A special thank you to all my patrons.
The List of My "Wandering Reader":
-[ ]
-Cain
-Jacob Mooe
-Varun Madhu
-Mp Gaming
-Paul Panzer
-Austin Levy
-Aziz Makda
-TylerD
You can read 30+ chapters ahead of everyone on p@treon.
P@TREON - p@treon.com/lessaservantofcosmos
(just replace the "@" with "a")
ps: Please support me on P@treon. I can really use your help!
-------------------------------------------------------------
The sweet break came to an end, and the second half began.
As soon as the second half kicked off, Kang Hyun wanted to test something.
He needed to confirm whether this absurd ability he had gained was real.
But...
'How do I even use it?'
He hesitated while dribbling the ball.
Despite that, the opposing team didn't press aggressively—they just lingered nearby, cautiously watching.
Well, this is early-morning soccer after all...
Anyway.
He had plenty of time to think, but more than anything, he wanted to try out the skill.
"Hmm… Silk Road?"
Feeling slightly embarrassed, he muttered it quietly.
Then, he felt something surge up through his legs.
What is this?
Energy? Like a gauge bar in a game?
And then, golden strands began appearing all over the field.
—Wait, are these pass trajectories?
It wasn't just visible to him—Han Myung-shin's jaw dropped as he stared at the glowing lines in shock.
They did look like trajectories.
Behind him, where there were no opposing players, the golden strands were vivid.
But as they stretched forward, they grew fainter.
Among them, there was one trajectory with alternating gold and white stripes.
It was as if the system was telling him: This is the optimal passing route right now.
"Hey! Kang Hyun! What are you doing? Stop spacing out!"
He had held onto the ball for too long. The older guys waved their hands, shouting for him to pass, while the opposing players slowly closed in to steal it.
In this situation…
'I'll just kick it!'
*Whoosh—!*
He launched a long pass toward the gold-and-white striped trajectory.
The ball flew with far more power and precision than he usually managed.
It landed perfectly at the feet of their striker, delivering a pass so sharp that everyone was stunned.
"Huh?"
"What the hell was that?"
Even though the pass was straightforward, everyone froze, unable to react.
The only one who did was their striker, who snapped out of it and immediately moved.
The opposing center-back reacted too late.
*Click.*
A goal right at the start of the second half.
A ridiculous delivery pass, followed by an easy tap-in.
The striker finished it off with a light dribble.
"Wow! Kang Hyun! Nice!"
The older guys raised their thumbs in approval, and the striker ran over to hug him, saying it was an amazing pass.
Honestly, even he was surprised by how well it had turned out.
"Damn, he got exposed."
"Ah… whatever! It's fine, it's fine!"
The opposing team tried to brush it off, but Kang Hyun wasn't paying attention.
'Holy shit! It really works!'
Not only that—the skill was insanely effective.
It felt unreal, like he had borrowed the foot of a pro player for that pass.
—This is broken.
Even Han Myung-shin gave him a thumbs-up.
Kang Hyun smiled awkwardly, still in disbelief.
*[You have created an attacking point with a kill pass using Silk Road.]*
*[First-time bonus: 5 points have been added.]*
"Oh."
—The system's practically shoving you into football at this point.
Han Myung-shin chuckled.
This situation was starting to grow on him.
'Am I really going back to football?' His mind was a mess.
For now, he'd finish the match and think about it later.
The game continued into the 8th minute of the second half.
With a 1-0 lead, the match grew more intense.
It felt like the older guys had some huge bet riding on this—they were running like their lives depended on it.
But whatever.
Kang Hyun dominated the midfield, playing far more aggressively than in the first half.
And with the quest in mind, he had no choice but to stay engaged.
"Here we go!"
He dribbled past an opposing midfielder and delivered another kill pass to the striker.
The striker controlled it smoothly but was immediately shut down by the opposing center-back, losing possession.
This kept happening.
They were pouring on the pressure, but that damn center-back kept stopping them.
"Nice! Great pass!"
The older guy grinned and gave him a thumbs-up.
Kang Hyun forced a smile and returned the gesture.
'What do I do?'
The opposing counterattack was easily snuffed out by their midfield control, and their offense resumed.
—Why overthink it? Use it again.
"Should I?"
—Yeah. Try it one more time.
Han Myung-shin watched like a pro scout, arms crossed.
Kang Hyun nodded and activated *Silk Road* again.
Golden strands lit up across the field.
That strange energy surged through his legs once more.
But this time, the gold-and-white striped trajectory didn't appear. Was there some condition for it?
—Hmm. Not this time. I think I get the gist of it now.
Kang Hyun had a rough idea too.
The opposing team had practically parked the bus.
It was like Mourinho's Chelsea with their ten-man defense.
There were no gaps for a kill pass.
Still, he needed one more attacking point, so he played a cross-like pass to the wing.
"Nice!"
The left midfielder controlled it with his chest, giving a thumbs-up.
Immediately, the opposing fullback pressed him.
The left midfielder pulled off a fake so exaggerated it looked like something out of Shaolin Soccer.
Han Myung-shin stared blankly.
—Wow. This is tragic.
"Here! Over here!"
Their wingback made an underlapping run.
(Underlapping: cutting inside from the wing.)
The midfielder faked again before passing to the wingback.
As if infected by the absurdity, the wingback attempted his own fake before no-look passing to Kang Hyun.
—You're in the perfect spot. Shoot.
He nodded, controlled the ball, took two touches, and fired toward the far corner.
The keeper dove but couldn't reach it—the ball curled into the net.
It had been a while since he'd felt that sensation.
Electric.
For this moment, he was the protagonist.
He ran off, celebrating with a Huuu! motion.
The older guys rushed over, grinning.
"Nice one, Kang Hyun!"
"You really are a former pro! You're insane!"
The match ended 2-0.
Even though it was just early-morning soccer, dominating like this felt good.
*[Quest: First Match]*
*[Objective: Complete your first match.]*
*[Mission 1: Achieve a match rating of 8.0 or higher in a practice game (10/10)]*
*[Mission 2: Successfully complete 50 passes in one match (55/50)]*
*[Mission 3: Create two or more attacking points (2/2)]*
*[Reward: 10 points per mission]*
*[Quest Complete]*
*Bweeeeng—*
A sound effect played as a new message appeared.
*[You have cleared the quest with near-perfect results. Additional rewards will be granted.]*
*[Stone Roulette x1 usage ticket has been awarded.]*
*[Current points: 35.]*
The rewards were better than expected.
---
Seven Years Ago…
There was once a variety show targeting people who had given up on their dreams of becoming soccer players due to injuries or personal circumstances.
Its name? Misaeng FC.
At the time, the drama Misaeng was hugely popular, so the show borrowed its name.
In any case, Misaeng FC was a hit.
The concept was great—legends from the 2002 World Cup team acted as coaches, training these players to face off against professionals. It struck a chord with viewers.
Seven years later, in 2022…
Public broadcaster KBC decided to produce Misaeng FC Season 2.
The cast was the same, but the players were different.
And so, open tryouts began—broadcast on YouTube and TV.
< Don't hesitate. Challenge yourself now. >
---
30 Days After Tryouts Began
Ahn Jung-hoon, the coach, was talking with the PD.
"How's the first round of tryouts? Any good players?"
"Hmm… No one really stands out. The promising ones have already been separated."
Unlike before, Misaeng FC 2 was meticulously planned on a much larger scale.
Over 4,000 applicants had signed up—far too many for Ahn Jung-hoon to review personally. So, the staff handled the first round of cuts.
Only those with outstanding skills or impressive resumes skipped straight to the second round, where the coaches would evaluate them.
As they discussed the show, the PD suddenly remembered something.
"Oh! There was one weird guy in the first round."
"Weird how?"
The PD nodded, looking just as puzzled.
"His stamina was insane. The rest of his skills were average, maybe slightly above, but his shuttle run was off the charts."
"Maybe he just trained hard. That's the basics, after all."
"No, it's… I don't know. My gut says there's something about him. His specs are average, and he doesn't look like a great player, but… he's got something."
The PD rummaged through a pile of documents before handing one to Ahn Jung-hoon.
"This guy. He's got character. Personally, I hope he makes it to the second round."
"Is this a favor?"
"Pfft, no."
Ahn Jung-hoon smirked and checked the application.
Name: Kim Kang Hyun
Birth: 2001 (Age: 22, Korean age: 21)
Background: Nothing special. No major awards—just an average high school midfielder.
"I'll keep him in mind. But if he fails, it's because he's not good enough. Got it?"
"Yeah, yeah. I know. This could change someone's life, after all."
The conversation shifted back to the show.
*
T/N: 🔥 Unlock Chapters in Advance – Join the \$12 Patreon Tier! 🔥
Support the stories you love and get exclusive early access to over 200 chapters across all ongoing series! Right now, enjoy a massive 45% discount using code "BEAR" — limited time only!
For just \$12/month, you'll receive:
📘 30 Chapters in Advance for each of the following:
-System to Dominate Football
-Douluo Dalu: Unlock the Body's Secrets, Rise as the Immortal
-I Am Uchiha Sasuke's Uncle
-Naruto: Saving the Uchiha
-Naruto: Starting as a Defector in the Hidden Mist Village
⚔️ 50 Chapters in Advance for:
-Cunning Three Kingdoms
👉 Join now, use code "BEAR" at checkout, and grab your 45% off while it lasts. Stay chapters ahead of everyone else!