By the second week of training, Sung-won's body ached constantly. His muscles throbbed in places he didn't know existed, and his fingers were taped so much they looked mummified. Coach Baek was relentless.
"Again. Reset the stance. More weight on the lead leg."
Whack.
"Stop muscling it. Let the club do the work."
Whack.
"You're rushing the backswing. Tempo. Again!"
Sung-won would swing until his legs went numb. Every drop of sweat was a deposit on his future. Every blister a receipt for the life he never got to live.
But the pain was worth it.
Because the System was evolving with him.
[Skill Unlocked: MicroSwing Analysis Lv. 1]
Highlights exact flaws during swing motion.Allows correction mid-session.Buff: Swing consistency +4%.Training bonus increased when active.
Each day, he improved. His handicap dropped to 11, then 10. His swing speed increased. Shot dispersion tightened.
Coach Baek noticed.
"You're picking up faster than I expected," he said, squinting as Sung-won nailed a 165-yard approach shot within four feet of the pin. "Your body's syncing with your eyes. Whatever hunger you've got, keep feeding it."
Sung-won wiped sweat from his brow. "I'm going to crush that ProVision tryout."
Baek snorted. "Hold on, tiger. Before you start talking big, you've got a regional tournament in 10 days. You need to win that to even qualify for the trials."
"I know."
"And you won't be the only one gunning for that spot."
Later that night, as Sung-won sat cross-legged on his bed watching swing footage, a familiar name popped up in a tournament preview article.
"Regional Spotlight: Return of Lee Tae-hun, 16-year-old powerhouse and ProVision prep student.""Tae-hun, nicknamed 'The Iron Ghost,' placed Top 5 nationally last season before an ankle injury cut his year short. Known for his brutal consistency, Tae-hun has reportedly recovered and will compete in the upcoming regional trials."
Sung-won narrowed his eyes.
Lee Tae-hun.He remembered him. Back in his old life, Tae-hun was already a legend by 17—calm, quiet, and merciless on the course. He had perfect iron control, barely showed emotion, and never missed a fairway.
They used to say he could turn a par 4 into a walk in the park.
And now, he was back—and competing in the same regional bracket.
[Rival Detected: Lee Tae-hun – Tournament Ranking: #17]
System Note: This opponent is registered as a Target-Class Rival.Defeating them will grant bonus experience and temporary stat boosts.Suggested Strategy: Focus on mental pressure. Tae-hun's weakness: difficulty recovering from back-to-back bogeys.Status: Fully Recovered. Training under ProVision Satellite Coach – Class A+.
"Perfect," Sung-won muttered.
He didn't want to just win. He wanted to earn it. ProVision wasn't going to hand him a golden ticket. Every shot would need to be built on blood, precision, and timing.
He turned back to his laptop and loaded the course map for the upcoming regional tournament: Junhwa Country Club, a medium-length course known for tight doglegs, fast greens, and strong coastal winds.
He studied the layout deep into the night.
Ten days later, the Junhwa Regional Junior Cup began.
The parking lot buzzed with high school athletes unloading bags, stretching, checking equipment. Sponsors loitered near the entrance in polo shirts and clipboards, scouting for rising stars.
Sung-won wore plain black slacks and a borrowed windbreaker. No sponsors. No team logo. Just a kid with a dream—and a secret weapon.
He saw Tae-hun at the player check-in. The boy stood off to the side, expression unreadable, wearing ProVision-branded gear from head to toe. He was talking to a tall man in sunglasses—probably his coach.
Their eyes met briefly.
No words. Just a nod.
Challenge acknowledged.
The first round began.
Hole 1: A short par-4 with water on the left. Sung-won played it safe—iron off the tee, then wedge to the green. Two-putt par. Clean.
Hole 3: Uphill par-5. He activated Ball Trace Vision, read the slope perfectly, and hit a massive fade that curved around the trees—setting up an easy birdie.
Hole 5: Wind picked up. Players around him started rushing shots, misjudging gusts. But the System fed him wind compensation data in real time.
"+6.4 mph right-to-left. Adjust 5-degree stance open. Club down."
He stuck it three feet from the pin. Another birdie.
Word started to spread among spectators.
"Who's that kid?""Never seen him before.""He's 2-under through 7.""No sponsor, no coach?""That swing… it's tight."
But then, on Hole 9, disaster struck.
He misread a bunker lip. The ball caught the edge, popped up, and rolled back into the sand. Double bogey.
[Alert: Momentum Break Detected]
Mental Focus dropping…Suggestion: Activate "Calm Reset" breathing routine.
Sung-won stood over the next tee, eyes closed, hands steady. He inhaled.
One breath in. One breath out.
He swung.
Perfect center.
Fairway.
By the end of Day 1, he sat in 2nd place: -3, just one stroke behind Tae-hun.
Back in the clubhouse, their paths crossed again.
Tae-hun glanced at the leaderboard, then at Sung-won. "Didn't expect a nobody to keep up."
"I'm not here to keep up," Sung-won replied. "I'm here to win."
Tae-hun's lips curled into a rare smirk. "Then tomorrow… try not to choke when it counts."
Sung-won held his gaze. "You first."
Outside, the wind howled through the trees. Rain was forecasted for the final round.
Tomorrow wouldn't just be a test of skill—it would be war.
But for Sung-won, it was exactly what he needed.
A battlefield.
A rival.
And one more step toward his dream.