Chapter 12: Challenging Sanada to Avoid Training?

Hearing Captain Yukimura come out to announce the end of the match.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

It ended just like that?

Kirihara Akaya actually lost?

That formidable second-year ace, Kirihara...

And the opponent was a freshman in the Tennis Club.

With only one month of practice experience.

Marui and Niou's expressions were particularly interesting.

Last year, they witnessed Kirihara, who was still a first-year, challenge a third-year senior.

First-year, win!

Today, they have become third-year seniors, and again encountered a first-year freshman challenging a second-year senior.

Still a first-year, win!

No, this time it wasn't the first-year taking the initiative to challenge, but the second-year issuing the challenge.

Truly, the student has surpassed the master.

The waves behind the Yangtze River push the waves in front, and the waves in front die on the beach!

As third-year seniors, their status is in danger!

"Takahashi, congratulations on your victory. On behalf of the Rikkaidai Tennis Club, I welcome your arrival and joining."

Yukimura Seiichi walked up and took the initiative to extend his right hand to shake hands with Takahashi Yanichi.

Yanagi Renji's brows twitched; he rarely saw Yukimura treat a team member so solemnly.

He himself hadn't received this treatment when he joined back then.

It felt a bit sour.

"Takahashi, I didn't expect you to actually defeat Kirihara Akaya."

"In my estimation, you were very strong, but I didn't expect you to be even stronger than I anticipated."

"I truly am a frog at the bottom of a well; my knowledge is too shallow!"

"To think I was worried for you just now; it was truly excessive anxiety."

Yamamoto Taro said excitedly.

"And your movements and posture were all very handsome and dashing! I didn't even dare to praise you in front of the seniors just now."

"Mm," Takahashi responded.

That was regarding the result of this match; he had known it the moment Kirihara first challenged him.

Without a shred of suspense!

Although he really wanted to keep a low profile, the Idle Character wouldn't allow it.

He pulled up the attribute panel in his mind.

"Tennis Hanging System

Host: Takahashi Yanichi

Age: 12 years old

Speed: 4.5

Strength: 4.5

Stamina: 4

Spirit Power: 3.5

Technique: 4

Total: 20.5

Strength Rating: National Level"

When the National Tournament began in the original story, Kirihara Akaya had roughly reached the National Level; now that school has just started, he is at most at the Kanto Level, or at best, a half-step into the National Level.

But Takahashi's own strength is already solidly at the National Level.

This is the rating given by the system.

Absolutely authentic, no deception for young or old!

Wasn't victory to be expected?

A thrashing or a crushing defeat is perfectly normal.

Takahashi stared intently at the Spirit Power and Technique categories, his brows furrowing slightly.

It has been about a week since he last opened the attribute panel. Speed, Strength, and Stamina have all increased by 0.5.

But Spirit Power and Technique have remained completely unmoved.

Twenty-four hours of idle practice every day.

That's about 160-plus hours of idle time.

It only allowed Speed, Strength, and Stamina to each increase by 0.5.

As expected, the further one goes, the harder it is to improve!

The more time it requires.

The difficulty of improving Spirit Power and Technique is very high.

However, he is still quite satisfied with his current level.

These five-dimensional stats, even after the National Tournament in the original work, are not the least bit inferior to others.

The strength evaluation given by the system has even reached the National Level.

And this is only after a short month!

Although he already knows that the rate of improvement will become slower and slower later on, he can continue his advantage, which is to idle for twenty-four hours a day, without wasting a single minute or second.

The further one goes in terms of strength, the slower the improvement. This rule does not just apply to him; it is the same for others.

However, it is impossible for others to practice and grind their tennis skills at his speed.

Thinking of this, Takahashi was shocked by himself.

In just one month, he defeated Kirihara Akaya by relying on the Idle Character.

His strength has stepped onto the threshold of the National Level.

At this rate.

Challenging the Three Giants next is also just around the corner.

After all, he has the big killer that is the Idle Character.

In just one day, the gap might not be obvious.

Over a week or a month, this gap becomes terrifying.

This is just talking about practice time; the number of times the tennis racket is swung is even more worlds apart.

As the saying goes.

Read a book a thousand times, and its meaning will reveal itself.

Practice a ball ten thousand times, and its meaning will also reveal itself.

So far, the number of times the Idle Character has swung the tennis racket is conservatively estimated to be at least 10,000 times!

That is why today, when facing the attacks of Kirihara Akaya, he could receive all the shots with such ease.

Even against Kirihara's pride and joy, the Knuckle Serve, he could see through the irregular rotation of the tennis ball, predict its subsequent trajectory, and successfully return it.

……

The next morning.

Entering May, the weather has gradually become hot.

Sleep in the morning is especially good.

When he opened his eyes, it was already 8 o'clock.

Takahashi Yanichi rubbed his sleepy eyes and began to wash up.

He felt like he had forgotten something.

Let it be!

It probably isn't anything important, so he shouldn't make things difficult for himself.

Takahashi comforted himself.

……

When Takahashi stepped one foot into the school, the time was exactly 8:29:59.

The security guard looked at Takahashi speechlessly.

It's him again!

Coming right on time every day!

He is unwilling to come even a minute or a second early.

The guard had a mind to teach him a lesson and make him suffer a bit.

Who would have thought that every time, he would narrowly make it into the campus one second before 8:30.

"Another thrilling day."

"Fighting against time, the joy is boundless!"

Takahashi took out the sandwich from his backpack and exclaimed while munching on his breakfast.

Listening to the sound of reading coming from the teaching building, Takahashi felt extremely happy.

This is his best music to eat to.

He ate his sandwich with delight.

He ran head-on into a few people on patrol, wearing "Disciplinary Committee" armbands.

He wanted to take a detour, but felt a series of piercing gazes fixed on him.

Looking closely, it was actually Sanada Genichiro.

What kind of luck is this?

He actually ran into an acquaintance.

He almost forgot, Sanada seems to be the Disciplinary Committee Chair of the school.

Hmm, it really fits his temperament.

It is something he would do.

"Hi!"

Feeling a bit in the wrong, Takahashi immediately raised his hand and waved to Sanada with a face full of smiles.

"Hmph! Too lax!"

Sanada responded, continuing to walk without stopping his pace.

How rude!

Takahashi found Sanada's reaction strange; they are both in the Tennis Club, so could it be that he is so arrogant just because he is the Vice Captain?

He had never heard that the Rikkaidai Tennis Club had such a rule!

By the time Takahashi put down his schoolbag and took out his book.

The teacher stepped into the classroom right as the bell rang for class.

"Takahashi, you're so punctual!" Yamamoto Taro praised.

Ever since Takahashi displayed his powerful tennis ability and defeated Kirihara, Yamamoto had become his little fanboy, completely submitting to his strength.

Everything his idol does is amazing!

Look, how strong his idol's sense of time is!

Not wasting a single minute or second, and never being late!

It is not easy for an ordinary person to grasp such a balance.

A little more, and one would be late.

A little less, and one would be wasting time, wasting life.

Is this something an average person can do?

Not only is his ball control extremely powerful, but his time management is also superb!

"Takahashi, did you come straight from home? Official members of the Tennis Club have to arrive half an hour early, starting training at 8 o'clock, before coming to class."

"We weren't considered official members before, so our training was separate from theirs."

"But you became an official member starting yesterday, so you have to train according to the rules!"

Kimura Kojiro in the front row turned his head and asked.

Oh, so he had forgotten about this.

Takahashi realized that this was exactly what he had forgotten this morning.

"You didn't forget, did you!"

Kimura looked at Takahashi's expression and asked tentatively.

"Vice Captain Sanada is very famous throughout the whole school, known for being strict, having extremely high requirements for official members of the Tennis Club, and he is also a member of the Disciplinary Committee."

"On your first day as an official member, you skipped training, this..."

Kimura Kojiro's gaze toward Takahashi was even tinged with a bit of sympathy.

"I just ran into Vice Captain Sanada on the road earlier; no wonder he didn't respond when I greeted him."

Takahashi realized with a sudden start.

"This, this, this..."

Both Taro and Kojiro were somewhat speechless.

"What's there to fear? When soldiers come, block them with generals; when water comes, cover it with earth!"

"Relax!"

Takahashi opened his book while lost in thought.

The Tennis Club requires arriving at school half an hour early for training.

Not only do you have to wake up early, but you also end up covered in sweat first thing in the morning. It makes the whole day uncomfortable.

Should he have a match against Sanada and beat him, so he can rightfully skip the morning training?

But with his own strength, challenging the "Emperor" of Rikkai, Sanada...

Takahashi rested his chin in his hand and fell into deep thought...