The Ride Home and the Data Deep Dive
Aboard the school bus returning home, the students of Senkoku Middle School were surprisingly energized, rather than fatigued after their victory.
Firstly, because Akashi Asuka had shouldered the entire offensive burden, the rest of the team had expended very little energy, operating mostly in a supportive capacity.
Secondly, the exhilaration of advancing to the second round for the first time in three years had momentarily overwhelmed their physical sensations.
Akashi Asuka, seated toward the rear of the bus, kept his eyes lightly closed, appearing to rest, but was in fact immersed in studying his internal data panel.
| Host: Akashi Asuka | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 75.0 | Core Strength | 74.0 |
| | Arm Strength | 76.0 | |
| Speed | 70.0 | Explosive Speed | 69.0 |
| | Reaction Speed | 71.0 | |
| Stamina | 72.5 | Endurance | 71.2 |
| | Cardiopulmonary Capacity | 73.9 | |
| Jumping | 69.8 | Jump Height | 74.6 |
| | Hang Time | 65.0 | |
| Basic Techniques | 59.4 | Serving | 51.7 |
| | Passing | 57.4 | |
| | Setting | 51.0 | |
| | Spiking | 75.1 | |
| | Blocking | 71.0 | |
| | Defense | 50.6 | |
| Advanced Techniques | [None] | | |
After more than two weeks of relentless training, Akashi Asuka's various attributes had improved across the board.
This was a predictable outcome.
Although Akashi Asuka had focused his efforts primarily on strengthening core power, jumping ability, and spiking during this period, the human body functions not as an assembly of isolated parts, but as a holistic system.
When Akashi Asuka engaged in high-intensity involutionary training to boost leg strength, it naturally exerted a beneficial effect on his stamina and speed as well.
Furthermore, critical data like "ball feel" is not explicitly displayed on the panel.
Even without deliberate focus, Akashi Asuka had spent several times more hours handling the volleyball in the past two weeks than he had in the equivalent period previously. During this process, his innate "ball feel" was naturally amplifying.
With enhanced "ball feel," various technical skills inevitably see some marginal improvement, even if minor.
For Akashi Asuka, whose basic skills were previously far below even a functional level, this represented considerable progress.
And this was merely a secondary benefit of his regimen.
More significantly, Akashi Asuka had targeted key areas for exponential growth: Arm Strength and Spiking, both of which had successfully breached the 75-point threshold.
In the system's categorical framework, 75 points represents a pivotal boundary.
For a third-year junior high student, limited by the constraints of physical development, 75 points signifies the "apex level for the average athlete," while exceeding 75 points marks the initiation into the "realm of the truly talented."
Prior to the system, 75 points would normally have been Akashi Asuka's absolute ceiling unless he was willing to inflict catastrophic damage upon his health by forcibly exceeding his innate potential.
Yet, with the system's immediate restorative assistance, Akashi Asuka had navigated these boundaries with ease.
It was precisely because he possessed two attributes exceeding the 75-point mark that Akashi Asuka was capable of displaying his unparalleled offensive output, single-handedly obliterating the Yushi Middle School block.
It must be acknowledged: this dynamic is profoundly harsh.
Only after genuinely experiencing the overwhelming power gifted by "innate talent" did Akashi Asuka truly comprehend that, in competitive athletics, "natural ability" can, in many instances, supersede all other factors.
Unexpected Gains
Interestingly, Strength and Spiking were not the attributes that experienced the most rapid improvement over the past two weeks.
What truly surged were Hang Time and Blocking, with each of these statistics soaring by an average of more than ten points—a truly remarkable feat.
However, this acceleration was not solely the result of physical training, but a benefit derived from his previous life's experience.
A multitude of factors dictates an individual's "hang time," including core stability, neuromuscular coordination, and efficiency of movement.
The original Akashi Asuka's foundational physical attributes in these areas were quite high, but he lacked the knowledge to weaponize them, never considering that "hang time" could be utilized as a combat advantage.
In this regard, the consciousness of Lee Akashi, who played basketball in his previous life, possessed considerable applied experience.
Therefore, when he fully merged with this new body, that operational knowledge naturally inflated this data point.
As for Blocking, this technique operates less as a purely physical skill and more as a strategic discipline.
Blocking fundamentally tests one's mental agility and court awareness.
And the former Akashi Asuka?
Well.
In brief: the former Akashi Asuka typically failed more than half of his academic subjects in every exam.
Considering the passing grade at Senkoku Middle School was a mere 40 points—a hallmark of their 'Happy Education' philosophy—this steep improvement in a mentally demanding skill made perfect, if not humorous, sense.
The Dedicated Rival
Since it was the weekend and time was abundant, Coach Shimokawa thoughtfully drove the school bus and dropped every student off at his respective home.
Before Akashi Asuka disembarked, Coach Shimokawa repeatedly urged them to go home and rest completely, strictly forbidding any unauthorized training to prevent injury.
Akashi Asuka, of course, agreed politely.
"Never attempt to reason with someone whose perspective you cannot fundamentally alter. It is far more efficient to simply acquiesce and avoid confrontation, at least verbally."
This was one of the invaluable "social maneuvers" Akashi Asuka had mastered after graduating in his previous life.
In this situation, Akashi Asuka could not disclose the existence of the "system" to Coach Shimokawa, so rather than wasting time explaining himself, he decided to readily agree.
Upon returning home, Akashi Asuka swiftly dropped his schoolbag, retrieved his volleyball, and jogged immediately to the nearest park.
The notion of abandoning training was an impossibility; it was simply not an option for him.
Recently, due to the impending competition, many members of the volleyball club had been cramming extra training, causing Akashi Asuka's required internal rotation threshold to become several times more demanding.
Now, he could only maintain his lead by engaging in secret practice during holidays and periods when others were supposed to be resting.
Akashi Asuka spent the entire afternoon dedicated to vertical jump drills.
By the end of the session, he felt as if his legs had become completely detached from his body.
Yet, despite this Herculean effort, he only managed to complete one [Low-Level Internal Rotation], gaining a meager +0.1 Jump King Value.
Upon seeing this meager result, Akashi Asuka instantly realized the implication: there must be some scoundrel on the team who had completely ignored the coach and gone home to practice with even greater intensity.
"Ugh! Disgusting behavior. That volleyball fanatic is clearly not a virtuous individual," Akashi Asuka thought with sharp, internal contempt.
...
Several kilometers away.
On a deserted park playing field, Nishimori Tomohiko, who had spent the morning dutifully watching the game from the bench, was diligently working on his physical conditioning so he could provide more accurate and enduring sets for his idolized Akashi-senpai in future training sessions.
Suddenly, he let out a violent, resonant sneeze.
"Achoo!"
Tomohiko Nishimori rubbed his nose, slightly confused. "That's odd. Did someone speak ill of me?"
After a moment's thought, he shook his head and muttered, "Never mind. I shouldn't waste energy thinking about it. Back to training! With Akashi-senpai leading us, the volleyball club is certain to achieve great results in this tournament. For the club's future, I must contribute my part as well."
Remembering the sight of Akashi-senpai's explosive presence on the court earlier that day, Tomohiko Nishimori's heart swelled with motivated hope.
Facing the setting sun, which was just beginning to dip below the horizon, Tomohiko Nishimori felt a vibrant surge of renewed energy.