Blockhead Thrower, Awakening
“Nice play!”
The moment I stepped back into the dugout, a wave of praise for Kang Daegeun’s spectacular defensive gem came pouring in.
“Aw, it was nothing. Just got lucky, sir.”
This is the same guy who used to make a huge deal out of the tiniest things back in the second team…
Watching the kid who used to swagger around the minors suddenly play humble was almost funny.
“But Doyoon hyung pitched way better than me, sir.”
With that single line, the entire dugout’s attention smoothly shifted my way.
Heh. Kid’s got good instincts.
“Come to think of it, Doyoon’s stuff looked sharp today.”
“Yeah, the fastball had a completely different kind of life.”
“That slider break was nasty too.”
“I’ve never seen a pitcher just switch delivery mid-game like that.”
The seniors naturally started talking about my pitching.
Then—
“Quiet.”
Manager Jang Hojin’s single word cut through the lively dugout chatter.
“The game’s not over. Focus.”
He said only what needed saying, then gave a small nod.
“Kang Daegeun.”
“Yes, sir!”
“That play just now was excellent. Positioning was already set, and the throw was clean.”
“Thank you, sir!”
Once Daegeun’s confident reply faded, the manager turned his gaze toward me.
“Han Doyoon.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You pitched well too. But when did you start practicing the Crossfire?”
It wasn’t quite a scolding, yet the atmosphere wasn’t casual either. His tone was firm—he needed to confirm something.
I answered honestly.
“Ah… during my second-team starts I realized I wouldn’t last past five innings like that, so I started practicing it then.”
The manager gave a short nod. The hardness in his expression eased a little.
“Good work. But next time, tell me first. You nearly gave me a heart attack.”
From his perspective, I’d tried a brand-new delivery mid-game without any approval—yet he praised me and let it go without a hint of irritation.
“Do you want to go back out for the seventh?”
Manager Jang Hojin looked me straight in the eyes as he asked. The bullpen was already warming, and the quality of contact in the sixth had been good enough that a straight swap would have been fine.
Letting the mid-game form change slide, and now this… there was a reason people called him a players’ manager.
Part of me wanted the seventh, but I shook my head right away.
“No, sir. No way. Six is my limit.”
The corner of the manager’s mouth lifted just a fraction the moment he heard my answer.
So you can make your own calls. Good.
That was the feeling behind the look.
“Fine. At this pace, that’s the right call. No need to force it.”
He nodded once more and turned his eyes back to the field.
I came off the mound after the sixth and poured every bit of energy I had into cheering from the dugout.
…Maybe I should just check the Third Journey reward real quick.
The thought flickered for a second, but I shut it down.
No. Focus on the game right now.
As a kind of apology for having thought only about myself and the quest instead of the team and the actual game, I pushed every thought of the quest aside and locked in on the contest.
Then, bottom of the ninth, two outs, leading 6–3—
Crack!
The opposing batter sent a high fly ball soaring into the night sky.
Kim Gyeongmo ripped off his catcher’s mask and sprinted to the landing spot.
Thud.
The ball settled cleanly into Kim Gyeongmo’s mitt, and the final out was recorded.
“Nice work.”
“Good game.”
Everyone in the dugout celebrated the win lightly and started preparing to head out onto the field.
Then—
“Excuse me, Han Doyoon?”
Someone called from behind. I turned and found a young woman with a headset around her neck and a notebook in hand—probably a broadcast producer or writer.
“You’ve been selected as today’s Daily MVP. Would you be available for a short interview in a bit?”
“Wait… for real?”
My head had been so full of the game itself and then the Awakening Quest that the possibility hadn’t even crossed my mind. Apparently I’d been named MVP.
“Ooooh, Doyoon snagged MVP in his first start?”
“Hey, is this a robbery? I went 2-for-4 with a highlight-reel play!”
I ignored Kang Daegeun’s ridiculous whining and answered the producer.
“Yes, I can do it.”
“Great! We’ll get started shortly.”
The producer stepped back, and we naturally made our way onto the field. We exchanged light handshakes with the opposing players and tipped our caps toward the stands.
Once the post-game formalities wound down, the same producer approached again.
“Han Doyoon, if you’re ready we can start the interview right away.”
“Yes.”
Heart pounding, I stepped in front of the interview zone and took the headset.
“Hello? Can you hear me, Han Doyoon?”
“Yes, loud and clear.”
“First, congratulations on the Daily MVP. How are you feeling?”
I swallowed once. Starting always felt the hardest.
“Uh… first of all, I’m happiest that the team won. I pitched well, but… luck was on my side too. The defense behind me was incredible today. I’m not sure I really deserve this award, but thank you.”
“This was your first game after the trade, and against your former team, the Seoul Wales no less. Were you nervous?”
“Nervous… I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t. But once I got on the mound I only thought about what I had to do. Throw good pitches. Go deep into the game. That was it.”
“We have to talk about the four-seam velocity. Your season high coming into today was 141 km/h. Today you hit 157. That’s basically a different pitcher. What happened?”
“Well… after Tommy John surgery in my sophomore year of high school, there were some issues during rehab. My elbow never quite got its full range of motion back.”
“Ah, that part is pretty well known among the fans. You were famous for that electric fastball back in high school.”
“Right. Then… about a month ago during training I felt this extreme pain in the elbow, so I went to the hospital. They told me the aftereffects had finally resolved.”
“Is that even possible?”
“I still can’t really believe it myself. But the doctor said theoretically it wasn’t impossible…”
“Huh… I see. So can we expect this kind of stuff going forward?”
“Yes. That’s the plan.”
There were more questions after that—why the sudden switch to Crossfire, why I hadn’t thrown a single changeup—all of them comfortably within the range of answers I could give.
“All right. That wraps up today’s interview. Daily MVP Han Doyoon, thank you.”
“Thank you.”
I took off the headset and handed it back to the producer.
The Daily MVP interview was barely over before a short Q&A with the press started. Velocity, the Crossfire switch, how the game felt… I answered everything smoothly enough, but three interviews in a row left my head a little foggy.
As I walked slowly out into the corridor, fans were waiting this time.
“Doyoon! Just one autograph, please!”
I pulled my cap lower and stepped closer; balls and jerseys immediately thrust forward. I smiled briefly and signed them one by one. It wasn’t a full mob, but there were more people than I’d expected.
“You pitched so well today!”
“I screamed when I saw 157!”
Just one good outing and this many fans had already gathered. It felt strange—and quietly good.
By the time I finished every last signature and made it back to the hotel, the clock was already pointing at 10 p.m.
“Uuuuugh…”
The second I threw myself onto the bed, every last drop of strength drained out of me. My body felt like it was melting from exhaustion, but my mind was surprisingly clear.
I was about to close my eyes and do absolutely nothing when—
“Oh right. The quest.”
The forgotten Awakening Quest finally surfaced.
“Let’s see…”
The Third Journey has been completed. Please check your reward.
Reward – Quality Start Lv.1
The Awakening Quest for Blockhead Thrower has been completed.
I hesitated for a second over which to check first, then decided to look at the Third Journey clear reward.
Appetizer before the main course.
◈ Until the end of the 6th inning, stamina reduction penalties are reduced by 30%.
◈ Until the end of the 6th inning, opposing batters’ plate discipline is reduced by 5.
“Oh…?”
First impression wasn’t bad. But the more I picked it apart, the less meaningful it felt for me right now.
Thirty percent reduction on stamina penalties?
With Diamond Body already pushing my stamina to 70, the effect would barely register.
Plate discipline down by 5?
With Blockhead Thrower still hanging around, a meatball down the middle made the whole thing pointless.
In the end, it was a pretty mediocre skill for my current situation.
“Tch…”
I swallowed the mild disappointment and decided to check the awakened Blockhead Thrower.
If the wild pitches drop even a little… then the plate-discipline reduction might actually start mattering.
Heart fluttering just a bit, I opened the skill window.
— Passive —
◈ Fastball-type attributes increase by +5.
◈ Whiff rate on pitches inside the strike zone increases by 10%.
— Active: Full Throttle —
◈ When activated, every pitch is locked at maximum velocity. However, stamina consumption is doubled.
“……Whoa.”
The hellish Blockhead Thrower was gone. In its place sat Power Pitcher.
It was the kind of reward that washed away an entire day’s exhaustion—insanely, ridiculously sweet.