Genius Archer’s Streaming - Chapter 870
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The national championship began with winter.
We all believed we’d return to Korea before winter ended.
Yet we remained in Japan until spring was in full bloom.
Despite it not being summer, Japan’s late spring was remarkably hot.
One day, Soyeon sprawled out in the pavilion set up on the training grounds and said something.
“Ah, it was summer.”
Now it’s a spring that feels like summer, but back then it was truly the height of summer.
It was that kind of scorching midsummer, with sunlight piercing down like arrows through the brilliant green leaves.
Because of that, the archery team became even busier.
Summer was the season for archery, since muscles loosen easily and bowstrings grow slack in the heat.
But no matter how much the archery team’s players trained, summer was still summer.
It was incredibly hot.
I mumble while shoving a mouthful of ice cream into my mouth.
“It wasn’t summer—it’s still going on.”
“Do you know what this is?”
“…?”
“It appears often in manga.”
“Does it appear in the middle of summer in manga too?”
“Yeah. But it’s something you say after some massive event ends? After you realize that dreamy summer night has completely passed?”
“So we’re just beginning now.”
Actually, that was true.
We hadn’t even entered the archery tournament yet. Summer was still in full swing.
She had soaked up so much sun that her face was flushed with heat as she sat up and changed the subject.
“In Japan, they have fireworks at summer festivals. Did you know?”
I nod.
Even though I’m clueless about everything except archery, I knew about Japan’s summer fireworks festivals.
They appear in so many places.
“I’ve never been to Japan. I wonder what it’s like to see it in person?”
Even though it’s the country right next door, I’ve never been there either.
What would it feel like to see fireworks embroidered across a summer night sky?
“After seeing that, I thought, ‘It was summer~'”
Then I understood.
She had brought it up to talk about the fireworks.
“Let’s go see it later.”
“!?”
Why is she acting like this today?
Soyeon mutters to herself and whips her head around.
“Who said you’d go see it with me?”
“Huh… Then with who?”
I let out a soft chuckle watching him as his pupils trembled.
“Where are you planning to go?”
“Japan is famous, isn’t it?”
“Hey. How could we possibly go to Japan!”
“Why not? It’s right next door.”
“What do you mean you want to go to Greece with me and Japan too?”
“That’s the Olympics. Japan is still far from hosting the Olympics.”
My gaze lingered briefly on Soyeon’s lips as she swallowed the last of her ice cream in one gulp.
She shook her head vigorously, then suddenly cried out.
“I can’t go. I won’t go!”
“…?”
Soyeon jumped up and ran away.
“Where are you going!”
“To class! You’ll be late if you don’t run!”
Come to think of it, when did time slip away like this?
I snapped to attention and began running.
Thump-thump-thump-thump!
The midday sun over the small athletic field within the high school had transformed into night at a grand stadium.
Sanghyeon, now an adult, was still running.
Boom-burst!
Fireworks exploded across the dark sky of the stadium.
The summer night fireworks she had spoken of.
He continued running, treading across the grass that shimmered with five colors of light.
“Joseon…!”
The commentators’ voices rang out, and the roar of the audience erupted so loudly it seemed to shake the entire neighborhood.
“Joseon has defeated Rome, who was evaluated as the strongest in this tournament! They have won the international championship aaaaaaaaa!!!”
Sanghyeon kept running.
His teammates had gathered beside him.
Without anyone needing to lead, they rushed toward the audience stands.
“Waaaaaaaaaaa!!”
A thunderous roar, brilliant fireworks.
Boom-burst!
Boom!
Five colors of light spread across Sanghyeon’s eyes.
Even as the brightness stung, I didn’t close them.
I didn’t want to miss a single moment.
‘Forever….’
I knew it.
Certain moments in life stay with you forever.
And this moment was one of them.
‘I’ll remember this.’
The Genius Archer’s Streaming Season 4 Episode 001
1. I’ll Remember This (1)
Like everything else, the beginning was nothing special.
[Kim Chi Warrior: Are you perhaps interested in the international championship?]
Someone happened to discover Sanghyeon playing Civil Empire.
And at that moment, Sanghyeon had an attachment—not quite an attachment, but something close—to representing his country.
Though it wasn’t officially recognized by the government, and the team name was ‘Joseon’ rather than ‘South Korea’.
Either way, he was captivated by the idea of competing against other nations with a bow in hand.
It was an unpopular game, but the process was far from easy.
Practice hours were long, and Juhyeok had continuously opposed it.
“It’s too much for you. You’re doing well as a variety game streamer. It’s already difficult showing one game for so long.”
But there was little way to stop Sanghyeon once he’d made his decision.
Knowing this, even Juhyeok refrained from saying much once serious practice began.
There were plenty of incidents even during the practice period.
I still remember the initial atmosphere.
Many people found Almond difficult to work with or struggled to accept him.
Though it was an unpopular game domestically, the international championship was a competition that gathered only highly skilled players from Civil M.
So it was incomprehensible that they’d brought someone they’d never seen in the rankings.
But Chiseung and Hee-cheol both knew.
It might be a distant prospect.
But someday this person would save our team.
Actually telling everyone about that belief directly came much later.
But Sanghyeon sensed it vaguely even without being told.
That there were people who believed in him.
After that, Sanghyeon gradually distinguished himself in practice matches, and the players one by one opened their hearts.
Since they were teammates fighting the same battles repeatedly, they became close faster than expected.
Gradually they became one.
Everyone ran toward a single goal.
It was a long, long race.
“Joseon! Overwhelms France so easily! We report the first victory of the preliminaries!”
“Joseon defeats even Espana! How is this even happening!?”
“It’s not just winning! The gameplay is so good! Especially the mastery of the fast archer rush is insane!? You can’t defend against it even knowing it’s coming!?”
“Ah! Joseon couldn’t beat Rome, but! They advance to the main tournament! Yesssssss!”
The battles in the preliminaries.
And advancing to the main tournament.
“No matter how hard we try, we can’t keep up! Why can’t we keep up with this!!”
“No, wait~ I’m not an archer!? Hold on! I am an archer!? Huh? Ta-da. I’m not an archer!? Oh seriously! I am an archer! Actually, I’m not?”
“Valhallaaaaaaaaaaa!!”
“Joseon!! You absolute dogs ahhhhh!!!”
Victory against the Vikings, 2-0.
“Ah! Kenin! Is this the final moment of the archer deemed strongest!? Isn’t this settling the hierarchy!?”
“I have a feeling Kenin’s going to buy bread for everyone after this match!?”
“Aaaah! The, the fortress just had a massive breakthrough!? As the walls crumbled, they all fell unconscious! That’s essentially death!? Joseon!”
“I told you elephants are terrifying!? This! They just suddenly all die!!”
“This is truly the final battle, isn’t it!? It’s not easy!”
Victory against Persia, 2-1.
“Aaaah! This time Daisunsin Choi has taken the field as a starter!?”
“I am! Joseon’s! National mother!!”
“The, the Supreme Commander!? The Supreme Commander is fighting right now!!!”
“Almond! Almond has drawn his bow! Finally!”
“There’s nothing else for it, this──”
──Boom!
The match against Japan ended with just a single arrow from Sanghyeon.
Victory 3-2.
Then the match against China, 3-0.
The long-awaited finals against Rome.
Against opponents Joseon had never defeated even once in the preliminaries, they achieved a 3-1 victory.
“Joseon! Joseon has surpassed Rome and won the international championship!!”
Even Rome, the final obstacle, had fallen.
* * *
Before them stretched only a long, glittering carpet.
“Ladies and gentlemen! Please welcome them with all your heart! From the preliminaries through the round of 32, 16, 8—not a single easy match! Breaking through all of it! These players now stand here!”
The fierce battles that came before, the victories, defeats, suffering, and joy.
After today passes, all of it will become merely memories.
“South Korea’s! Proud!”
Yet, precisely because of that, it will endure forever.
It will be etched into everyone’s hearts.
“The players of the international championship!!”
That they were once those players who achieved an impossible championship.
Whiiiiiiish──
The podium appears amid white smoke, and the carpet stretches long.
The players stand at its end.
Thud!
All the lights illuminate them at once.
“Waaaaaaaaaah!!”
The audience erupts in cheers.
Once more, brilliant fireworks burst forth, and camera flashes explode in succession.
Hee-cheol, standing at the front, begins to move forward, pushing his wheelchair.
“Cookie! Cookie! Cookie!”
The crowd chanted his name.
“Choi Sun-sin! Choi Sun-sin!”
Cheers erupted for Choi Sa-rang as well.
Then Almond’s name rang out through the stadium.
It was louder than any moment before.
“Almond! Almond! Almond! Almond!”
“Almond!! Almond!!”
Countless voices pierced through him.
Countless camera lenses turned toward him.
Sanghyeon felt as though the entire world was watching only him.
Then, the lights illuminated a single point.
Clang!
‘That’s it.’
In this moment, all the players’ breath caught.
At the end of the gleaming carpet, atop the podium sat an enormous silver cup.
‘The trophy.’
The trophy was waiting for them.
And surrounding that trophy, numerous broadcast cameras and microphones stood ready.
“Come on, players! Come lift the trophy!”
The leading players approached one by one and placed their hands on the trophy.
Because of its enormous size, five or six people had to lift it simultaneously.
‘This is….’
Numerous emotions flickered across Hee-cheol’s eyes.
‘The international championship trophy.’
He exchanged a brief glance with those around him.
Then lifted it with all his strength.
In that instant, fireworks erupted, and a roar of celebration burst forth.
“Waaaaaaaaaaa!!”
Boom!
A massive Taegeuk flag unfurled above the arena.
The commentators grew excited.
“Wow! Just like when you win in-game and they plant the national flag! For real! Everyone, that’s not a CG hologram! They actually shot out a real Taegeuk flag!”
“Absolutely! There were moments today when that Taegeuk flag could have been the Italian flag! But so proudly! Our players have finished this moment with the Taegeuk flag! Ah! This is truly wonderful!”
The other people holding the trophy looked in different directions.
Hee-cheol gazed at the sky, while Sarang looked toward the audience.
Sanghyeon stared blankly at the Taegeuk flag.
“Everyone! The fake national team! That was our players’ title! But now! I can’t accept that anymore!”
“That’s right! Now! It’s not easy to call it fake anymore!”
“If this isn’t a real national team, then what is!? The entire stadium awash in red waves! The Taegeuk flag unfurled on the podium! The entire nation moved! So to me, this is the national representative!”
After the Caster’s cry.
The national anthem flowed out as if on cue.
‘What?’
All the players were surprised.
Sanghyeon was no exception.
In truth, the national anthem never plays at international championship award ceremonies.
Yet I heard it clearly.
At first, I thought I was mistaken.
But the sound was unmistakably there, and it wasn’t coming from the speakers.
‘Are they singing?’
The audience was singing.
Countless spectators, without anyone prompting them, were all singing the same song in unison.
I couldn’t know exactly how many people were in this place.
But in that moment, counting numbers felt meaningless.
After all, they were one.
And then—
Thump.
The screen that had been playing highlights switched.
[FINAL MVP]
They were about to announce the Finals MVP.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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