Weeding Out the Dead Weight
Who the hell was this rookie who rolled in out of nowhere? And then he had the nerve to point out every single flaw, one by one: "You guys really suck."
It was only natural that few could hold back when he went that far, straight-up provoking them.
"Scared? You done talking shit?"
Even then, Lee Chang-hyun just smirked and whistled mockingly. Things nearly escalated to grabbing collars, but since they were all hunters, and there was a better way to settle it properly, the fight was put on hold for the moment.
"Fine... we'll see you in the arena."
Fighting outside the arena would've turned into a total mess on its own, and the Hunter Association slapped massive penalties for that kind of thing.
Soon, the group arrived at the Hunters League Seoul Municipal Stadium. With regular training sessions already scheduled, booking a practice room wasn't hard.
And the moment they got there, Lee Chang-hyun opened his mouth again.
"Anybody got a problem? Come at me all at once."
"Ha, this cocky little punk must be dying to get wrecked."
Despite his taunts, only three actually stepped up to fight. The rest just averted their eyes or clicked their tongues.
Were they lacking confidence? Or just not in the mood for a scrap?
But he didn't see those holdouts in a positive light either.
'If they're that low-level and still swallow the insult without a peep, they just lack competitive drive.'
Either way, it felt like a total disaster of a team.
"Oh, and just so we're clear—you said you wanted to get beat, so no turning off the pain settings, right? Let's crank 'em both to max."
"Tch."
For reference, since 2nd and 3rd division matches were in VR, pain feedback in the practice room could be adjusted as needed. Better to spell it out upfront.
No point in beating the crap out of them if the pain wasn't on—it wouldn't teach the lesson.
"You better bring it yourself if you don't wanna get crushed."
At least their pride was still intact, grabbing at every word.
'Come to think of it, this guy's the one who charged in solo and died during that last match.'
A quick scan with Piercing Eye showed his stats were even lower than that loudmouth Jin Han from the audition show. Proof he'd been slacking on training.
'Sure, I'm behind him in a few stats myself... but that's just 'cause I only started hunting again after regressing not long ago.'
And not only that—the skill looked solid, but he clearly wasn't using it right.
"What the hell's this guy saying? Acting all high and mighty like some new kid..."
Another one muttering darkly.
"Coach, check out this punk's attitude. Why'd you bring someone like him?"
One straight-up complaining to the coach.
The other two? Nothing worth noting in stats or skills.
'Can't even fathom how they made a pro team.'
Setup was quick, and the sparring arena was ready in no time. The field was a standard urban map, City Street A—nothing special. With duel settings starting them face-to-face, the map barely mattered.
And right on cue at the start...
Boom!
Yi Gil-han, the hulking brute, kicked things off with his charge.
'But anyone who watched that match could've predicted it.'
This Yi Gil-han type clearly didn't give a damn about team synergy—just barreled in on his one good skill, Explosive Charge: B+. First move had to be a charge.
He dodged backward like he'd seen it coming, but—thud! The charge halted abruptly, unleashing a shockwave in all directions.
Caught in the blast, he launched into the air in an instant. Yi Gil-han grinned savagely.
'He probably thinks he's got me now...'
But mid-air, he spawned an Air Anchor behind him and shot backward. Yi Gil-han's follow-up charge whiffed into empty space.
The moment distance opened...
Bang!
"Argh!"
The gunshot took out one first, piercing Yi Gil-han's head. He caught the shocked faces of the other two, lagging behind the charge.
"That’s gotta sting."
This was harsh medicine.
***
It didn't take long to flatten all three. No real coordination—they were basically one-by-one executions.
Not even a fight; just a one-sided beatdown.
Maybe that's why the other teammates watching from the back now looked at him differently. He could feel it.
The beaten ones averted their eyes, reacting coldly.
'Yeah... this ain't a real team.'
It solidified his resolve to cut out the rot. Good thing.
"Ugh..."
"Ah—pain's on, and we had that bet, right? Losers leave the team."
"That was just you saying..."
"Get out."
"No..."
"If you wanna stick around and get more ass-kickings from the new guy, be my guest."
At that, the two stood up.
"Hey... hey, let's go."
And just like that, he successfully booted them.
Yeah. That was your last chance, for real.
Yi Gil-han, though—the one who'd raged the hardest—clenched his fists and stayed. Unexpected.
"Hey, didn't you hear me? Not leaving?"
He patted the head-hung Yi Gil-han's shoulder. The guy looked up, face beet-red, lips bitten bloody and dripping.
Then he spoke.
"Sorry..."
Hoo... But Lee Chang-hyun had no intention of letting it slide that easy.
This team needed a complete overhaul, heaven and earth flipped.
Sure, this one had the most potential of the three... but words were words.
So he pretended not to hear.
"What'd you say?"
"I'm sorry! My fault. I screwed up completely, so can you give me one pass on leaving the team?"
Oof... voice like thunder, startlingly loud.
'He's resolved...'
Tougher spine than expected. Strong pride, yet begging like this? No small determination.
Seeing someone actually useful in this trash team willing to stick it out shook him a bit.
Or maybe he was just moved by the resolve.
"Why should Yi Gil-han, who can't even beat a fresh rookie hunter, stay on this team? Got a reason?"
"I... I've got good skills. You dismantled it easy, but I'm confident in my ability. Isn't that... enough...?"
Voice trailed off at the end, lacking conviction... but spot on.
"Then what's the point? If you can't even use it right. You don't have to listen to me or anything. But you'll just rampage solo like last match and die. Right?"
"Then... I'll listen to you. That not enough?"
At least he had some sense.
"Not listen to me—only listen to me. Eh, I could call this match a no-contest if you want."
"For real?"
Might've just been words. But with usable skills, Lee Chang-hyun decided to invest a little hope.
'In this useless bunch, with no budget for big signings, he could be the first pillar...'
Whether it was smart? Time would tell.
***
After that purge, kicking two out of seven players, he naturally had to hustle nonstop to fill the spots.
Lee Jong-gyu, the scout-coach, offered to hunt talent too, but Lee Chang-hyun didn't trust his scouting much.
Cold-called a bunch, but results were meh.
Sigh... yeah, people stuff was never easy.
He'd braced for it, but frustrating when even good offers got shot down.
Yoo Hye-ju had sky-high potential despite the audition beatings—really wanted her.
Next up...
While crossing names off the list, an unexpected contact popped up.
'...'
Yoon Han-gyeol reaching out? First reaction: what the?
He was already an ace on Seoul Municipal Academy's 1st team—poaching him seemed impossible.
Team vibe, rankings, facilities, vision—PER lost on every front.
Maybe just fishing... but his gut said otherwise. Felt good.
Hard to explain, but Yoon Han-gyeol had always seemed oddly fond of him.
'Well, he did play exactly my style— no wonder I liked it.'
Not for nothing he'd been a star pre-regression.
Fair point. No offer mattered without team fit.
The good-vibes guy from the audition was circling back.
'Contract not done yet, but...'
Just knowing he was interested was a big win.
Yoon Han-gyeol was a heavy hitter among rookies—generous terms needed, budget tight... but unavoidable.
And word spread fast about PER recruiting. Surprising contacts poured in, especially from Seoul Municipal Academy.
'Something up at the academy...?'
Not his business. But gratifying all the same.
Short on bodies to field a team, and solid rookies hitting him up? Couldn't help smiling.
Even Han Ji-su, who'd gotten wrecked by him before and might hold a grudge.
Kim Do-jun boldly negotiating terms upfront.
At least it felt like he hadn't wasted his post-regression life.
'Start with the best roster I can afford on a shoestring—build from there.'
And so his first team life began.