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Host: Akashi Asuto
Strength: 73 [Core Strength 71, Arm Strength 75]
Speed: 69 [Explosive Speed 68, Reaction Speed 70]
Stamina: 71 [Endurance 70, Cardiopulmonary Fitness 72]
Jump: 67 [Vertical Jump: 72; Hang Time: 62]
Basic Techniques: 55.6 [Serve: 50; Receive: 54; Pass: 48; Spike: 70; Block: 66; Defense: 46]
Advanced Skills: [None]
—
A system notification suddenly sounded in his mind. Yet, Asuto found himself surprisingly calm, showing little to no surprise.
After all, he had already experienced something as outrageous as transmigration, so what if there was an extra system on top of that?
“All right, System. Introduce yourself.” Asuto spoke politely in his mind.
However, there was no response.
Clearly, this system wasn’t very intelligent.
Beep!
The referee’s whistle pulled Asuto’s attention back to the court.
A second-year substitute from the Blue Team served the ball deep into the backcourt, but the serve lacked speed. Middle schoolers’ bodies hadn’t fully developed yet, so matches at this level usually favored the receiving side unless someone was exceptionally gifted.
With his soft, neatly kept hair, the starting opposite hitter, Oda Miki, easily received the serve. Seeing this, Asuto quickly stepped back two paces, took his approach, and jumped.
From the data panel displayed by the system, it was clear that Asuto’s Strength, Stamina, Jumping Ability, and Spiking power were all considered excellent among students of the same age.
His arm strength, in particular, was nearly at the top level for middle schoolers.
According to the System’s data panel, a score of 60 represented the average value for volleyball players of his age group worldwide. At a glance, Asuto could tell that this body lacked any natural talent for volleyball.
In his original memories, while he hadn’t been particularly diligent in his training, he had almost never missed basic club practice.
Yet after more than two years, aside from basic physical attributes improving with growth, the progress speed of the six fundamental volleyball skills had been extremely slow, and as for more advanced techniques, he hadn’t even touched the threshold.
Up until now, that is.
Aside from spiking and blocking, the other four volleyball skills hadn’t reached the panel’s average value.
Asuto himself was well aware of this. If Li Mingshi hadn’t suddenly transmigrated, the original Akashi Asuto would have undoubtedly given up volleyball after entering high school.
As the starting setter, Mishita Ryuhei had coordinated with Asuto countless times. The instant he saw Asuto leap into the air, Mishita gently lifted the ball, sending it right above Asuto’s head.
There were no fancy techniques involved.
Or rather, the current Asuto simply couldn’t perform a high-level spike. The only thing he could do was aim for the gap between the two opposing starting middle blockers and swing his arm with full force.
Bang!
A thunderous explosion rang out.
The ball tore through the four outstretched arms, leaving a luminous streak in the air as it slammed violently onto the floor.
The air hung in stunned silence.
After a moment…
“Eek~~~”
Outside the court, Nishison Tomohiko, his face flushed with frustration, suddenly shivered. He wrapped his arms around himself, swallowed hard, and muttered, “How terrifying… Why does it feel like Asuto-senpai’s spike has become even more powerful?”
Akashi Asuto’s spiking had always been one of the few things that made the otherwise unknown Sengoku Junior High School volleyball club worthy of special attention from other schools.
So, when Asuto broke through a double block, the club members weren’t particularly surprised.
But that spike really was a bit too frightening.
Not only was its power far greater than any previous spike, but even more significant was the sheer intensity of the attack. As the two main middle blockers who had faced Akashi Asuto head-on, they were in the best position to comment on this.
‘How should they put it?’
When facing Akashi Asuto’s recent spike, the two blockers felt less like he was aiming to spike the ball and more like he was trying to smash it right into their heads.
The ferocious momentum hurtling toward them even made them want to pull back their arms and shield their heads.
It was a pity Asuto didn’t know how to read minds… or faces.
If he knew what they were thinking, he would tell them that their feeling wasn’t an illusion. At the moment of the spike, he had subconsciously employed the dunking techniques he used in basketball.
Any technique involving aerial movement has one thing in common.: the crucial role of core strength, particularly the abdominal and lower back muscles.
Strength on the ground comes from the legs, while strength in the air comes from the waist. The original owner of this body had never mastered the art of using core muscles mid-air; his previous spikes relied primarily on brute arm strength.
However, Li Mingshi possessed considerable experience in this area, allowing him to unleash a spike with far greater power than the original owner ever could.
“Oh?”
In the seating area outside the court, the ordinary-looking, middle-aged coach’s eyes lit up. He had naturally noticed the trick behind Asuto’s spike. What he wasn’t sure about was whether Asuto had truly mastered the technique or if it was merely a coincidence.
Akashi Asuto’s sudden, explosive spike did indeed intimidate the Blue Team.
However, it didn’t change the overall flow of the match.
As the saying goes, everything has two sides. For example, when Asuto leveraged his basketball experience from his previous life to enhance his spike…
At the same time…
His already limited volleyball experience further lowered the floor for this body’s reception, serve receive, passing, defense, and other fundamental skills.
If Asuto was “supreme above all” when he rotated to the front row to attack, then when he rotated to the back row for defense, it was more like, “I’m sorry for being born human.”
Twenty minutes later…
The match ended.
Thanks to Akashi Asuto’s explosive offensive performance today, the Red Team narrowly secured a 25-23 victory in the Team Practice Match.
“That’s all for today’s training. Everyone, head to the track for five final laps to work on your conditioning. You’re dismissed after that.”
“Yes!”
After the coach finished speaking, the volleyball club members quickly left the gym.
After everyone had gone, the volleyball club coach stared at Akashi Asuto’s departing back, gradually sinking into thought.
He had wondered if the first spike had been a coincidence, but after watching the rest of the match, he was certain that his team’s outside hitter and ace spiker had indeed grasped a more advanced spiking technique.
‘If that’s the case,’ he mused, ‘we might need to adjust the training plan slightly.’
…
Running laps on the track, Akashi Asuto’s mind was immersed in the System interface, trying to figure out how to use it properly.
No one understood better than Asuto just how important talent was in competitive sports.
It was an insurmountable chasm.
An ordinary person might rely on effort and training to reach ninety-nine, but that final thin layer would block mortals from crossing over.
Although almost all team sports emphasize unity and teamwork, yet the reality is that in crucial moments of any match, such as in football or basketball, one individual often steps up to control the game.
And these individuals all shared one defining trait: they are extraordinarily talented.
Without the System as his “cheat,” even as a transmigrator relying solely on his physical abilities, Akashi Asuto knew he stood no chance of surpassing the likes of Kageyama Tobio, Hinata Shoyo, and the other monstrous prodigies of this golden age.
‘Hmm!’
Asuto had only recently realized exactly what kind of world he had transmigrated into.
It was none other than the world of the Haikyuu anime he had watched in his previous life.
“Hey, Asuto! Training’s already over. Are you still going to keep running?” Omae Masato called out, watching Asuto continue running even after completing five laps.
But Akashi Asuto didn’t hear him at that moment.
“Well, we’re leaving then!” Omae Masato called out again, receiving no response. He waved and left the training ground with the others.
Completely absorbed in the system, Asuto didn’t notice them leaving. He was deep in thought, trying to figure out how to use this so-called “Involution System.”
After some unknown amount of time had passed since the others left…
Suddenly, a clear, crisp notification sound chimed in Akashi Asuto’s mind:
[Ding…]
(End of Chapter)
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