[GOAT SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
The glowing blue text hung in mid-air, flickering slightly like it was still buffering. Luke stared at it, unblinking, as his brain tried to process what was happening.
"Wait… hold on…" he muttered, squinting at the floating screen.
He waved his hand through it.
Nothing.
Tried poking it.
Nope.
"Is this real?!" he blurted out loud.
The blue panel shimmered, as if in response, and suddenly expanded with a soft ping.
[Welcome, Luke, to the world of Haikyuu.]
[This is your first world.
You may travel to another world after completing your Main Mission.]
Luke's eyes widened, heartbeat accelerating.
"Another world…?" he whispered.
He slowly read the next lines as they appeared, each one making his hands tremble slightly.
[Main Mission: Become the GOAT]
[Parameters: All stats at EX.
Duration: By the time you are 30 years old.
Reward: World hopping ticket with a beginner pack for the next world.]
For a moment, he could only blink at the text, mouth slightly open.
"Wait… wait, wait, wait. Are you telling me… I can actually go to other worlds?"
He staggered back slightly, the weight of what the system was offering hitting him like a volleyball spike to the face.
Infinite possibilities.
He could visit fantasy worlds, sci-fi universes, or even dystopian realms.
He could fight alongside heroes, wield magic, maybe even become a protagonist in some overpowered adventure!
His hands balled into fists, pure glee bubbling in his chest.
"Holy crap. I can actually live out every isekai dream ever," he laughed, the sound breaking into an almost disbelieving chuckle.
The system beeped again.
[Clarification: You were compensated with the system as you were not supposed to die.]
That made him pause.
He blinked at the message.
"Huh…?"
The screen continued.
[Due to an error, you were removed from your original world prematurely. The system serves as compensation, granting you a second chance.]
For a moment, he could only stare at the message.
The weight of what he had lost—his parents, his future—pressed on his chest for a fleeting second.
But then, like a crack of sunlight breaking through storm clouds, a grin slowly spread across his face.
"I wasn't supposed to die… but instead, I get this?"
His hands clenched, trembling slightly, but this time it was from pure exhilaration.
"I get to live. I get to travel to different worlds."
A disbelieving laugh bubbled out of him. Excitement and joy overtook him, pushing away any remnants of sorrow.
He spread his arms wide, turning in a circle, grinning like a lunatic.
"I get a freaking world-hopping ticket!" he whooped.
As he calmed down, the system interface shifted. The next series of panels floated into view.
[Stats and Tiers Introduction]
Spiking: F (Never played)
Receiving: F (Never played)
Blocking: F (Never played)
Setting: F (Never played)
Serving: F (Never played)
Physique: F (Never played)
Luke winced.
"Yikes," he muttered, running a hand through his mop of Hinata's bright orange hair.
The realization hit him—he was starting from the absolute bottom.
"Well… makes sense. I never actually played volleyball," he mumbled, grimacing slightly.
Sure, he had enjoyed watching the anime and had always been curious about the sport, but his knowledge was purely theoretical. He didn't know how to receive, set, or even properly serve.
He poked at the stat tiers, and the screen shifted, showing the full ranking system:
F – Never played in life
E – Beginner
D – Casual player
C – Normal high school player
B – Prefecture-level player
A – National-level high school player
S – Top high school national-level player
SS – National-level player
SSS – World-level player
EX – World elites
Luke whistled lowly.
"EX, huh? That's the level I need to reach," he mused.
The distance between F and EX felt astronomical. But for once, the gap didn't discourage him.
Instead, it fueled him.
A familiar competitive gleam shone in his eyes.
"Bring it on."
Before he could get ahead of himself, the system displayed another screen.
[Daily Mission: Volleyball Practice]
Tasks:
Push-ups (0/10)
Pull-ups (0/10)
Squats (0/10)
Run (0/3 km)
Pass to a wall (0/100)
Set to a wall (0/100)
Get familiar with the ball (0/2 hrs)]
Luke blinked at the list.
"Wait, that's... actually doable," he muttered, slightly relieved.
Then the reward screen flashed.
[Rewards: One-time bonus – 2 stat points]
[Future daily missions will reward stat points in fractions]
His eyebrows shot up.
"Two free points just for working out? Hell yeah."
Sure, the tasks were basic, but considering how physically weak Hinata's 11-year-old body was, it would still be a grind.
His eyes flicked to the "Pass to a wall" and "Set to a wall" tasks.
That would probably be the hardest part.
"I'll need to build my muscle memory from scratch," he mused.
Feeling curious, Luke poked around the system options, exploring the menu further.
"What do stat points do?"
The system promptly displayed the information.
[Stat Point Progression]
F → E: 1 point
E → D: 2 points
D → C: 3 points
C → B: 4 points
B → A: 5 points
A → S: 6 points
S → SS: 7 points
SS → SSS: 8 points
SSS → EX: 100 points
Luke's eyes widened slightly.
"Whoa… it gets exponentially harder to level up," he murmured, scrolling through the tiers again.
The realization made the EX level seem even more distant.
"Ten points just to go from SSS to EX…" he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.
But instead of feeling discouraged, a wild grin spread across his face.
"Challenge accepted."
Just as he was about to explore more of the system, a familiar voice called out.
"Shoyo! Dinner's ready!"
Luke's eyes snapped toward the door, startled.
It took him a second to process who was calling him.
His mother.
A brief wave of warmth washed over him. His lips curled into a soft smile.
"Coming, Mom!" he called back, his voice light.
With one last glance at the system screen, he dismissed it. The blue panel vanished with a soft shimmer, leaving him standing there, filled with excitement for what was to come.