Blue Lock, I, Kira Ryosuke, Obtain Thunder Breathing at the Start

Although seven days isn't a long time, Kira Ryosuke could truly feel himself improving at a visible rate during this period.

Physically, Kira Ryosuke was significantly stronger than he was a week ago. The efficiency of his improvement had even exceeded his expectations. This wasn't just a byproduct of practicing breathing techniques; it was primarily the result of Aida Reiko's specially designed hellish crash training. Simultaneously, the balanced meals he received daily ensured the effectiveness of his workouts.

During this time, practicing his lung capacity and breathing techniques had also gradually improved Kira Ryosuke's mastery of Total Concentration Breathing. Although he could still only maintain it for two to three seconds at a time and could only use it intermittently, the intervals between uses had shortened considerably.

Not only that, but as his physical fitness improved and his breathing techniques became more proficient, the negative side effects of using Thunderclap and Flash while in Total Concentration Breathing had lessened. Furthermore, his left-foot shooting skills had become more adept, and he could now use Thunderclap and Flash for shooting with very high accuracy. This was something his original body could never have achieved.

Kira Ryosuke pulled his thoughts back to reality, refocusing his attention on these two skills and contemplating which one to prioritize upgrading.

"If I upgrade Total Concentration Breathing, I should be able to extend the duration of each Total Concentration state, allowing me to use the breathing technique more frequently. If I upgrade Thunderclap and Flash, I should be able to enhance its power and reduce its side effects... As it stands, upgrading Total Concentration Breathing seems more important. It can improve my physical abilities and increase my training efficiency. Besides, I won't be entering Blue Lock until tomorrow. There's still physical testing and acclimatization time, and then three days until the first official soccer match. It won't be too late to upgrade Thunderclap and Flash then."

Kira Ryosuke thought this and then made his choice in his mind.

[Upgrade Successful! Skill. Thunder Breathing. Total Concentration has reached LV2, Proficiency Reset.]

[Skill. Thunder Breathing. Total Concentration LV2 Proficiency: 0%]

[Current Skill Points: 30]

The system notification flashed before Kira Ryosuke's eyes, and he could feel an invisible power surging into his body.

After completing the upgrade, the skill's proficiency was reset, requiring him to practice again.

However, Kira Ryosuke also knew that it would definitely take more effort and time to max out the proficiency again, and the skill points required for higher levels would also increase.

He immediately closed his eyes, adjusted his breathing, and felt the difference between LV2 Total Concentration Breathing and the previous level.

He clearly felt oxygen flooding into his lungs, converting into physical strength.

After a while, Kira Ryosuke opened his eyes, returning to his normal breathing state.

"The duration of each use has increased significantly, from two to three seconds to over ten seconds. The intervals between uses also seem to have shortened considerably. I should be able to use it more frequently in matches."

Even a few seconds of extension was crucial for the explosive power increase it brought. For someone running at high speed, even one second could create a significant gap.

Chapter 8: You're Clearly Coveting My Body!

After showering, Kira Ryosuke walked out of the bathroom, wearing only sports shorts. Just as he was about to return to the locker room to change, a slender figure was waiting for him.

Aida Reiko.

"Reiko? What are you doing here? This is the men's locker room, isn't it?"

"I thought this would be a good opportunity to observe the results of your training during this period. This way, my eyes can see more accurately, and I won't have to trouble you to take off your shirt again later."

As Aida Reiko spoke, her gaze roamed over Kira Ryosuke's body.

His physique was already good, but after a week of training, his body lines had become more defined. He had broad shoulders, a strong chest, and distinct abdominal muscles. It was a perfect physique that peers his age simply couldn't achieve, with significantly improved explosive power and endurance compared to before.

This was the result of Kira Ryosuke's week of high-intensity training.

However, the results were even better than Aida Reiko had anticipated.

Unconsciously, she found herself staring at Kira Ryosuke's physique, lost in thought.

"Hey, hey, hey, Reiko... Are you really analyzing my physical stats? What's that at the corner of your mouth? Is that drool! Is that drool!"

"No, no!"

Aida Reiko's consciousness was abruptly pulled back to reality. She suddenly felt embarrassed, two blushes appearing prominently on her fair cheeks. She simultaneously reached up and wiped the corner of her mouth.

"Your training has been very successful!"

"That's good... But Reiko, you should leave first. This is the men's locker room, after all. If your dad finds out, he'll kill me, won't he?"

"Do I look like that kind of person?"

Just then, the door of a nearby locker slowly opened, and Aida Kagetora emerged, holding a kitchen knife.

"..."

"..."

"..."

A silence spread among the three of them.

"Mr. Aida... What are you doing?"

Kira Ryosuke wiped his forehead, unsure if it was water or leftover sweat.

"Haha, I was just passing by. It's not like I saw my precious daughter enter the men's locker room and snuck in. And it's definitely not because I'd kill you on the spot if you tried anything with my precious daughter!"

"Mr. Aida, put the knife away before you speak!"

"If there's nothing else, I'll be going now. You guys chat."

Aida Kagetora hid the kitchen knife behind his back upon hearing this, then whistled and quickly left. However, Kira Ryosuke could still sense a faint, lingering killing intent. Aida Kagetora had definitely not gone far.

"Um... Today is the last day of training! You're going for intensive training tomorrow!"

Aida Reiko looked up at Kira Ryosuke, then shifted her gaze elsewhere, the blush on her face not yet completely faded.

"For how long?"

"I'm not sure. The invitation didn't say anything."

Kira Ryosuke shrugged. He knew very well that once he entered Blue Lock, if he wanted to go all the way, it would take at least several months.

There was a special mechanism there, where accumulated goals could be exchanged for certain privileges, and one of those options was a day trip outside.

"Alright... then you have to work hard! Although you guys should be confiscating your phones, right? But if there's anything you need help with, please contact me right away! After all... you're the face of our gym!"

The Aida Reiko's gaze returned to Kira Ryosuke's face.

A smile also appeared on Kira Ryosuke's face.

"It's a deal."

The next afternoon, Kira Ryosuke arrived at his destination – the Football Association.

Perhaps due to the timeline change, he did not encounter the original protagonist, Isagi Yoichi, outside the association building.

He entered the building and went to the conference room indicated on the invitation.

The moment he pushed the door open, countless eyes fell on Kira Ryosuke.

They were all potential forwards invited by the Football Association. Besides Kira Ryosuke, there were 299 others.

Forwards play a bayonet-like role in a team. Simply put, their function on the field is to tear through the opponent's defense and then shoot to score.

The so-called Blue Lock project aims to cultivate a super forward who has never existed before.

Kira Ryosuke's gaze swept over everyone in the room. He recognized many of them at a glance, and they were also looking at him.

Normally, he received looks of respect and admiration from those around him.

Now, there was more hostility.

Talent and ability were not worth mentioning here. Many of the players were the star players of their own teams, just like Kira Ryosuke.

A genius appears special among ordinary people, but when geniuses gather, everyone becomes mediocre, unless they are the genius among geniuses.

"Um... Long time no see, Kira-kun!"

A familiar voice came from the side. Kira Ryosuke turned his head and saw a familiar figure.

Isagi Yoichi, the original protagonist. His team had been eliminated by Kira Ryosuke's team just last week.

"Hello, Isagi-kun."

Kira Ryosuke responded politely.

According to the plot, he would be assigned to the same team as Isagi Yoichi in Blue Lock –

Then came the first assessment, where the original body was eliminated.

However, this timeline was about to change.

"Congratulations, all you raw gems of football."

A loud voice came from the conference room's speakers.

Just like in the original story, the initiator of Blue Lock, Ego Jinpachi – a thin, eccentric man with glasses – appeared and gave a speech about the Blue Lock project, explaining its purpose and rules to everyone present.

To select the strongest forward.

At the same time, to bury the future of the other two hundred and ninety-nine players in the world of football.

But even with such dire consequences for failure, not a single one of the three hundred invited players backed down. Everyone yearned to become the number one forward.

Soon, the three hundred young players boarded the buses and set off for Blue Lock.

On the bus, Kira Ryosuke took out his phone. Everyone would have to hand in their phones upon arrival at Blue Lock, so he decided to use it while he still could.

As soon as he unlocked the screen, Kira Ryosuke saw several unread messages.

Reiko: Ryosuke, have you arrived yet!

Reiko: What's the situation over there?

Reiko: Has the content of your player training camp been announced?!

Kira Ryosuke immediately relayed what Ego Jinpachi had just said to Aida Reiko.

Chapter 9: Arriving at Blue Lock, Assessment Begins!

"What? This is absurd!"

At Aida Gym, Aida Reiko showed her father, Aida Kagetora, the message Kira Ryosuke had just sent her.

"Those who fail will permanently lose their eligibility to join the national team. Is that a joke? Isn't that equivalent to directly ending a player's future?"

"It doesn't seem like a joke... My old friend mentioned that the Football Association will hold a press conference in a few days to announce a very important project. It's probably the Blue Lock that Ryosuke mentioned..."

Aida Kagetora's expression was somewhat serious. As a former professional athlete and top trainer, he still had some connections within the Football Association, so he knew some related information.

This was not a joke.

"Then if Ryosuke..."

Aida Reiko's face was filled with worry. She wanted to say something but swallowed it back. After a few seconds, her expression changed again, as if she had developed a firm conviction about something.

"If it's Ryosuke, maybe he can really break through. After all, although he usually seems very cheerful and casual, he becomes like a completely different person when he gets serious."

"Yeah, that guy is different from other players I've met. I hope he can shine there – thanks to him, our gym's revenue increased by thirty percent last week!"

Although he said it in a joking tone, Aida Kagetora's eyes narrowed slightly, and his gaze projected into the distance.

He could feel the unknown potential within Kira Ryosuke.

Reiko: Go for it! Don't embarrass our Aida Gym! (☆▽☆)

Reiko: How's the food over there! Make sure you're getting enough nutrition!

Reiko: Also, don't forget to train even over there! Otherwise... you'll regret it!

Looking at the messages from Aida Reiko, Kira Ryosuke smiled, replied a few more times, and then put down his phone.

Because they had already arrived at the building called Blue Lock.

It was a pentagonal complex of five almost identical buildings connected together, filled with all sorts of high-tech equipment that you wouldn't normally see. One could only imagine the budget the Football Association had poured into realizing the Blue Lock project.

A total of three hundred players were randomly divided into five groups, sent to five different buildings, and then further divided into five equal parts for five different zones.

After passing through a strict security check, Kira Ryosuke handed over his phone, stored his luggage, and received a special jersey.

On the shoulder of the jersey, a combination of a number and a letter was clearly displayed: 289Z.

In the original story, Ego Jinpachi claimed this was each player's strength ranking among the three hundred players. However, Kira Ryosuke knew that the number at this moment held no real meaning; it was merely a small tactic Ego Jinpachi had deliberately employed to suppress the players' confidence and create pressure.

Following the signs in the building, Kira Ryosuke arrived at a room marked with the letter Z.

Twelve people per room, and in room Z, the other eleven people were already present.

Kira Ryosuke's gaze swept over them; he knew each person's identity and their special abilities.

The man sleeping on the floor was named Bachira Meguru, possessing excellent dribbling skills and a free-spirited style of play.

Changing clothes nearby was Kunigami Rensuke, who acted upright and honorable, possessing a sturdy physique and a powerful left-footed shot.