Chen Jue was shoved forward from behind. Startled by the slightly angry-looking middle-aged man in front of him, his mind cleared in an instant. Memories surfaced this was Aoba Johsai's training camp, and apparently, he was a substitute.
Worse, he had been caught dozing off on the sidelines!
"Taichi, after the match, I want you to dive around the court five times as punishment. Right now, go sub in for Matsukawa. Use your speed to assist with receiving. Whatever you do, don't let them score off their serve!"
The moment the name
reached his ears, Chen Jue's body moved instinctively. Listening to the coach's instructions, he suddenly became aware of a shocking truth he had transmigrated into the world of
.
But… aside from a basic understanding of volleyball from some university gym classes, Chen Jue knew next to nothing about the sport. As he wandered dazedly onto the court, a sense of helplessness washed over him. How was he supposed to compete with the monsters from
?
At that moment, a voice echoed in his mind.
Huh? Even though Chen Jue was a ten-year veteran of NovelFires and well-versed in the "transmigration plus cheat system" trope, experiencing it firsthand left him in a state of disbelief.
"Wait, does that mean no one has a perfect 100?"
As he digested the explanation, a translucent stats panel materialized before him:
"..." Great, so aside from physical stats, I'm basically useless. What am I even doing here? If I embarrass myself, get benched, and never see the court again… Ugh, what a tragic fate! Don't you agree, Mr. System?
Chen Jue couldn't shake the feeling that the system emphasized the words
a little too strongly.
Until all technique stats reach 60, stamina regeneration during training will be significantly enhanced, preventing exhaustion.
Staring at the spinning
, Chen Jue's heart raced. This was his moment to shine! But which card should he use? Intermediate felt too ordinary, while Elite seemed too precious to waste right now. Then…
"Mr. System, use the
Card."
Chen Jue eagerly watched as a golden card appeared and began spinning rapidly in midair.
Though he knew it was pointless, his gacha instincts kicked in.
As the card slowed, it finally stopped with a soft
. The image revealed a red-haired boy with a playful smirk.
Was it sheer coincidence that they shared the same first letter
in their names? Looking at the card, Chen Jue noticed Tendou's overall stat: 88. Just shy of elite status solid!
Most importantly, his blocking stat glowed gold:
. Chen Jue's fingers itched with anticipation; he couldn't wait to try it out.
"Taichi, you've got guts, falling asleep on the bench. Were you dreaming of something fun?" Oikawa Tooru turned with a teasing grin as soon as Chen Jue stepped onto the court.
Chen Jue silently retorted in his mind,
Outwardly, he put on an innocent, apologetic expression.
"Ignore him. Focus on the match," came Iwaizumi Hajime's calm and steady voice. It was hard to believe he wasn't the captain.
"Yes!" Chen Jue straightened up and took his position.
Aoba Johsai's opponent today was a team of college students from Miyagi University. To expose the first-years to their limitations, the training adopted a 6v6 format pitting Aoba Johsai against the older, more experienced university players.
For Aoba Johsai, the core lineup consisted of third-years Oikawa, Iwaizumi, and Hanamaki, while the younger players rotated in every five points. The coaching staff used this setup to evaluate potential lineups for the season.
The current score was
.
Miyagi's ace, Maeda Atsushi, had already racked up two consecutive service aces. On his third serve, Aoba Johsai managed a shaky reception, resulting in a free ball for the opposition. The university team wasted no time. Their ace delivered a crushing spike, leaving no room for defence.
Three points down, and with Maeda still serving, the pressure was palpable. Even standing on the court, Chen Jue could feel the weight of the situation.
The whistle blew. The referee signalled for the serve.
Maeda stood five meters behind the baseline, bouncing the ball rhythmically. After adjusting his timing, he crouched slightly, tossed the ball high, and leapt forward. As his hand struck the ball, it shot across the court like a missile.
Chen Jue couldn't even react. The sheer intensity of watching Maeda serve up close was overwhelming.
"I've got it!" Aoba Johsai's libero, Watari Shinji, dashed into position. Drawing from the previous serves, he managed to predict the trajectory and barely receive it. But the ball ricocheted back to Miyagi's court, creating a perfect opportunity for them.
"Free ball!" The university team capitalized on the moment. Their setter delivered a quick set to Maeda, who approached the net with unshakable confidence.
But Chen Jue, driven by an inexplicable force, had already moved to the net. Fixating on Maeda's movements, his mind instantly calculated the spiking angle. The moment Maeda jumped, Chen Jue followed suit.
The sound of the ball hitting the court on Miyagi's side caused everyone to widen their eyes in disbelief.
Coach Irihata shot to his feet. A block point?! This was completely unexpected. Was it pure instinct? Could this first-year be a blocking prodigy?
_______