About half an hour passed.
[Ding: Task "Dribbling" Stage 2 complete. Total dribbles: 1,000. Achievement unlocked: "Practice Makes Perfect". Reward: 1 Lottery Card.]
[Ding: Task "Dribbling" Stage 3 unlocked. Total dribbles needed: 10,000. Completion rewards: Achievement "Flow Like Water", 1 Lottery Card, and 1 Attribute Point Card (3 points).]
[Ding: Achievement "Practice Makes Perfect" unlocked. Would you like to replace your current achievement "Beginner's Path"?]
Tsuda Shoichi didn't rush to make the switch. Instead, he opened the panel to check the effect of Practice Makes Perfect.
Practice Makes Perfect (Passive Buff):
+20% Dribbling Speed
+20% Running Speed
+20% Movement Fluidity
"This is a no-brainer."
Seeing the powerful buffs from Practice Makes Perfect, Tsuda Shoichi didn't hesitate for even a second.
After swapping out Beginner's Path for Practice Makes Perfect, Tsuda Shoichi paused his dribbling drills, thinking to himself, "Stage three of the dribbling task will take a while. For now, let's test my luck—see what the next draw gives me."
With that hopeful thought, Tsuda Shoichi used the lottery card.
The prize wheel spun rapidly.
[Ding: Congratulations, Host. You've drawn the Buff Card: "Eye of Deception".]
[Ding: You've obtained the Buff Card "Eye of Deception". Would you like to activate it?]
"Activate!"
Tsuda Shoichi replied without hesitation.
[Ding: "Eye of Deception" successfully activated.]
Eye of Deception (Active Buff):
Duration: 5 minutes per use
Cooldown: 24 hours
Description: While Eye of Deception is active, anyone who meets your gaze has a 100% chance of being misled. They will be unable to accurately predict your moves. A perfect skill for breaking past defenders or pulling off fake shots.
"This Eye of Deception reminds me of Akashi's Emperor Eye."
Tsuda Shoichi couldn't help but recall Akashi Seijūrō's infamous skill from Kuroko no Basuke.
But compared to that god-tier ability, his Eye of Deception was clearly much weaker.
Still, Tsuda Shoichi didn't mind. This was just a starting ability. Better ones would come with time.
Besides, this world was Slam Dunk, not Kuroko no Basuke.
If he ended up too overpowered, it'd be hard to explain. If someone dragged him off for experimentation, that'd be the end of him.
While Tsuda Shoichi was still studying the buff, a short, round elderly man with a full head of white hair strolled slowly into the gym.
"Coach Anzai!"
The moment he entered, Gori, Akagi—hurried over and bowed respectfully.
Coach Anzai gave a warm, benevolent smile and said, "Akagi, the new recruits this year look great. They all seem motivated."
"I stopped by today to let you know, your opponent for the practice match will be Ryonan High."
The moment Anzai announced Ryonan as the opponent, Kogure and the others gasped in shock.
"Ryonan High? One of last year's Final Four in the prefectural tournament!"
"Whoa, that's a strong team!"
"No way! For real?!"
…
Kogure and the others broke into whispers.
"Gather up!" Akagi ordered after exchanging a few more words with Coach Anzai.
Hearing that, Tsuda Shoichi walked over with Hanamichi to join the rest of the group.
Watching the gathered students, Coach Anzai nodded in approval. "Lots of new faces this year. How about a scrimmage—first-years versus upperclassmen? Let me see how the rookies perform."
The team quickly moved to organize sides for the practice match.
Seeing the game was about to begin, Tsuda Shoichi quietly made his way toward the edge of the court.
With his current physical condition, he wouldn't last long on the court. It made more sense to keep training on the fundamentals.
That was Tsuda Shoichi's plan, but Hanamichi had something very different in mind.
The moment he heard about a first-years vs. upperclassmen scrimmage, Hanamichi got so excited he could barely contain himself. He bolted toward Akagi.
"Hey, Gorilla! The foreign guy's just doing basic training, so there are only four first-years. With me, that makes five—perfect, right?"
Akagi frowned but said nothing.
Hanamichi lacked discipline and needed to be tempered. Otherwise, he might develop a habit of rushing into things without building a proper foundation.
After a brief pause, Akagi turned toward Tsuda Shoichi. "Tsuda Shoichi, how's your body holding up? Think you can handle a practice match?"
His words hit Hanamichi like a slap to the face. The redhead immediately looked like he was about to explode.
He glared at Tsuda Shoichi and growled, "Hey, foreigner! You're not feeling well, you should just sit on the sidelines and enjoy the show while a real genius takes the stage!"
Tsuda Shoichi ignored Hanamichi's theatrics, carefully considering how to respond to Akagi.
[Ding: Random Task triggered—Participate in a 5-minute scrimmage. Reward: Skill Unlock - "Jump Shot".]
The moment he heard the system prompt, Tsuda Shoichi made up his mind and nodded to Akagi.
Seeing Tsuda Shoichi preparing to step in, Hanamichi panicked and ran up to him.
"Are you sure you're okay? Maybe you should sit this one out and rest. I mean, it'd suck if something happened."
Tsuda Shoichi saw right through him and smiled lightly. "Don't worry. I'll just play a few minutes to warm up. You do your stretches. Once I'm tired, you can sub in."
There was no way Tsuda Shoichi would let Hanamichi go in first. He still remembered that one scene from the anime—Hanamichi's debut dunk knocked Akagi flat with a single play.
If Hanamichi got on the court first, Tsuda Shoichi might not even get a chance to complete his task.
"Got it!"
Hanamichi's eyes lit up at the suggestion and he agreed on the spot.
With that, Tsuda Shoichi stepped onto the court.
The scrimmage between the first-years and upperclassmen was about to begin.