Blue Lock: Beyond Greatness

"WTF?" The blinding red light pierced through Shinichi's vision, and the series of text prompts made his heart pound uncontrollably. "Complete damage immunity, scaling attributes with age, and even a lifespan boost?!"

The ability of the red-level trait completely exceeded Shinichi's expectations. It took him a long moment to calm his racing thoughts.

While undeniably powerful, this trait seemed to offer minimal immediate combat advantage.

Against world-class players, what Shinichi needed most was something that could directly enhance his combat effectiveness.

With that conclusion in mind, Shinichi turned his attention to the trait that had been locked and following him since the moment he entered Blue Lock: Sharpshooter. "Could it also evolve directly into red level?" he wondered.

Taking a deep breath, Shinichi placed the Sharpshooter trait into the ritual array.

Unfortunately, as the glowing orb gradually dissipated into the array, only faint golden sparks shimmered in return.

Disappointed, Shinichi was about to accept the result when a barely noticeable red glimmer quietly emerged.

[Your pending reward: Sharpshooter has completed its transformation. During the process, Sharpshooter underwent an advancement. Your pending reward, Sharpshooter, has been consumed. You have obtained a new pending reward.]

[1] Heavy Cannon (Crimson Gold): A shot that terrifies every defender. Your shooting power scales with your strength attribute. (Strength +2).

The description was succinct, wasting no words to pad the text.

Its single functionality provided unparalleled enhancement to shooting power.

Without hesitation, Shinichi immediately selected Heavy Cannon as his final reward and locked all remaining options.

...

Character: Kanzaki Shinichi

Gender: Male

Age: 15

Height: 183 cm

Attributes:

Strength: 95 (91+4)

Speed: 100-1 (97+4)

[Additional Trait:] (1) Direction Change: Reduced deceleration when changing directions.

Height: 89 (87+2)

Agility: 99 (87+12)

Mental: 96 (86+10)

Intelligence: 97 (88+9)

Traits:

[1] Mamba's Physique (Purple): Agility +10

[2] Genius (Gold):

An unparalleled natural ability that accelerates growth and enhances performance in all aspects.

[3] Machine-Like (Purple):

A trait symbolizing mechanical precision and consistency.

[4] Dual Dominance (Purple):

A high-risk, high-reward trait that amplifies both strengths and weaknesses in gameplay.

[5] Versatile Athlete (Purple):

Enhances balanced development across all attributes.

[6] Strategist (Purple):

Intelligence +7

Sharpened tactical thinking and decision-making abilities.

[7] Reflexes (Purple):

Mental +8

Improved reaction speed and awareness in critical moments.

[8] Monster (Crimson Gold):

All attributes +2, highest attribute +2

A trait that turns its possessor into an overwhelming presence on the field.

[9] Heavy Cannon (Crimson Gold):

Strength +2

A devastating shot that grows more powerful with increased strength.

...

Current Skills:

[1] ZONE (Gold):

A state of peak focus that maximizes performance temporarily, allowing Shinichi to surpass his limits in critical moments.

[2] Devour (Gold):

A powerful ability to steal and capitalize on opponents' weaknesses, enhancing gameplay through strategic exploitation.

[3] Absorptive Ball Control (Gold):

An advanced skill that allows precise and smooth ball control, absorbing the ball's momentum to maintain possession seamlessly.

...

Shinichi's stats panel had now reached an almost luxurious level.

Over the past days, his height had increased by 2 cm, along with a +1 boost to his Height Attribute and a +2 boost to his Mental Attribute.

Moreover, his Strategist trait had advanced to purple as his subordinates grew in number, and both Devour and Absorptive Ball Control had been certified by the system as official skills.

However, the weapons of Eita Otoya and Tabito Karasu were still unacknowledged.

"I'm… really strong now!" Shinichi took a deep breath, relishing the moment.

Unfortunately, his self-reflection was interrupted by a familiar, annoying voice.

"Hey, kid, are you done yet? Hurry up and join me for extra training!" Kobe's unmistakable grin appeared as he held a basketball. "C'mon, you know the drill."

"You shameless old man, if you let me use my hands, I'll treat you to hot pot for a year." Shinichi rolled his eyes but obediently walked over.

Although extra training didn't directly increase his stats, his defensive positioning and ability to read offensive intent had significantly improved during their sessions.

Once again, Shinichi entered another grueling, one-sided match with Kobe.

As usual, Kobe used his signature post-up moves, creating space through physical contact.

After a step-back fadeaway jumper, Kobe released the ball.

At that moment, Shinichi's pupils constricted sharply, and a flash of black lightning seemed to streak across the court.

Suddenly, Shinichi flipped forward, planting his hands on the ground, and performed a move resembling street dance.

In a stunning display of agility and creativity, he kicked the ball out of Kobe's hands just as it was about to leave his fingertips.

"Hell yeah! Old man, I can beat you with my feet!" After countless nights of being dominated in practice, Shinichi's long-calculated strategy had finally succeeded.

He let out a triumphant howl, his frustration from endless losses evaporating into pure joy.

To Shinichi's surprise, Kobe didn't react with the fiery rage he had anticipated.

Instead, he stood frozen, staring at his hands in silence.

After a long pause, a faint, knowing smile appeared on his face.

"Alright, kid, you win this time." Contrary to Shinichi's impression of the trash-talking, obsessive leader, Kobe's demeanor was calm, almost serene.

Draping an arm over Shinichi's shoulder, he sat down on the court. "I heard from the training camp that tomorrow, you're playing against the world's number one. What's going through your mind?"

"Uh—what's with you? Don't do that; you're creeping me out," Shinichi replied, awkwardly brushing off Kobe's arm before falling into thought. "Well, it's not just the world's number one. All the top players from every team are going to be there. It's probably going to be really tough to win…"

Kobe nodded in agreement, his face unreadable. But his expression noticeably shifted at Shinichi's next words.

"But someone has to win. Why can't it be me?"

Shinichi clenched his fists. "I mean, I just stopped you with my feet. How hard could beating the world's number one be? Bring it on."

Looking at the confident, determined Shinichi, Kobe couldn't help but reminisce about his younger self.

He, too, had once faced a world champion with the same fearless attitude, charging forward like an untamed rookie.

That night, Kobe didn't spar with Shinichi again.

Instead, he meticulously taught him various defensive and offensive techniques, step by step.

As someone who had once dabbled in football, Kobe even passed down a couple of football-inspired tricks.

In their downtime, Shinichi teased Kobe, telling him to stop relying on helicopters for his entrances.

When their time ended, Shinichi's figure disappeared from the legendary training camp.

Kobe let out a deep sigh.

Initially, he had trained with Shinichi fueled by the bitterness of last season's first-round playoff exit.

But after tonight…

"I guess I really am getting old. Two more years, maybe, to make some money for old Buss and give the Lakers a foundation. Then I'll hang it up for good." The lifelong obsession of the Black Mamba had finally found peace as his professional career neared its end.

Meanwhile, Shinichi's journey was only just beginning.

...

The sound of the alarm rang out, and Shinichi opened his eyes. At the same time, the others around him stood up almost in unison.

"You… didn't all stay up, did you?" Hiori asked awkwardly. "I was worried about disturbing you guys, so I held it in all night."

"Except for Shinichi, I doubt anyone could sleep," Kurona replied without a trace of exhaustion from staying up.

On the contrary, his eyes were brimming with excitement, almost overflowing. "It's time—we're playing against the world's number one!"

"Don't lump me in with the rest of you," Rin said coldly, though his eyes betrayed his uncontainable fighting spirit. "In this match, I will devour you, Kanzaki Shinichi! I'll prove my existence in front of the world's top players, and then I'll step into the global stage!"

"My fighting spirit… is soaring." Zantetsu adjusted his glasses, carefully repeating the phrase that Reo had corrected for him during the match against Team Z.

'Luckily, I remembered this time, he thought to himself. No way anyone will notice how dumb I sounded before.'

"Alright, quit the dramatics, all of you," Shinichi said, sitting up on his bed. "Let's go. It's time to announce our presence to the world."

The group dressed quickly and followed the instructions leading them to the field.

As the gates of the tunnel opened, the imposing figures of world-class players came into view, each exuding a unique aura.

The third selection… begins!

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