The countdown to the Ryonan match had begun. Every player in Shohoku was pushing their limits, but Sakuragi was doing something different.
While the others practiced layups, Sakuragi was under the basket, jumping repeatedly until his legs felt like lead.
[System Notification: Daily Mission - 500 Vertical Jumps.]
[Progress: 450/500.]
[Reward: 50 System Points.]
'Almost... there...' Sakuragi gasped, his face dripping with sweat. With a final, massive leap, he touched the rim.
[Ding! Daily Mission Completed.]
[Total System Points: 250.]
'Yes! Now I have enough!' Sakuragi mentally opened the [System Store] and scrolled down to the item he had been eyeing.
[Purchase Successful: Gravity Shoes (Rank D).]
[Effect: Increases jumping height by 10cm & Reduces landing impact by 20%.]
Suddenly, his old, worn-out sneakers glowed for a second before returning to normal. But as soon as Sakuragi took a step, he felt lighter, as if the floor was made of springs.
"Hanamichi? You look... taller?" Haruko asked, coming over with a water bottle.
"It's the aura of a genius, Haruko-san!" Sakuragi boasted, though he knew it was the shoes. He looked over at Rukawa, who was effortlessly dunking on a second-year player. 'Just you wait, Fox-face. In the Ryonan match, the only one jumping will be me!'
[System Warning: New Rival Detected in Ryonan scouting report.]
[Target: Kichikkawa (The Defensive Specialist).]
[Note: Your new shoes will be tested soon.]