Seated across from Manager Choi Seongjin in the quiet of his office, Minjae found the earlier excitement of recruitment settling into a calmer energy.
The manager didn't waste time on congratulations this time, instead moving straight into the realities of what came next.
Seongjin flipped through a few pages on his clipboard before speaking. "I'll keep this brief. The next Battle Arena season starts in two months."
Right…with everything that happening, it completely slipped my mind. Can't tell if Blue Comet disbanding on the very last day of the season is inauspicious or not?
Hope not.
Minjae leaned back slightly. "…So we've got two months to get our act together."
"To decide if you even have one," Seongjin replied without looking up.
"…That bad?"
The manager closed his clipboard with a soft tap. "You haven't seen the full Lunaris yet."
"It's…rough, to say the least," Seongjin added, leaning back into his chair with a quiet sigh. "Well, they're the academy and bench players of Solaris for a reason."
"Nothing's really worse than Blue Comet," Minjae replied. "I've been in the mud long enough to know the kind of fish down there already."
The manager stared at him for a while before snorting softly to himself. "Yeah, I'd imagine you've seen your fair share."
"But trust me, we have some real…personality on the team. So…good luck."
Minjae frowned at the comment. "Really throwing me out to the deep end, aren't you, manager…"
"Hardships create character," Seongjin shrugged in response. "Oh, there's one more thing."
"Lunaris will be registering as a Tier-3 Battle Arena team this season."
Minjae blinked once. "…That's good, isn't it?"
"For the team? Yes."
"…Alright," Minjae said slowly. "I'm missing something. What is it?"
Seongjin didn't answer immediately. Instead, he reached over and tapped the edge of his clipboard, almost absently.
"You may or may not be aware, since you were playing in Tier-4 before," he continued. "With how registration of a new team works…"
Minjae leaned back a little, thinking. "I know though. All Players are required to do a stat evaluation check at the Commission, right?"
Seongjin gave a small nod. "And?"
Minjae's eyes narrowed in confusion, but he decided to move on. "Right, and each Player has to be inside a certain range of stats."
"Okay, what's the stat minimum to be considered a Tier-3 Battle Arena Player?"
"100."
"..."
"Oh."
Minjae stared ahead for a second, then let out a quiet exhale, one hand dragging down his face.
"I'm the problem, aren't I?"
"Yep, well it's not just you. A few of our other Players are just slightly under the mark." Seongjin replied casually, standing up from his chair before pushing it into his desk.
"But even so, guess what you're gonna be doing during these two months?"
"Training," Minjae announced with an exasperated sigh. "Until I hit the minimum threshold…"
"Good! At least you know your duties," Seongjin teased. "Now, let's go see the facilities you'll be spending your time in."
***
The training facility was nothing like what Minjae ever expected. Though maybe his time with Blue Comets really put the bar low to the ground.
It was a big building that was renovated from the time it was under the Red Valiant's ownership. However, everything had been completely replaced with cutting-edge technology.
As soon as they stepped foot inside, the first thing Minjae noticed was how clearly spaced out and separated things were.
Seongjin didn't slow as they walked, gesturing lightly as they passed the first section. "Gym and field."
Minjae glanced through the glass wall, stopping to stare before he even realized it.
Rows of equipment filled the space, but it wasn't the kind he was used to. There were no rusted racks or mismatched plates. Machines hummed softly as one of the staff members moved through their sets, the digital panel adjusting resistance in real time.
"Even staff can use the facilities?"
Seongjin nodded. "Employee benefits, plus it builds a better atmosphere."
"Huh," Minjae blinked. "You know, back in Blue Comet. We would have to use a shared gym membership card. And it wasn't even a private gym."
"That…explains a lot."
Seongjin practically had to pull on Minjae's collar to get him moving along to the next section of the facility. And almost immediately, the purpose of the place was clear as day.
Dozens of crystals were embedded along the walls of a circular chamber, glowing faintly as energy pulsed through the room.
Even without touching them, he could feel the thick mana permeating the room, almost weighing the air around it down.
"I'm guessing Yui the mage practically lives here?" Minjae glanced around once more.
"Yeah, but not by the big margin that you think," Seongjin shook his head. "Since Mana is so important in the potency of an Awakened skill, this place is always booked by one of our Players."
"Is that how it works?" Minjae passed by the chamber, fingers tapping at the glass before he moved on.
"You're the one with Analyze as your skill, you'll know soon."
"Fair enough."
A clean white room, open and minimal, with a control panel set behind a safety barrier. Below, a small projector was embedded, along with multiple screens all around, displaying different infographics and statistics.
"…No way."
"The Sim Labs," Seongjin said.
Minjae stepped closer, eyes already scanning the displays. "You can load anything on here?"
"Maps, monsters, scenarios," Seongjin said. "If you want to test a strategy, you do it here first."
Nice. I always had to go outside to rent a Sim room. Now I can nerd out for as much as I want!
He placed a hand onto one of the consoles, looking at the videos on the screen before whispering softly:
"Don't worry, my precious…I'll put you to use soon…"
Seongjin watched the whole thing unfold, eyes narrowing as he commented. "That's not creepy at all."
Minjae didn't even look back. "You're just jealous you don't have this kind of relationship with your equipment."
"…I'm reconsidering my hiring decision."
"Too late."
Seongjin finally pulled him away from the Sim Labs before he could start asking about reservations.
"Alright," the manager said, walking across the grass gardens and stopping before a final building. "Last stop."
Minjae followed him through.
"Dorms."
But before Seongjin could reach the front doors, someone opened them and walked out. Minjae had barely registered it at first. A dark hat hat covered the person's hair as well as sunglasses and a mask blocked out their face.
The person paused as they saw the two approach for a second before moving along without a word.
Minjae's eyes lingered on them for a second before glancing at Seongjin. "...Teammate?"
"Yeah..."
"That's Mikhail Novak."