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Extra Chapter: On Every 50 powerstones
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A few days after the second preliminary round ended.
The participants who had passed the second round were summoned once again.
Though only a few days had passed, a lot had happened in that time.
First, the staff had filmed yet another emotional, heartstring-tugging video...
There had also been recovery training.
But the real issue was—
"First of all, I sincerely congratulate all of you on passing the second preliminary test."
Ahn Jung-hoon spoke into the microphone with a smile.
Something about his tone felt ominous.
Sure enough—
"Actually, we selected far more participants than originally planned. That's because all of you were so outstanding, and we wanted to evaluate you a little more thoroughly. So..."
In short, Ahn Jung-hoon's message boiled down to this:
They were going to hold another test, and everyone needed to give it their all.
Currently, 44 participants had passed the second round, but 17 of them would be eliminated this time.
- You better run like your life depends on it. I won't help you this time.
"Huh? Why not?"
- If I keep bailing you out, you'll get spoiled.
"That's not..."
And so, for this test, Kang Hyun would have to compete alone—without Han Myung-shin's assistance.
Additionally, another quest appeared for this round.
[Quest: Journey II]
[Objective: Pass the preliminary round.]
[Mission 1: Advance to the next round.]
[Reward: 65 points.]
It was the same quest as before, except the reward was slightly higher.
Sighing, Kang Hyun was soon called onto the field.
Attacking midfielder.
The nature of the match wasn't much different from before.
Thirty minutes of running like a madman.
The only difference was that this time, it was 11 vs. 11 instead of 7 vs. 7, so they had to play more systematically.
*
"Huff... huff..."
As soon as the match ended, a crushing pain gripped his chest.
He had pushed himself way too hard.
Glancing at Han Myung-shin, he saw the man nodding with his arms crossed.
Was that expression supposed to mean "Don't worry"?
Fortunately, Kang Hyun had no trouble securing a spot within the top 27 this time.
The only thing left was the medical test.
A few days later, they traveled to Seoul for medical examinations.
They filled out numerous forms and underwent physical evaluations.
This wasn't just a standard checkup—it was as thorough as an athletic recruitment exam, covering every possible aspect.
Once the medical tests were finally over,
Kang Hyun packed his bags, bid farewell to his family, and prepared for the training camp.
"Kang Hyun, take care. Don't get hurt."
His mother hugged him, her eyes reddening.
He patted her back reassuringly, then shook hands with his father.
"Do your best. Who knows? Maybe you'll actually become a pro soccer player."
"Yes, Dad."
As for his older brother...
"You're not gonna make it as a pro anyway, so just build up your clout and become a streamer or something. That's where the money's at."
"Lose some weight first."
How was his brother still walking around shirtless, even now?
Kang Hyun slapped his brother's chest.
"Ow! How dare you hit your godlike older brother?!"
"Put on a shirt. It's not even summer."
"Shut up, punk. Just work hard. If you fail, you're going straight back to that factory, got it?"
Without realizing it, Kang Hyun flipped him off.
Guess they were worried about him. Family, huh?
"Alright, I'm really leaving now. You don't have to see me off."
Dragging his suitcase, he left the house.
A training camp.
How long had it been since he last did something like this?
Now that he thought about it, wasn't the military basically one long training camp?
*
After settling into the camp, Misaeng FC distributed uniforms and cleats before conducting fitness tests.
Most of the drills were the same as those from the first preliminary round.
"Faster!"
But honestly, the most surprising thing was—
Out of all 27 players,
Kang Hyun had the best stamina.
It was almost unbelievable.
Even though he had trained one-on-one with Han Myung-shin, it had only been for a few months at most.
"Good job, Kang Hyun!"
Amid the coaches' encouragement and praise, the training session ended, and night fell.
It was their first night at the camp.
Perhaps because everyone felt awkward, the dorm was quiet except for the sound of the TV.
Some were playing mobile games or talking on the phone.
"You guys not sleeping?"
Ahn Jung-hoon showed up at just the right moment to break the tension.
Most of the participants, who had been lying down, immediately jumped up to greet him.
"Well, I guess it's too early to sleep. You guys usually stay up late, right?"
It was only 10 PM.
Even elementary school kids didn't sleep at this hour these days.
"Talk amongst yourselves. Teamwork starts with bonding."
"Yes, sir."
The participants responded awkwardly.
"Tomorrow, we'll hold another match to test you all again. Remember, only 20 of you will make it to Europe. Seven of you won't."
More competition.
But Kang Hyun wasn't worried.
"Uh, who are we playing against tomorrow?"
Park Yoo-seung asked.
"You'll find out tomorrow. What, you wanna analyze their tactics?"
Ahn Jung-hoon's teasing response made the participants laugh awkwardly.
Han Myung-shin chuckled from the sidelines.
- This guy wasn't even the talkative type back in the national team. He used to be so quiet... Did his personality change over time?
"We're playing against Gasan University tomorrow. Hey, Kang Hyun, you're from Gasan, right?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm from Gasan."
Caught off guard, Kang Hyun answered hesitantly.
Leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, Ahn Jung-hoon smirked.
"So, any familiar faces on their team?"
"Uh... yeah. A few guys I played soccer with ended up at Gasan University."
"Great storyline. Our PD loves stuff like this. You'll do well tomorrow, right?"
Kang Hyun thought for a moment.
The cameras were already rolling, and this would likely be edited into the broadcast.
Might as well give an entertaining answer.
"I'll crush them!"
"Ooh~"
- Ah, this crazy bastard. Hahaha. Jung-hoon's gonna love that.
Han Myung-shin laughed uncontrollably, shaking his shoulders, while the other participants were impressed by Kang Hyun's boldness.
As for Ahn Jung-hoon...
"Crush them? You trying to get arrested?"
"No, sir!"
Despite his words, Ahn Jung-hoon was grinning from ear to ear.
"Heh, we'll see tomorrow. Get some rest. Good work today."
"Goodnight, sir!"
The participants energetically bid him farewell.
Meanwhile, in the coaches' meeting room...
They were discussing tactics for the next day's match.
Though "discussion" was a generous term—it was more like a casual chat filled with complaints.
"The kids' skill level seems decent... but I'm not sure."
Ahn Jung-hoon, spacing out, suddenly turned to Lee Yong.
"Hey, how's Gasan University?"
"What? Their skill level?"
"Yeah."
Since Lee Yong also worked as a college soccer coach, he knew the ins and outs of university teams.
"They're good."
"How good?"
"Top five in the U-League."
(U-League: University soccer league)
"Hmm... They're probably better than our guys, so we'll need a solid tactic."
Deep in thought, Ahn Jung-hoon began moving pieces around on the tactical board.
Tap— clack—
"How about this? Honestly, this might be our only option. We'll have to outrun them."
"If we're outmatched in skill, we'll need to compensate with stamina."
Lee Yong-jae nodded in agreement.
Lee Yong also agreed.
"Let's go with this for now, but we'll have to adjust based on how things play out."
Since stamina issues had cost them in Season 1, they didn't want a repeat of that.
In the end, all three coaches reached a consensus.
Ahn Jung-hoon believed the match's outcome would hinge on how well Misaeng FC's players executed this strategy.
*
Around midnight.
Kang Hyun stepped outside the dorm and gazed up at the night sky.
It wasn't because he had anything weighing on his mind—he had always enjoyed moments of quiet reflection.
But Han Myung-shin, standing beside him, seemed to find this behavior frustrating and kept chattering away.
- So, when are you gonna spin the roulette?
- You've got points saved up. It's like having two roulettes for the price of one.
- Hoarders end up regretting it.
"Please... This is important to me."
- What, staring at the sky like an idiot? Or are you praying to some god?
"Sigh..."
Eventually, worn down by Han Myung-shin's nagging, Kang Hyun decided to spin the roulette.
[Stone Roulette has been generated.]
A casino-style roulette wheel appeared.
Kang Hyun spun it without much thought—whatever happens, happens.
He didn't even bother reading the options.
Han Myung-shin, however, was scrutinizing them closely. When Kang Hyun spun it carelessly, he yelped in surprise.
The wheel spun wildly before finally stopping...
- Is the god of luck on your side? How do you keep landing on the good stuff?
Yellow slot.
A first-time occurrence.
This time, the odds were 3 in 100.
The yellow slot read:
[Roulette Exchange Ticket]
- Grade: Stone
- Description: A ticket to exchange roulettes.
- Effect: Can exchange a Stone Roulette for an Iron Roulette.
==
"This is..."
His mind raced.
A Stone Roulette cost 100 points.
An Iron Roulette cost 500 points.
If he played his cards right, he could get a fivefold return.
This was undeniably lucky.
Feeling wide awake, he immediately used his points to buy a Stone Roulette and activated the exchange ticket.
"Should I spin it right away?"
- Yeah. I'm dying to see how far your luck stretches.
[The 'Stone Roulette' has been exchanged for an 'Iron Roulette' using the Roulette Exchange Ticket.]
[Iron Roulette has been generated.]
What kind of rewards would a 500-point Iron Roulette offer?
Half curious, half excited, he examined the wheel closely.
The structure was similar to the Stone Roulette, but since it was five times more expensive, all 100 slots had better rewards.
But then—
- There's another exchange ticket in the yellow slots.
"No way... Again?"
- Nah, no chance.
[Roulette Exchange Ticket]
- Grade: Iron
- Description: A ticket to exchange roulettes.
- Effect: Can exchange an Iron Roulette for a Silver Roulette.
==
The odds of landing on a 3-in-100 slot twice in a row...
- One in a thousand.
"Huh?"
- If you hit it again, that's a one-in-a-thousand chance. Roughly.
"..."
That was absurdly unlikely.
But... you never know, right?
Gacha was all about luck.
With a "whatever happens" mindset, he spun the wheel with full force.
[Spinning...]
The wheel gradually lost momentum.
And then—
[You have obtained a Roulette Exchange Ticket.]
"Whoa!"
One in a thousand!
- Okay, this is getting ridiculous...
The joy he felt surpassed even the thrill of making it into Misaeng FC.
But in the end, that was it.
The exchange ticket was just that—an exchange ticket.
To spin a Silver Roulette, he needed an Iron Roulette, which he didn't have.
Nor did he have the points to buy one.
He had the upgrade ticket but not the base ticket...
It was like winning the lottery but being unable to claim the prize.
After all his excited antics, realizing he couldn't even spin the Silver Roulette left him feeling empty—even a bit philosophical.
And to make matters worse—
"Player Kang Hyun? What are you doing out here?"
"Uh, well... you see..."
A VJ cameraman, who had apparently been filming him unnoticed, stepped closer with his camera.
"I was just... celebrating making it into Misaeng FC. Hahaha...!"
"At this hour? It's past midnight."
"Doing this in front of everyone would've been embarrassing. Heheh..."
"You're that happy?"
"Yes. Please edit this part out."
"Of course."
"Of course," my foot.
This was definitely making it into the broadcast.
Kang Hyun fled back to the dorm like a man escaping a crime scene.
*
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