Chapter 11: Daily Tasks and Basic Training

  Under the watchful eyes of others, Ishikawa continued his swing practice.

  He knew very well—

  This seemingly unremarkable movement was, in fact, the foundation of a strong pyer. Without a solid enough base, it was impossible to compete with top-tier pyers!

  "997!"

  "998!"

  "999!"

  "1000!"

  Finally.

  After more than thirty minutes, Ishikawa completed 1,000 standard swings.

  [Ding!]

  [Pyer has completed the daily task: 1,000 basic swings. Reward: 15 experience points.]

  "Oh?"

  Just as Ishikawa was about to start his 1,001st swing, he suddenly paused.

  "Daily tasks?"

  Of course! This was a tennis role-pying game—there had to be mechanisms in pce to help beginners improve.

  15 experience points.

  Combined with the 5 points he had left from leveling up earlier, he still needed 30 more experience points to reach the next level.

  Without hesitation, Ishikawa stopped swinging and checked the task icon in his game interface.

  [Daily Task 1]: Perform 1,000 basic swings. Reward: 15 XP. For every additional 100 swings, gain an extra 5 XP. (Completed)

  [Daily Task 2]: Run 20 ps around the tennis club’s track. Reward: 15 XP. For every extra 5 ps, gain an additional 5 XP. (Not completed)

  [Daily Task 3]: Py a practice match. Reward: 15 XP. (Cimable)

  [Daily Task 4]: Clean the tennis club. Reward: 10 XP. (Not completed)

  "Another 100 swings?"

  Ishikawa squinted at the task description.

  He felt the soreness in his right arm and silently shook his head. His stamina and physical condition might allow him to st another two minutes, but forcing another 100 swings would pce an unnecessary burden on his arm.

  For just 5 experience points, it wasn’t worth jeopardizing his future training.

  With that in mind—

  He stopped swinging, returned to his previous resting spot, and closed his eyes for a short break.

  "Whoo!"

  Seeing Ishikawa leave, the other first-years sighed in relief.

  "That scared me… I thought he was going to keep going for another half an hour!"

  "Are you kidding? Another half an hour? Do you think his arms are made of steel?"

  "Exactly! He’s just a little more talented than us. If we work hard, we can definitely catch up to him!"

  "Is that really the case?"

  Hearing the other first-years chat, Shiraishi shook his head internally.

  He had been watching Ishikawa's swings closely and knew that the real strength of the guy wasn’t just patience or talent—it was his sheer willpower.

  A year ago, Shiraishi himself wouldn’t have been able to remain as calm as Ishikawa after performing 1,000 continuous swings.

  "Oshitari-senpai was right—this rookie is something else."

  With one st gnce at the resting Ishikawa, Shiraishi turned and walked away.

  Half an hour ter. The sun, which had been high overhead, was now blocked by the distant high-rises.

  On the courts, only a few scattered matches were still ongoing, all nearing their end.

  Most of the first-years had started picking up balls and wrapping up for the day. Among them, one figure stood out—a head taller than the others.

  It was none other than Saburo Shinohara, who had been assigned Ishikawa's ball-picking duties.

  "Damn it!"

  Mixed in with a bunch of first-years, constantly bending over to pick up balls, the soreness in his back and legs reminded Shinohara of the humiliation he suffered two years ago when he was bullied by uppercssmen.

  "But…"

  "I’m a senior now!"

  The thought that he was stuck picking up balls alongside first-years made Shinohara feel even more humiliated.

  "Ishikawa Shin, just you wait!"

  As he thought of the guy who had put him in this position, Shinohara clenched his teeth. "Once I regain my right to py practice matches, I’ll make you pay!"

  Yes.

  The sky was clear.

  The rain had stopped.

  Shinohara felt like he was capable again.

  For the past two hours, he had been reviewing his match against Ishikawa—analyzing his mistakes while also identifying his opponent’s weaknesses.

  At the end of the day, Ishikawa was just a first-year rookie. No matter how talented he was, his physical limitations were undeniable.

  After one full match, Ishikawa’s stamina must have been almost drained. If Shinohara hadn’t lost his composure, the outcome of the match could have been entirely different.

  "That’s right."

  "Next time, I’ll drag the match out. I’ll wear him down!"

  "Next time, I’ll definitely win—"

  "Wait, what?"

  Just as Shinohara was fantasizing about crushing Ishikawa in a rematch, he happened to gnce up—only to see a familiar figure running ps around the track.

  "That guy?"

  Shinohara froze, then felt a wave of dread rise in his chest.

  This is ridiculous!

  Most of the pyers—even some of the second-string regurs—had already left. But this guy… was still training?!

  "Is he… running ps?"

  "How many has he done?"

  "Damn it, that bastard must have realized his weakness is stamina too!"

  Shinohara clenched his fists.

  All of his strategies had been based on the assumption that Ishikawa cked endurance. But if his opponent improved his stamina, then with his terrifying serve, Shinohara wouldn’t stand a chance.

  "Tch!"

  "As if he can fix his endurance in just a week! That’s impossible!"

  "Yeah, there’s no way he can do it!"

  Shinohara tried to reassure himself.

  However—

  As Ishikawa’s p count continued to rise, Shinohara started to feel uneasy.

  "H-How many ps has he done? Is this guy trying to kill himself?!"

  One p after another.

  Shinohara’s scalp began to tingle.

  Yes.

  As time passed, Ishikawa’s speed visibly slowed down—but he refused to stop.

  "He’s insane!"

  "He’s completely lost it!"

  Shinohara was now genuinely terrified. His earlier determination to crush Ishikawa was gone.

  Because—

  How can a normal person compare to a monster?!

  To Shinohara, Ishikawa was no longer just a tennis pyer—he was a lunatic completely consumed by training.

  "50 meters."

  "40 meters."

  "30 meters."

  "20 meters."

  "Final 10 meters."

  "Huff…"

  At st—

  When Ishikawa reached the starting line, he nearly colpsed.

  He bent forward, gasping for air, his throat burning as the oxygen rushed through.

  It was agonizing.

  But—

  He had finished.

  [Ding!]

  [Pyer has completed the daily task: Run 20 ps. Reward: 15 experience points.]

  With his experience secured, Ishikawa rexed slightly and slowly walked toward the rest area.

  He was too exhausted to notice that—

  In the stands nearby, two figures had been watching him for quite some time.

  "Oshitari, what do you think?"

  "Not bad."

  The two figures were Yuushi Oshitari, one of Hyotei’s regurs, and their captain, Atobe Keigo.

  Atobe gazed at Ishikawa, who was resting in the corner of the stands, and nodded slightly.

  "His stamina is average, but his willpower is impressive. He’s worth training."

  Just "not bad"?

  Hearing Atobe’s assessment, Oshitari was momentarily stunned.

  But when he saw the smirk on Atobe’s face—he immediately understood.

  Atobe wasn’t just impressed—he was very interested in Ishikawa's potential.

  (End of Chapter 11)