CHAPTER 51: PRACTICE

Chapter 52: Practice

Raghav sat on his bed, the blue holographic screen floating in front of him. His Player Rating was a pathetic 52. He was still evaluated as a "low-tier" player. But he had a 77 Potential. He had a path.

He looked at the empty room, his heart still beating fast from the shock of the system’s appearance.

He was 12 years old, but his mind, tempered by an entire, failed lifetime, was already working.

’System,’ he thought, his voice telepathic, ’it’s weird to just call you ’System’. Can I give you a name?’

[That is a choice of the Host.]

’Okay... I’ll call you Max.’

[Acknowledged. Voice module updated.]

A new voice spoke, and Raghav’s breath caught. It was a deep, calm, masculine voice. It was the voice of his father, Umesh, but not the tired, stressed man from this timeline.

It was the voice of his father from his first life, from his childhood, before the financial pressure had broken him. It was a voice he hadn’t heard in thirty years.

"Wow," Raghav whispered, a strange, sad smile on his face. "Okay, Max. That’s... that’s fine."

"Max," Raghav thought, his voice now firm, "what is the best position for me? How do I get back on the team?"

[Looking at Host’s attributes, your stats are balanced but low. Your best path is as an All-Rounder. Your Batting Defense is your highest stat, but your Bowling skills are critically low. A new program is recommended: ’Hybrid Batting All-Rounder Programme’.]

"Okay, but how do I do that? I was cut. I have no coach."

[The system will provide daily tasks. The system will also issue match quests and seasonal quests. By completing tasks and quests, the system will reward you with Legend Points (LP), the currency of the system. LP can be used to buy skills and items from the System Shop.]

[User should not worry. Eventually, you will get to know all functions of the system.]

"Okay, then. What do I do now?"

The blue screen flickered and changed.

...

HYBRID BATTING ALL-ROUNDER PROGRAMME

DAILY TASKS:

Hanging Ball Practice (Drives) ×100:

This entails hitting a ball suspended by a string.

Improves: Batting: Timing, Batting: Hand-Eye

Wall Rebound Practice (Fielding) ×100:

This entails throwing a tennis ball against a wall and catching the rebound.

Improves: Fielding: Reactions, Fielding: Catching

Bowl at Stump (Accuracy) ×60:

This entails bowling 60 legal deliveries at a single stump.

Improves: Bowling: Accuracy

Short Sprints (Running Between Wickets) ×20:

This entails running 22 yards at top speed.

Improves: Acceleration, Sprint Speed

Run Around Pitch ×10:

Improves: Stamina

DAILY REWARDS (Beginner Bonus - 1 Week):

C-Grade Recovery Potion

500 Legend Points (LP)

+3 Stat Points

"This is how it is," Raghav murmured, his eyes scanning the list. It was a grind. But it was a path.

"Host," Max spoke, his father’s voice calm and steady. "I suggest you start immediately. The school team’s next selection trial is in two weeks. You are currently not eligible."

With that, the grind began.

______________________

Two Weeks Later

The sound of ragged breathing echoed in the pre-dawn light of the gully.

Raghav, drenched in sweat, completed his final lap around the small neighborhood park.

Ding.

[Host has completed task.]

He finally came to a halt, leaning against a tree, trying to catch his breath. For the last fourteen days, his life had been a repeating, agonizing loop.

He woke up at 4:30 AM, before his father.

He ran his laps.

He did his sprints.

He went to the gully and spent two hours hitting a tennis ball suspended from a tree branch, the thwack-thwack-thwack a new alarm clock for the neighborhood.

He spent another hour bowling, his arm aching, at the brick wall, aiming for a single, chalk-drawn stump.

Then, he went home, showered, and went to school, where he actually paid attention, his 42-year-old mind soaking up the simple Class 8 lessons.

After school, he returned to the gully. More drills. More sprints.

His father was baffled. "Raghu," he’d said a few days ago, "You’re... thin. Are you eating enough? Why are you practicing a game that has no future?"

"Just getting fit, Papa," Raghav had replied.

His body had been in agony. But every time he collapsed, he’d drink the C-Grade Recovery Potion, and the next morning, the soreness was gone, replaced by a new, dense strength.

He looked up at the blue screen.

[PLAYER INFO]

NAME: RAGHAV ROI

AGE: 12

...

PLAYER RATING: 52/100

...

POTENTIAL: 77

LEGEND POINTS: 7000

STAT POINTS: 42

"Wow," Raghav grinned, "42 stat points. And 7000 LP."

He had found that the system rewarded extra effort. If he did 120 drives instead of 100, he got a few extra LP.

"Now... let’s distribute these."

He sat on the park bench.

"My bowling is still garbage. I need to fix it. That’s the only way to be a real all-rounder."

He allocated the 42 points.

+10 to Bowling: Pace (30 - 40)

+10 to Bowling: Accuracy (35 - 45)

+10 to Bowling: Swing/Spin (20 - 30)

+5 to Batting: Power (45 - 50)

+5 to Fielding: Throwing Power (40 - 45)

+2 to Batting: Timing (50 - 52)

After he finished, he felt a wave of energy course through him. His arm felt stronger, his shoulder more stable.

The system updated.

[PLAYER INFO]

NAME: RAGHAV ROI

AGE: 12

...

SYSTEM EVALUATION: A Fledgling Youth Player

PLAYER RATING: 58/100

POTENTIAL: 82

...

[BATTING STATS]

Hand-Eye: 55

Footwork: 50

Timing: 52

Power: 50

Defense: 55

[BOWLING STATS]

Pace: 40

Accuracy: 45

Swing/Spin: 30

Variation: 20

[FIELDING STATS]

Agility: 50

Reactions: 48

Catching: 45

Throwing Power: 45

His rating had jumped 6 points. His potential was now 82, "Good Player" territory.

He stood up. He felt... solid.

’Okay, Max. I have 7000 LP. How do I level up?’

[SYSTEM LEVEL: 1 (1000 LP to LV 2)]

’Purchase it.’

[System update initiated. Going offline in 3... 2... 1...]

Fwish.

The screen vanished.

Raghav stood there, alone in the park. He felt... nervous. What if it didn’t come back?

He shook his head. ’Stop being a child. You have work to do.’.

He went home, showered, and got ready for school.

But he couldn’t focus. He had to know if he had a chance.

He found Coach Sarma’s number in the old school diary. His hand was trembling. He dialed.

"Hello?" Sarma’s gruff voice answered.

"Coach Sarma? It’s... it’s Raghav Roi."

A pause. "Roi. I told you, the budget is cut. The decision is final."

"I know, Coach," Raghav said, his voice rushing out. "I... I’ve been practicing. I’m stronger. I’m better. The school trials... the final ones... they are tomorrow. I know I was cut. But please, Coach. Just... let me stand in the net. Let me show you. One last chance."

A long, heavy sigh from the other end. Sarma was a hard man, but he was not heartless.

"...One chance, Roi. You show up. You fail... you don’t call me again. 8 AM sharp. Don’t be late."

Click.

Raghav let out a breath he’d been holding for two weeks. He was in.

He went through the school day in a daze. When he got home, he sat on his bed, anxious. It was 6 PM.

’Max?’

Ding.

[Update successfully completed. Loading new interface.]

The screen that appeared was sharper, more organized.

[PLAYER INFO]

...

[STATS] (Now grouped)

BATTING: 51

BOWLING: 34

FIELDING: 47

MENTAL: 58

...

[SYSTEM SHOP] (Unlocked)

SKILLS

CONDITIONING DRUGS

RECOVERY FLUIDS

"Finally," Raghav breathed. He clicked on the ’SKILLS’ tab.

[SKILL SHOP]

Leg Glance (1-Star): 500 LP

Upper Cut (2-Star): 1000 LP

Reverse Sweep (3-Star): 3000 LP (Requires 3-Star Skill Moves)

Doosra (4-Star Bowling): 5000 LP (Requires 4-Star Skill Moves)

’My Skill Move stat is only 2-Star... I can’t even buy the advanced skills.’

"Max, if I buy a skill, do I still need to learn it?"

[Negative. Host just needs to master how and when to use the skill. The system provides the muscle memory. Host must still practice to increase Skill Completion %.]

"Okay... Purchase ’Leg Glance’ and ’Upper Cut’."

[2 new skills added. 1500 LP deducted.

Remaining LP: 5500]

[SKILLS POSSESSED]

Leg Glance (20% Completion)

Upper Cut (10% Completion)

He closed the screen. He felt the knowledge settle into his mind. The precise, last-second wrist movement of the glance. The way to use the pace of a bouncer to guide it over the keeper’s head.

He went to sleep, his mind clear.

Tomorrow... tomorrow he would take his first step back.

(To be Continued)