First, the Nationals

"Heh! Take that, kid!" Ignis flexed on the Chinese brat after the game. "How did you like that, huh? Git steamrolled!"

"......" Jin ignored the provocation. Despite being older, that woman was acting like a total brat, so there was nothing to say to her.

"Heh, you're so depressed you can't even speak?" Ignis went on. "That's understandable. After all, you went up against The Great Ignis! It's an honor for a kid like you to even have a chance to fight me, you know?"

"My, isn't that enough bullying for one day?" Esmeralda interjected.

"Huh? What bullying? I'm just teaching this brat here an important lesson. He's the one who started with all that disrespecting nonsense."

"Yes, and I believe you've already taught him a good lesson, haven't you? I'm sure he understands how amazing you are by now."

[Not really.] Jin retorted. [I bet if she didn't cooperate with Hawk, then she wouldn't be able to pull off a ploy like that.]

Jin ignored Ignis and Esmeralda and went on to speak with the bystanders, the judges of this entire event. Unfortunately, their reaction was about what Jin expected...

"Well then, that was a rough ride, haha." Even Ronshfelt, a guy with practically zero understanding of Classmancers, was saying as much.

"Do you understand why the game turned out the way it did?" the Sweepers' coach inquired. It must have been an exam question.

"Yes, I do." Jin was prepared for this one. "I rushed during the early game because I felt pressured. That gave Ignis and Hawk the opportunity to push the lane when I wasn't present."

"Correct, that was the first turning point of the game," the coach agreed. "Even though you were facing an Orc, you held your ground well until that point. But, that one decision to rush things with your ult cost you everything."

"Yes, it was all my fault..." Jin lowered his head. [It was so stupid of me. I let the pressure get to me. The coach even recognized that I was handling the Orc well, despite how one-sided it looked.]

Part of what fueled Jin's rashness was the fear of being perceived poorly by the judges. He felt that Ignis was acting way too cocky with him, so much that he was obligated to punish her for it.

[I thought that if I let her get away with it, then it'll reflect poorly on my performance. But, turns out the Sweepers' coach is much more reasonable than I expected.]

In the end, that entire play proved to be inherently pointless. There wasn't much for Jin to gain from it, yet it was so risky that it single-handedly ruined the entire game.

"How dreadful, how dreadful," Ronshfelt said. "To think that even the Chinese Wonderboy can make such mistakes."

[For the hundredth time, I'm KOREAN.] Jin barely held that one in. With so many layers of frustration piling up, he was in no mood to entertain this old man's nonsense.

Alas, he had no choice in the matter. The old man continued pursuing the topic.

"How did you let that happen?" Ronshfelt asked. His vague phrasing reeked of ignorance. The old man probably had no idea what he was really asking, or what would be the correct answer.

Nonetheless, he fired the question anyway, as a formality of sorts. It was probably some sort of personality test. The goal here wasn't to get an objective explanation, but rather, to see whether Jin will own up to his mistake.

"They outplayed me," Jin answered. "I didn't expect them to use such a tactic at that point in the game, so I let my guard down."

The explanation was as generalized as possible, without diving into any specifics. Ronshfelt won't be able to understand anything more complicated than that, so it was best to keep this simple and straightforward.

"I see, I see." Ronshfelt nodded even though he probably had no idea what Jin was talking about. "And, what are you planning to do to prevent the same mistake in the future?"

[Another typical ignorant question.] Jin thought. [It wasn't the kind of "mistake" that'll happen that often, considering the trickery that was involved. But, of course, he can't understand such delicate matters.]

"First of all, I will review the game to see all the circumstances of that situation. That should give me a better idea of what made me make the mistake and how it could be avoided in the future." A generic answer to a generic question. This was probably the kind of thing Ronshfelt wanted to hear.

"Oh, so you plan to review the game?"

"Of course," Jin said. "It is the first thing I do when I return home. I already took important notes for each game." He showed his phone screen, which was filled with notes he jotted down after each game.

It was always best to leave a proper recording of his mental notes, to ensure they were not forgotten. Especially, for these two games, there were so many things for him to review.

"I see, I see." Ronshfelt nodded in satisfaction, with his big smile refusing to leave his face for even a moment. "Very good, very good. You're already conducting yourself like a pro, haha."

"That's the idea." Jin nodded.

The club in Korea trained him toward becoming a pro, so they drilled the "pro mentality" into him from a young age. Therefore, even though some of his actions might have looked "impressive" to others, for him it was as natural as breathing.

He was born into that kind of environment, molded in it. Therefore, in this new lax environment, he had to ascend to the level of a pro ASAP.

The other kids here grew up in a far lazier, far more forgiving environment. They didn't experience even half of what Jin went through in order to get to his current level. As such, even though they were close in age, their skill couldn't be further apart.

"But," Ronshfelt started, his voice more stern than usual. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but avoiding blunders is a big part of what defines a pro, right?"

"Yes, that true..." Jin had no retort against this. It was an unexpectedly sharp observation, especially coming from that clueless oaf.

"It'll be quite the problem if we put you on stage and you accidentally do something like this, you know."

"That true," Jin agreed. "Everybody makes mistakes, but a pro is obligated to make less than others. Most importantly, critical mistakes should be close to zero."

"True, true." Ronshfelt nodded repeatedly. "So, you really do understand what it means to be a pro, despite being so young. As expected from the Chinese Wonderboy!"

[It's KOREAN.] Jin grumped. [But, I have to say, this old man is really sly. He acts all nice and clueless, but then he catches you off-guard with serious questions like this. This is almost like a surprise interview. Honestly, I wasn't quite prepared for this.]

The only reason Jin was able to quickly deflect Ronshfelt's tricky questions was because of the training in Korea. The coaches over there interviewed everybody on a regular basis in order to monitor and gauge the players' mindsets. So, through rough experience, Jin learned what these examiners usually asked and what answers they wanted to hear.

"If I may add," Aegis stepped into the conversation. "Even though it's about my sister, I have to admit she did him dirty back there."

"Oh, is that so?" Ronshfelt blinked.

"Yes, she and Hawk pulled a nasty trick on him. It's not a play you see every day, especially not in a friendly scrimmage. They specifically targeted him with that play."

"I see, I see. They tried to take him down on purpose."

"Yes, that's how it looked to me. It seems he made these two pros take him 100% seriously. It's quite the achievement, really."

"As expected from the Chinese Wonderboy!" Ronshfelt celebrated. "To think that he's good enough to drive our B-League into a corner! Impressive work, isn't it, Bernny?"

"Yes, he played well..." Bern resultantly agreed, despite the somewhat insulting wording toward the team he was coaching.

While Ronshfelt was raving about this new piece of information, Aegis's eyes met with Jin's.

["I hope this helps you out a little."] Aegis conveyed that message with a sophisticated smile.

[Is he trying to help me out? Why would he?] Jin wondered. [Is he feeling some sort of camaraderie toward me because we played on the same team? No, I doubt that's the case. Two games aren't enough for that.]

["I just really want to help you out, that's all there is to it."] Aegis responded with a smile to Jin's suspecting stare.

[There is no way I will believe that.] Jin deepened his suspicion.

StormBlitz's captain was a smooth talker who excelled at reading people and the mood. A crafty player like that wouldn't make a move unless there was a motive behind it.

[Well, no point worrying about that.] Jin shrugged. [As long as he isn't trying to sabotage my chances, I don't mind. In fact, I should welcome his good words with open arms.]

Jin needed any support he could get to pass today's selection. His chances seemed decent during the first game, but they fell into oblivion after the second game. So, any positive words from others were much appreciated; they should help his case immensely.

"Well then," Ronshfelt addressed the Sweepers' coach. "What is our verdict, Bernny?"

"You make it sound like an easy question I can answer on the spot." Bern sighed. "It's not like he'll immediately play on the Sweepers even if he does pass, you know."

"Right, right."

"I'll have to run this by the Cleaners first. I'd say it's more Collen's decision than mine."

"Collen is the Cleaners' coach," Ronshfelt explained to Jin, then returned to the conversation at hand. "Alright, alright, that's fair. Collie's input will have the most weight, so it's best for him to see the wonderboy in action."

"I'll send him replays with some pointers."

"Good, good." Ronshfelt nodded. "That aside, what's your current take on our wonderboy? Is he pro material?"

"Honestly, I don't think he's ready for the pro scene quite yet," Bern stated. "He shows a lot of promise, especially for his age, but he's still rough around the edges. I'd say he needs at least one more year to develop and improve."

"I see, so you say he's half-baked at the moment."

Jin took the beating without interrupting the coach. The judgment was about as harsh as he expected, so he didn't have anything to say in his defense.

"I say, he'll benefit greatly from sparring with pros on a regular basis," Bern continued. "I can't promise the Sweepers will always be available, but I could probably fit in a scrim every now and then."

"That's good, that's good. On that note, how about putting him on the Sweepers during pro scrims? That might just give him the kind of experience he needs, don't you think?"

"... I'll have to check the legality of that" Bern frowned, clearly not too amused by the proposition. However, Ronshfelt ignored that and turned to Jin.

"Of course, you'd be interested in that, right?"

"Definitely."

"Good, good. Spoken like a real young pro, haha! But anyway, Bernny…" Ronshfelt continued inquiring about the outcome of the exam, almost begging for an immediate verdict. However, the Sweepers' coach refused to entertain this silly old man.

"It's really important for us to decide how to proceed from here, though," Ronshfelt insisted.

"It'll be nice to see more of his games in a competitive environment. For example, the middle school regionals can be a good place to start."

"The regionals…" Jin made a difficult expression. He had a lot he wanted to say, but he had to hold it in. [It won't do me any favors to sound rude, but...]

His entire reason for coming here today was so he could get away from that lowly "competitive" scene. But, if he says it like that, then it'll sound very arrogant and might cost him some credit points. Therefore…

"I'm fine with proving my skill at the middle school regionals if that what you want. But, if I'm honest, the competition there won't let me exhibit my full power."

"Even if you believe the level of competition there is beneath you, there isn't really any better alternative for someone your age. Besides, if you think it's going to be a breeze, then you're greatly underestimating Classmancers as a game."

"That wasn't my intention." Jin was quick to retort. [Looks like I didn't hide it as well as I hoped...]

"Regardless of individual skill level, you'll be facing players who are just as serious as you about winning. It'll be a valuable experience."

"I see…" Jin wanted to object, but he wasn't sure how that'll pan out for him. So, instead, he bowed his head, as if agreeing to the coach's assessment.

"We should keep observing his progress throughout the year," Bern delivered his verdict to Ronshfelt. "If he does well during pro scrimmages, and he does well in the school scene, then we can conclude he's ready."

"In that case, I say he should go all the way and win the nationals!" Ronshfelt smiled like a fox. "Surely, a wonderboy like you can carry his team that far, am I right?"

"Of course," Jin responded without hesitation. "If winning the middle school nationals is a requirement, I will get it done."

Honestly, it was an unfortunate turn of events. Jin was trying his best to avoid that low-level competition, deeming it a waste of time for his skill level. And yet, that same underwhelming competition somehow turned into Jin's ticket for the pro scene.

[So be it.] Jin thought. [If I have to destroy that lowly competition in order to prove my worth, then I'll do it. I'll carry the Leopards all the way through nationals. Once I achieve that, nobody will dare to question my skill level ever again.]

On that note, the exam came to an end. Jin and Rodriguez left the Sweepers' private training room and headed down the elevator.

"Disappointed?" Rodriguez asked.

"Yes," Jin replied. "But, I didn't perform best. The pressure got to me."

"I saw. You cared just a little too much about showing off, didn't you?"

"I suppose. In my experience, better play a little different when it's an exam."

"Hmm, that makes some sense," Rodriguez agreed. "Do you have a lot of experience with evaluation exams like this?"

"Yes, more than I'd like."

"Haha, sounds like the selection process in Korea was really rough." Rodriguez smiled wryly. "So, what are your plans from here?"

"I must win the nationals," Jin replied without hesitation.

"I see. So, you'll be joining the rest of the team for practice, right?"

"What other choice do I have?" Jin sighed. "But, no point joining the training regime. At this level of competition, we only need to cooperate on a minimal level. So, I'll only join matches."

"I see. That's a decent plan." Rodriguez nodded. "Though, truth to be told, I was planning to keep your existence a secret from the other teams, at least until we face a strong team."

"Why?"

"Simply because you'll destroy most of the teams in the region. That isn't beneficial to anybody, I'm sure you agree."

"Yes, it's a waste of time. I have no problem sitting out on matches like that," Jin said. [In fact, I would sit out on this entire tournament if it were up to me.]

"The way I see it," Rodriguez said. "In our region, the only team that has a chance of giving us trouble is StormBlitz. So, that'll probably be the only match in which you'll come on stage, at least until we get to nationals."

"Good."

"With that said, you'll still have to attend every scrimmage, just in case."

"No problem." Jin nodded. "Does that apply for next scrim as well? From what I understand, that's the least likely team to cause any trouble."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Rodriguez argued. "Stratus might've been the weakest team in the region for a long time, but they got an interesting lineup this year. I'm very much looking forward to what they can do."

"It will be embarrassing if the champions struggle against the weakest team. I wouldn't be able to show my face in public if that happened to me."

"Yes, I'm sure the audience will roast the team quite badly if that happens."

"Well, it doesn't really matter." Jin's eyes glinted dangerously. "If the Leopards mess up, I step in and defeat the enemy instead."

"That's the spirit." Rodriguez smiled meaningfully. [Looks like the trip was worth it.]

From the get-go, he estimated that Jin had about a 10% chance of passing the exam. These were rather impressive odds for a middle schooler, but failure was practically inevitable.

["It'd be a waste to come all the way here just to fail."] That's what Rodriguez thought to himself back when he considered this whole proposition. He genuinely wanted to help the talented boy to reach great heights, but reality had its limits.

Young-jin was too young and his skill level wasn't quite up to par with the standard of the competitive scene. He definitely wasn't too far off, which was impressive for his age, but probably not impressive enough for a team to recruit him. A young prodigy had to be truly exceptional in order to break through the age barrier.

Therefore, it was only natural to assume he'll likely fail. And, after failing, he'll just be back to square one with all his problems.

["That is, unless I can convert his failure into motivation."] And so, Rodriguez's little scheme started that day.

Failure was an important ingredient for growing up as a competitive player. After all, it was none other than failure that motivated humans to keep working harder.

Therefore, Rodriguez wanted to ensure that Young-jin's failure today will bear the same fruit.

["If he doesn't pass, then ask him to win the nationals."] That's the tip Rodriguez gave to Ronshfelt and Bern. It was a mutually beneficial suggestion, so they had no reason to refuse.

And so, from a hopeless exam that was bound to deliver nothing but failure and disappointment, today's exam transformed into one with many benefits. Jin got a taste of the pro scene, he learned some important lessons through battle, and he impressed the Sweepers' coach enough to be invited for more practice matches.

On top of all that, he now had a clear achievable goal to strive toward: winning the middle school regionals, and even the nationals. Truly, the exam turned out to be extremely beneficial.

[And of course, it makes my life easier too.] Rodriguez smiled meaningfully. [Now that the boy is motivated to win the nationals, he'll be more cooperative with training and matches. It probably won't be necessary for him to take the stage anytime soon, but once the time comes - he'll do it without any objections. That's the kind of serious boy he is.]

And so, it was decided that Jin will function as the Leopards' trump card. It was yet unclear what role he'll play at the regionals, but the Leopards will definitely need to borrow his services for the nationals.

For now, the team probably won't be facing any serious threats that'll require using the trump card. For example, the Leopards vs. Stratus scrimmage was just around the corner, but that was just a joke matchup in most people's eyes. After all, it was a game between the "reigning champions" and the "weakest team".

[Though, I wonder...] Rodriguez didn't want to write them off just yet.

Stratus had two big surprises this year: Chessmaster and Gunz. Those two were high-caliber players, definitely good enough to rival StormBlitz's finest. So, that duo should pose a challenge to Cato, at least.

But, will Stratus be impressive enough to push the Leopards into a corner and force Young-jin onto the stage? Probably not, but only time will tell...