With Team Z defeating Team V and advancing as the number one team in Building 5, the first selection came to a complete end.
Tendou led the excited players of Team Z back to the locker room, and after a round of showers, the victory banquet began.
"Is this okay, Tendou? To spend all our goal points?"
Tendou had spent all his "savings" on this victory banquet, enough for everyone in Team Z to have a great meal.
"Ah, of course, it's okay."
"In fact, doing this spurs me on even more, pushing me to score more goals."
"Only by ensuring my desire is strong enough can I continue to improve."
Tendou clenched his fist, striking a very cool pose. At the same time, he didn't really care much for this kind of enjoyment. In the last world, he had already earned more than enough wealth; the food in Blue Lock held no attraction for him. It was better to "sacrifice" it all; maybe it would leave a good impression on the audience.
"That's so nice. I wish I could score as many goals as you," someone said with a look of envy.
Although Team Z had advanced with a perfect record, the majority of the players were of average talent. If you were to rank the players of Team Z from top to bottom, Tendou's talent was undoubtedly the first in the entire team. Next were Bachira, Chigiri, Kira, and Isagi. Following them were Kunigami, Raichi, and others.
Players like Igarashi and Imamura were just making up the numbers; their role was to fill out the roster so the matches could be played. Most of these players would be eliminated in the second selection. Only Igarashi, with his strong luck, would be able to scrape by.
"Hmph, don't forget about me. The food and drinks you're having, I contributed to them too."
This thick scent of tsundere... you could tell it was the "young lady" with just one listen. Chigiri had now regained his former confidence. Besides Tendou, he basically didn't submit to anyone. In the two matches against Team W and Team V, he had indeed scored goals, proving that his potential was of a first-class level.
But the most pleasant surprise was Isagi. He had scored two goals in this match! Especially his first goal; without a direct assist from Tendou, he had utilized his teammates' abilities to the extreme. It was quite brilliant.
"By the way, Isagi! How did you do it?" someone asked curiously, also wanting to learn from Isagi's successful experience.
"Me?" Isagi thought for a moment and then said, "I just followed Tendou's advice, used the method I'm good at to score, to observe and think."
Simply put, it was to play to his strengths and avoid his weaknesses. This was the same as Ego's guidance: you only need to enrich your own weapon, no need to deliberately imitate others.
"Observe, think? Don't think you can brush me off with such a simple reason! You... you stole the goal that belonged to me!"
Chigiri had originally wanted to say, you stole the pass from Tendou that should have belonged to me. But when the words reached his lips, he felt they were a bit ambiguous, so he modified them.
"I can't explain it clearly either. I just felt that if I could find the opponent's most dangerous zone, Tendou would pass the ball to me. That's what I thought."
In other words, this guy Isagi's weapon is more outstanding than mine?
Chigiri was unwilling to accept it. He clearly remembered what Tendou had said at the time: Isagi's goal-scoring probability was higher than his own. This was indirect proof that, at that moment, his own "weapon" was not as sharp as Isagi's.
Isagi's spatial awareness had surpassed his speed! In other words, in Tendou's judgment at that time, he thought Isagi was stronger than him!
"Tch! You just wait, you idiot Isagi! I will surpass you." Chigiri viciously stuffed a piece of beef into his mouth.
"And me! After the second selection begins, I will definitely let you see my sexy football!" Raichi Jingo also interjected. In these few matches, except for occasionally appearing in the front field in the first match, he had been playing as a central defender for the rest. This had really frustrated the shark-toothed kid.
"Don't forget about me. I will defeat you all fair and square and become the world's number one striker!" Kunigami followed suit.
The content of the second selection was still unclear. But no matter what, they would not continue to remain indifferent and hand over the forward position to others.
...
At this moment, as the players of Team Z were making their ambitious and harsh declarations, a series of cries came from the doorway. The members of Team Z put down what they were doing and looked over curiously. Then, they saw the players from Building 5 whom they had defeated, packing their luggage and walking past.
Their expressions were dejected. Some were crying bitterly, some had lifeless eyes, and some let out unwilling roars, staggering towards the underground parking lot. From where they had come, they now had to return.
Seeing this, the joy of advancing for the members of Team Z was somewhat diluted. If they had been eliminated, wouldn't they be just like them? They would probably become one of these people, right?
"We don't have extra time to sympathize with others."
"While we can still celebrate, let's not leave any regrets and be wild for once. There are even greater challenges awaiting us."
Tendou was well aware of the cruelty of the football world. Even a meritorious player like Modrić couldn't get his wish in the end. He just wanted to play one more year at Real Madrid, to play one more year at the highest level in Europe to maintain his form, so he could face his final World Cup. But in the end, he was ruthlessly purged by Real Madrid.
If even a player of Modrić's level was treated like this, what about others?
Hearing this, everyone quickly composed themselves. They ate what they should eat, drank what they should drink, and then, exhausted, fell asleep.
...
The next day.
They were once again awakened by the broadcast. Ego Jinpachi's face reappeared on the screen.
"Congratulations, you uncut gems of strikers, for passing the first selection."
"Next, you will undergo training to strengthen your physical fitness."
"In addition, during this period, you are not allowed to touch a football."
Huh?
Isn't the second selection about to start? No touching the ball at a time like this? Then how are we supposed to practice?
Raichi and others asked loudly, but Ego didn't give them any more explanation and directly had them start their physical training.
The training items were all familiar ones. They could be broadly divided into these categories: endurance, speed, strength, and agility. These were all aspects that could be improved through training.
Things like Tendou's vision, step frequency, and flair—these could not be obtained through practice. That's why he was a genius!
...
First day of training.
Countless members of Team Z were so tired they vomited. Even Tendou felt a sense of fatigue that reached his physical limit.
Ego Jinpachi had, from somewhere, found a set of futuristic-looking equipment that could provide different training plans for different players.
"This is really..."
The training intensity of the other members of Team Z was within Ego's and Anri's expectations. But the content of Tendou's training was somewhat off the charts.
"This is completely at a professional level of intensity!"
...
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