Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

"Nice Bug".

Lu Ren walked over to Yamaguchi Tadashi and patted the guy's stiff shoulder. That floater ball just now was really something, like a result of server lag.

Yamaguchi was still staring blankly at his palm, which was red, clearly unable to explain how he had managed to land that blow.

"Don't stand there, before your touch cools down." Lu Ren lowered his voice and pointed to the opposite court. "That was luck just now, the system judged you to have a critical hit. But that bald guy will definitely adjust his position next. Listen, it's the same action as before, don't try to use force, treat the ball like your most hated math test paper, use the heel of your palm to 'push' its center point."

"A math exam?" Yamaguchi paused for a moment, then his expression turned strange.

"Yes, don't let it spin. If the ball doesn't spin, the air resistance will teach it a lesson." After Lu Ren finished speaking, he slowly swayed back to the net.

The whistle blew.

Tadashi Yamaguchi took a deep breath, the failing test from last week flashing through his mind. He gritted his teeth, tossed the ball, and swung his arm.

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound rang out. This time the sound was more solid than the last, and the movement lacked the awkwardness of relying on luck. The volleyball once again wobbled across the net, its descent less unpredictable than the previous ball, but still unsteady.

However, the person standing opposite was not a novice.

Ryunosuke Tanaka stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, his center of gravity extremely low. Faced with this unreasonable floater, he didn't frantically reach out to grab it like Hyuga did. Instead, he quickly moved with small steps, facing the ball head-on.

"Too slow!"

Tanaka shouted, bringing his arms together firmly. The volleyball struck his forearms with a dull thud, then bounced up obediently, tracing a perfect arc as it headed straight for the setter.

"Tsk, the experience points of veteran players are indeed not just for show." Lu Ren curled his lips in front of the net.

That was such a perfect catch, it was like being fed right to the mouth.

Kageyama Tobio was already standing at the landing point. His hands were raised high, fingers spread, his posture as relaxed as if he were conducting a symphony. At this moment, Hinata Shoyo had already begun his run-up.

That guy with the orange haircut started incredibly fast, his shoes screeching against the floor. He didn't look at the ball, his opponent, or even Kageyama; he just charged headlong towards the open space in front of the net and jumped with all his might.

That was absolute trust.

Or rather, it's a tacit understanding between madmen.

Lu Ren's dynamic vision captured Kageyama's wrist movement. Without any pause or unnecessary adjustment, the volleyball was launched the instant it touched his fingertips.

"Whoosh—"

The ball speed is abnormally fast.

This wasn't a regular high pass; it was a cannonball launched from the barrel. The volleyball sliced ​​straight down the trajectory of Hinata Shoyo's swinging arm.

Hotaru Tsukishima reacted incredibly quickly at the net. The instant Hinata jumped, he followed suit. The tall, usually lazy guy displayed astonishing judgment, his arms forming a wall at the net's edge.

However, it was still a step too late.

Hinata's hand swung across at the highest point.

"Bang!!!"

A loud bang exploded.

The volleyball grazed the outside of Tsukishima Hotaru's arm, changing its angle of refraction, and like an out-of-control shrapnel, slammed hard onto the backcourt floor.

Lu Ren was standing in the back row. Just as he made a save motion, the ball bounced away two meters behind him.

The deathly silence lasted for half a second.

"Yay!!!!"

After landing, Hinata Shoyo watched the volleyball roll away and then jumped up as if he had been electrocuted, clenching his fists and roaring at the ceiling. The sound made Lu Ren's eardrums buzz.

"Hahaha! Did you see that?! That's the ultimate fast break!" Tanaka Ryunosuke rushed over, grabbed Hyuga by the neck, and vigorously rubbed the orange head. "That was incredible! That shot was practically invisible!"

Kageyama Tobio stood there, watching the two excited people. His tense shoulders relaxed, he let out a long breath, and a hint of smugness appeared on his face.

The score is 4-1.

Lu Ren straightened up, patted the dust off his pants, and turned to look at Tsukishima Hotaru next to him.

Although we conceded that goal, Tsukishima did catch up with the pace. He may have a sharp tongue, but he's definitely got a good head.

"Hey, four-eyed guy," Lu Ren pointed at the trio opposite him who were celebrating wildly, "Did we lose?"

Tsukishima adjusted his glasses and looked over indifferently: "Huh?"

"Judging from their celebration, anyone who didn't know better would think they just won an Olympic gold medal and saved the world," Lu Ren asked seriously. "Did you make a bet with them behind their backs? Like, if you lost a point, you'd have to give them all our team's gear?"

Tsukishima's lips twitched, and she glanced at the person opposite her with disdain: "I'm not that bored. That's just the kind of excitement unique to single-celled organisms, you'll get used to it."

"That's good." Lu Ren shrugged. "I thought I missed some cutscene."

The game continues.

It's time for Tanaka Ryunosuke to serve.

The bald man stood at the baseline, the volleyball in his hand spinning rapidly. Instead of unleashing a fierce jump serve like Kageyama, he opted for a safe overhand serve.

"Euro!"

With a strange cry, the volleyball flew over the net with a strong topspin.

This shot was very powerful, carrying a brute force.

"I'll do it."

Hotaru Tsukishima stepped forward and supported herself with her hands.

"Bang."

The ball was received, but because of the strong spin, it did not fly perfectly to the setter's position. Instead, it deviated slightly from its trajectory and flew towards the vicinity of the three-meter line.

"I'm sorry." Tsukishima said sorry, but there was no trace of remorse in his voice.

"This must be what they call a 'B-level pass,' thankfully it didn't have any bugs."

Lu Ren muttered to himself, but his feet didn't stop. As a temporary setter, he had to cover for his teammates' mistakes in times like these. He took two steps to the spot where the ball was about to land and raised his hands.

At this point, the situation on the field became quite interesting.

Tanaka on the opposite side has just finished serving and is returning to his position. In the front row are Kageyama Tobio and Hinata Shoyo.

Seeing Lu Ren make his move, Kageyama Tobio's eyes sharpened instantly. He quickly moved laterally, staring intently at Lu Ren's hand.

In his eyes, Lu Ren was a novice. A novice setter usually only has one option—to pass the ball to the team's tallest and most reliable attacker.

That is, Hotaru Tsukishima.

"Stop Tsukishima!" Kageyama said, his body already prepared to jump and block the net.

At the same time, Tsukishima Hotaru did indeed begin her run-up. On the other side, Yamaguchi Tadashi was also moving towards the net, though it looked more like he was taking a stroll.

Lu Ren stood in front of the net, the volleyball was falling.

He caught a glimpse of Kageyama's movements out of the corner of his eye. The genius setter was like an eagle eyeing its prey, its muscles taut, ready to pounce on Tsukishima at any moment.

All the defensive focus was drawn to that tall guy.

Lu Ren's lips curled up slightly.

In the game, when the BOSS locks all the aggro on the tank, what is the most important thing for a DPS or support player to do?

It was a sneak attack, of course.

The volleyball fell into Lu Ren's hands.

At the moment of contact with the ball, his wrist did not bounce outward as in a normal pass, but instead flipped over very subtly.

With a gentle flick of the fingers of the left hand.

The high ball, which was supposed to fly towards Tsukishima, suddenly changed its trajectory. Instead of flying upwards, it flew directly over the net and plummeted into the open space on the opponent's side of the court.

Second attack.

This is also known as "hanging ball".

Kageyama Tobio was leaping with all his might to block Tsukishima, his body already airborne, unable to change his position. His pupils contracted sharply as he watched helplessly as the ball slid past his fingertips.

"What?!"

Hinata Shoyo in the back row realized what was happening. His wild instincts told him something was wrong, and he lunged forward.

"Catch it!!!"

Hinata was gliding through the air, stretching his arms out as far as he could.

However, the physics engine is fair.

Gravitational acceleration won't slow down just because you're hot-blooded.

"Clatter".

The volleyball landed lightly on the floor with a crisp sound. Immediately afterward, Hinata's body slammed heavily onto the ground, gliding a short distance before coming to a stop right next to the ball.

5: 1.

The entire stadium fell silent for a moment.

Kageyama landed, turned around, and stared intently at Lu Ren, his face filled with disbelief. He never expected that this novice, who had barely memorized the rules, would dare to attempt such a high-risk second attack in such a chaotic situation.

"Nice!"

Lu Ren looked at the ball that had landed, happily raised his hands, and jumped up and down.

"I thought that move was incredibly cool when I watched the Spring High School game video!" Lu Ren pointed at the ball on the ground and excitedly said to Tsukishima beside him, "No running start, no sweat, just a flick of the finger and you score! This skill is practically tailor-made for an energy-efficient player like me!"

Tsukishima looked at him, her eyes filled with complex emotions: "...Aren't you afraid of being stopped and killed?"

"What are you afraid of? Just reload and start over." Lu Ren said confidently.

He turned his head and looked at the scorer's box on the sidelines.

Qingze Yazhi was sitting there, her pen suspended in mid-air. When she saw Lu Ren looking over, she paused for a moment, then flashed a bright smile, revealing a row of neat, white teeth, and gave Lu Ren a thumbs-up.

Lu Ren grinned and gave him a thumbs up.

That means: See? This is the power of the strategy team.

"Don't get too cocky," came Kageyama's gloomy voice from the other side of the screen.

Lu Ren turned around and found that Kageyama Tobio was staring at him with a dark expression, his eyes even more terrifying than before.

"I've memorized that shot," Kageyama said through gritted teeth.

"Having a good memory is a good thing; it helps with memorizing vocabulary." Lu Ren waved his hand dismissively and returned to his serving position.

Although he spoke casually, Lu Ren knew the truth in his heart.

That genius setter is now truly considering him a rival.

"The BOSS has entered its berserk countdown..." Lu Ren muttered to himself, patting the volleyball in his hand. "But that's what makes it interesting."