Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

In February, the air in the palace is filled with cold, hard ice crystals.

Compared to the damp, bone-chilling cold of Chengdu, the dry cold here felt much more pleasant. The doors to the Karasuno High School gymnasium were flung open with a whoosh, and a gust of cold wind, carrying a few withered leaves, rushed in along with two figures.

"It's so cold, so cold, so cold..."

Hinata Shoyo was doing high knees in place while holding a volleyball when he heard the noise and turned around sharply. His orange head flashed out in a blur: "Oh! Lu Ren! Ya Zhi! You're back!"

That shout was like flipping a switch.

Kageyama Tobio was practicing his ball-catching technique against the wall when the ball in his hand "thumped" and rolled to his feet. Tanaka Ryunosuke and Nishitani Yu were huddled together studying a new finishing move pose when they heard this. They immediately launched themselves into action, and the two figures darted to the doorway in a flash.

"Souvenirs! Souvenirs!" Tanaka's eyes lit up; he looked more like he was about to rob someone than ask for a gift.

Lu Ren threw the two heavy woven bags he was carrying onto the floor.

thump.

The ground shook.

"I'm alive again." Lu Ren exhaled a puff of white breath, untied his scarf, revealing a face that was slightly red from the cold wind, but noticeably firmer than it had been half a month ago. He looked around the familiar, dilapidated gymnasium, his nostrils filled with the smell of sweat and floor wax.

So heartwarming.

Compared to the provincial sports school, a "hellish dungeon" filled with the stench of muscles and the roar of Zhao Gang, Wuye is practically a safe zone with air conditioning for beginners.

"Of course we have local specialties." Lu Ren kicked the woven bag, a slightly ambiguous smile appearing on his lips. "I brought you some good stuff. This is an essential item for the people over there to replenish their chakra... no, I mean, to replenish their physical strength."

"Oh?" Sawamura Daichi and Sugawara Koji also came over. Daichi had a gentle smile on his face. "Thank you for your hard work. You even brought something back."

Lu Ren squatted down and unzipped the zipper.

An extremely strong, spicy aroma, thick with the scent of butter, instantly filled the stadium. Even before it was opened, the large characters printed on the bright red packaging seemed to be spitting fire.

Extra Spicy Beef Tallow Hot Pot Base - Extremely Spicy Version

"This is..." Yamaguchi Tadashi shrank behind Tsukishima, swallowing hard. "It looks dangerous."

"This is called 'red oil'." Lu Ren picked up a thick piece of the base, as thick as a brick, and casually tossed it to Tanaka. "Since we're all involved in sports, we all have a lot of dampness in our bodies. This stuff will dispel the cold and make you sweat. After you eat it, I guarantee you'll all be like you've activated a 'Berserk' buff, jumping higher than Hyuga and running faster than Kageyama."

Tanaka caught the "red brick," staring at the several menacing chili peppers drawn on it, his hand trembling slightly: "Really...really?"

"Would I cheat you?" Lu Ren said without changing his expression. "I eat there every day. Look at my physique now."

As he spoke, he took off his heavy down jacket, revealing that he was only wearing a thin long-sleeved sports shirt underneath.

For a moment, the stadium fell silent.

The Lu Ren of the past, though not exactly thin, always gave off a lazy and slouchy vibe, standing awkwardly like a boneless limp animal. But now, even when he just stands there casually, his shoulders are open, his back is straight, and the muscle lines faintly visible under his clothes, though not exaggerated, exude a strong and capable air.

It's like it's undergone some kind of high-intensity forging, removing all the excess impurities and leaving only the hardest steel.

"Really...?" Sugawara pinched Lu Ren's arm in surprise. "It's rock hard. Did you go home for the New Year or go to Shaolin Temple for further training?"

"That's about right." Lu Ren distributed the remaining base ingredients.

When it was given to Kageyama, the single-celled organism was staring intently at the instructions on the packaging, as if it were some kind of complex tactical manual.

"Should we eat this directly?" Kageyama asked.

"Yes, like biting into a chocolate." Lu Ren said with a straight face, "If you dare to take a bite, your serve power will be boosted by 20% in the next game."

"Idiot, don't listen to his nonsense," Tsukishima Hotaru interjected coolly, holding the packet of seasoning in her hand with a look of disgust. "After taking a bite, whether your serve power increases or not, your sphincter muscles will definitely undergo a severe test. Do you want to be able to propel your serve like a rocket on the court?"

"Pfft—" Hinata couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Kageyama's face darkened. He stuffed the base ingredients into his bag, turned around and glared at Lu Ren: "You tricked me."

"You're too gullible." Lu Ren shrugged, cracking his knuckles. "Alright, the stuff's all gone. Time to get down to business."

He walked to the edge of the court and bent down to tighten his shoelaces.

Qingze Yazhi helped him adjust his knee pads and whispered, "Take it easy, don't scare them as soon as you get back."

"Don't worry." Lu Ren stood up and jumped twice on the spot. The feedback from the floor was very clear; his body felt incredibly light. Gone was that heavy, sluggish feeling; every muscle was cheering and waiting for instructions.

"Hey, you over there, the king, and that bespectacled sarcastic one," Lu Ren pointed at Kageyama and Tsukishima, "Don't look at me like I'm some rare animal. I've been patching up the system all this holiday."

Tsukishima adjusted his glasses, the lenses reflecting a white light: "Patch? I just hope it doesn't just add a few bugs."

"Whether it's a bug or not, we'll find out by trying it." Lu Ren walked to the net and looked at the third-year group who were warming up through the net.

Dong Fengxu was spiking the ball, and the powerful spike hit the floor with a dull, resounding sound.

"Senior Xu!" Lu Ren called out.

Dong Fengxu stopped what he was doing and turned around, somewhat bewildered: "Huh? What's wrong?"

"Give me a shot." Lu Ren pointed to his feet. "Go all out. Don't hold back. Let me see the true value of our Karasuno ace."

The whole place fell silent.

Sawamura Daichi raised an eyebrow slightly. This kid's gotten quite arrogant. In the past, when faced with this kind of heavy slam practice, Lu Ren could receive it, but he would definitely dodge it if he could, muttering strange things like "my health bar is about to run out."

He actually asked to be tortured today?

"Since you've put it that way," Dadi patted Xu on the back, "Xu, teach him a lesson. Don't let the younger generation look down on you."

Dong Fengxu scratched his head and gave a wry smile, but his eyes quickly sharpened. As the ace, being challenged by name, it would be too shameful to back down.

"Then be careful."

Sugawara took the initiative to walk to the baseline to serve, while Kageyama consciously stood in the setter position.

"I'll pass it." Kageyama looked at Rikuren, a competitive glint in his eyes. He also wanted to see just how far this guy, who always spouted gaming jargon, had evolved.

The ball was tossed high into the air.

The pass was delivered perfectly.

Kageyama's fingers touched the ball with perfect touch. Without hesitation, he made a behind-the-back pass to Higashimine Asahi in position four.

This was a perfect opening attack.

Dong Fengxu takes a running start and jumps.

In that instant in mid-air, he saw Lu Ren on the other side.

The guy stood at position five, his posture low and arms hanging naturally at his sides. He didn't make a bunch of fancy pre-emptive moves like before, nor did he chatter on about the data.

He just stared at us quietly, his gaze terrifyingly focused.

That look in his eyes… Dong Fengxu felt a sudden tightness in his chest. Where had he seen that look before?

correct.

It is the root of Date Industries.

That oppressive feeling of having locked onto your prey, with absolutely no chance of escape.

"Drink!"

Dong Fengxu roared and swung his arm like a whip, pouring all his strength into the ball.

The ball was extremely fast, spinning, and heading straight for the bottom corner.

"Great shot!" Nishiya couldn't help but shout from the sidelines. This was an extremely high-quality shot, a shot right on the line, the kind that's the hardest to catch.

However, Lu Ren made a move.

It's not the kind of advance movement that relies on brain calculations, but rather the body's instinctive reaction at the moment of impact.

Start, slide, squat.

There are only two steps.

It's ridiculously fast.

Just before the ball hit the floor, Lu Ren's arms, like iron gates waiting there, precisely cut into the ball's trajectory.

There were no unnecessary force-dissipating movements, and no awkward tumbling.

Simply tighten your core, engage your waist and abdomen, and steadily push your arms upwards.

Bang!

A muffled thud.

The powerful volleyball seemed to hit a springy wall, bounced high up, and traced a soft arc before landing precisely at the setter's position near the three-meter line.

A perfect first pass.

Even the ball's rotation was completely canceled out, leaving it floating motionless in the air.

Dong Fengxu landed, his eyes wide open.

Kageyama was about to chase the ball, but found that it landed right on his head without him having to move an inch.

The entire room fell silent.

The only sound was the "thud, thud" of the volleyball bouncing after landing.

Lu Ren straightened up and rubbed his forearm. It was a little numb, but compared to that bald guy's killer spike, this force was as gentle as a massage.

"this one?"

Lu Ren patted non-existent dust off his clothes, looked at the stunned crowd, and curled up a smug smile.

"Senior Xu, did your attack power stat get nerfed? It looks so weak, did you not eat? How about some hot pot broth to replenish it?"

"..." Dong Fengxu's fragile heart shattered into pieces.

"Wow...that's amazing!" Hinata was the first to react, jumping three feet high. "That movement was so fast! It arrived in a flash!"

Daichi Sawamura's expression turned serious. He was an expert and could naturally see through the deception.

That last shot by Lu Ren showcased more than just anticipation; what was even more terrifying was his physical prowess. That core stability, that unwavering lower body when receiving a powerful spike—that's something you can't develop just by imagining it.

That's muscle memory built up from thousands of falls.

"It seems..." Daichi turned to look at Sugawara, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes, "Our crow's claws have become even sharper."

Kageyama stared intently at Lu Ren, the volleyball in his hand becoming deformed from his grip.

That kind of receiving... that kind of composure that seems to neutralize every attack.

It's infuriating.

But it also makes people...tremble with excitement.

"Again!" Kageyama suddenly shouted, "That last shot doesn't count, Asahi-senpai wasn't warmed up yet!"

"Hey, don't drag me into this..." Xu was on the verge of tears.

Lu Ren waved his hand dismissively, "Whatever. Whether it's a one-on-one fight or a group brawl, as long as you guys have enough health, I'll take you on."

He turned around, with his back to the crowd, and secretly gave Ya-Chi a "V" sign to her on the sidelines.

It's installed.

Cool.

Is this the thrill of a max-level character going back to the starting village and stomping noobs?

Although his arms were still a little sore and his thigh muscles were a bit aching, looking at his teammates' "seeing a ghost" expressions, Lu Ren felt that all the hardships and scolding he had endured in Chengdu were worth it.

"But let's get this straight," Lu Ren pointed to the hot pot broth on the ground, "the loser has to eat that extra spicy broth dry tonight. No one is allowed to renege on their debt."

"Huh?!" Tanaka and Nishiya screamed simultaneously, "Is that even edible?!"

"Stake your dignity, boys." Lu Ren smiled like a villainous boss. "The game begins."