Advancing Forward, Changing
Passion. A fine word. It's the virtue every player needs most.
But honestly, once that passion ignites, it doesn't last forever. That's why I believe something even more crucial is the motivation that keeps you pushing through the grind day after day.
The funny thing is, motivation isn't as simple as it seems. Even if hunting is your dream, after grinding ten hours of personal training and practice games every single day, most people eventually slip into autopilot, just going through the motions.
In that sense, I have to admit my pre-regression life probably wasn't 100% packed with fire either.
I wasn't slacking, but as wins piled up and years as a pro hunter dragged on, some complacency was inevitable.
That's why I put so much stock in finding ways to reignite that drive, to keep the flames roaring...
Who knew they'd go all out like this...
This entire floor was practically built for sustaining player motivation.
"This floor is dedicated to exhibitions. Mostly display cases and pedestals. And you can guess what goes in them, right?"
The guide flashed a bright smile. A few players hesitated at her words, but curiosity won out for some.
Of course, they weren't blunt enough to ask outright what it was for.
"So, how many trophies fit in here anyway?"
Kim Do-jun grinned with interest.
"The cases hold about twenty. The other spots are for player uniforms, memorabilia, framed photos of past team members—things like that."
"Twenty, huh..."
Kim Do-jun flexed his fingers, as if counting the trophies one season could snag.
"Nah, even if a top Korean First Division team sweeps the whole year—including the international league—that's only four."
True to form, he'd picked only the majors: Spring League, Summer League, the national showdown in between, and the grand finale international league. Four big ones.
Filling the cases with just those would take a clean sweep every time—at least five years. And the fact he was already picturing himself solo-filling them? Wild.
"Haha, you picked the majors, but there are plenty of other trophy events too."
True enough. No trophies in Third Division, but the Second Division league they were challenging this year had its own winner's cup. Whatever—Do-jun, go nuts and fill this place with your hardware. Having a spot like this was a solid motivator for the others.
If it was already stacked, you'd think, Hey, I could add one of mine... If empty, I wanna be the first to put one up...
Right now, maybe not, but as the team edged closer to contention, it'd fire everyone up.
"Looks like you've seen enough, so let's head up to the fourth floor."
The third floor had meaning, sure, but it was basically empty space. The tour didn't take long, and they moved right on up.
Stairs led straight into a massive living room dominated by a TV that had to be several meters wide. But unlike the open lower floors, this space felt cozier—thanks to the rows of private rooms crammed in.
"The fourth floor is for player living quarters. We focused on comfort and rest areas."
Passing the spacious living room, they entered a private room: king-sized bed, personal dressing area.
"We splurged on the bedding for real recovery, but kept it minimal otherwise. Personal space, so we left room for your own touches."
"Whoa..."
The team was genuinely impressed.
"Man, takes me back to our old dump—feels all fresh now. Am I seeing this right? We made it big!"
Decent home, sure, but "made it big"? Win some matches, hit First Division—that's big. Kim Do-jun's goofy line drew laughs anyway. Good stuff was good.
Meanwhile, Yoon Han-gyeol was thrilled for a different reason.
"Hey, no more bunking with you? Sweet."
"What? You said you liked it."
"Wasn't bad, but your snoring made me wanna plug my nose."
Explained the bags under his eyes before some matches.
Better facilities should boost match readiness too.
The fourth floor was just spacious and comfy—no wild features. What really grabbed attention was elsewhere.
"This room's a dedicated massage lounge for downtime. Top-tier chairs, hammocks, white noise generators for recharging."
"Damn, this is the life. First massage chair since that jjimjilbang years ago."
Team ignored the ongoing spiel, plopping into chairs one by one to melt away.
"Glad you're liking it. Basement one's got gym showers and a sauna too—check that later."
"Sauna too...!"
Most gasped here. Probably flashing back to Third Division hell: no baths, seven guys in a three-room house—not cramped, but no pro hunter digs. First real league team home hit different.
Sauna's novel for me too...
Minus that, it matched First Division standards. PER was fresh Second Division promotees, so comparing to big First Division squads was unfair—but still impressive.
Tour continued: fifth for coaches and staff, sixth empty for future expansion.
Move-in and intro wrapped smoothly. Bags unpacked amid rowdy vibes. No one planned it, but a modest team home party raged all night.
The next day after the low-key team bash? Non-stop chaos.
Kitchen, practice areas—empty yesterday—suddenly swarmed by cooks and facility staff hauling gear. Second Division promo meant admin avalanche: roster filings, league office visits, contracts, re-signings...
Overwhelmed. No clue what half entailed—just reacting to tips.
Thought I'd play forever... not run paperwork...
Third Division had rails laid; this was wild west.
Ha... what now? Never done this. Call President Lee Geun-taek?
Mulling in the coach's office, Kim Seong-jun knocked.
"Good morning, Director."
"Ah... yeah."
Weird having an older guy so formal. Why the visit?
"We skipped this yesterday amid the tour. Facility management isn't my main gig—primary is PER admin support."
Damn... pros think ahead.
Leman must've prepped him knowing this'd hit.
"Tons to handle. You soloing it?"
"I'm the on-site guy, but got backups downstairs. No worries."
Whew. Even a leaky team like ours couldn't dump this on teen-me alone. Relief.
"So I just handle league-direct stuff?"
"Basically, yeah... but..."
"But...?"
"Few things on you too. New season, I'm the newbie here."
He slid over a stack: PER player profiles, evals, reports. Blanks on contracts, salaries, options.
"New season means re-signs. Need intent, salary asks, options."
"...Me?"
He caught my grimace.
"No pressure. No need for hard negotiations. Just casual feelers on re-sign willingness, rough ranges. And..."
"And?"
Kim Seong-jun gave a wry smile, pausing.
"Before asking players, your stance on re-signing each matters, right?"
Polite way of saying: not re-signing everyone. And cuts? On me.
True... can't keep 'em all...
Third Division roots meant some had zilch potential. Better trades for benchwarmers when new blood came.
Even now, some barely registered in games.
Objective truth, but picking cuts? Breath-catcher. Me, lifetime player, telling another: You're done here.
But leading this team meant facing it. To advance, you shed weight. Life's rule.
"Tough to say it direct... you ready?"
Kim Seong-jun eyed my face carefully.
"Gotta do the hard stuff sometime."