Chapter 71

〈 Chapter 71 〉 Outlaw

* * *

Outlaw.

There were various reasons why I chose this nickname, but the biggest one was that it strongly suggested I had escaped the shadow of being a prisoner.

Since the life of a prisoner, who was trapped in prison, had ended, shouldn't I become an outlaw who roams the world?

Moreover, the fact that it seemed to have no apparent connection to "Prisoner" added a bonus point.

It was related, yet not.

It was the ambiguous nickname I wanted.

Well, there were other words with similar meanings, like "Desperado," but... I felt the sound was a bit burdensome, so I decided to go with "Outlaw."

Besides...

Although I made it sound easy, the process wasn't actually that simple.

The nickname itself was a rare one, so it was naturally already taken by someone else, and it was only recently that I finally managed to get in touch with that person.

If I hadn't been able to contact them, I would have had to use a nickname like "Outlaw4148" and only when I finally debuted as a pro would I have been able to use the nickname I wanted.

Of course, I didn't want that, and to put it simply... well, yeah. I bought it.

Although I didn't know the details, there shouldn't be any disqualification reasons for pro players that include trading nicknames.

"...Right?"

To be honest, it felt a bit uncomfortable, but I didn't think it would be a big problem.

If I had to pay a fine, I would, and if I had to return the nickname, I would.

"Alright..."

I turned on the second computer I rarely used and logged into the secondary account where I had already secured the "Outlaw" nickname.

[Welcome!]

[Outlaw]

I opened the nickname change window on both accounts simultaneously.

[You can change your summoner name.]

It felt a bit strange to leave behind "GameWell4148," with whom I had spent a considerable amount of time.

"Should I secure the nickname on the secondary account?"

...I briefly considered it, but since the effort of changing the nickname twice would ultimately be meaningless, I quickly gave up on the idea.

"Then."

I slowly changed the nickname of the secondary account to a different one first, and then changed the nickname of the main account to "Outlaw."

[Your summoner name has been changed!]

[The client will restart.]

I became Outlaw.

* * *

Lee Zhiqian, still in the game result window, sighed deeply.

[SY Rainbow: sorry]

[SY Rainbow: I don't know]

After the game ended, Lee Zhiqian sent a friend request to Rainbow.

He waited blankly until Rainbow accepted the friend request.

To be honest, he wasn't confident.

Rainbow was one of the pro players with the largest fan base in the world, and he was worried that his friend request would be ignored.

[SY Rainbow – Online]

Fortunately, Rainbow accepted the friend request.

As soon as Rainbow accepted, Lee Zhiqian asked if Rainbow knew where Prisoner was.

Rainbow seemed taken aback by the sudden question from a foreign pro player about Prisoner, and there was a moment of silence.

After a long wait, the answer was disappointingly negative.

'As expected... Rainbow doesn't know either.'

Even though he had hoped, it was as expected.

Lee Zhiqian finished a brief thank-you message to Rainbow and closed the League of Legends client.

It was time for his flight.

'In the end, I couldn't find him.'

Despite setting foot on Korean soil and searching so hard for Prisoner, he couldn't find any clues about him.

But Lee Zhiqian didn't give up.

'Someday.'

He would definitely find Prisoner.

And they would hold the Red Cup trophy together.

'And... Raise, whom I met in the previous match.'

Lee Zhiqian also remembered him.

Although it was just one game, the skill he showed was extraordinary.

It was enough to make Prisoner come to mind, even unconsciously, when facing the entire SY team.

'If his skill is real, he will rise soon.'

When that time comes, making a formal scouting offer wouldn't be a bad idea.

Of course, he didn't think about competing for the starting position, so "GameWell4148" would have to play a different lane.

'I will hold everything in my hands.'

While Lee Zhiqian was thinking about various things, Coach Jang Seok-hwan came to him.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, I am."

"Good."

Lee Zhiqian left the now quite familiar accommodation with Coach Jang Seok-hwan.

It was time to return to his home country.

* * *

"Ah, I can't stand playing with trolls."

"Who's talking?"

The SY team's casual game for team bonding naturally fell apart after the major comeback loss.

Even though it was a casual game, the ultimate goal was still victory.

Since it only led to increased discord among the team, it was a natural conclusion.

'I'm a bit bored like this... maybe I'll play a solo queue.'

Ryu Jinhyuk reflected on the previous game.

He recalled the judgment, movement, and skill shots that Raise, "GameWell4148," had shown, and felt his passion for the game burning.

Just as Ryu Jinhyuk was considering whether to play a solo queue or not,

'Huh?'

[Friend Requests 50+]

A new friend request came in.

Normally, he would have ignored it, but perhaps influenced by "GameWell4148," Ryu Jinhyuk checked the friend request list.

He felt curious.

'What is this?'

GRS Nightmare.

One of the long-standing rivals from the previous Red Cup final and the opponent he faced in the last game.

It was he who sent the friend request.

Normally, he wouldn't have accepted it, but Ryu Jinhyuk remembered Nightmare's Korean server ID because they had met several times in solo queue.

'I'll accept it for now.'

So he readily accepted the friend request... and Nightmare immediately asked about Prisoner's whereabouts.

[qq7785dd55: Hi]

[qq7785dd55: Where's Prisoner?]

Why is Nightmare suddenly looking for Prisoner?

Ryu Jinhyuk felt a surge of curiosity, but he didn't want to say anything unnecessary and risk an unknown reaction from the other side, so he said what he had to say.

[SY Rainbow: sorry]

[SY Rainbow: I don't know]

I don't know where Prisoner is.

[qq7785dd55: Thank you]

[qq7785dd55: Goodbye]

The conversation ended there.

Nightmare logged out soon after, and Ryu Jinhyuk was left staring blankly at the screen.

'...What is this?'

Actually, it's not strange for someone to be looking for Prisoner.

Still, Ryu Jinhyuk felt a strange sensation at the thought that someone was trying to find Prisoner through him.

'Does he know something?'

No one knows why Prisoner disappeared.

However, Prisoner left a message for Ryu Jinhyuk before disappearing.

He said he couldn't play the game anymore.

It was unknown whether Prisoner left similar messages for others, but the reason for his disappearance was not public knowledge.

In such a situation, the only ones who might know about it would be a few people, including Ryu Jinhyuk.

The reason Ryu Jinhyuk didn't talk about Prisoner's last message to the outside world was simple.

If Prisoner wanted to announce his last message, he would have done it in a different way, not by leaving a separate message for Ryu Jinhyuk.

It was a kind of respect for Prisoner.

'...I don't want to make that mistake again.'

Ryu Jinhyuk still regretted the interview that day.

It felt as if he had killed Prisoner.

'What did he know? Was it just a casual question...?'

The friendship between Rainbow and Prisoner was not a secret.

They were famous for playing together since the early days of League of Legends.

So Ryu Jinhyuk asked the other team members if many people were looking for Prisoner.

"Oh, didn't you know? Our team and other teams were in a frenzy over the Prisoner acquisition war."

"...Really?"

The team members also didn't think it was strange.

It was natural.

The first 2000-point jungler.

Although solo queue and tournaments are different, there was no doubt about his talent.

Moreover, Prisoner was a user that even Ryu Jinhyuk himself acknowledged.

The evaluations of other players wouldn't be much different.

'Still, something... '

In the midst of an inexplicable discomfort,

Ryu Jinhyuk spent the night wide awake.

* * *

The placement test began.

* * *