The next day, at lunch.
Ring—!
Out of nowhere, Siwoo's smartphone buzzed. It was Kaiserst's coach, Shin Seung-hyun, whose number he'd saved the day before.
He's calling already?
Siwoo had figured it'd be after the tournament ended at least. After all, his value as a player hadn't been fully determined yet.
Siwoo picked up the call.
"Hello?"
◇ INCOMING CALL: SHIN SEUNG-HYUN ◇● LIVE"Is this Player Lee Siwoo?"
"Yes, that's me."
"Ah, hello. This is Kaiserst Coach Shin Seung-hyun. Do you have a moment to talk?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"Great."
Shin Seung-hyun let out a hearty laugh before continuing.
"I'm calling about a contract. We'd love to have you on Kaiserst. Any interest in joining us?"
Siwoo didn't answer right away. He stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Interest in joining...
Once he'd decided to go pro, joining a team was inevitable.
But the issue was that Siwoo knew nothing about Kaiserst.
And it wasn't just them—he barely knew the pro scene at all. Sure, you could Google basics, but the real insider talk? That was for active players and diehard fans.
Guess I should talk it over with Jiyeon.
With her obsession for esports, Han Jiyeon probably knew all about Kaiserst. She'd also know what mattered most when picking a team and negotiating a contract.
"I'm interested, but I'd like to hold off deciding until after the tournament. That okay?"
"Of course. Take your time—we're just kicking off the stove league anyway."
Thanks to Han Jiyeon, Siwoo knew about the stove league too.
It was the period after the regular season, when teams geared up for the next one—scouting players, negotiating salaries, trading talent. All the roster-building frenzy.
The most critical time for rookies deciding their next-season fate.
Dragging negotiations could wreck a team's plans, but luckily, it had only just begun.
That buys me time to think it over.
Siwoo, who hated stirring up drama, breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Plenty of time to mull it over.
"Siwoo, how about I treat you to a meal and go over the terms? Got any free time?"
Shin Seung-hyun's voice came through the phone.
"We've got the round of 16 tomorrow, so today or the day after?"
"Perfect. Let's do today. Where do you live?"
"Seoul. Mind if I come straight to your HQ? I'd love a tour."
"No problem at all! I'll text you the address. You can hang up now!"
"Alright, see you soon..."
Click.
The call ended.
What was that?
Siwoo stared blankly at his phone, caught off guard. Shin Seung-hyun's voice had brimmed with determination—like he was dead set on signing him.
Is this how it usually goes?
He couldn't say for sure; he didn't know pro contracts well. And team internals weren't something a quick search revealed.
No choice—gotta ask Jiyeon.
With her esports passion, she'd know. Better to get her take.
Siwoo dialed the number he'd saved for her. She picked up right away.
◇ INCOMING CALL: HAN JIYEON ◇● LIVEFREQ: MOBILE | SIGNAL: 100% | ENCRYPT: NONE"Hey, Siwoo, what's up?"
"Hey, got a question. You free to chat?"
"Yeah, nothing going on. Shoot."
What to ask first?
Siwoo pondered briefly, then spoke up.
"Remember that coach who scouted me yesterday? He called—said it's Kaiserst. We're meeting today. What do you think?"
Your debut team mattered—a lot. Overlant was a team game; vibes could make or break you.
"Hm, honestly? Can't call it a top team. In other games maybe, but Overlant pros? They've been struggling."
Teams on a downswing were extra risky. Losing becomes habit; players mail it in.
"Plus, they're rebuilding—cut most players, coach, even staff. Pros and cons. Could ride a hot streak if it clicks, but not ideal for a rookie's debut. Everyone needs time to gel."
Rebuilding.
Totally overhauling the roster.
Double-edged sword. Could tank harder—or skyrocket beyond imagination.
Box of chocolates, really.
"Got it. Any standout perks for Kaiserst specifically?"
Siwoo asked. Downsides so far, but a first-division team had upsides too.
"Their parent company's loaded? Not dumping much into Overlant now, but salaries beat mid-table teams."
Skill might lag, but cash flow? Top-tier. Siwoo got the picture.
"Hm, tough call..."
Siwoo furrowed his brows, scratching his chin.
He'd dreamed of pro for the roar of the crowd, standing center stage, etching his name in lights.
But that dream alone wasn't enough.
What made it real? The salary—easing his big sister's load, even a little.
On that front, Kaiserst looked solid. Better pay than most.
"Eh, mull it over after hearing their offer."
"It's not just Kaiserst, right? Midraizers too. More teams will scout as the tourney rolls. Shop around—salary, vision, all that."
"Yeah, makes sense."
"Take your time—stove league's got a month left. First team? Choose wisely."
Siwoo nodded slowly.
"Thanks for the advice. Good call phoning you."
"Haha, no biggie. Gotta help since I recruited you lol."
"Cool, no practice today then?"
"Nah, just light warm-ups. We're prepped."
"Got it. See you tomorrow."
"See ya~!"
Call ended.
Siwoo wanted to chat more with Jiyeon, but time to meet Shin was closing in.
Better get ready.
Siwoo grabbed a light jacket and headed out.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇A quiet café.
Out the windowed table, bundled-up folks hustled by; traffic crawled the road as usual.
Kaiserst HQ's first-floor café. Perks like this screamed deep pockets. The building itself was massive.
No outsiders allowed, but dropping his name got him in—Shin must've cleared it.
Gangnam location, figures.
Slurp.
Siwoo ordered a drink and settled in to wait.
Too early?
He checked his phone—20 minutes early. Should've paced it.
Might as well search Kaiserst.
Nothing else to do. He Googled the team.
SEARCH RESULT: KAISERSTKAISERST
────
Founded: December 27, 2013
Affiliation: OCK League
Parent Company: Kaiser Corp.
⋯
[1. Overview]
[2. Details]
[3. Major Achievements]
⋯
────
A ton of info popped up, but the founding date jumped out.
Old-school team.
2042 now—nearly 30 years strong. Esports as an industry was still young; this was a pioneer.
Parent: Kaiser Corp.
Even Siwoo knew them—tentacles in every sector, massive conglomerate.
And achievements.
Summoners of Legend? Most wins ever—absolute legends.
Pre-VR era's biggest hit, Summoners of Legend (SOL for short). They'd dominated, undisputed kings.
How'd they flop in Overlant...?
Who knew—mix of factors, probably. Sports weren't just about money.
Moments later.
"Hello, Player Lee Siwoo."
"Hey."
"Haha, nice to see you again."
Shin Seung-hyun bowed with a beaming smile. His tone and face oozed poise, confidence.
"Tour first?"
"Sounds good."
"Right this way."
Siwoo followed Shin into the elevator.
"Building's 10 floors. Floor 2: Overlant team space. 3: Gaia Land team. 4: Streaming rooms with top gear. 5-6: Offices. 7: CEO suite."
The rundown continued.
"8: Rec area—movies, billiards, karaoke, gaming setups. Kitchen sink."
Siwoo's eyes widened at the spiel.
"...Way bigger than I pictured."
"Yep. Gaia Land's huge for us."
"Pro gamers in Gaia Land too?"
"PvP pro league. Popularity on par with Overlant."
"Ah."
Gaia Land.
MMORPG crushing it in VR, like Overlant.
"9: Cafeteria. 10: Player dorms. Chefs on payroll cook fresh."
Siwoo toured, oohing nonstop.
Could live here forever, no issues.
Dorms had everything.
30 years of know-how shows.
Languishing in Overlant, though.
"That's the intro. More wandering, or head to eats?"
"...This is fine. Cafeteria next."
Don't judge on facilities alone.
Pro contract was real life—your future.
Siwoo steeled himself with that vow.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇After the meal.
Siwoo dove into real talk with Shin.
"Kaiserst will offer you our best."
Shin pulled a tablet from his bag.
"Standard rookie contract, tweaked into a prelim for you. Take a look."
He added quickly.
"No pressure to sign now. You're a minor—needs guardian. Just a preview."
"Got it."
As Siwoo scrolled, Shin went on.
"Rookie pay's usually 40 million won. We're proposing 100 million for you."
Siwoo's scrolling finger froze. Eyes went wide.
"...100 million?"
"Yes. One-year short-term, fully guaranteed."
Shin smiled.
"Straight to first team—no farm league or trainee phase."
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Read 113 more chapters ahead on NovelDex!
https://noveldex.io/series/the-unprecedented-genius-who-carries-it-all
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