The Old Baseball Player System

Shun arrived home exhausted after playing one game and watching two more, but that didn't stop him from completing his workout routine in the yard. He couldn't help but feel relieved that he no longer had to pitch 100 times and take 500 swings every day, because after finishing his exercises, he had no energy left for anything else.

Well, almost nothing, he still found the energy to eat a hearty dinner before taking a shower and lying down.

[DING]

[Rest mode activated]

[The user can access rest mode functions]

"Arena!" - Shun said in his mind as soon as he heard the system notifications. As tired as he was, he still needed to check one of his rewards.

Shun felt his consciousness being transported elsewhere, and when he opened his eyes, he saw the familiar empty stadium with a transparent screen in front of him.

[Arena Missions]

[Training Center]

[Arena Tournaments]

"Hey, old man! Where do I go to see my training partner?" - Shun asked quickly.

[Hahaha! Enter the Training Center, kid.] - The old man responded enthusiastically.

"Hm." - Shun nodded, a bit dissatisfied. While the old man loved the Training Center, Shun hated it. In the Training Center, not only did he have to endure the old man's annoying voice, but he also had to look at his ghostly figure.

"Training Center!" - Shun said reluctantly, and his consciousness was swiftly transported to the Training Center.

[Hahaha! Finally! I was getting tired of not being able to move!] - The old man said cheerfully.

"This old man..." - Shun sighed, watching the old man laugh by himself. This annoying old man did the same thing every time Shun entered the Training Center.

"Do you mind showing me my training partner now?" - Shun asked irritably.

[Oh! Of course, hahaha!] - The old man just noticed Shun's presence and laughed shamelessly. He began walking toward the bullpen with Shun following behind, feeling suspicious.

The moment Shun stepped into the bullpen, a system notification echoed in his mind.

[DING]

[Do you want to summon your Legendary Training Partner?

Yes/No]

"Yes!" - Shun said, a mix of surprise and excitement in his voice.

As soon as he spoke, a silhouette began to appear in the right batter's box, a tall man with dark skin, a broad, strong body. When Shun saw the figure's face, he cried out in shock.

"José Martínez!" - Shun almost fainted when he saw his idol standing in the batter's box, looking at him. That man was the superstar who made history in Major League Baseball, a future Hall of Famer. How was he inside Shun's mind?

[Hahaha! That guy's just a hologram, kid! You're not dumb enough to think that's the real José Martínez, right?] - The old man laughed mockingly, clearly enjoying Shun's reaction.

Of course, Shun knew it wasn't the real José Martínez, but it was hard not to be impressed. Everything looked too real. Shun couldn't help but wonder who created this system, but he quickly dismissed the thought. He knew it was pointless to think about it.

"What should I do now, old man?" - Shun asked curiously, the sight of José Martínez making him more excited.

[What else would you do? Just pitch!] - The old man answered as if it were obvious, irritating Shun a bit.

But Shun was too excited to throw pitches at his idol to stay angry. He positioned himself in the bullpen with enthusiasm, facing the challenge with a smile.

If not for the system, Shun might have had to wait years to pitch against José Martínez. That thought fueled his excitement. He wanted to know how good he really was compared to one of the best professionals in the world.

Shun started his wind-up, stepping forcefully as he whipped his arm forward. He launched his best pitch right away, his slider with horizontal break. Since José Martínez was a right-handed batter, Shun aimed the ball near the left-handed batter's box, planning for it to end up on the outside corner of the strike zone.

The moment the ball left his hand, Shun knew it was a perfect pitch. It was the best of the best, a flawlessly executed backdoor slider.

WOOSH

DOOOOOONG

"Damn!" - Shun stared in disbelief at the direction the ball flew. He had never heard such a loud sound from a hit in his life. But he was even more stunned when the ball vanished without a trace. Before he could ask anything, a system notification echoed in his mind.

[DING]

[Estimated hit result: Home Run

Estimated distance: 513 feet]

"What the hell?! 513 feet? Is that even humanly possible?!" - Shun exclaimed, shocked. He had never seen a hit go that far, not even among professionals, and yet José Martínez's hologram had launched his best pitch that far with ease.

[Hahahaha! What are you doing, kid? You know this is supposed to be training for you, not batting practice for the hologram, right?] - The old man laughed, unable to resist teasing Shun.

"You..." - Shun grumbled, furious at the old man's laughter. But he was too frustrated to come up with a response. Determined not to leave things like this, he threw another pitch. Your next read is at m v|l-e'-NovelBin.net

WOOSH

DOOOONG

[DING]

[Estimated hit result: Home Run

Estimated distance: 517 feet]

WOOSH

DOOOONG

[DING]

[Estimated hit result: Home Run

Estimated distance: 509 feet]

WOOSH

DOOOONG

[DING]

[Estimated hit result: Home Run

Estimated distance: 521 feet]

[Hahahahaha! How many meatballs can you serve up in a row, kid?] - The old man was now in hysterics, holding his belly as he laughed.

"Fuck! How is this a training partner?! What kind of ridiculous training is this?!" - Shun yelled, more frustrated than ever in his life.

He had thrown his best pitches, all in excellent locations, a difficult feat for someone with poor control like him. Yet, the José Martínez hologram had effortlessly blasted each pitch over 500 feet.

It was more than any pitcher could bear. On top of that, the old man was laughing uncontrollably beside the bullpen. Shun, too exhausted to deal with it, quickly exited the Arena, leaving the old man disappointed.

His consciousness returned to his room, and Shun closed his eyes, waiting for the system to put him to sleep. This was definitely a humbling experience.