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Kim Kang-hyun played for 45 minutes.
In a standard soccer match, that would only be the first half—but for Kang-hyun, it felt like he was on the verge of death.
"Huff… huff… Ah, I'm really gonna die."
He didn't think he could run anymore.
That's how exhausted he was.
As soon as the second match ended, Kang-hyun staggered back, gulped down water, and collapsed onto the ground.
If you added up all the time he spent walking during the first and second matches, it wouldn't even amount to three minutes.
That's how much he had been running.
After two matches, the score was 3:1.
Of course, Misaeng FC was the one with 3 goals.
But he still hadn't fully completed his quest.
The current quest status looked like this:
*[Quest: Journey III]*
*[Objective: Stand out with impressive performance.]*
*[Mission 1: Achieve 3+ attacking points (3/3)]*
*[Mission 2: Successfully complete 7+ through passes (5/7)]*
*[Mission 3: Successfully execute 4+ tackles (3/4)]*
*[Reward: 1 Stone Roulette ticket per completed mission]*
The first mission was already done.
Two goals and one assist.
One of the assists was for Park Yoo-seung's goal.
Missions 2 and 3 only needed a little more to be completed—just a little more effort.
But he really didn't think he could run anymore…
"Kang-hyun, you did well. Rest for the third match."
*—No!*
At Coach Ahn Jung-hoon's words, Kang-hyun shot up and shouted.
"Coach! I want to keep playing!"
"Huh? Why? You still have energy left after all that?"
Ahn Jung-hoon looked at Kang-hyun like he was some kind of monster.
"If I can't run anymore, I'll tell you then! Please let me play in the third match too!"
"You've done enough. For the third match—"
"Ah, please, Coach! I really need to keep playing!"
"...You think you can handle it?"
"I'm full of energy!"
To prove his point, he even jogged in place.
It was obvious his stamina was completely drained, but Kang-hyun refused to show any sign of weakness.
Damn it! Two more through passes and one more tackle—it'd be such a waste to stop now!
After Kang-hyun's relentless pleading, Ahn Jung-hoon finally gave in.
"See? Even after playing like that, he still wants to keep going. That's the kind of attitude we need."
Ahn Jung-hoon said this while looking at the other players—his way of telling them to learn from Kang-hyun's passion.
—Phew. Thank goodness. But since your stamina is almost gone, don't go all out like in the first two matches. Pace yourself.
'Yes. Even if I run, I won't be fast anyway.'
Honestly, just running felt like a struggle…
But he had to do it.
At the very least, he needed to complete two more through passes and one more tackle before coming off.
***
Ahn Jung-hoon watched the third match with a satisfied smile.
He was practically glowing with pride.
"Yeah. That's the kind of player a team needs."
The player he was talking about was none other than Kim Kang-hyun.
Kang-hyun, clearly running on fumes, didn't sprint around like in the first two matches but still anchored the midfield solidly, acting as the team's lubricant.
He only ran as much as necessary, but even that was impressive.
With just this level of performance, he'd already be considered one of Misaeng FC's top players.
"Agh!"
"Ah, those bastards are playing dirty."
Ahn Jung-hoon scowled as he glared at the Gasan University players.
Thanks to his standout performance, Kang-hyun had become a prime target.
Every time he moved, opponents swarmed him, sending him tumbling repeatedly.
"Shouldn't we sub Kang-hyun out? He might get injured at this rate."
Lee Yong voiced his concern.
Ahn Jung-hoon also started considering pulling him out.
"Let's take him off. If he gets injured, it'll be a disaster."
With Lee Yong-jae also suggesting it, Ahn Jung-hoon had no choice.
In the end, Kang-hyun was substituted in the 12th minute of the third match.
But for some reason, Kang-hyun was grinning ear to ear as he walked off.
"Good work."
"Yes! Thank you! Hehehe."
'Is he satisfied with his own performance?'
Ahn Jung-hoon tilted his head in confusion before refocusing on the match.
Without Kang-hyun, the third match remained evenly contested before ending 4:2.
An unimaginably great result.
***
After the match, Misaeng FC's players underwent physical checkups in the trainer's room one by one.
Surprisingly, Kang-hyun was in the best shape among them, finishing his treatment first and leaving early.
He was about to rest in the dorm when—
"Hey, Kang-hyun."
"Yes, Coach?"
It was Ahn Jung-hoon calling for him.
"Let's talk for a bit."
"Huh? Oh, yes."
While others were still receiving treatment, Kang-hyun followed Ahn Jung-hoon into a secluded room.
Lee Yong was already there.
"Oh, hello, Coach!"
"Yeah, hey."
Lee Yong chuckled at Kang-hyun's hyperactive greeting.
Why was he so hyped up right now?
[You currently possess 3 Stone Roulettes.]
Because he had completed the quest! Every single part of it!
Right now, no matter what anyone said, he couldn't wipe the grin off his face.
Ahn Jung-hoon sat down next to Lee Yong.
"Take a seat."
There was a chair for Kang-hyun across from Ahn Jung-hoon and Lee Yong, with a table between them.
Kang-hyun sat down without a second thought.
What's this serious talk about?
There were quite a few cameras and staff around too.
"Today's match left a strong impression."
Ahn Jung-hoon began with a warm smile.
The atmosphere was friendly.
But it didn't seem like this was just for small talk.
"Ah. Yes. Thank you."
"Your stamina was the best, you played with the most passion, and your soccer skills were top-notch. You understood the tactics the best too."
Then came a sudden barrage of compliments.
How should I react?
Kang-hyun glanced at the cameras.
The PD was staring intently at the camera with a stiff expression.
Checking if it's recording properly?
"And you're overflowing with confidence. Didn't you tell the PD during your interview that you'd make the national team?"
"Yes. I did say that."
Why are they bringing this up? This is making me nervous.
He looked at Han Myung-shin for help, who just smirked and said:
—They're probably just curious about you. Or maybe they want to groom you specially. I heard not all Season 1 participants ended up doing well.
"What's the source of that confidence?"
It was Lee Yong who asked.
Kang-hyun took a moment to think about how to respond.
Should he stick to his original persona?
Or act a little more humble?
After some thought, he decided to say what the PD would probably like best.
"Because I'm Misaeng."
"Huh?"
"If I work hard here, you and the PD will shape me into that kind of player, right? That's what I believe. I didn't think too deeply about it."
"You didn't watch Season 1?"
Ahn Jung-hoon sounded almost offended, but there was a smile on his face.
Kang-hyun mirrored his smile.
"I watched it so long ago, I forgot everything."
The mood remained lighthearted.
Then Lee Yong got to the point.
"The reason we called you here… it's because it doesn't make sense."
"Huh? What doesn't?"
"You're too good. For someone with no career."
"Ah…"
"Did you falsify your records?"
"If you lied, say it now. Before it becomes a bigger problem later."
Ahn Jung-hoon added.
So that was why.
From their perspective, it was hard to believe.
The other players here had impressive backgrounds—some were former youth national team members, others had pro experience.
But Kang-hyun had nothing.
Gasan High.
Not exactly a powerhouse compared to Gasan University.
And even there, he was more of a semi-regular than a full-time starter.
He retired at 19 due to lack of skill and enlisted in the military—yet now, here he was, outperforming everyone.
That didn't make sense.
But he couldn't tell them the truth.
'If I say, "Actually, I have a game system and the ghost of Han Myung-shin, who died in 2016, is personally coaching me…"
—They'd think you're insane at best.
'Right.'
So Kang-hyun gave the most plausible excuse he could think of.
He wasn't sure if they'd buy it, but it wasn't like they had any other way to verify it.
Besides, the PD had probably already done a background check.
After hearing his hard-to-believe explanation, the two legends fell silent for a moment before nodding.
"We didn't call you here because you messed up. We called you because you're too good. At this rate, you might actually debut as a pro."
"Oh. Really? Where?"
"I can't say for sure. But if you keep working hard like this, good things will happen. That, I can guarantee as a fellow footballer."
—Jung-hoon, you're stating the obvious. Of course, you don't know the full story. You'd faint if you did…
Han Myung-shin muttered to himself.
Feeling grateful for all the help Han Myung-shin had given him, Kang-hyun decided to throw in some lip service.
"Do you think I can become the next Han Myung-shin?"
"What?"
Ahn Jung-hoon and Lee Yong were stunned.
Then came the brutally honest reply.
"Hey. That's pushing it…"
***
While waiting for the others to finish treatment, Kang-hyun went up to the rooftop.
When a staff member asked where he was going, he brushed them off, saying he had a call to make.
"Phew."
Honestly, this was the most nerve-wracking part.
This was the main event.
What's gonna come out?
It'd be great if all three roulettes landed on red, but realistically, that was too much to hope for.
Without wasting time, Kang-hyun made sure no one was around and spun the roulette.
—Hmm.
After spinning it twice…
He didn't hit the 1% jackpot, but luck was still on his side.
*[Dribbling increases by '1'.]*
*[Agility increases by '1'.]*
Two blue slots.
At least he stayed within the top 6%.
Still, having only ever hit the 1% before, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
—You're complaining about this? If you'd gotten brown, you'd have snapped out of it. Tch.
"I know. This is still lucky."
But for the last one…
Hmm.
At least let it be yellow.
He generated a new roulette.
This time, he didn't even check what the options were before spinning.
No point in looking and getting disappointed if it didn't land on what he wanted.
*[Spinning…]*
And then—
As if his desperate wish and careless spinning somehow aligned—
He finally hit the 1%.
—Did you use up all your luck on this? Damn.
Han Myung-shin looked at him, impressed.
Kang-hyun ignored the stare and immediately checked what the red slot was.
[Stone Lottery]
- Grade: Stone
- Description: A point lottery with no blanks. Test your luck.
- Effect: Grants a random amount between 200 and 500 points upon use.
==
"At least 200."
Even with the worst luck, he'd still have enough for two more Stone Roulettes.
Not bad.
And if he got really lucky, he might even earn enough for an Iron Roulette.
Before using the lottery, he checked his current points.
*[Current Points: 80]*
Thanks to the 30-point bonus for perfectly clearing Journey III, he now had 80 points.
If he got 420 points, he could buy an Iron Roulette.
"That's pushing it."
Will it happen? No idea.
—I believe in you. Your luck is insane—it might just work.
"I'd like to believe that too… Eh, whatever. Overthinking just jinxes it."
Just like with the roulette, he used it without hesitation.
And then—
[You have used the Stone Lottery.]
The lottery revealed a large number in white light.
'440'
*[Congratulations! You've received 440 points!]*
"Hell yeah!"
—Wow. I was just saying that, but…
No cameras this time, right?
He checked again.
Nope.
Immediately, he broke into a skiing celebration.
***
"This kid's gonna carry our show's ratings."
The PD grinned as he watched Kang-hyun's celebratory dance through a drone feed.
From a distance, the drone captured Kang-hyun joyfully mimicking a skiing motion—spinning in place as if gliding down slopes.
There was nothing there, but it sure looked like he was skiing.
The drone was too far to pick up sound, but the zoomed-in footage made the silent celebration even funnier.
Kang-hyun's expression was pure, unrestrained happiness.
Seeing him act out skiing with that face…
"Pffft."
The PD couldn't help but laugh.
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