The Dear Leader's Shrinking Ground Technique
Rumble rumble!
The Wembley Diamond was packed as always.
A sea of spectators had gathered ahead of the South Korea versus North Korea matchup.
Among the crowd, the most eye-catching group was the throng of spectators decked out in hanbok.
They waved flags emblazoned with bold letters.
Dispatched by the Party itself for this tournament, they numbered in the thousands, filling the gap left by North Korean citizens unable to travel abroad for live games.
"South Korea...!! South Korea!!"
"Crush those North Koreans...!"
Of course, the South Korean team had no official state cheering squad, but the pure-blooded Korean fans alone made for a formidable cheering force. Today's game promised plenty of fun from the South-North cheering war too.
Swish!
South Korea Lineup
1. Je Yunchan SS
2. Choi Hyeok-su 3B
3. Park Taeje 2B
4. Geum Seong-muk CF
5. Choi Seok-ho 1B
6. Ri Donghyeok RF
7. Hwang Tae-gang C
8. Ma Chowo P
9. Han Ju-won LF
Starting Pitcher: Ma Chowo
The announcer also mentioned Ma Chowo getting lower lineup love as the starter, and Han Ju-won filling left field as the outfield master key. Now shifting focus to North Korea.
Swish!
1. Kim Jung-cheol SS
2. Choi Il-do LF
3. Ryo Gwang-hyeon 1B
4. Ri Gang-san C
5. Tae Seong-ho DH
6. Jo Myeong-rok 3B
7. Park Chung-ryeol 2B
8. Jin Ho-cheol CF
9. Won Hyeok-min RF
Starting Pitcher: Mu Jin-hyeok
Beep, bleep!
"Play ball...!"
Name: Kim Jung-cheol
Age: 19
Height: 181 cm
Skill / Green Light (S)
: Increases opposing pitcher's tension when running the bases.
Potential Keywords: Baekdu Bloodline (S), Hitting Genius (S), Hawk Eye (A+), Defensive Prodigy (A+), Strong Arm (A+)
Batter Stats (*Potential) / RHB Switch-Hitter
Power: C
Contact: A+ (*S)
Speed: S+ (*S+)
Eye: A+ (*A+)
Defense: A+ (*A+)
Arm: A+ (*A+)
'Damn, he's fast...'
With well-rounded stats across the board and a bulging speed rating, Kim Jung-cheol was the ultimate speed demon.
Ma Chowo took the mound against him and fired the first pitch.
"Hup...!"
The initial offering blasted out.
Against a new opponent, the unwritten rule was to watch a couple pitches—but.
Crack!
Kim Jung-cheol had zeroed in on the fastball from the jump.
And it paid off perfectly.
No sooner had Kim Jung-cheol reached base than the North Korean cheer squad sprang into action.
Thrum thrum!
""Shrinking Ground! Shrinking Ground...!!""
The cheers echoed thunderously through Wembley.
A novel cheer not for the batter, but for the runner. Ma Chowo responded by firing pickoffs to keep him in check.
"Third...!"
"Third!"
Kim Jung-cheol took a massive lead, then darted back at the slightest hint of a pickoff. Inducing a rundown looked tough.
Count went to 2-1.
As Ma Chowo wound up for a fastball, Kim Jung-cheol broke.
Pat pat...!!
Lightning start toward second.
Whoosh!
The batter whiffed.
Hwang Tae-gang yanked the ball from his glove and fired to second.
'Good, perfect out timing...!'
Clean throw, but Kim Jung-cheol was even faster than expected.
"Third, third...!!"
The ump's arms shot out wide.
No need for replay—a clean safe.
The North Korean stands erupted in amplified chorus.
"The Dear Leader's Shrinking Ground Technique~"
"Today, the General wields it...!"
'General' was originally reserved for the late Dear Leader Kim Jeong-ik, but current leader Kim Jeong-un had permitted Kim Jung-cheol the title too.
Now his signature cheer, it boomed every time he stole a bag.
Runner on second, no outs.
Ma Chowo, a national-team-caliber arm, didn't rattle from one steal.
Thwack!
"My ball...!"
Shallow fly to left.
Han Ju-won settled under it.
That's when Kim Jung-cheol tagged up from second.
Han Ju-won had a solid arm.
He threw to third thinking, 'You dare run on this?'
Precise enough to kill most runners.
But Kim Jung-cheol wasn't most runners.
Swoosh!
"Third, safe...!!"
Another fast advance.
The North Korean fans exploded again.
"The Dear Leader's Shrinking Ground Technique~"
The chant rang out once more.
South Korean fans were getting migraines.
"Argh, that damn Shrinking Ground crap."
"Shrinking Ground from a chunk like that? Bullshit."
"How's that body even running?"
Just one single, and already one out, runner on third.
Any fly or grounder, and Kim Jung-cheol scores.
Ma Chowo aimed for a strikeout.
But.
Crack!
Towering fly.
No. 3 hitter Ryo Gwang-hyeon's ball banged off the right-field wall.
"Tch, serious power...!"
Ma Chowo lost the power battle.
The next hitter was even tougher.
Elite slugger Ri Gang-san from Daehongdan.
The kid who'd fudged his age by three years packed monstrous pop.
This time too.
Crack!
'Shit, that's deep...!?'
Seong-muk knew instantly.
With his current stats, no way he gets it.
But letting it drop would cost big.
Fail to kill the rally here, and Ma Chowo shakes—big inning incoming.
'Saved it for my at-bat, but no choice...!'
Bulge!
User's stats enhanced by Solar Divine Vein!
Speed stat upgraded: A → A+!
Speed stat upgraded: A+ → S!
Defense stat upgraded: B+ → A!
Seong-muk exploded into insane acceleration.
The announcers were stunned.
Swoosh!
Blazing toward the ball, Seong-muk dove full extension.
A massive roar erupted.
"Woooaaah...!!"
"Hrah...!!"
The runner on second had peeled off, assuming it dropped.
He scrambled back, but Seong-muk's laser beat him.
"Out...!"
"Woooahhh...!!"
"Wooow, Geum Seong-muk...! What the hell was that defense...!!"
"Jeez, don't overhype it, man."
Seong-muk, who'd gotten similar help from Ma Chowo before, figured this evened the score as he jogged to the dugout.
'Alright, now let's go hit.'
With that monster play, Seong-muk had given them the perfect start.
He geared up to attack North Korea's ace, Mu Jin-hyeok.