Chapter 252 (1/2)
Park Muyeol, Mido, and I arrived by bus together and met the other Korean players. However, the joy was also temporary. Union had hired a clean director with no corruption and we had a long meeting with the director on the rules and strategies of the Star Field.
Time passed quickly and we were on the verge of playing.
“Then let’s come together.”
The South Korean players placed their hands together at Captain Lim Changyong’s words. The funny thing was that among the hands, there were elderly hands with small wrinkles. It was just that no one laughed. No one dared to express their dissatisfaction with the fact that Park Muyeol and I were proud representatives of South Korea.
“Would the two of you like to say a word?” Lim Changyong looked between Park Muyeol and I.
Park Muyeol glanced at me and said, “I think it is better for Chuntaek to speak than me.”
“Hrmm.”
I was deeply troubled due to Park Muyeol passing the baton to me. What could I say right now? I was too old to talk nonsense. I would appear as a nagging grandfather if I was too interested and it would be a problem if I was too light. I contemplated between heaviness and lightness before making up my mind.
“Maybe we’ll lose.”
I just wanted to say something from my heart.
“However, history will record us as the winners.”
“......”
“......”
The silence lasted for around five seconds.
Park Muyeol blinked before suddenly speaking, “...Aren’t you being too fussy?”
Then the young people in front of him couldn’t hold back their amusement. Their smiles turned into giggles and laughter. The moment everyone grabbed their stomachs, a blush appeared on my face.
“Aish, just fight well, you rotten guys.”
“Puhahaha!”
“Hahaha.”
Everyone’s laughter eased the tense and serious atmosphere. As expected, I truly didn’t fit such serious words. However...
“I still have to say this.”
The young people in front of me once again watched me with serious eyes. Their eyes looked much better than before. I glanced at them with a satisfied smile. “Let’s do our best.”
It was the only thing this old man could say to these young people.
“Come on!”
The moment Lim Changyong shouted, our hands soared high in the sky.
“Fighting!”
Our hands scattered like a lotus flower blooming. I opened the door of the waiting room first and ran toward the stage, followed by Park Muyeol, Mido, and the young people. They were pillars of the future who were more reassuring than thousands of troops.
* * *
At the waiting room of the United States team...
Damian, the US team’s captain, summoned the players and expressed the strategy he had been planning. The unusual thing was that there was no coach in the United States team to direct them. Damian took the role of coach and player. It was because Damian had a high position in the United States and it was well known that he had the right to choose who gets to play in the American team.
The players nodded and didn’t scoff at Damian’s words. They knew that Damian’s strategy and tactics made the United States the best in the world.
“...James, are you listening?”
“Huh? Ah, yes. I’m listening.”
“What did I just say?”
“Ah, that... I’m sorry.”
Damian’s face was like cold ice. “Maintain your mind, James. If you are distracted like last time, you will really be withdrawn from the national team.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll listen to you.”
James’ expression became serious. Damian nodded and continued to explain various strategies. However, James was still thinking about what happened yesterday while listening to the strategy.
‘Choi Mido...’
The woman who always had a cold image at school. He was the first one to approach her when no one else got close to her. She was his first love, but it was also a painful love.
‘She has become a representative of South Korea... maybe it is an ill-fated relationship.’
It was really painful when he had to immigrate to the United States due to his parent’s circumstances. Inevitably, James had to lie to her.
‘I’m tired of you now.’
Perhaps it was a disgusting thing. The spike that he embedded in his loved one ended up being embedded in his own heart. Like a boomerang, it returned to him and created the current situation.
‘Maybe we will meet in this game.’
After making a big mistake in the second game, James was put on probation by Damian. It was natural since he blew the heavenly assistance. James didn’t play in yesterday’s third game and had to watch from the waiting room that day. Today, his probation was lifted. James’ guns and survival skills were too useful in this survival match. It was why Damian said he had to do a great job.
‘I hope we don’t meet this time, Mido.’
James’ eyes filled with a small light as he made up his mind and listened to Damian. In any case, he was now a representative of the United States. It was appropriate to erase unnecessary feelings. It was also good for himself.
“Let's go.”
The U.S team, led by Damian and Michael, headed to the stage.
* * *
[Code named ‘T-32’ test capsule for the competition has been confirmed.]
[All stats are fixed to a certain number.]
[The power of your skills is reduced by one-third.]
The moment the players entered, I climbed into the capsule and connected. A window with the fixed stats appeared and was then followed by a message that the skill power was reduced. It seemed to be an extension of what happened in the national team selection last time. Well, it would be hard if the power wasn’t reduced like this.
It was the gathering of the best players. There would be no map left if they didn’t do this. The characteristics of this event was survival and it wasn’t known what would appear. For the sake of fairness, Union seemed to have adopted this approach.