"Just like during daytime, while intermittent use isn't an issue, each Total Concentration Breathing only lasts for a moment."
"Thunderclap and Flash is an ability that instantly boosts explosive power in the legs. It's effective for both shooting and breakthrough runs. When combined with Total Concentration Breathing, its effects are dramatic. While it affects both legs and causes less muscle pain than shooting, it can only be used at critical moments."
"Even without Total Concentration Breathing, this skill has wide applications. Since I can't maintain the Breathing Technique for long periods right now, I need to master the basic skills thoroughly..."
Ryōsuke wiped the sweat from his forehead. Despite the lingering muscle soreness, he welcomed the sensation.
His mastery of Total Concentration Breathing was steadily improving.
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In the days that followed, Ryōsuke went to the field to train before sunrise every day.
After causing too much commotion on the first day, he practiced the Thunderclap and Flash technique in his normal state, without Total Concentration.
He understood his limitations well — a soccer match lasts over ninety minutes, and no amount of natural talent would be enough on its own.
While Total Concentration Breathing enhanced his physical abilities, he could only maintain this state briefly during matches. Moreover, using Thunderclap and Flash in this enhanced state required significant recovery time, making mastery of its basic version crucial.
Ryōsuke focused on improving his accuracy with Thunderclap and Flash shots and increasing his dribbling speed.
Riko joined him at the facility for morning practice. She respected his dedicated soccer training sessions, only helping occasionally with warm-up exercises.
During her own morning routine, Riko often found herself captivated by Ryōsuke's practice — his skills and speed surpassed anything she had imagined.
Of course, she had to admit that his handsome features didn't hurt either.
Once the sun rose and others began arriving at the facility, Riko would lead him to the sports gym for intensive physical training. He dedicated his entire day there, taking both lunch and dinner at the gym.
In the evenings, Ryōsuke continued perfecting his Breathing Technique, combining it with jogging and experimenting with Thunderclap and Flash's explosive power in his running.
Taking inspiration from the original Demon Slayer, he even purchased a gourd to practice daily breathing exercises and improve his lung capacity.
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A week passed in the blink of an eye.
Tomorrow was the day he would report to the Japan Football Association.
Now, in the evening after completing his final day of physical training, Ryōsuke stood in the sports gym's shower room.
As the gentle water washed away his fatigue and sweat, he opened his System interface.
— — — — — — — — — —
〚 Host: Ryōsuke Kira 〛
〚 Current Competition Points: 80 〛
〚 Current Skills: 〛
〚 Skill: Thunder Breathing - Total Concentration | Status: Upgradable | Level: 1 | EXP: 100% 〛
〚 Upgrade Cost: 50 Competition Points 〛
〚 Skill: Thunder Breathing - First Form: Thunderclap and Flash | Status: Upgradable | Level: 1 | EXP: 100% 〛
〚 Upgrade Cost: 50 Competition Points 〛
— — — — — — — — — —
After a week of intense practice, Ryōsuke had finally maxed out the proficiency of both Total Concentration Breathing and Thunderclap and Flash. His daily routine consisted of over 1,000 shots each morning and dedicated breathing practice every evening.
Though seven days was a short time, his progress was remarkable.
His physical fitness had improved significantly compared to a week ago, surpassing his expectations.
This progress wasn't solely from practicing the Breathing Technique — it stemmed mainly from Riko's hellish intensive training program, complemented by a carefully balanced diet that optimized his training efficiency.
His consistent practice of lung capacity and breathing exercises had enhanced his mastery of Total Concentration Breathing. While each use still lasted only two to three seconds and required intervals between uses, these intervals had shortened considerably.
Furthermore, his improved physical condition and heightened proficiency with the Breathing Technique had reduced the negative effects of combining Thunderclap and Flash with Total Concentration Breathing.
His left-foot shooting had also reached new heights — he could now execute Thunderclap and Flash shots with remarkable accuracy, a feat his former self could never have achieved.
Ryōsuke returned his focus to the present, weighing his options for which skill to upgrade first.
"Upgrading Total Concentration Breathing would extend the duration of each breathing state and let me use Thunder Breathing more frequently. On the other hand, upgrading Thunderclap and Flash would boost its power and reduce side effects. Given my situation — entering Blue Lock tomorrow, with physical tests and an adaptation period before the first official match in three days — Total Concentration Breathing seems the better choice. It will enhance my physical abilities and training efficiency. I can always upgrade the First Form later."
After careful consideration, he made his decision.
〘 Upgrade Successful! Skill: Thunder Breathing - Total Concentration Has Reached LV2! 〙
〘 Proficiency Reseted! 〙
— — — — — — — — — —
〚 Host: Ryōsuke Kira 〛
〚 Current Competition Points: 30 〛
〚 Current Skills: 〛
〚 Skill: Thunder Breathing - Total Concentration | Level: 2 | EXP: 0% 〛
— — — — — — — — — —
{T/N: Just to indicate that all text in〘〙comes from the system itself, while those in〚〛are skills and MC's stats text.}
The system prompt flashed before Ryōsuke's eyes as an invisible force surged through his body.
After the upgrade, his skill's proficiency reset to zero, requiring fresh practice. He knew that maxing out the proficiency again would take more effort and time than before, and future level upgrades would demand even more Competition Points.
He closed his eyes, adjusted his breathing, and immediately sensed the difference with LV2 Total Concentration Breathing.
Oxygen rushed into his lungs, transforming into raw power throughout his body.
After a moment, Ryōsuke opened his eyes and relaxed his breathing.
"The duration has increased dramatically — from two or three seconds to over ten seconds — and the interval between uses has shortened significantly. This will let me use it much more often during matches."
Though just a few seconds longer, this boost in explosive power was decisive — at high speeds, a single second could mean the difference between victory and defeat.
❖❖❖
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