Chapter 24: A New Skill—Unlocked!
Ryosuke Kira now had 110 points. Since he couldn't upgrade any skills yet, it was the perfect moment to spend those points unlocking a new one.
[Points: 10]
[Congratulations! You have successfully unlocked: Football Skill — Thunder Breathing, Second Form: Rice Spirit]
The moment the skill unlocked, Kira felt dazed for a brief instant—an arc of lightning seemed to flash across his field of vision.
As the system notification rang out, the interface before his eyes shifted.
[Football Skill: Thunder Breathing — Second Form: Rice Spirit LV1 | Proficiency: 0%]
'A new skill unlocked… but its proficiency starts at zero, meaning I need to train it from scratch. That's going to take a lot of time. I wonder if I even have enough…'
Kira was thinking to himself when the system's voice suddenly came again. A new panel appeared in front of him.
[Achievement Unlocked: "Rookie's First Step" — Scored in an official match for the first time. Physical ability slightly increased.]
Kira felt a warm surge of power rush through his body, then quietly fade.
[Achievement Unlocked: "Hat Trick" — Completed a hat trick in an official match. Reward: Access to Practice Space granted.]
[Competition Space: A unique dimension separate from the real world. The host may enter to train freely.
Inside the Practice Space, no fatigue will be felt, and time in the real world will remain frozen.]
[Practice Space Cost: 10 Points / 1 Hour]
"There are achievements too? And this… Practice Space?"
Kira focused on the description with growing astonishment. It didn't take long for him to understand how unbelievably valuable this was.
Points determined how strong he could become—but just as important was time.
Kira needed time to train and master his skills. Reaching 100% proficiency in both Total Concentration and Thunderclap and Flash had taken him over a week. With new skills unlocked—and existing ones leveling up—he would need even more.
Even though Blue Lock scheduled several days of rest between each match to ensure fairness and player recovery, it still wasn't enough for what he needed.
But with the Practice Space… things were different.
Kira would gain extra hours that didn't exist in the real world.
And most importantly—he wouldn't feel fatigue in that dimension. His training efficiency would skyrocket. One hour might very well equal an entire day of ordinary practice.
Just then, the room's screen suddenly lit up—the face of Jinpachi Ego appeared.
"Team Z's raw gems… Although this was only your first match, I must admit you performed beautifully."
Ego spoke slowly, though his gaze clearly focused on Kira.
"You seem to have found your weapons, and discovered a method to create football from zero. But there's something I want to ask you, Ryosuke Kira. Why did you choose to pass the ball instead of attacking yourself during your second face-off with Barou?"
"Because passing was the correct choice."
Kira replied with a smile.
"Even though you won, I must warn you—this mindset will not take you further. A striker must be selfish. Only relentless scoring earns the title of the world's best striker. If you fear taking the shot or prioritize helping others, then you're already mistaken."
Ego's tone sharpened, stern enough to send chills through the rest of Team Z. None of them dared interrupt.
But Kira's smile didn't waver in the slightest.
"I disagree, Mr. Ego. A truly great striker isn't judged solely by how many goals he scores, but by whether he can lead his team to victory. Barou is the perfect example, isn't he?"
Kira continued calmly:
"I passed not because I was scared, nor out of kindness. I passed because that was the winning choice. What I desire is victory—not goals. A real footballer makes the correct decision at the correct moment. In other words, only someone who can lead his team to triumph deserves to be called exceptional. Compared to Barou, I'd much rather work with the teammates I have now."
His words silently strengthened his influence within Team Z.
"If you disagree with my philosophy," Ego asked, pushing up his glasses, "then why come here at all?"
"Because I intend to prove that you're wrong, Mr. Ego."
Kira smiled. It was the very reason he entered Blue Lock.
"And when the one who opposes your ideology reaches the end… don't you think that would be quite ironic?"
"…Interesting."
Ego stared at Kira for a long time before smiling as well.
"Then I hope you keep winning. Also—your parallel match with Team V and Team Y has finished. The score was 8–0. I look forward to seeing how far you can go, Kira. Let's find out which of us is right."
With that, the screen blinked off.
"That was awesome, Kira! I can't believe you talked back to him like that!"
Raichi slapped Kira on the shoulder, grinning widely.
...
Meanwhile, inside Team V's locker room, another screen lit up.
"Raw gems of Team V, congratulations…"
Ego repeated nearly the same speech.
"…and for your information, Team Z defeated Team X with a score of 8–3."
"Huh? They scored eight too?"
A ponytailed boy turned to the teammate beside him.
But the boy next to him—a tall player with snow-white curls—lifted his head with a lazy expression.
"Since I got three goals… does that mean I get my phone back? Otherwise the night's gonna be boring."
Despite just finishing a match, he didn't have a single bead of sweat on him—almost as if he hadn't exerted himself at all.
"Come on, Nagi, you only want it to sneak in some games, don't you?"
"Mm."
Seishiro Nagi nodded with frank honesty.
"Doesn't matter. We're gonna keep winning anyway, right?"
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〔TL〕
Every 100 powerstones = 2 bonus ch.
Every 2 review after 100 ps = 1 bonus ch.