when Caleb accepted the postcard. She glanced up to see Caleb staring down at her. She giggled and said, "Don't mind me. I'll just take a peek from here."Caleb didn't call her out. Instead, he lightly chuckled before signing the postcard. Naturally, Caleb didn't sign with Alex's name or his own. The autograph he left on the postcard was Alex's username, AlmightyAlex.He signed the initials with speed and familiarity. It was like he had lived through all the past competitions. Caleb acted like he was Alex and had experienced the latter's highs and lows.After signing several postcards, Caleb politely declined the other fans' autograph requests.The fans didn't
Alex and Caleb had a more successful start than most Esports athletes. At the very least, their parents didn't think being a professional gamer was a waste of time or an improper job. Their parents, Felicia and Dante, sometimes also joined the two in playing games.Still, Alex and Caleb were proud young men who refused to rely on their parents' help. So, they chose to start their careers from the ground up. They hid their real names and used the money from their part-time jobs to travel to a city with Esports clubs.There weren't any rules stating that teenagers couldn't compete in Esports back then. So, the rebellious Alex brought Caleb along as they signed up for training camp.Alex, the older brother, was overjoyed that he was selected to join a decently famous Esports club. He didn't even read the contract in detail before signing it. The brothers only learned the truth after getting fooled. It turned out that the club was an unrecognized one. The club's boss had paid money to
Even now, Alex couldn't understand how his seniors could utter such blatant words.He had just entered the professional leagues and hadn't tried battling in-game yet. He greatly anticipated the Esports competition. He only thought about how to win against others in the competition arena and the joy of winning. Achieving those meant he wasn't a loser who depended on his family for a living.Yet, his senior teammates asked him to surrender to life and enjoy doing the bare minimum.He only understood why his seniors felt that way after several years. It wasn't that they didn't want to win. Instead, they lost their spark after experiencing multiple defeats. They gave up on trying and even felt tired by the thought of putting in effort.One's morale could diminish after several setbacks. At the same time, one's desire to slack off would grow. Alex only understood that after losing several competitions. The one thing that set him apart from them was he never went down the path he des
Alex decided to make things clear during the team-building time on Monday.Although everyone was usually in the club, it was impossible to get everyone in the same room. A few members gamed upstairs, while others did so on the villa's balcony. Some used the training room to play different games than the one used for competitions. Or they'd host livestreams and receive monetary gifts through Super Chats. Some people lounged in random places while phoning their girlfriends.Monday was a rest day, so the club members usually headed out for the day. That said, the manager would take everyone out for a meal on the first Monday of every month. Everyone was free to take a break after the meal. Those whose homes were near the villa could return home. Meanwhile, those whose homes were further could lounge in the club. They could also visit their girlfriends for the day.The entire team was only present during that meal. Otherwise, not everyone would show up for regular mealtimes in the v
That meal went by uneventfully.To be more specific, it was uneventful for Alex alone. He had gotten excluded, and nobody paid him any attention anymore. His teammates ignored him as they chowed down on the feast. It was like he didn't exist in that space.Compared to the treatment he got when he first arrived at the club, this was more like waking up from a dream. Even so, Alex didn't feel frustrated or unsure about what to do. Instead, he stuck to his plans and strove for his goals after returning from the meal.At that point, Alex had become invisible to the other members. They only interacted with him when necessary. He planned to continue this competition season. After that ended, he would ask about other clubs' goals. Alex figured that clubs might want him for his experience and capabilities in the game arena.Alex's team continued to lose. The comments online expressed it was a pity that Alex's teammates didn't operate with his formidable strategy. Some people even ridic
"If no clubs want me, can I buy out my own work contract?" Alex's goal was crystal clear. He liked the thrill of competing against his opponents in the game arena. So, he didn't mind quitting for a year and returning to continue his Esports career afterward.He liked the competitions and enjoyed the audience's cheers whenever he won. Above all, he loved how he felt after winning a game.Since Alex's team in KIL wanted a comfortable life, he planned to leave and join a more driven team that strove for victory. It was his career path, so he called the shots. He needed to break himself out of this predicament he had put himself into.The chubby manager's eyes widened in sheer disbelief and surprise. It was like he had heard the most bizarre statement. He looked at the youthful and naive Alex, whose features hardened sternly. Even so, the manager didn't believe Alex could do it. He chuckled. "You want to buy out your work contract? How much money do you have? Do you plan to use your r
"What happened next?" Rebecca became invested as Caleb talked about his and Alex's past. She couldn't help wanting to travel back in time and slap that chubby manager. She found the manager vile for trying to con a teenager like that. Rebecca believed people should do the right thing regardless of what path they had chosen in life. So what if Alex's club was unwilling to win and only wanted to do the bare minimum in competitions? They had no right to prevent Alex from achieving his dreams. It wasn't like Alex owed them anything. Likewise, Alex's team shouldn't have interfered with Alex. He had only entered the professional Esports competition to chase his dreams.Although Rebecca had only watched the competition for two days, she had witnessed plenty of intense battles. She hadn't played games before but could tell how the players used every method to score points in the game arena.She recalled the previous round. The other team playing against Blindstrike was helpless since t
"Fortunate?""Yeah. We had the money and guts to establish our club because we were fortunate," Caleb answered. He learned his parents' company had bought his and Alex's half-completed game after he enrolled in college. On top of that, their father, Dante, modified the game and made it more seamless.Dante returned the game to the two during the summer vacation after their college entrance exams. After that, Alex and Caleb successfully developed the game. It later became a hit and brought them a lot of money.Alex and Caleb got their game, which they'd poured their souls into, back because they were fortunate. It was also because of their luck that they succeeded in earning money.Since then, Alex and Caleb no longer denied their status as wealthy heirs. They began accepting their family's sincere aid. After all, one shouldn't feel embarrassed for getting help from their parents.Their parents would never feel ashamed of them, even if they turned out to be failures. The same cou