——Qian! That Saber… just who is he…?
At the Berserker's question, Sun Qian glanced to his side. Just beside Zhao Lusi, Yu Jin was calmly eating his food as if the last twenty minutes hadn't been an intense boss fight at all.
They had cleared the Duke Leviathan raid in under thirty minutes. It wasn't a record-breaking run, but it was significantly faster than anything their party had ever achieved in all their attempts at Leviathan since they started playing Legacy Online.
But that wasn't what shocked them most.
The real surprise came when the reward screen appeared and Yu Jin accepted his loot. For a brief moment, his inventory window was visible to Sun Qian and Zhao Lusi.
It was filled with boss materials. Rare drops from raids spanning multiple seasons, limited-time events, and legacy patches.
It was absurd.
And in that moment, the truth hit Sun Qian and Zhao Lusi all at once.
This man, Yu Jin, wasn't under-leveled because he didn't have time to grind.
He was only level 63 because all he ever did... was fight bosses. As if it were just a pastime. As if that was the only part of the game that ever really mattered to him.
Of course, killing bosses gave experience points. But doing only that and ignoring the faster efficient ways to level up meant the grind was painfully slow.
Zhao Lusi and Sun Qian exchanged glances, both coming to the same conclusion. Then, Zhao Lusi turned to Yu Jin and called out:
"Uhm, Yu Jin?"
Yu Jin paused the drama playing on his screen, removed his headphones, and looked at her.
"Yes?"
"You're the missing member."
"Huh?"
"That!"
Zhao Lusi pointed behind him. Yu Jin followed her gaze to a large poster pinned on the wall near the cafe entrance.
It was an announcement about an upcoming Legacy Online tournament hosted by the net cafe with a 40,000 Yuan prize and a chance to be scouted by the cafe's soon-to-be-launched professional team.
Yu Jin shook his head.
"Oh, no. I'm really busy. University's been tough lately."
Hearing that, Sun Qian asked:
"University? How old are you, Yu Jin?"
"Twenty. Almost twenty-one. You?"
"Ah, we're both eighteen. In our Senior year of high school."
Sun Qian gestured between himself and Zhao Lusi.
"Is that so? Well, I can't really play much. Legacy is just a break between studying. A way to let out stress, you know?"
"...."
"...."
Zhao Lusi and Sun Qian fell silent, exchanging a look. Letting out stress? That was his idea of unwinding?
They couldn't help but think how absurd it was that Yu Jin's way of relaxing from academic pressure was by diving headfirst into the equally stressful task of soloing high-difficulty boss fights.
And not just clearing them, but mastering them.
Still, neither of them could argue.
His skill was undeniable. His control, reaction time, and game sense weren't something that could be ignored. If he actually chose to join the tournament, he could probably win it without much trouble.
And if he ever decided to pursue the pro scene seriously, it wouldn't be some far-fetched dream but something entirely within reach.
Zhao Lusi leaned back, watching Yu Jin as he resumed his meal. He looked calm, but she remembered the focus in his eyes during the raid.
The slight curve of his lips when he timed a perfect dodge. The satisfaction in the way he moved. He clearly enjoyed the game. And it would be a shame if that kind of talent went unnoticed.
It was then that Sun Qian suddenly had an idea.
"What if we do this? You take 70% of the prize money, and we'll split the remaining 30% among the rest of us. How about it?"
Yu Jin blinked, surprised by the offer.
"Huh? That's... practically robbing you guys. Just find another player."
"We will, if the deadline's close and we have no choice. But the offer stands, Yu Jin."
Yu Jin went quiet, thinking it over. After a moment, he spoke:
"Do you guys plan on going pro?"
It wasn't a far-fetched question. Even though Yu Jin had gone tunnel vision during most of the raid, he knew the party was skilled.
While he wasn't exactly familiar with the current standards of competitive play, having played solo for so long, their coordination had stood out in his eyes.
And more importantly, they didn't drag him down. In fact, they made the entire run feel smoother than what he was used to.
Zhao Lusi's casting was no joke. Her timing was on-point and her skill rotations were clean. It was obvious she'd spent a lot of time practicing and memorizing the Sorcerer class's vast kit.
Sun Qian, on the other hand, was a dependable Vanguard. He had a solid grasp of when to press forward and when to fall back.
What stood out most, though, was his ability to lead. The team's coordination was all due to his quick calls and battlefield awareness, keeping everyone in sync.
In a way, he had probably learned to read Yu Jin's patterns mid-fight and adjusted the party's positioning and timing around them.
With a grin, Sun Qian spoke up:
"It's been a dream of mine. Ever since my brother brought me to the stadium, I saw the beginning of Grand Order's dynasty. Liu Zhen, he's my idol!"
"...."
Yu Jin's expression suddenly went blank and said nothing.
Unaware of this, Zhao Lusi chimed in with her own thoughts:
"The game's fun. And these days, eSports is a legitimate career path. It's not exactly stable, sure, but I think I have a future in it. I've been streaming for about a year now, and a lot of people have told me I should go pro."
That snapped Yu Jin out of his daze. He glanced at her in surprise.
A streamer?
Now that he thought about it, she did have the visuals, and more importantly, the personality for it. Her performance during the raid backed up her claim, too.
If he had to weigh skill within the party, Zhao Lusi might've been the most polished of them all.
After a moment of silence, Yu Jin finally spoke:
"Okay. I'll join. But I have my conditions."
He raised a finger.
"One, I won't be able to join you for practice much. You'll have to do it without me on certain days."
A second finger.
"Two, I have to leave by 8:00 P.M. every day. But I'll drop by the net cafe whenever I can."
Then a third.
"And three, I'm only in this for the prize money. I'm not going pro."
Sun Qian and Zhao Lusi agreed to his conditions. Neither of them asked why Yu Jin wouldn't go pro, respecting his decision.
The Berserker and Ranger had already logged off, leaving only the Ruler online.
Noticing this, Sun Qian stretched and glanced at the screen.
"Should we try another raid?"
"Sure."