Chapter 43
Translator 8uhl
Chapter 43
Chapter Title Marked by the Monster
Isnt that kid messing around with his age?
Coach Lee Junghoos voice rang out.
It was plenty suspicious.
If that guy tackles you, youre losing a leg for sure.
Ryu Junseo stuck out his tongue as he said it.
In fact, countless people had gotten hurt clashing physically with Weißtiger.
What else had they called him in Korea besides monster or White Tiger?
Oh, right.
Hed gotten nicknames like human weapon or the Advancing Titan, too.
But personally, the most perfect way to describe the guy was that one.
Just a wall. The wall itself.
With motivation a bit deflated, the match kicked off.
But his gaze kept turning my way.
I moved around here and there just in case, but like a CCTV camera, his eyes tracked only me.
Looks like Munich had ordered him to manmark me.
Ugh, that monster on me oneonone.
No thanks.
I subtly dropped the line to put some distance between us.
He was manmarking, but apparently no orders to follow me out of positionhe didnt come down here.
Seizing the gap, I received a pass from Gong Sehwan.
I spun my body and quickly scanned the opponents half.
Their defensive line was unexpectedly loose.
Theyd pushed the entire line high up, leaving just two defenders at the back while everyone else was in aggressive spots.
Id said I came down to avoid Weißtiger, but that was part of it, too.
Our midfield and attacking lines were under heavy pressure and couldnt advance the ball forward.
If I hadnt dropped, thered have been no way to connect to the front line.
We had to move the ball up as fast as possible before the players whod pushed up for pressure could recover.
Still in possession, I drove down the flank, searching for Lee Sungho and Kim Hyojun.
Kim Hyojun, whod pushed Ryu Junseo out and was starting for once, was eagerly hovering in front of the fullback, full of fight.
Lee Sungho was...
That crazy bastard.
He was right next to Weißtiger, bold as brass.
Of course, he wasnt actually insane enough to stand there for fun.
He was there to pin down Weißtigers feet.
I had to move quick before Weißtiger shook him off and came after me.
Ignoring the markers on Ryu Junseo and Lee Sungho, one centerback and a fullback closed in to check me.
The side opened up wide and empty.
Like they were straightup saying, Come down the wing and cross it in.
Yeah.
They were confident.
No matter how many crosses you put in, you werent beating that monster in the air and scoring.
And in fact, not a single soul from a youth teamlet alone a senior sidehad ever won an aerial duel against that beast.
That didnt mean goals never went in.
With some luck, you might sneak one past without going through him.
It had probably happened before.
Some might gamble on that.
But I had no interest in picking a lowprobability fight against enemies whod set up perfectly and handed me the space on a platter.
Better to thread between those two whod narrowed the central space than go wide.
Decision made, I ramped up the speed and charged.
The centerback and fullback just checked me without lunging forward recklessly.
They knew my 1v1 breakthrough success rate was skyhigh.
They figured theyd buy time until reinforcements dropped back. No way Id let that happen.
I dug my toes in and sprinted full tilt.
No matter how far they backpedaled, there was a line they couldnt cross.
Theyd researched methey knew my scoring rate inside the penalty area, too.
No chance theyd let me in there.
Sure enough.
Just as Id predicted, the opposing centerback and fullback couldnt give more ground. The quicker of the twothe fullbackcame at me.
With the fullback right in my grill, I feinted right. Seeing him bite, I stopped dead and switched left.
The fullback twisted to grab me, but he was a halfbeat slow.
But it wasnt over.
As I shook the fullback loose to the left, the centerback was waiting, blocking my path.
That smug look screaming, Youre not going anywhere.
Didnt sit right with me.
I flashed a grin back and moved my legs.
Right?
Or left?
Which way?
Every time I teased the ball, his eyes darted wildly.
My choice straight ahead.
No stoppingI charged him, ghosting past with La Croqueta.
All that swagger, and you go down to a single La Croqueta.
Alright, now just the goal...
Urk!
My head went thunk! like itd been smacked.
Felt like a car had barreled into my side.
Since my rebirth, Id never once gone down dribblingnot even to my kneesand now I wasnt just kneeling, I was launched, tumbling across the turf.
Owww...
Letting out a groan like some old geezer way past my years, I got up and eyed the car thatd hit me.
Hmph.
The monster blew air out his nose at me, looking utterly disdainful.
Hey, that bodys straightup cheating, right?
Oh, does he not speak English?
...Its the body you gave me. What do you want?
Nah, hes fluent.
Thick German accent, sure, but way better than some French drawl.
Lucky bastard, born with that physique.
What was that? Which language was that in?
My native tongue, asshole.
Where you from? China? Japan?
This prick knows and hes playing dumb.
Korea.
From some puny little country like that, huh.
He sneered down at me.
I didnt bother replying.
I knew it was deliberate provocation.
He figured hed bulldoze everything with that body, but he had every tool a defender needed.
Physicality, defensive skill, mentality, leadership, brains. Even the right dose of fouls and trash talk to get under your skin.
Impressive guy.
With that huge frame glued to your back, pinching your butt or whatever to rattle you, all while spewing curses.
Hey, you gonna last the rest of the game with that girly little body?
After his charge had drawn a foul, with Choi Jiwoo setting up the free kick, I stood on the line eyeing the ball when he sidled up, poked my ribs, and started yapping.
Sorry, your English accents so garbage I cant make it out. Shut up and fuck off?
What? You saying mines worse? Sounds like chingchongchingchang to me.
Slippery bastard, slipping in racist jabs.
Nothing provokes like that.
No mics in a kids game like thiscant prove shit in pro matches either.
If I complained, hed just deny it.
Yeah, deny it and thats that.
So.
You started it?
Oh, didnt catch that?
Yeah, your accents too trash. Chingchongchingchang
Thats cause your Germanonly ears are filtering it. What I said was...
Right then, Choi Jiwoo was set for the free kick, whistle blew.
As he approached and swung his leg...
Youre a Hitlerloving racist Nazi cocksucker.
......!!
I dropped the ultimate tabooworse than any dark wizardand his body froze stiff.
I didnt miss the beat, bolting from him to where the ball would drop.
I weaved through two defenders.
Slapped away grabbing hands, dodged legs thrust out slyly, and clocked the balls spot.
In the crowd of bodies, it was Lee Sungho stretching highest for the dropping ball.
Those days when Europe towered over everyone? Ancient history, decades back.
Lee Sungho held his own against Germans with overwhelming physicality and natural aerial instinct.
He soared highest, nodded it my way with a quick glance.
I chipped it up off my right instep.
A Munich players boot sliced empty air in the open space, and as the ball rose again, I swung my right foot once more.
No need for power.
Just precision into the keepers blind spot, bottom right corner.
Sebastian Weißtiger stared at Yoon Taeyang in shock.
Hitler? In this world?
Had he heard right?
He approached as Taeyang, stonefaced even after scoring, brushed off the charging Korean players and walked to the halfway line.
Hey, that what I think I heard?
What?
You didnt just say Hitler?
What?
Hitler?
Murmurs rippled around.
Half the kids here didnt speak English, but every German player knew that name.
Whatre you on about?
You called me Hitler earlier.
Man, you drop racist shit on me, then twist it like Im the one saying it?
What? When did I?!
You were chingchonging at me the whole time! Shocked the hell out of me. Thought Munich encouraged that racist crap.
No way!
Taeyang just beamed brightly back at his heated self.
That smile was so bright it sent chills down his spine.
Step up your amateur provocations, buddy. They aint landing at all.
Something mature in those words made Weißtiger realize this little kid wasnt ordinary.
Not just some talented punk, huh?
Taeyang shot back with a scoff at Weißtigers words.
Isnt that you? Green kid with nothing but godgiven physique and talent.
Funny guy.
Yeah, to you boringass Germans, I must seem hilarious.
Didnt lose a single exchange.
Weißtiger shook his head and headed back to position.
Hed tried to rattle the mentality and got burned instead.
Fine. Focus and shut him down with skill.
The match resumed.
Munich pushed the line high, pinned Korea down, took possession, and hunted gaps.
Solid defensive organization for a national team.
Makes senseif you lack individual quality, you drill the structure.
Theyd probably tightened it up against the previous three teams.
But that was their limit.
Once the Koreans started pounding the goal with cannon shots and exploiting space relentlessly, Munich began to wobble.
Munich didnt panic.
They clawed and bit, wearing the prey down until it collapsed.
Then, when the wound gaped in a fatal spot, the white tiger stepped up and sank his fangs in.
Bang!
An unbelievable midrange monster from overwhelming physicalitya knuckleball free kick.
Hit dead center, no spin, zigzagging wildly before abruptly dropping right in front of the keeper, bouncing once off the turf, then ripping the net.
ROOOARRRR!
Yeah, thats the stuff.
Roaring after his goal, Weißtiger was a beast incarnate.
He savored those monster stares.
Postcelebration, he soaked in the gazes looking up at him.
But one guy.
Yoon...
The little Asian whod flipped his taunt into a nastier mindfuck after his provocation was strolling to halfway line, same blank face as after his goal.
Like his strike meant nothing.
Interesting.
His competitive fire blazed.