The First Challenge

Everyday for the next two weeks, I made sure to complete all my daily training. Prior to this, I could only perform 10 Press-ups in a go so I had to take short breaks 15 times before I got to 150. I could only 5 sit-ups in a go, so I was taking almost twenty breaks before getting to 160. Squat was a bit easier, though I still had to take 3 short breaks. By the second week, I was comfortably hitting 100 Press-up in a go without any rest, and everything else had become easier. 

'When did he become so built?' The nurse checking me out of the hospital said to her self while lusting over Sung Min's newly chiselled muscles and abs. 

"Ummm.... can I get your number?" The nurse asked while blushing hard. 

"Sure." Sung Min takes her phone and inputs his number into it. 

"Thank you, and I'll call you!" The nurse said with a smile as Sung Min walked out of the hospital. 

 For every daily training Sung Min completed, he was awarded 50 points, then an extra 2.5 point is added to his Stamina. Here is what his player stats now look like. 

[ Player Stats ]

☆ATTACK

* Crossing: 0/100

* Finishing: 50/100

* Heading Accuracy: 50/100

* Short Pass: 50/100

* Volley: 30/100

☆SKILL

*Dribbling: 30/100

*Curve: 30/100

*Freekick Accuracy: 30/100

*Long Pass: 0/100

*Ball Control: 50/100

☆POWER

*Shot Power: 60/100

*Jumping: 30/100

*Stamina: 30/100

*Strength: 35/100

*Long Shots: 0/100

☆MOVEMENT

*Acceleration: 70/100

*Sprint Speed: 100/100

*Agility: 30/100

*Reaction: 30/100

*Balance: 30/100

☆MENTAL

*Aggression: 0/100

*Interception: 0/100

*Attacking Positioning: 50/100

*Vision: 50/100

*Penalties: 0/100

*Composure: 0/100

First, he increased his Acceleration to 70 because he noticed that it takes him a long time before he hit top speed while running. If he tried that in a football pitch, before he actually get fast, the defenders will be all over him. With an increased Acceleration, he got faster, faster. Then he increased all the other skill he thought a good striker should have. 

 When he got home, everything was still the way he left it. The money Dayeun dropped on the table was still there, the house was still cold and the coffee cup he and Na-Ri drank out of was still sitting on the table. He sat down on the couch and turned on the television, his team was playing. Momyung vs Hawarang United. The score was 3 - 0, Momyung was losing. 

'Everyone is playing... everyone except Yuji." The team was playing the 4-4-2 formation, probably because the left winger Yuji wasn't available. All they did throughout the rest of the match was defend, their attack was dead. 

"And there goes the final whistle, it's three straight losses for Momyung Fc," the commentator, Takashi said, "if they continue this way, they are surely going to finish at last position again. For the fourth season in a row." 

 The players in the television exchanged pleasantries with each other, while Sung-Min browsed through his phone. Trying to see if his ex, Na-ri, called him once throughout his whole ordeal. There wasn't a single call a message or call from her. 

'What am I supposed to do with all this money.' He picked up the bundle of money on the table, counted it, and it amounted to Ten Million Won. 

'This is more than my salary for two years.' He sighed, walked back into his room, brought out an envelope and packed the money into the envelope. "I have to return this to them, but first..." A golden whistle appeared on his palm, he recieved as a reward after completing a daily training.

[ Blow into the whistle to unlock a new challenge ]

 He always receives little rewards like, Pencils, stockings, and bandages. The whistle was the only thing that looked very valuable from all the other rewards. 

He placed the tip of the whistle into his mouth to blow air into it, but a loud knock on his door stopped him mid way. He walked to the door and opened it, and it was Park Suh-Jun and Yung Ah In. The club's chairman and sporting director. 

"Wow, to what do I owe the surprise." Sung Min said as he ushered them in. 

"We looked for you at the hospital, but they told us you've already been discharged." The chairman said after they sat down. 

"Yes, I left today." 

"I see... hope you are doing better?" 

"Yes I am, to what do I owe this visit?" Sung-Min said with a nervous smile, he didn't even know that the chairman knew the way to his house, let alone visit him personally. "Hope I am not in any trouble." 

"No, ofcourse not." The chairman clears his throat with a gentle cough, "Normally, we have this discussion at my office. But because of your health, and not knowing for certain when you will return to the club. We had to come to your house in person before it is too late." 

"Okay..."

"We want to talk about your contract."

"What about it?" 

"The club has decided to terminate it."

"Wha?!" Sung-Min let out a scream in shock, "Why? I still have two years left, and I haven't done anything to breach it." 

Yung Ah In sat up, "The club has no money anymore, so we are trying to cut down on our expenses. If not, we will go bankrupt and then forced to shut down before the season ends." 

"You pay me 100,000 won per week (73 usd), I don't see how that will impact the financial situation of the club negatively nor positively." 

"We pay you to do nothing, all you do is sit on the bench 24/7. And we can not sell you to another club because no one wants you," The chairman taps Yung Ah on the shoulder with a frown on his face. 

"This isn't why I brought you here!" 

"I said too much sir, I apologise." Yung Ah pulled back to the couch while avoiding the cthehairman's stern glare at him. 

The chairman turned to Sung Min, "Please, pay no attention to him. We are just trying to cut costs no matter how little, so that the club cam be able to run till end of season. I apologise for any inconveniences, you can sue for breach of contract but I will simply declare bankruptcy and close down club. So doing that will only hurt your teammates and friends in the club."

"How long do I have left?" 

"Till the end of this month which is just in two weeks," 

The two got up and left the house, Sung Min barely felt anything after hearing that because has been expecting this to happen for a long time. His only surprise was that the chairman was nice, the man has always treated him like failed investment. That was actually the first time the man spoke to him since after he signed for the club 10 years ago. At some point, he convinced himself that the chairman has forgotten that he existed. 

'No need to worry, after my first game he's going to beg me to stay. This is a bad time to lose my job though, I don't think I have up to 20,000 won in my bank account. And I haven't paid my rent yet... I'm cooked.'

He took out the golden whistle, 'now let's see what this challenge is all about,' He blew air into the whistle and the whole scenery changed. 

The couch disappeared and he fell to the floor which is now covered of green grass instead of tiles. 

There is a mini goal post behind him, and then in front of him, both 6ft wide and 4ft high. He is also now wearing a different cloth, a football Jersey, white top and down with a white canvas. 

'Looks like i will be playing against someone this time.' 

Then a dude appears in front of the post facing Sung-Min, the man wore an all black Jersey. He had a ball in his hand. 

[ Challenge: Score 5 goals before your opponent, failure to do so will result in death. ] 

Sung Min stood to up and the man dropped the ball to the floor and started running towards him with the ball at his feet. 

'Score 5 goals before your opponent... I have to score while stopping him from scoring. And the goal post behind is mine, let's go.' 

 Sung Min rushes to where the man is to win the ball, but gets nutmegged (nutmeg is when someone kicks the ball in between you legs.) The man gets past Sung Min, pushes the ball forward to run faster. But Sung Min caught up Immidiately and kicked the ball off his feet, then he kicked the ball forward at the opposite direction, towards his opponents goal post. The two started running to where the ball is, Sung Min easily out paced him, and kicked the ball into his opponents net. He lifted his hand into the air, "Goalll!!!" He let out a smile, 'When did I become this good? Football actually seems easy right now." He walked back to his goal post, 'time to stop the next attack, this is easier than I expected.' 

[ Score: 1 - 0 ]

Another person appeared right in front of the post. 

[ Update: For every goal you score, another player will be added. ] 

"Huh???" 

The two opponents started to approach him with the ball. 

'How is this fair?!!! If I keep scoring I might face 5 people, that's half an entire squad!' 

The two are now close to him, 

'I can no longer charge them to win the ball, they'll just pass the ball around me and score. I have to wait for them to shoot either they score or I block the shot.' 

One of the opposing player took a shot and it instantly went into Sung Min's goal post. He couldn't even react to the shot, the only time he saw the ball was when it was already inside the goal post. 

[ Score: 1 - 1 ]

'The only weapon I have is my speed, every other thing is average, so I have to beat them with it.'

While the two opponents walked back to their goal post, the notice the ball fly past them then Sung Min dashed pass them like a breeze. Before they could dream of reaching him, Sung Min scored and he Immidiately ran back to his goal post while smirking. 

[ Score: 2-1 ] 

Another person appeared making them 3, 2 of then approached Sung-Min while 1 guarded the goal post. Sung Min remained at his goal post preparing to block a shot, which he didn't because they scored once again easily. 

[ Score: 2 - 2 ] 

The two started running back to avoid being caught by surprise again by Sung-Min, but that didn't help because Sung-Min once again ran past them with the ball at his feet. 

He met the last man 1 on 1, aimed for the top left, shot the ball and scored. 

[ Score: 3 - 2 ] 

The fourth person appeared, now two people approached Sung-Min while the other two guarded the goal post. They scored once again easily. 

[ Score: 3 - 3 ] 

 Sung-Min made his move Immidiately, ran past the two with the ball at his feet. Then he was blocked mid way by one of the opponent that was defending. Sung-Min halts with the ball to think of a plan.

'I can't dribble past him, I need to push the ball past him and outrun him too.' 

Sung Min kicked the ball forward and ran past the guy, but before he could reach the ball, the dude that was supposed to be defending the opposing goal post tackled Sung-Min by sliding and kicking the ball away from him. Before Sung-Min could react, the other person he just ran past kicked the ball farther into the air and the ball dropped at the feet of the two other guys that scored Sung-Min. They then kicked the into his goal post. 

[ Score: 3 - 4 ] 

[ WARNING: IF YOU CONCEDE 5 GOALS YOUR HEART WILL IMMIDIATELY STOP BEATING! ] 

'If I don't stop their next attack, I'm dead.' Sung Min felt shivers down to his spine, 'How the f*ck do I stop four people?!'