Shun finished practice with Ren and went home. The boy quickly went up the stairs and got into the bathtub.
[Hey kid, did you see that? I told you that as long as you listen to me, you'll become a great baseball player! Are you willing to listen to me now?]
"Eh? Who the hell is going to listen to you, old man? Do I look like an idiot to you? Don't think you're going to fool me again, I don't need you!" - Shun got irritated upon hearing the old man's voice. He had been suspicious of the fact that the old man hadn't spoken for a day, but when he heard the old man bragging, he got angry and wished the old man would go back to being silent.
[Huh? What's your problem, kid? I already told you I'm going to help you, so why don't you trust me? Do you think a talentless trash like you will get anywhere without my help?!!] - The old man didn't have a good temper either, and perhaps he had forgotten that he was dealing with a 14-year-old, so he spoke irritably.
"You—you—I don't need you!! I'll never trust you, so just get out of my head and stop talking to me!" - Shun was extremely angry, even a grown man would have a hard time staying calm after being called talentless trash, so it wasn't uncommon for a 14-year-old to react this way.
[Hmph! Fine, let's see how far you get without my help, you ungrateful brat!]
"Just disappear, you old bastard!" - Shun screamed inside his mind. He knew that the old man was part of the system, but after interacting with him a few times, he realized that the old man was just a part, and that the system would function normally even without him.
That's why he believed he didn't need the old man. In fact, after the old man's words, he was determined to work hard to show that he really didn't need that damn old man.
Shun didn't hear the old man's voice anymore. He managed to calm down after a while and got out of the bath, his gaze more determined than ever.
****
Days passed quickly for Shun. The boy didn't receive any new missions, so he just focused on completing the main mission *Two-way Player (Part 1)* while also doing his physical training every day.
After the game against Hoshizora Junior High, Shun and Ren officially became starters and continued to show great results in all the friendly games they played.
In total, there were over 10 games, in which Shoto Junior High won all 10. Shun managed to reach base by walk in all his batting opportunities, which led him to be promoted to the team's Leadoff Hitter.
Ren also stood out, driving in the most runs on the team, and he also managed some good hits from time to time, placing him as the second batter.
However, even with the significant improvement of his two friends, the standout of the team was Kenta. The boy kept getting better and better, and without a doubt, was the best hitter on the team.
The three friends together were the heart of the team's offense and also played an important role in defense. Shun believed that together they could win the Kanto tournament. In fact, after so many dominant victories, he believed it wouldn't be too difficult to win the tournament.
On the other hand, Shun still hadn't managed to pitch even once with perfect form, but thanks to his daily training and an elixir he received in a bronze mystery box, his physical conditioning was progressing quickly.
As for the elixir, out of nearly 100 bronze mystery boxes he received as rewards for completing his daily training, the elixir was one of only two special prizes he received. It was a Coordination grade B elixir, which was very useful for him since it was one of the necessary requirements for pitching with perfect form. As for the other special reward, he received a quirk called Control I.
[Control I:
Improves the user's pitch control.]
At the moment, Shun was swinging at nothing while eagerly waiting to hear a notification from the system.
[DING]
[Main Mission #2 Two-way Player (Part 1) Complete]
[Rewards have been sent to the user's inventory]
"Finally!" - The boy ran back home excited to check his rewards.
Shun entered the house and quickly went upstairs. The boy got into the bathtub eagerly, as it had become somewhat of a ritual for him to check his rewards during a bath.
"System menu!" - The boy shouted excitedly inside his head.
[THE OLD BASEBALL PLAYER SYSTEM
System Level: 2 (1000 coins to upgrade)
User: Shun Takahashi
Age: 14 years
Coins: 1000 coins
Missions *
System Shop (locked)
Arena (locked)
Inventory *
User Statistics:
Overall: C+
PITCHING: F+
BATTING: C+
FIELDING: A-
RUNNING: B+
GAME IQ: C-
Physical Conditioning:
Muscular Strength: C
Agility: C+
Flexibility: D+
Coordination: B
Body Balance: C-
Stamina: C+
Mental: C
Overall Potential: S
User Skills:
Hunter Eyes (SS+)
Master Thief (SS+)
Contact (A+)
Chase (A+)
Dive (C+)
4-seam fastball (E+) (locked)
User Quirks:
Divine Recovery
Break I
Control I]
After 50 days of training, earning 10 coins per day, along with the 500 coins he just received for completing a main mission, Shun finally accumulated the 1000 coins needed to upgrade the system. He was eager to see what changes would happen this time.
Shun then remembered the last system upgrade and felt his mood worsen. Last time, physical conditioning was unlocked, and the old man appeared. Just the thought of receiving another old man gave Shun shivers.
"No, no! There's no way the system will send another old man. The system will definitely unlock something useful this time." - Shun snapped out of his thoughts. After arguing with the old man 50 days ago, he hadn't heard the old man's voice in his head again, and as far as he was concerned, it could stay that way forever.
Shun then quickly looked at his stats. Except for his pitching and game IQ, which remained the same, his other three stats improved by two grades each, raising his overall grade as well.
The boy looked at his Overall Potential worriedly. Even after receiving his second legendary skill, his potential didn't increase. He began to wonder how he would raise it and couldn't help but feel concerned.
Finally, he looked at his physical conditioning, which had greatly improved, but Shun was still not satisfied. Once a trait reached a C- grade, progress slowed down significantly. His only trait with a B grade was the result of an elixir. His agility, for example, had only improved by one grade, unable to move past C+.
The boy then opened his inventory. It was time to claim his well-deserved reward.