Chapter – Exchange Match
The debate over whether Guru would actually compete as a starter never ceased.
Accordingly, arguments about the extent of Hyeonak’s coaching authority also flared, but Jurim, as always, remained completely silent.
Resistance against Guru’s participation was strong, but at this point, replacing the coach was realistically impossible.
Thus, the Korean team lineup was finalized as: Gidan, Serhi, Lee Taemin, On Guru, and Jeong Chaerin (substitute).
And so, on the day of the exchange match—
The stadium was packed, not a single seat left empty.
Some had come to enjoy watching the rookies who would lead the Hunter world in the future. Others came to see how Hyeonak’s arrogance—having imposed a self-penalty—would be crushed. The chatter was lively.
In the waiting room, Guru stared at the giant screen that showed the cheering audience. Her mouth dropped open.
'That many people are here?'
Of course, for safety reasons, the match itself would take place on a separate field, with the scenes broadcast live onto the central screen in the stadium.
Thump-thump.
Guru, her heart trembling, grabbed tightly onto Taemin’s hand. Taemin, looking a bit nervous himself, smiled back at her.
Gidan and Serhi would surely do their part, so the two of them had promised to become each other’s partners this time.
At that moment, Jurim zipped up Guru’s Korean team uniform all the way to her chin and said,
“If you ever feel like you don’t want to do this, just tell me. It’s fine.”
Hugging the chick drone in her arms, Guru shook her head from side to side and spoke with determination.
“Gwuu wanna show dis to de Guhman team.”
Jurim let out a faint chuckle.
He recalled how Guru had spent the past several days groaning while fiddling with the drone.
Holding the silent toy, she had gone “Oooooong—” and “Whaaaang—” with her mouth, making so much noise that the sounds still lingered in his ears.
Now, Guru hugged the chick drone tightly against her chest, wearing a resolute expression.
She had insisted on keeping its functions secret, saying she wanted to unveil them inside the match. So all Jurim knew was that Guru had crafted it while gritting her teeth.
It hadn’t even been test-run properly, so it didn’t have a grade yet. He ought to be worried whether it would function at all in a live match...
But Jurim admitted to himself that, no matter the trouble she caused, he had a fundamental trust in Guru.
It was similar to the trust he once had in his brother. A certainty that she would somehow manage.
Even knowing she might appear to be a heavy burden in this match, he hadn’t stopped her.
Because he believed she would pull it off.
And if she did, public opinion would flip in an instant.
“Alright.”
When Jurim nodded, Guru beamed.
“They say it’s time to go in now.”
Gidan entered the waiting room with a grin alongside the staff.
“Hunters, please make your entrance.”
After checking Guru’s shoelaces and uniform one last time, Jurim followed behind the children as they headed for the field.
Just then, the German team came out as well, walking side by side with the Korean team down the passage.
Jurim felt two piercing stares and turned his head slightly.
One belonged to Thomas Kunz, the German team’s coach. It wasn’t strange for him to burn with fighting spirit—he’d always carried an inferiority complex toward Jurim.
The other was... Lea Müller?
'...Why?'
When their eyes met, Lea glared fiercely at Jurim, then quickly turned her head away.
Jurim truly had no idea why she reacted like that, question marks filling his mind as he slipped into the coaching zone.
Soon, the German and Korean teams emerged from the tunnel, facing each other as the roar of the crowd erupted from the screen.
“Waaaaaaaah!!”
Before the cheers poured down like a waterfall, Gidan raised a protective barrier around Guru.
He was worried she might be startled and nervous.
With a crooked grin, Gidan asked,
“Guru-guru, ready?”
“Yeshhh—!”
Guru raised her little fist high, and the camera zoomed in on her face.
Though she couldn’t hear it inside the barrier, the audience erupted in another wave of cheers.
Gidan nodded with satisfaction.
'A cute baby always means victory.'
Then, from across the way, the German team’s captain sneered through a translation device.
“So today, Gidan came as a babysitter?”
Gidan snickered.
“Scared you’ll lose to a cute babysitter?”
“Which one are you calling cute?”
When the German captain glanced between Gidan and Guru, Gidan pointed to himself. The captain’s face twisted in disgust.
“Ugh!”
“Let’s have a good match.”
Still chuckling, Gidan extended his hand.
The German captain gripped it, face hardening..
Korea was a powerhouse among powerhouses.
In previous exchange matches, the teams had been close, but Korea had always held the upper hand.
But this time...
“We’re not losing.”
Gidan playfully shook the drone that Guru was clutching tightly.
“Our lil’ Chick Dwon-kun’ll show you.”
Guru, however, declared solemnly,
“His name is Mephisto Series mk.3.”
When the German captain burst into laughter, Gidan only shrugged.
And with that handshake concluded, the two teams moved to their starting points on the field, and the match began.
“Before the match even starts, sparks are flying between the teams.”
The commentators spoke while watching the introductions.
“This is unusual.”
“Bringing a kindergartener onto the Korean team seems to have really provoked Germany. I can almost hear them saying, ‘You’re looking down on us like this? Then we can’t afford to lose.’ Oh! Now the players are taking their positions. Is the whistle coming? This is the moment that really makes your heart pound. No signs of nervousness from the Korean team. Yes! The match begins!”
The exchange match was held on a massive field. The starting points lay at opposite ends, with crumbling buildings like a war-torn city. Toward the center, the terrain turned into dense forest.
The camera panned to the central forest, showing monsters pulsing with mana.
Scattered across the field were regular monsters and boss monsters alike. The rules were simple: whichever team accumulated more contribution points by defeating monsters within the time limit would win.
Then the camera caught an unusual movement from the German team.
The commentators couldn’t hide their surprise.
“Huh? The German team is heading straight for a boss.”
“The standard strategy is to take down regular monsters first to stack team buffs, then go after the boss. That way, your accuracy is corrected and you can prevent misses. But Germany—without hesitation—is going straight for the boss.”
“Oh, and Lea Müller activates a skill! Six wings spread out, shielding her teammates—that must be the famous blessing.”
“Indeed. With an S-Rank buff like that, they’re confident enough to skip the early team buffs. You can feel their conviction.”
And Germany’s confidence was no arrogance.
On the top of the screen, the boss’s red HP gauge plummeted in an instant as the German team seized the initiative.
Furthermore, when the boss, Priest Riela, spread poison pits, the German team evaded in perfect °• N v l i g h t •° unison, drawing exclamations from the commentators.
“Wow! Their teamwork is amazing. It’s breathtaking, like watching a single body in motion.”
“Usually, less experienced teams waste HP falling into those poison pits. But not them—not a trace of it.”
[‘Germany’ has defeated Phase 1 Boss ‘Priest Riela (Left).’]
There were three bosses in Phase 1.
[‘Germany’ has defeated Phase 1 Boss ‘Sad Crown (Left).’]
While Korea had not yet taken down a single Phase 1 boss, Germany had already claimed two, pulling far ahead.
“The Korean team members are individually strong, but their support line is shaky, so they have no choice but to build buffs first. That’s why Phase 1 is flowing poorly for them compared to Germany.”
“Still, there are four phases in total. The result isn’t decided yet.”
The camera cut to the Korean supporters in the stands, their faces tense with worry.
Both teams were skilled at boss raids. The decisive factor would be speed.
If the gap opened wide early, it would be impossible to close later.
“It’s a speed battle, yes, but the later phases matter too. So our team can afford to build steadily at first.”
“Exactly. Playing it straight and by the book—without tricks—can also be a strategy.”
Just as the commentators were straining to sound hopeful—
“The Korean team must’ve known they’d lose the early fight, but... huh? What’s that?”
One after another, notifications popped up on the screen.
[‘Korea’ has defeated Phase 1 Boss ‘Priest Riela (Right).’]
[‘Korea’ has defeated Phase 1 Boss ‘Sad Crown (Right).’]
[‘Korea’ has defeated Phase 1 Boss ‘Aether Knight (Right).’]
[‘Korea’ has entered Phase 2.]

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