Season 3: Chapter 273. Whatever Doesn’t Kill You (3)

After the Korea-Japan match, all businesses related to the national competition experienced an unprecedented boom. This included the merchandise business, players' personal broadcast channels, and even channels that uploaded so-called national pride videos.

With the national competition’s success, countless related parties saw their incomes rise and new job opportunities emerged. Director Jang's team deserved the most credit and undoubtedly reaped the greatest benefits. Their eyes were all glued to the monitor displaying a graph resembling a booming cryptocurrency. The screen momentarily froze and lagged.

"Wh-What's going on? Why did it freeze!?"

Director Jang, who claimed he didn't care about such things, jumped up. His face had turned red as if he had been drinking. It was understandable since whether they hit the peak depended on the current graph's trajectory.

"I-It's just a minor lag. It'll be back soon! Director, please wait!"

His staff tried to stop him from hitting the computer. After a brief lag, the graph returned with the results.

"It's back!"

"!"

The graph shot up when the sponsor list appeared in the intro.

"..."

A moment of silence fell after the intro ended. Even now, only the most boring scene was playing where sponsors appeared one after another. However—

[48.3 million watching]

The number of viewers swarming in to watch was on par with the early days of the national competition. The record for the most viewers during a Fake National Team premiere had already been broken. This was just the premiere. Once they officially uploaded the video, the cumulative views would likely set a new record. It would probably surpass any video previously uploaded on Almond's channel.

"Whooooaaaaaa!!" Director Jang suddenly screamed.

The startled staff jumped aside.

"W-What's wrong!?"

"Has he really gone crazy this time? He should see a doctor."

"Uh... well..."

The wide-eyed Ji-Ah looked around, not knowing what to do.

'This isn’t right?'

Feeling awkward, Director Jang scratched his head.

"I was just mimicking Almond."

"..."

A brief silence followed. No one had noticed. Then—

"... Almond cried out loudly when he was born."

At someone's remark, everyone burst into laughter. Ji-Ah, still not very close with the team, had to turn her head and stifle her laughter.

***

While Director Jang was shouting, the Fake National Team premiere continued. After all the sponsors were revealed, the screen went dark. Only sounds could be heard in the darkness.

Swoosh—

A bow was being drawn.

"Whoo."

And a low sigh soon merged with the sound of the wind. Through the wind, a voice began to speak. His lips moved as the dark screen gradually brightened.

"Don't show weakness. Never avoid a confrontation..."

The dark screen, low voice, and sparse intense drumbeats... even the playful chatroom fell silent.

"Always stand tall. Wearing this mark means..."

He was reciting someone's words from memory to not cower before the impending great ordeal.

Swish—

A sword gleamed as it sliced through the darkness. In the flash of light, a face appeared. It was the enemy's ace swordsman, Honda. His sword was swift. In the blink of an eye, a head could be severed. However, the archer facing him did not waver and continued reciting.

"You are our country."

He drew the bowstring tighter.

Thud—

Honda's foot pounded the ground.

Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!

Dirt and grass scattered as his figure charged forward. The screen brightened and the sword strike approached.

"That's the literal meaning..."

The archer did not avoid the confrontation.

"Of being a national representative."

His right hand released the arrow without a tremor as if he had never held it. The arrow flew as the string twanged.

Swoosh!

It tore through the wind. The sharp arrowhead flew straight, perfectly aimed at the center of Honda's forehead.

Thud!

"Whoooooaaaaaa!!"

the crowd erupted in cheers.

The scene changed simultaneously.

— Whoa.

— Is this the same guy who had his feet on the desk earlier?

— He looks so cool with a bow...

— This is intense.

— Did he really say that?

— Wow.

— Is this real? Not edited?

Boom!

White waves crashed, followed by a cannonball being fired.

"That's a crane formation!? The wings are spreading!"

"Haaaaaak!"

In the triangular formation, Panokseons shifted into a crane wing formation. The barrage of cannonballs instantly annihilated the pursuing Atakebunes.

— Haaaaak! haha

— Hahaha.

— The crane is crying huff huff!

— Legendary even on rewatch, haha.

Meanwhile, Almond snuck around the enemy's island and took out the workers.

"Oppenheimer! It’s a worker massacre!"

His hands moved ceaselessly and he relentlessly continued into the next round.

"Oh...! Joseon...!"

"So close, but it’s a defeat."

"Let's regroup for the next game..."

They lost the game. After the defeat, Almond sat on his horse and blankly stared down.

"Come on. Joseon advances if we win just one more game!"

"That's right!"

Almond drew his bow again, but his arrows didn’t reach the enemy commander.

— Nooooo

— Almond is struggling.

— His condition is visibly deteriorating.

— His hand is shaking?

His arrows began missing more frequently.

"Ah...!"

"In the end! It goes to a fifth game!"

It came down to the fifth game.

Swoosh!

Waves crashed between rising mountains. Another sea map had been selected. The players lined up along the shore.

[Believe in Us]

Commander Choi Sa-Rang's eyes trembled slightly.

— Whoa.

— Is Choi Sa-Rang cold-hearted? Not even crying?

— The beginning of a legend.

Swish.

The scene shifted to a white studio where an interview took place. There was no chair. The guest this time was in a wheelchair.

— Choi Sa-rang, wow.

— Noonaaaa.

— Finally, the Best Yi Sun-Shin interview.

Text appeared above her head.

[Was that message discussed among the team?]

"... Believe in us?"

[Yes.]

"No."

[Then why did they suddenly do that?]

She pondered how to explain.

"During the third and fourth games, my condition was really bad. I thought I should trust the team more and asked them. That was their response."

— ??

— Wasn't it for the audience? Haha.

— What?

— She’s not even crying?

— Whoa, what a backstory...

The viewers had no idea about this. After all, messages from the commander weren’t broadcasted.

[Honestly, did you cry at home?]

"No," she curtly replied.

— Haha.

— So sassy.

— Her expression, haha.

— Such a scornful look... This is a reward in the industry.

— Haha, she really hates it.

[But... you trust your teammates, right?]

Sa-Rang gave the same scornful look again.

— Haha.

— Don’t ask, haha

— ??? But... you do love Choi Sa-rang, right?

— Looks like she’s going to hit him, haha

Swish.

The screen went dark. The video went back to the final fifth game. On the dark screen, something flickered. A bright orange candle flame illuminated white paper doors, ornate but old wooden furniture, and a sparkling mother-of-pearl box. This was the Joseon commander’s room, an inviolable sanctuary. However, uninvited footsteps echoed in this space.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The footsteps reached right in front of her room.

Swish.

A sword was drawn and the enemies instantly fell. Without hesitation, she ran to the pavilion’s back door. There, Bread waited on horseback. Mounting the horse, she issued another command.

[Rescue]

This command had been sent to Malatang and Pang. They quickly mounted their horses and raced to the signaled location.

— This is...

— So there was a rescue order, wow.

— Saying she didn’t trust them but requested a rescue, haha

Thud... Thud...

The background music grew intense. The perspective changed to Almond storming the enemy base.

"Almond! Almond is in!"

"Ahhh! Ringo is fleeing!? It’s a strategic retreat!"

"Japan is receiving advanced technology! Oh..."

Then, Almond took his position and drew his bow.

"Isn’t the distance... too far!?"

"Moreover, his accuracy has significantly decreased since the previous game!"

His right arm trembled violently.

— Whoa, what’s with his arm?

— ???

— He was in this condition???

The viewers felt shocked to see the state of his arm for the first time. By the end of the fifth game, he was in no condition to handle a sensitive weapon like a bow. Nevertheless, he maintained absolute focus with his bow drawn. The camera zoomed in on the arrowhead moving in every direction like drawing a cross.

"Whoo."

Almond took a shallow breath and closed his eyes. Then, he released the arrow.

Swoosh.

The arrow flew. As everyone knew, Ringo fell off his horse.

[Victory]

Joseon won. The cheers were immense as Almond collapsed to his knees.

"Whooooaaaaaa!!"

— Still legendary.

— Wow...

— All-time legend.

— That one shot made him the GOAT.

— To hit that shot in that condition...

— Whoa... He really did it in that state???

Swish

.

The screen returned to Choi Sa-Rang’s interview and she was asked the same question.

[But... you trust your teammates, right?]

She had the same scornful look, but finally responded this time.

"I believe in them."

After saying that, she turned her head and signaled the end of the interview. Then, she lifted her head slightly higher than necessary as if holding something back.

— Touching...

— Still, her sincerity shows.

— Running away, haha.

— Tossing it away like she’s being generous, haha

— ??? She said, “our...”

After the interview scene, a large drum boomed. Scenes after the Japan match flowed by.

Thud!

Almond and the others trained with their bows.

Thud!

Bread taught everyone swordsmanship. They played scrimmages against Rome. The scenes sped up.

Boom!

A pro team formed, the Ah-Sung league was established, and numerous sponsor meetings took place. Everyone talked about China’s undefeated streak, various columns predicted China’s victory, and... bam! The screen slowed as the players entered the stadium.

[Joseon vs. China]

Hee-Chul stood at the front.

— Whoa.

— Cookie is coming.

— Is Cookie starting today??

— Wow.

— You’re back, Cookie.

— Father Cookie!

Leading the countless players, Cookie's voice could be heard in an interview.

“Most experts predict China’s victory. They’re strong and remain undefeated up to the semifinals.”

Cookie's expression didn’t waver at all.

“But everyone has forgotten something.”

The camera zoomed in on Cookie’s face, followed by Almond, Pang, Malatang, Bread, Coffee, and many other players’ faces.

“All civilizations grow stronger not through victory but through defeat.”

The camera zoomed out, showing two hundred players in one frame.

“China is strong, but they haven’t grown stronger. We are weak, but we have grown stronger. So—”

Thud.

The screen went black.

[ep.9 Believe in Us]

The title appeared.

[Fake National Team]

[Fake Athlete]

— Whoa.

— Joseon has grown stronger!

— So believe in us!

— They improved even during the tournament.

— Let’s go!

All the sponsors briefly appeared again.

[Almond’s Ah-Sung meeting will be uploaded as a separate video later.]

This message marked the end of the video.

— When is that coming out?

— Is that for real??

— This can’t be the end, right?

— I was waiting for that, but it didn’t come out.

— Now, let’s go to the China match!

𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

— ??? Joseon poured all their strength into the Japan match...

Now, the semifinals against China began.

“Hello, wandering mercenaries from all over the nation! This is caster Kim Sang-Hoon!”

“And analyst OrangeKing here!”

“Nice to see all of you!”