Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

No one expected that last night's late-night ghost story session, titled "Kayako," would have an unexpected positive effect on the training the next day.

Inside the stadium, the sounds of volleyballs hitting the floor echoed continuously.

"Well done!"

Ryunosuke Tanaka let out a roar that was less a powerful display of strength and more a scream of agony, lunging towards the ground in an ergonomically unnatural posture to catch the volleyball before it hit the ground. As he got up, he nervously glanced back at the empty corner behind him, as if something unseen was standing there.

"Nice catch!" Although Daichi Sawamura noticed that Tanaka's expression was a bit distorted, he couldn't find fault with the quality of the catch.

Not only Tanaka, but Hinata Shoyo was also in a state of overload, operating at full power. Whenever a ball flew towards him within his line of sight, he would think of the "rolling head" that Lu Ren had described last night, and then he would desperately try to catch the ball in order to avoid it.

The most troublesome issue, the catching error rate, miraculously dropped to its lowest level this morning.

Lu Ren stood on the sidelines drinking water, looking at his teammates who were like frightened birds, and nodded in satisfaction.

"It seems fear really is the primary driving force." He screwed on the bottle cap, and a non-existent system notification popped up in his mind: All members received the [Survival Instinct] buff, agility increased by 20%, SAN value dropped by 50%.

However, the atmosphere on the sidelines wasn't as enthusiastic as it was on the field.

Ukai Koshin stood with his arms crossed beside the coach's bench, his brow furrowed so deeply it could trap a fly. He watched Kageyama Tobio and Sugawara Koji passing the ball to the attackers on the court, but his eyes showed little joy; instead, they were filled with deep anxiety.

Kageyama's passing is still terrifyingly accurate. His innate ball control and feel are like a precise scalpel, able to accurately dissect the opponent's defense.

On the other side, although Sugawara Koji was not as physically gifted or talented as Kageyama, his teamwork with Higashimine Asahi and Tanaka Ryunosuke possessed a seamless and natural chemistry. That was a trust forged over three years through countless failures and sweat.

"Coach Ukai?" Ittetsu Takeda walked over with his notebook, adjusting his glasses. "You don't look too good. Are you worried about the selection of participants?"

Wu Yangxi exhaled a breath of stale air and nodded: "Ah, yes."

His gaze shifted back and forth between Kageyama and Sugawara.

"I'm hesitant about the setter position." Ukai's voice was a little hoarse. "If we only consider strength, talent, and dominance in this position, there's no doubt it's Kageyama. That kid's ceiling is frighteningly high; he can elevate the entire team's offense to a whole new level."

"But..." Ukai paused, his gaze falling on Sugawara, who was laughing and patting Higashimine on the back. "If Sugawara's advantage is his tacit understanding with the ace player since his freshman year, and his ability to motivate the team. Kageyama's talent is domineering, and it seems that he can forcibly surpass even that kind of accumulation in a short period of time, but volleyball is not a one-man sport after all."

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Takeda Ittetsu was silent for a moment, then asked softly, "Is your hesitation perhaps because Sugawara-san is already a third-year student?"

These words were like a needle, piercing through the thin veil of paper in Wu Yang's heart.

"For third-year students, this is their last chance." Takeda's voice was soft, yet heavy. "We all know what this year means for high school students. If we lose our starting position to first-year freshmen at this point..."

At this point, Takeda seemed to realize he had said too much and quickly bowed his head in apology: "I'm sorry, I've said too much. Strategizing is the coach's responsibility."

Uyang Xixin took out a cigarette from his pocket, wanted to light it, but then remembered that he was in a stadium, so he could only twirl it between his fingers in frustration.

"No, teacher, you're right."

Uyo chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Perhaps that's why I'm so conflicted. In my three years of high school, I only played as a starting player once. That was because the setter, who was a junior, was unable to play due to injury."

He looked up at the bright lights above the stadium, his eyes somewhat dazed, as if he saw himself sitting on the bench years ago, staring intently at the court, filled with resentment.

"I understand better than anyone the regret of not being able to play, and the helplessness of watching my teammates fight on the sidelines."

Wu Yang's fingers tightened suddenly, breaking the unlit cigarette in two.

"But," his eyes sharpened again, "since I've become a coach, I can't just consider the players' feelings. My only concern is how to make this team win."

……

After the morning's technical training, the dreaded physical conditioning session began immediately – a mountain run.

The mountain roads in Miyagi Prefecture are winding and steep.

"Charge! Aaaaaaah!"

Hinata Shoyo was like a husky just released from its cage, barking and running wildly ahead. Kageyama Tobio was not to be outdone; his unapproachable face was filled with the words "want to win," and he gritted his teeth, relentlessly chasing after Hinata.

"Hey! You two! Don't go too far! Watch your pace!" Daichi Sawamura shouted hoarsely from behind, but the two single-celled organisms had clearly entered a berserk mode that blocked out external signals.

At the back of the line, Lu Ren dragged his heavy steps, feeling as if his lungs were stuffed with a wad of burning cotton.

"Why...why doesn't this game have auto-pathfinding...and a mount system..." Lu Ren was panting like a broken bellows, and every step he took required immense willpower.

Qingze Yazhi didn't run alongside today, but instead prepared for a refreshment at the finish line, which deprived Lu Ren of his last source of motivation.

As Hyuga and Kageyama completely disappeared around a bend, Lu Ren stopped, braced his hands on his knees, and felt his soul leaving his body.

Sawamura Daichi ran up from behind, glanced at the dust kicked up in front, and sighed helplessly: "Those two guys, they've messed things up again."

Lu Ren straightened up. Although his stamina bar was already red, his mind was racing. This was a perfect opportunity to slack off.

"Senior Daichi," Lu Ren said with a serious expression, despite his face being covered in sweat, "I'll go find those two idiots. There are many forks in the mountain road, and with Hinata's terrible sense of direction, he might end up in a neighboring county."

Sawamura Daichi looked at Lu Ren with some suspicion: "You? You still have the stamina to chase them?"

"I lack explosive power, but I'm quite confident in my endurance (referring to the grind in the game)." Lu Ren patted his chest. "Don't worry, I have special skills for finding people."

Sawamura Daichi hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, then I'll leave it to you. Be careful not to get lost, and come back quickly if you can't find your way."

"receive."

Lu Ren watched the main force disappear into the distance, immediately dropping his serious "I'm going on a mission" expression. He slowly walked to the shade of a tree by the roadside and let out a long sigh.

"Only an idiot would chase after them." Lu Ren pulled out a salted candy he had hidden in his pocket, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth. "There's a small clearing not far ahead, perfect for a rest and recuperation buff. Let's go there and wait ten minutes until those two idiots are tired before we go out and meet them up."

Relying on his memory, Lu Ren walked through a grove of trees and sure enough, he saw a small clearing surrounded by barbed wire.

However, the "AFK spot" that should have been deserted was now occupied by people.

Lu Ren narrowed his eyes.

Beside the barbed wire fence, two figures, neither of them particularly large, were crouching. One, with an orange head, was jumping around like a hyperactive child; the other was curled up in a ball, looking like an autistic mushroom.

"Tsk, the respawn point's been taken?" Lu Ren walked over, somewhat annoyed, patting his stomach as he went. "Hey, you little brat over there, this is private territory... uh?"

As he got closer, Lu Rencai realized that the orange-haired man was none other than Hinata Shoyo, whom he had originally been looking for (but didn't really want to).

"Lu Ren?" Hinata turned around abruptly upon hearing the voice, a silly grin spreading across his face. "What are you doing here? Look, look, this is my new friend!"

Lu Ren's gaze passed over Hinata and landed on the "mushroom".

He was a short boy with pudding-colored hair—black roots and blonde ends. He was wearing a red tracksuit, holding a cell phone, and looking down at the screen, seemingly unresponsive to Lu Ren's arrival.

"Friends?" Lu Ren raised an eyebrow and walked over to Hinata. "Your speed in making friends... did you unlock some kind of social genius talent tree? You can even grab a random stranger as a friend in this desolate wilderness?"

"What do you mean by 'grabbing a passerby'!" Hinata protested, dissatisfied. "Ken was lost, and I happened to be lost too, so we chatted here for a while."

"Oh, two directionally challenged people finding solace in each other," Lu Ren quipped. "So, what are you two doing here? Exchanging tips on getting lost?"

The boy named Moyan finally raised his head, his cat-like pupils glancing indifferently at Lu Ren. His voice was soft and flat: "...I'm waiting for a friend."

"Kenma plays volleyball too!" Hinata said, as if showing off a treasure. "And he's a setter! He doesn't look like it, but he says he's still playing."

Lu Ren's gaze lingered on the boy named Moyan for two seconds.

A red tracksuit, slightly worn but well-maintained volleyball shoes, traces of tape on his fingers, and a gaze that, while seemingly lazy, actually possesses exceptional observational skills.

Grinding with a single claw.

"Looks like a hidden master." Lu Ren looked at Mo Yan with a half-smile. "Setter? That's the team's brain. Judging from your appearance, you're probably the type who doesn't like running and prefers to play games with your brain, right?"

Mo Yan paused slightly, holding his phone, and glanced at Lu Ren with some surprise: "...Well, sort of. I don't like sweating."

"What a coincidence, I don't like it either." Lu Ren pointed to himself, "I'm the kind of player who'd rather stand still than run, and who'd rather use a basic attack than a super attack. Looks like we have a lot in common."

Hinata, listening from the side, was completely confused: "What player? What energy saving? What are you talking about?"

Just then, a slightly lazy call came from not far away.

"Grind it—!"

Lu Ren turned his head to look.

A tall boy with a signature "rooster comb" hairstyle (or messy black hair) was standing at the intersection, his hands in his pockets, with a slightly mischievous smile on his face.

Tetsuro Kuroo, captain of Otokoma High School.

"Ah, Kuro." Moyan put away his phone, slowly stood up, and dusted off his pants. "I'll be going now. See you next time, Shoyo."

"Oh! See you next time, Kenma!" Hinata waved vigorously, his enthusiasm practically melting anyone's heart.

Grin, carrying his bag, walked over to the black-haired boy. The two exchanged a few words in hushed tones. Kuroo Tetsurou glanced over, his gaze lingering on Riku for a moment before he gave a meaningful smile, then turned and left with Grin.

Watching the two figures walk away, Lu Ren crossed his arms and clicked his tongue.

"Hinata, you're quite the simpleton." Lu Ren reached out and pressed Hinata's head, rubbing it vigorously. "You can get close to the boss even when you're just getting lost."

"Boss?" Hinata tilted his head, his hair a mess. "What do you mean? Kenma is the Boss? He doesn't look strong at all, he's not even as tall as me."

"Height doesn't determine strength, especially for setters." Lu Ren watched the two red figures disappear into the distance, his eyes becoming somewhat amused. "Didn't you notice the colors of their uniforms? And that guy who called him 'Grinding'?"

"Team uniform?" Hinata scratched his head. "Red...what's wrong?"

"That's the uniform of Tokyo Otokoma High School," Lu Ren said casually, his tone revealing a sense of superiority that said, "I've seen through everything."

"Otokoma?!" Hinata's eyes widened, his mouth forming an "O" shape. "You mean... Otokoma from the 'Junkyard Showdown'? That cat?!"

"That's right. If I'm not mistaken, that pudding-haired guy just now was Otokoma's starting setter." Lu Ren patted Hinata on the shoulder, shattering his naive fantasy. "You just revealed to the enemy commander that you're an idiot."

"Eh?! Eh?!?!" Hinata clutched his head, looking terrified. "I...I leaked information?! I only said I like to spike, and that Kageyama is a tyrant!"

"Isn't that all?" Lu Ren rolled his eyes.

He turned to look at the road he had come from and stretched.

"Alright, stop being so shocked. Now that the Boss has shown up, it means the dungeon is about to open." Lu Ren grabbed Hinata by the back of her collar and dragged her back like a disobedient puppy. "Our task now is to get back to camp as soon as possible. Otherwise, when Daichi-senpai finds out we're slacking off, that'll be the real hell."

"Let go, Lu Ren! I can walk by myself!"

"Stop talking nonsense. If you don't leave, I'll tell Kageyama about your 'collusion' with the opposing setter."

"Oh no! Please don't! Kageyama will kill me!"

On the mountain path, the boy's noise startled a flock of birds.