NPC Illustrated Guide, Goddess Descent, and Physical Critical Hit

Sawamura Daichi's gaze was like a security scanner searching for contraband, lingering on Lu Ren for a full three seconds.

The oppressive feeling slowly receded, finally dissolving into a helpless sigh.

"Since you're here to join the club, introduce yourself first," Sawamura Daichi said, pointing to the two people beside him. "I'm captain Sawamura Daichi, a third-year. My position is ace spiker, but I'm often responsible for defense and support."

Lu Ren quickly updated his mental files.

[Sawamura Daichi: Lv.???, Class: Paladin/Tank. Traits: High defense, high HP, possesses 'Leader's Aura' buff to boost team morale. Hidden Stat: Attack power doubles when enraged. Strategy: Stroke his ego, don't provoke him.]

"I'm the vice-captain, Sugawara Kōshi, also a third-year. My position is setter."

The silver-haired boy who had broken up the fight earlier walked over, his smile gentle and refreshing. He even thoughtfully patted Lu Ren's shoulder. "Don't be intimidated by Daichi's earlier demeanor; he's usually very easygoing."

Lu Ren stared at Sugawara's narrowed eyes.

Although he looked like a typical "Novice Village Guide," Lu Ren's intuition told him that guys with narrowed eyes in this game were usually not simple.

[Sugawara Kōshi: Lv.???, Class: Support/Strategist. Traits: Gentle but cunning, strong crowd control abilities. Appears harmless, but may secretly hold the team's dark history. Danger Level: A.]

"You're Lu Ren, right?" Sugawara asked with a smile. "Have you played volleyball before?"

"No. I'm a pure beginner player," Lu Ren answered frankly. "The kind who hasn't even finished the tutorial."

"Huh? Beginner?"

The bald guy—Tanaka Ryūnosuke—thrust his face forward, his nostrils almost brushing Lu Ren's. "Hey, kid, volleyball isn't an easy game. If you're just here to mess around, you'll have a miserable time!"

As he spoke, Tanaka deliberately flexed his bicep, wearing a provocative expression typical of a delinquent.

Lu Ren took half a step back, disgusted, avoiding the spray of saliva.

[Tanaka Ryūnosuke: Lv.???, Class: Berserker. Traits: High attack, low defense, possesses a taunt skill, extremely short mana bar, prone to overheating. This type of hot-blooded idiot NPC is usually part of the background cast in the story and the easiest to manipulate.]

"I'll try not to die," Lu Ren replied perfunctorily. "Revival Coins are quite expensive, after all."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" A vein twitched on Tanaka's forehead.

"Alright Tanaka, stop scaring the freshman," Sawamura Daichi interrupted Tanaka's charging animation and turned to grab a form from a nearby rack. "Since you've decided to join, fill out the application first. We're short-handed, but we don't accept just anyone. If you can't handle it, I'll personally escort you out."

"Understood."

Lu Ren took the form and pen and walked to the long bench by the court to sit down.

Kiyosawa Mashiba immediately leaned over, scrutinizing his writing like a worried mother hen.

"Write neatly! Don't make it look like scribbles!"

"Got it," Lu Ren replied lazily.

Name: Lu Ren.

Class: 1st Year, Class 4.

Height: 181cm.

Weight: 70kg.

Applying for position: ...

The tip of his pen hovered over the "Applying for position" line.

"Why did you stop writing?" Kiyosawa Mashiba asked.

"I'm thinking," Lu Ren twirled his pen. "Which position has the best cost-performance ratio."

"Cost-performance ratio?"

"You know, a position where I can stand still without getting yelled at, occasionally move and get MVP, and preferably be able to slack off openly on the court," Lu Ren analyzed seriously. "Ace spiker is too tiring, requires a first jump; setter is too mentally taxing, requires memorizing tactics; libero is too miserable, just takes all the hits. Is there a 'mascot' position?"

"Why don't you just write 'water boy'!" Kiyosawa Mashiba rolled her eyes.

"Good idea." Lu Ren was about to write.

Creak--

The gymnasium doors opened for the third time.

The air, previously filled with the scent of sweat and floor wax, seemed to suddenly welcome a refreshing mint breeze.

Lu Ren instinctively looked up.

Not only him, but Tanaka Ryūnosuke and Sugawara Kōshi inside the court also stopped what they were doing.

A girl stood at the entrance.

Her black, medium-length hair fell smoothly over her shoulders. She wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses, and a tear mole graced the corner of her eye. She was in her school uniform, holding a stack of freshly washed numbered jerseys.

There were no exaggerated special effects, no background music.

But as she stood there, she was like a high-resolution SSR character illustration that had accidentally wandered into a pixel game filled with low-poly NPCs.

The art style was completely different.

"Kiyoko-senpai!"

Tanaka Ryūnosuke, who had moments ago looked fierce enough to devour someone, instantly devolved.

He clasped his hands together in front of his chest, a strange blush spreading across his face. He twisted himself into a pretzel, and pink little flowers seemed to float in the background.

"Thank you for your hard work! Let me take that jersey! Let these dirty hands touch this sacred fabric!"

Lu Ren stared, dumbfounded.

How could someone change moods that fast? Could a graphics card even render that?

The girl called Kiyoko—Shimizu Kiyoko—completely ignored Tanaka's outburst. With a blank expression, she walked around him and headed towards Sawamura Daichi.

"The jersey is washed," she said. Her voice was cool and clear, like a handful of crushed ice.