Chapter 26

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Translator: Wjin

Chapter: 26

Chapter Title: The Left-Handed Pitcher Equips Velocity

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We didn't even need the real-time articles popping up.

We didn't need praise from the local press either. We felt it with every fiber of our being.

Mokdong Baseball Stadium.

After defeating Busan High in the semifinals, Seomun High's finals berth was confirmed.

After the game, the manager gathered everyone and celebrated the victory with a beaming smile.

"Everyone, great job! Especially Song Hyun-jun!"

"Yes, sir!"

"That was some dazzling pitching. The game today was perfect!"

Perfect. It was the first time I'd heard that evaluation.

I had given up a crushing triple to Baek Kang-ho in the eighth, but aside from that, not a single runner had reached base.

"Today's starter, Song Hyun-jun, delivered a shutout on par with a perfect game. A shutout! Let's give it up for Hyun-jun, who's etched this amazing record into the Blue Dragon Cup semifinals!"

The manager's booming voice unleashed thunderous cheers and scorching applause.

"Wooooah!!!"

"前辈, you were awesome!!"

"Song Hyun-jun! You were seriously good!"

My teammates' exhilarating roars, which set my chest ablaze, shook my entire body with their resonance.

Perfect game.

Sure, it was a shame we fell short, but I hadn't gone to the mound expecting to finish it myself from the start.

All I had was a desperate wish to be the winning pitcher.

Yet the result was the absolute best.

The manager, the underclassmen, and my peers were all shouting toward me with joyful faces.

"Today's game was the best!"

"Hyun-jun sunbae! That strikeout on Baek Kang-ho was so cool! Your form was on point, right?"

"For me, it was when you came off the mound after closing the ninth. I got chills. It felt like a king returning from the battlefield."

"Hyun-jun! You were awesome."

The flood of praise.

Thunderous applause, cheers accompanied by bright smiles.

Something... was swelling up inside me.

It felt like I was finally being rewarded for years of blood, sweat, and tears.

Hmm, this feels pretty damn good?

But why do I feel like I'm forgetting something... Is it just my imagination?

Ah, rewards.

Come to think of it, I need to check my victory rewards!

As things calmed down, I hurried to the locker room to check my rewards.

"That's far enough."

"Huh?"

Suddenly, the team ace, Shin Su-ho, spoke to me with an inscrutable expression.

"If you do too well, it makes me look bad by comparison."

"What?"

"The finals are mine, Song Hyun-jun. I can do better than you."

Yeah, that's true. You're the best, Shin Su-ho... Wait, what did you just say?

The super-elite ace, No. 1 in the national pitcher rankings.

The absolute king of our team, a major league prospect, beyond high school level.

And that Shin Su-ho was saying something like this? To me?

Am I... being checked by a top-tier ace right now?

"Uh, yeah?"

I kept my expression neutral for now.

It felt great, but I couldn't let it show.

It was just as sweet as the cheers from my teammates, but I had to give a casual reply to Shin Su-ho's competitive glare first.

"You're starting the finals, Su-ho, so we'll win it for sure. I can look forward to that, right?"

"Absolutely! I'll bring home the win. Just watch."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's do this. Thanks to you, Su-ho, I get to hold a Blue Dragon Cup trophy too. Bonus: a little extra spotlight from the pro teams."

"The spotlight's mine!"

"Sure. You take that."

"Okay."

After that exchange, Su-ho left with a satisfied, cool nod.

What was that conversation just now?

Did I miss something?

The No. 1 genius pitcher in the nation was showing rivalry toward me, which is great, but... why did it feel like he came seeking my approval?

"Nah, probably just my imagination. Anyway, I've done my part in the Blue Dragon Cup, so time to check the rewards."

Rewards. How many points did I get?

If I upgrade with those, I might even compete with the all-time great Shin Su-ho.

With that anticipation, I checked the reward messages.

Something weird was tacked on at the end.

Immersion? What's that?

My eyes were drawn to the message before I could check points.

An explanation for Immersion appeared right away.

I read the short description several times.

"All stats +3 when extremely focused... Isn't this pretty good? If it triggers in a crisis, I can pitch even tougher, right?"

I didn't know the exact scope of 'all stats,' but I could test it with pitches later.

"Auto-activation... once per day, only 10 minutes... I'll check that later too."

Anyway, something good came out of it.

A smile bloomed naturally.

I earned a solid special reward from enduring that shutout with blood and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sweat.

When I checked the points next, my smile deepened.

Lots of reward categories, probably thanks to the shutout.

And a whopping 3,280P.

Very satisfying.

Then, another message appeared.

This was unexpected.

"I got recognition from a Pittsburgh scout? Where?!"

I frantically scanned the stands, but the scouts were already gone.

"MLB Pittsburgh? The Pirates! Is this real? I pitched well enough to catch a major league scout's eye?"

It was an additional reward I hadn't even dreamed of.

Major leagues, where the world's top monsters gather.

That grand stage.

A stage that seemed totally unrelated to me, and I got recognition from the Pirates there.

"Whoa... Major leagues. Guess I really pitched well today."

Now it was starting to sink in.

Shutout. Perfect except for that one hit to Baek Kang-ho.

But major league dreams didn't particularly entice me.

"Even if I went now, I'd be stuck in Single-A for years with my barely C-grade velocity and E-grade power."

The high felt good, but reality was reality.

Lately, this metacognition of knowing my place was key.

In that sense, I knew mine well.

"Anyway, I got a ton of points from today's game, so priority is upgrading velocity and power, which hit their limits."

Okay, situation assessed.

Time for action.

But there was one problem.

"Where do I find C-grade velocity potion and D-grade power potion?"

Sol's Eye and Mixed Sundae Soup from Grandma's Soup House.

Those had maxed out my velocity and power growth.

Velocity stalled at D-grade, power at E-grade.

I'd already scoured Jiwon Mart, Sol's Eye, big marts, local convenience stores, etc., days ago, but no luck.

I furrowed my brow at my total points from today's game.

"Hmm... Points sitting idle."

Time to sort my thoughts.

"Hyun-jun!! My son! Hyun-juuun!!!"

Way over there, my creator charging toward me, waving both arms wildly.

Dad, grinning so wide his mouth might split, was barreling my way.

"Hyun-jun! It's Dad! My boy! My pride and joy! Daddy's here!"

My progenitor expressing his joy at the dramatic shutout with his whole body.

As I moved toward Dad, the manager's voice suddenly caught my ear.

"Blood sugar's crashing."

"Tell me about it, Manager. The game was so tense... Now that it's over, I'm starving."

"Coach Jo, want to try this at least?"

Conversation between the manager and pitching coach Jo Jong-hoon.

And in the manager's hand, a beige bottle.

My eyes locked on the label.

Plain glass bottle, familiar lettering.

And below it, a very familiar tooltip line.

That was why I bolted toward the manager—who was about to open the Morning Sunlight—like a cheetah.

"Manager! Hold on!"

"Huh?"

"Where'd you buy that? Tell me right now, please!"

Morning Sunlight.

Excellent.

The taste is so rich ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and savory. Nice.

I never knew there was such a grain drink.

Especially those welcome letters I got to see again. Perfect.

I could raise my stalled velocity again.

Of course, it didn't come cheap.

A thousand points per bottle.

Purchase price jumped over threefold from 300P at D-grade to C-grade.

"Hmm... One more?"

I hesitated a bit but decided to save the rest.

1,500P could buy five D-grade power potions if I found them.

"No mound time for me in the Blue Dragon Cup finals the day after tomorrow anyway. I'll stop velocity here and save the rest."

Now I could comfortably watch the Blue Dragon Cup championship.

With Shin Su-ho starting the finals, I had zero worries about losing.

"Time to test that Immersion special ability."

So the next day.

I asked Deok-gu to catch so I could throw.

"Huh? Sunbae, no way!"

"Huh?"

"You complete-gamed yesterday. No pitching. Save your shoulder!"

Deok-gu suddenly channeling a loyal retainer, desperately blocking my pitches.

The pitching coach nearby reacted to Deok-gu's fussing.

"What? Hyun-jun, you wanna throw?"

"Yes. Just a few."

"You complete-gamed yesterday. You trying to wreck your shoulder before going pro?"

"Ten minutes. No, five."

"Absolutely not! Five minutes, five pitches, not even one!"

I nodded at the pitching coach's firm opposition.

Guess not.

Our school's baseball team takes player protection seriously. More than I thought.

Nothing to do but give up.

But then the manager called me over.

"Hyun-jun."

"Yes."

"You wanna throw the ball?"

The manager asked with a sly smile.

Having already faced pushback from Deok-gu and the coach, I knew it was a no and answered honestly.

"Got something I want to test."

For some reason, the manager looked proud at my response.

"Save your shoulder. Who knows? You might get a chance in tomorrow's finals."

"Huh?"

"Blue Dragon Cup rules allow pitching in the next game if under 95 pitches. You threw only 93 in your shutout yesterday."

"True."

"Jin-woong or Seung-hwan are solid bullpen options, but it's the Blue Dragon Cup championship on the line. I want a surer card."

The manager was right.

Blue Dragon Cup win.

Many schools hadn't tasted it in decades.

Yet Seomun High was on the cusp of back-to-back titles.

From the manager's view, he wanted a more reliable bullpen arm for that monumental achievement.

"Just one inning! I'll bring you in when we need the win."

"Ah."

"Just keep that in mind and rest your shoulder."