Chapter 471

The preliminary evaluation meeting for the National Exchange Tournament flowed very differently than I expected from start to finish.

In a bad way, to say the least.

Above all, the person selected as my representative, Kim Love, didn’t even participate due to their mid-term exams at the Academy.

People were taking turns asking for my handshake, but few introduced themselves.

It seemed like some acquaintances had stopped by the preliminary evaluation meeting to see me.

There were parts of the presentation that caught my interest, such as the training roadmap and modern combat equipment, but the excessive self-praise made me cover my ears and stop listening.

To sum it up in one line, it was “I got this much budget from the government this year, so please applaud me, everyone involved.”

In the end, I just sat quietly among the suit-wearing aunts and uncles and came home in a daze.

[NoName Mage, you need to come to Sejong Mirinae Academy for boot camp training starting next week. The accommodation is in front of the Lakeside Park, and trust me, the view is amazing.]

If I had known it was like this, I should have just lived in the U.S. for another month or two.

“The balance issue might still be pending, but I can open the multi-server right away, even tomorrow. Then, I’ll take applications by the end of this week and start operating it.”

– Wait, so what’s happening with the broadcast!!!

– Teacher, don’t joke around

– The viewers are sufferingㅠㅠ

“Meditating just reminded me that when I was in Massachusetts, it was crazy. Every restaurant I went to, student reporters were always there asking for signatures, and I had a hectic day surrounded by people. I was living with headaches. One day, I went to Phillips Academy Park, and I was really moved by a student sitting calmly in the grass meditating—”

[‘Cat Lovers are The Best’ has donated 1,000,000 won!]

– I’ll give you 1, so please stop…

“Ah, it’s you, Manager. Thank you for the one million won donation. I didn’t ask for money, but I’ll use it well anyway. Thank you.”

Now that my older sister Bo-ram was also urging me, it seemed I could no longer postpone my responses.

– Suspicious Manager, nice timing ㅅㅅ

– Wealth is the best~

– Can you last with just 1?

– Please free my throat that feels like it’s choked on 100 sweet potatoes, please

The viewers seemed to be on the brink of fainting from frustration.

I said with a gloomy expression.

“However, if I don’t attend the national team base camp because I’m broadcasting, you all will have something to say about me. Is this slacking off? With only two representatives, does it make sense for one to be absent? Does a young one like me look like a national representative in jest? I’ll be audited, and a special investigation will follow…”

I hugged a stuffed badger doll as big as my body and buried my face in the soft cotton.

I swayed from side to side, waiting for the audience’s reactions.

– You should be grateful that Name is representing Korea

– Who would say something so crazy?

– Let Name do what they want. Don’t worry about others.

– Looks like the leader once faced negative public opinion…ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

– Name, cheer up!

– If helping each other meant we could fight well, anyone could participate haha

– Just as I thought, the adults must have said something to the kid again

– The national exchange tournament lasts only two weeks, but the broadcast lasts for months; the difference is huge

– Ah, tax audits…

I confirmed that the public opinion was more favorable than I expected.

I threw the doll onto the bed and smiled brightly as I said.

“Right? You think so too? Actually, I didn’t have a choice and had to participate against my will. I just said I wouldn’t do it and ran away. Instead, I agreed to a trial match with Kim Love a month later for a best two out of three duel. If I win, I won’t participate in training until July; if I lose, I’ll be disqualified from the national team.”

– What what what?!

– Name, what are you talking about?

– If you lose, you’ll be disqualified from the national team?!

– What the heck did you do over there?!

– Wow, so you declared war already?

– Hahahahaha

– Yes, this is right for Name

– How dare you disqualify Name from the national team? Who do you think you are? Hahaha

“It’s been a while since I’ve had a serious duel; it sounds fun. Anyway, that’s that, but it might be a bit boring for you, so let me wrap up today’s content with a coding broadcast for the Kaizen World Death Match content. Enjoy!”

Just like how you should tap on a stone bridge before crossing, I decided to cultivate the habit of checking public opinion, as I might be wrong.

[‘Little Devil Name’ has donated 5,000 won!]

– The pain of not being able to kill Name will only make them more cunning.

“Did you know I really like that saying? I think pain and growth are always inseparable.”

I was truly grateful for the comparison to a great philosopher.

* * *

The status of magic dueling in Korea can be evaluated as neither high nor low, but ambiguous.

There were rarely people who regularly enjoyed watching overseas magic dueling matches.

Even for the Academy Clash, analysis showed that over 70% of the traffic came from overseas.

However, when international competitions took place, national attention was focused on the magic dueling scene.

Rumors spread at the speed of transmission, heating up domestic communities.

[Domestic Magic Gallery]

[ Real-time Best ]

[According to someone from the Wizard Association, NoName might not participate in the Sejong base camp!]

Quoted message:

“I’m a member of the Wizard Association, and it seems NoName might not attend the Sejong base camp.

I’m not sure why, but it looks like there were some complaints from the athletes during the training introduction process.

If I were to hypothesize, it’s mainly due to the fact that there are a lot of seniors in this field who treat Name poorly. 80% chance.

The other 20% might be that they thought they could do well on their own without formal training.”

They wanted to bring in tier-one training coaches from the U.S. and had fabulous courses all set, but it’s all falling apart now.”

[Comments]

– Wow, what is this? A new story? Hahaha

– It’s you again, Wizard Association

– Is there a festival happening?

└ It’s not a festival; it’s a funeral.

– Let’s be neutral for now

└ What’s neutral; I’m just going to support Name! Hahaha

└ If you are confident about spotting neutrality on the edge of a cliff, go for it!

– Bring popcorn

The popular posts in online communities are sure to be stories that guarantee success.

It’s like a successful web novel for a drama and a successful manga adaptation for an anime.

Thus, the click-hungry journalist eagerly wrote about it.

[As France confirms the participation of the U.S. in the National Exchange Tournament, the government has announced an additional budget of 4.7 billion won for international competition operation costs. If passed by the National Assembly, the total budget will amount to 23.8 billion won, which is an increase of 8.3 billion won compared to the previous year’s 15.5 billion won.]

[Next news: The high mage NoName’s absence from the national team base camp is causing a stir in online communities. A member of the Wizard Association has dismissed claims of slacking off, asserting that the participant will definitely join in May due to personal circumstances.]

The most entertaining spectacles in the world are watching fires and watching fights.

Before the magic team was properly formed, the discord that arose caught everyone’s attention.

[What could NoName’s personal circumstances be? I’m curious.]

(NoName Broadcast Screenshot – Market Monster Battle Royale roster announcement.jpg)

This can’t be right…?

[Comments]

– What? They said it’s going to be only streamers, but why do I see names I know?

└ So many celebrities are involved.

└ N.B. White is mad, haha!

└ XL is probably a boy band.

└ There will probably be fights in the game instead of dating rumors in front of the accommodation. This is crazy, haha!

└ The losing side would see their fandom collapse that day.

– Looking at the list, I’m slightly intrigued—but…

└ Training can wait; haha!

└ Are you doing this just for yourselves? That’s too much!!!

[Breaking news! The reason officials believe Name will join in May]

In May, it seems an unofficial duel between NoName and Kim Love was agreed on, where if Name loses, they will join the team.

Since Name mentioned it on their broadcast, it’s a done deal.

Isn’t it too much to keep this exciting match hidden?

[Comments]

– Is NoName confident they can win? Haha!

– I don’t know why, but I feel like Name will win this.

└ But if America weren’t involved, Kim Love would be at least a semi-finalist in the National Exchange Tournament. Back then, they were on a whole different level than the likes of Joseon Yeon.

└ Famous?

└ Last year’s Academy Clash MVP, remember?

└ Plus, their sister Olivia Kim, the champion of the national sports contest last year, is a Korean-American.

└ Wow, both sisters are monsters!

– Name enjoying chaos in the destruction battle

└ At this point, we might have to suspect a dopamine addiction, haha!

[Even so, with America participating, does it really make sense to waste a whole month…?]

This is an international competition supported by taxpayer money, and it’s not like America is an easy opponent.

Shouldn’t we value each passing day from now on?

Inviting celebrity streamers for a game tournament… What is this nonsense?

I think they’re too young at just 9 years old…

[Comments]

– Fact: Korea has 20 million wage workers, and among them, 40% are tax-exempt. In other words, 2,000 won of tax is being used per worker for international competitions, while NoName paid 200 billion won in taxes alone last year.

└ How could the tax-exempt rate be 40% in our country? The nation is truly doomed! Hahaha

└ They’re a taxpayer with the power of the state level.

└ If it’s 100 million times, then that’s understandable.

– It’s perfectly normal for a 9-year-old to think like a 9-year-old.

└ Was NoName still 9? Damn!

└ Still? They’ve already been 9 for a while…

└ Crazy!

└ Suddenly realizing how absurd NoName is… it’s hitting me hard right now.

– Everything should be proven through performance.

└ For real, if they win, it justifies everything, and they can argue afterward if they lose.

The concerns about slacking off that Name had were remarkably not widespread.

Unlike the Wizard Association, which had a firm grip of dislike towards them, Name had plucked every thorn during their reflection period.

With the public’s support behind Name, there was no longer any need to worry—they held the tournament confidently.

[NoName]

[Streaming Platforms: V-Tube, Twish, Myverse]

[Kaizen World – The First Kaizen World Taming Master]

[Broadcast Time – 0:23:20]

[Viewer Count – 241057]

“Next, let me explain the evolution system.

To survive in dwindling magical fields, monsters must undergo two evolutions: medium and large.

While you can gain magical power by defeating neutral monsters, the best method is to defeat your opponent’s monsters.

Only through continuous combat will there be a chance for survival in the final city, Rapavnik.

If you just hang in there, your monsters will be eliminated, understood?”

The number of participants increased from the initially planned 50 to 100.

Taking on the role of the narrator, Name explained the rules while riding Black Dragon Luri.

Since it was a replication of a game that already somewhat existed, the participants easily nodded in understanding.

Envy’s member, White, who had customized the White Witch, raised their hand to ask a question.

“Name, if we win, will there be prizes?!”

“Prizes, you say?”

Name rested their chin on their hand and looked upwards.

Luri mimicked Name’s action by lifting one of its massive front claws.

“Well, I didn’t prepare anything specifically… but I can give you a kiss?”

Name shrugged their shoulders.

Then they chuckled and immediately contradicted their own words.

“That was a joke, but in fact, I’ve planned very special prizes for those who place well, so please do your best to—”

“Wow! That’s all I need!”

“No, but that’s—”

“Wow, Name, that’s amazing! Everyone, let’s give Name a round of applause!”

“How many places do we have to be in to get a kiss?!”

It took a long time for Name to calm the participants swept up in frenzy.

“I admit I was wrong…”