The Resurrection of a Legend
Thirty years after the first monster incident, the world finally stopped seeing monsters appear from the tower.
This was because people with powerful abilities had awakened and could defeat the monsters.
Instead, the Hunters League, commonly known as HL, a sport for awakened hunters, became popular worldwide.
And I was a legendary player in the Hunters League.
7v7 Hunters League official match record: 435 matches, 336 wins, 99 losses.
I won 3 Hunter International League Championships, 3 Mid-Season Championships, 10 KHL Championships, 8 MVP awards, 4 All-Star Game wins, and 2 other tournaments.
I was also ranked among the top 3 players in the 3v3 Mini Hunters League and 1v1 Hunter Rankings.
But all of that success was fleeting. The glory passed quickly.
After stepping down from the top, everything felt empty, like a dream that faded away.
Lee Chang-hyun, a legend in the Korean Hunter League, returns.
***
Sports are always a time of ups and downs between emerging rookies and veterans nearing retirement. It's only natural.
I always knew that sports had ups and downs, and that I'd eventually have to grow old. Every athlete faces retirement one day.
However, I couldn't retire like this.
[gadg914: Isn't Lee Chang-hyun a total piece of trash now? Seriously, lol. He's a money-sucking machine. What is he doing instead of retiring?]
[1124fmka: That's true. If they sell Lee Chang-hyun, they'll probably bring in two of the top players currently playing in the league. LOL]
[ckdgus1414: But can you really say that all the team's wins so far are thanks to Lee Chang-hyun? What a character! LOL]
ㄴ [gadg914: Is this a place where a pro team does charity work? Just end it as a nostalgia-selling thing, lol]
ㄴ [ckdgus1414: No, what I'm saying is that you shouldn't treat franchise stars like that poorly and put them down.]
N [Retirement: Pros are all about performance. Franchise star and noob. Don't you know that the team is going down right now because of Lee Chang-hyun, who is just raising his voice? If you look at the manager guiding Lee Chang-hyun right now, you can tell that the team is in trouble ㅋㅋ]
[hdgmk95: Then you should have left when the applause started. Tsk tsk. It's really disgusting to keep playing in the game while receiving that salary until you become trash.]
I couldn't help but laugh in vain.
It was thanks to me that Korea's global standing in HL rose to this level and that it became such a popular sport. Until then, Korea was a marginal, unspectacular nation in the Hunter League.
But now all those things were meaningless.
After two poor seasons—especially missing the postseason after a bad summer—rumors of discord and retirement spread throughout the team.
[ckdgus1414: What the heck. He did well last season, but honestly, isn't it Lee Chang-hyun's fault that he lost this season too? He's so bad at games. Tsk tsk. And without Lee Chang-hyun, Korea would have been in the 4th division from beginning to end.]
n [ hdgmk95: Lee Chang-hyun, welcome ㅋㅋ You were trash from the previous season, but you talk nonsense whenever you open your mouth, right?]
Ah… … What the fuck. I couldn't possibly feel this way. I didn't want to look at the comments on my phone anymore, nor see the KakaoTalk messages people sent with concern after reading the article.
'I don't really want to see the captain either… … .'
Anyway, since it had to be done, I put down my dead phone and looked at the manager sitting across from me.
"Changhyun."
"Yes, sir."
"Don't worry too much about comments like that. You know they're not good for your mental health. Anyway, I think I might need to prepare myself a little mentally by the end of this season."
"Are you mentally prepared?"
It's strange for the manager to tell me not to worry about comments, but then bring up being "mentally prepared."
What? Are you mentally prepared? Are you going to single me out for being a captain?
He continued, "The owner wants you to focus on advertising, marketing, and being the team's public face after the season. You're soon due for military service, so it's hard for you to continue so long, right?"
"What the hell!"
bang.
It was words I didn't need to hear anymore. I stormed out of the manager's office.
I couldn't believe a general manager would tell a player who had led the team through tough times that all he had left was a "star" label.
A kid who doesn't even remember who he owes his place to.
"You're a piece of trash who answers halfheartedly while looking at your phone when adults are talking. That's why your skills are lacking, and you'll immediately be in trouble for your character and retirement! I shouldn't have raised such a baseless brat."
As I hurried out the door, I could hear the captain yelling from here. Of course, he'd tried to keep me from hearing, but I was an Awakened One, so I heard everything.
As soon as I heard that sound, I went back into the manager's office, and when he saw me, he fell backwards.
"Why... Why! What did you leave behind?"
It's ironic how those who talk behind others' backs end up falling behind themselves.
Come to think of it, all the things the captain was gossiping about were all because of him.
[Blooming (C+): Talent blooms. Blooming's skill rank increases over time. When talent blooms, Blooming's skill rank growth stops, but all other abilities are strengthened according to Blooming's skill rank.]
If I hadn't been tricked by this leader and unlocked [Full Bloom] in high school, this skill would have been around S-rank by now.
As I continued to approach without saying anything, the captain's face turned pale.
"Well, the little bastard said yes and yes and so...."
'If only the captain hadn't been urging me to wake up right then and there.'
Last season, we were in danger of relegation. Now, if we don't get results right away, this risky manager could ruin my future.
Without using my awakened powers, I grabbed the captain by the collar.
The captain only then realized the situation, his eyes darting back and forth as if he were anxious.
An unbearable rage boiled over me. I couldn't stand by and watch this guy sell my life, unable to protect his players, but only to advance himself.
"It must have been nice. You've got to suck up some honey thanks to me. And you could swear at me if you didn't like something. But maybe you've been living so comfortably up until now, so you don't know the line."
The captain's arrogant demeanor was fleeting. When I grabbed him by the collar and lifted him as if I were going to kill him, he quickly changed his demeanor and began pleading.
"Ugh...Ugh. Ah... No... I did that because I was worried about you...."
A hypocritical brat. A piece of trash that survives by selling half of other people's lives.
I was avoiding eye contact and praying, but I didn't feel very relieved.
"after..."
I grabbed the manager by the collar, but I couldn't bring myself to hit him. Feeling suffocated, I closed the door and left the manager's office.
Even if you beat up the captain, it'll only give you momentary relief. It won't solve anything.
Because I know better than anyone that this cannot be a fundamental solution.
'....'
Yeah, no problem. It'll all be over.
But... But why is it so vain?
Tears welled up in my eyes without me knowing.
I felt empty. It felt like everything I'd accomplished up until now had no meaning. I was so angry that my career ended with me being treated like trash.
Status window
[Skill]
[Piercing Eyes: S+]
[Magic Engineering Weapon Transformation: A]
[Full bloom: C+]
[Keyword]
[Full Bloom - Talent Blossom: Legendary Sniper]
[Full Bloom - Talent Blossom: 3D Maneuver]
All valuable and high-ranking skills or keywords are worth trying.
But my body is aging, and my [Full Bloom] skill has been blocked for years, leaving no room to improve.
What's the use of being angry? I left the building, thinking I just hurt myself by holding on. As I crossed the crosswalk—thinking the light was blue—I realized luck wasn't on my side.
I could have sworn the signal was blue...
Suddenly, a massive 25-ton truck charged forward, its horn blaring. The sheer weight of the speeding truck shook my entire body.
Even for those who are awakened, I feel a surge of power so powerful it can't be resisted. My body absorbs the shock like a sponge, and the pungent smell of blood rises from my body, unable to withstand the impact.
In an instant, death was right before my eyes.
'Ah… … I feel sick.'
If I had known this would happen, I would have lived the way I wanted to live...I think. I should have sued everyone who wrote malicious comments. And I should have warned the manager, who trusted only the capable players and devised stupid tactics.
Please give some leeway to those who are picking a fight. And please break the noses of those who are so arrogant that they don't even know how high the sky is.
The captain's son needs to be educated a bit too...
No. No.
That's not what I remember most.
A magical moment when tens of thousands of spectators look at me and chant my name. A blood-boiling, desperate battle. Teammates who can trust each other. And... victory.
I just wanted to lift the World Championship trophy one more time, just one more time.
However, even though I won the World Championship trophy three times in a row, I only remember the downward slope that I went down after that, never to be able to climb back up again.
'If only I could have held out a little longer...'
I remembered the plan to restore Korea's status in the soon-to-be-established Hunters League Olympic Games.
But I ended up being a piece of trash, and I will never regain my former glory.
Ah, I regret it.
In the past, I had to force my talents to bloom before they were fully ripe.
I wanted to leave my mark as a beautiful memory with an honorable retirement.
I wanted to leave a mark that everyone would long for, like leaving footprints in a pure white snowfield where no one has ever been.
That is my last memory in this life.
***
Return.
It's an imagination that everyone has had at least once.
If I could go back to my third year of high school, when I was taking the college entrance exam… ….
If I could go back to before Bitcoin was really known… ….
It's usually something like that.
People cannot help but have regrets as they live, and everyone has a desire to go back in their hearts.
'I never imagined I would regress... ... .'
At first, I couldn't believe it, but soon I realized that my hands and feet, and I, were inside an awakening test machine.
That's understandable, because I couldn't forget the scenery of that day when my history began.
And the moment I realized that I had regressed, the emptiness, regret, and pain I felt before I died came back to me, and I found myself shedding tears without realizing it.
At the same time, I feel joy. Relief. And…
I felt a vague sense of anticipation that I might be able to do it again.
That, too, for a moment, calmed my mind.
'Don't get carried away by emotions, and don't repeat the same mistakes you made in your past life.'
Since we were starting over, it was clear what we should and shouldn't do.
What I saw immediately was the screen of a familiar, capsule-shaped inspection device.
[Physical Ability Test Results]
[Strength: 5]
[Reaction speed: 6]
[Flexibility: 6.6]
[Stamina: 5]
[Regeneration: 5]
[The test is complete! Press the button at the bottom right and stand up.]
The lid of the capsule opened like a convertible, and light from the ceiling came in.
A doctor nearby and a slightly restless mother.
"Congratulations. Your son is indeed an Awakened One."
My mother's expression was delicate as she listened to the doctor's subsequent judgment. There had never been an Awakener in our family before.
"Mom, the test is over."
"Oh. Okay."
My mother, who had been dazed for a moment, came to her senses at my words, took the test paper from the doctor, and greeted him.
I'm out of it.
"When did you realize you were awakened?"
"It hasn't been that long for me either."
"You didn't catch a glimpse of it, did you?"
I'm talking about players from the Hunter's League.
Recently, many people have awakened, so the competition rate is not much different from that in fields like idol or actor work, and I am worried that I may have gotten wind of it.
Of course, that was a needless worry, but…
"Mom, before I regressed, I was a legend in the Hunters League."
I can't say that. I can't believe it.
"Why? Are you afraid I'll become a hunter?"
"Can anyone be a hunter? Even if they can, just watch it. In reality, only the top 1st-tier players appear on TV, and they're a handful. Besides, if you say you're a hunter and you don't lose money, you're lucky."
"Are you talking about the club academy?"
"Okay."
By the way, I was surprised to find out that my mom knew quite a bit more than I expected. She'd only just been diagnosed as awakened, but I didn't expect her to know anything about the Hunters League's competitive system and even the academy.
"You don't need to enroll in an academy. I can show you how to do it myself."
"What can I show you? You'll be a high school student next year, so focus on your studies."
"Studying is...easy."
"You speak well~."
Before returning, I had to resort to all kinds of tactics to get my mother to oppose me vehemently, but this time I didn't have to.
The reason my mom is against it is that she's worried that I'll get carried away with something I can't do, so I need to show her the results.
"There was a Hunters League rookie scouting program next year, right?"
This was something unimaginable with my skills at this time before the return, but now, even if I participate without preparation, I can win.
Form is temporary, but class is eternal.
Even if I regress.
So, this time I'll chew it all up.
Heat once again lingered in my tightly clenched hands.
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