Just hours before the shop bell announced his first customer, Leo was deep in the system, studying every detail about tennis lessons and the dimensional space now tethered to his shop.
Translucent screens floated before him, golden text glowing for his eyes only:
"Training Zone: Stabilized Dimensional Space.
Active Rules:
– Special Abilities Restricted.
– Physical Attributes Preserved.
– Passive Aura/Mana Use Permitted (Limited).
– Objective: Balanced Conditions for Sports Education."
Leo read each line intently, eyebrows rising.
"So… in here, they can't use active skills. But their base strength and energy remain…"
"That means even mages or knights have bodies stronger than Earth humans… but sports could be easier for them… if they grasp the rules."
He sighed, swiping to another system window. Basic guides, visual tutorials, even 3D projections of proper tennis form.
"The system went all out… this is way more thorough than I expected."
A grin tugged at his lips. For a moment, he felt that old spark—teaching, guiding, watching others grow. Maybe this wasn't just a "ridiculous mission." Maybe it mattered.
Then the door chimed.
Rizen crept onto the court as if walking on sacred ground, leather boots crunching the pristine surface. The dimensional sky stretched cloudless, the air crisp and pure. His eyes darted between rackets, balls, and machines.
"Was this… made with magic?" he whispered, almost reverent.
Leo nodded vaguely. Better not to overwhelm him.
"You could say that. This space is for… a type of competition. A sport."
"Sport?"
"Yeah. The first one I'll teach you: Tennis."
Leo led him to a court, placing a racket in his hands. Rizen gripped it awkwardly, more accustomed to swords and shields.
"How… do you use this?"
Leo grinned, adjusting his grip.
"Watch. Start with your stance."
He drilled the basics: proper footwork, knee flexion, torso rotation, wrist control. He tossed a fluffy yellow ball, which Rizen eyed like a suspicious artifact.
"Is this… some kind of projectile?"
"Not exactly. The goal is to hit it into your opponent's side so they can't return it."
Rizen nodded slowly.
"Weird… but interesting."
"What's the cost?" he asked, eyeing the floating price panel.
"1 gold per hour. Lessons: 1 silver."
Rizen's eyebrows shot up.
"That's… insane."
Leo grimaced.
"Tell me about it. But the system insists on 'premium quality.'"
Rizen thought of his meager 50-silver monthly wage. He could afford one lesson… barely.
"Well, since it's free today… might as well try."
Leo exhaled. Showtime.
For the next hour, the court echoed with sharp thwacks and bouncing balls.
"No, not your whole arm! Pivot your hips! Center your weight!"
Leo corrected every misstep, but Rizen learned fast. Natural strength, honed reflexes, and a knight's coordination let him absorb techniques like a sponge.
"Again. Serve. Wrist, not shoulder."
Thwock!
The ball cleared the net cleanly.
"Yes!"
Rizen lowered his racket, wiping sweat from his brow. He panted but grinned.
"This… is harder than it looks. But… fun."
Leo's chest swelled with pride as the system pinged:
🎉 Congratulations, Host! First client registered. Mission accomplished. Health risk eliminated.
He nearly sagged in relief but stayed composed.
"So? Thoughts on tennis?"
Rizen smirked.
"Not sure if it'll catch on… but I… want to try again."
"It's strange… but it's got something duels don't. It's… clean."
Leo nodded, warmth blooming in his chest.
"Welcome to sports, Rizen."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Ghost Match"
The sun within the dimensional space dipped toward the horizon, marking a simulated sunset, though time outside flowed differently. Leo and Rizen had trained for hours, pausing only briefly to drink and stretch.
"Not tired yet?" Leo asked, watching Rizen reset his stance.
"A little, but not enough to quit," Rizen replied, sweat glistening as he tightened his grip. "It's free… and who knows if this place'll vanish tomorrow."
Leo chuckled, though he knew the system wouldn't disappear. Still, Rizen's logic wasn't wrong.
Progress had been swift. Rizen now mastered basic strokes: serves, forehands, backhands, volleys… Even his footwork flowed with surprising intuition.
"Nice! Felt the racket's sweet spot?"
"Yeah… like a perfect pivot point. What'd you call it?"
"Sweet spot."
"Sweet… what?"
Leo shelved the cultural lecture for another day.
As he sipped water, a new system window pinged:
📢 "Congratulations, Host. Client has reached basic proficiency. 'Practice Match Mode' unlocked. Activate?"
Leo frowned, opening the panel beside the door. A new icon blinked: 🎾 Practice Match. Selecting it revealed a generic human avatar labeled:
Beginner Tennis Bot
💰 Cost: 50 silver coins per match
Grayed-out tiers below read Intermediate, Advanced, Pro—all locked.
Leo turned to the court, where Rizen drilled serves with eerie precision.
"Rizen. Got an offer."
The apprentice spun, racket in hand. "What kind?"
"Your first match. Not against me—against a… generated opponent."
"A golem?"
"More like a magic training dummy. Acts like a real player. Beginner level."
Rizen blinked, then laughed nervously. "So I'm fighting a ghost?"
"Call it a… tennis ghost."
"And you?"
"Referee," Leo said, pointing to the high chair beside the court.
Rizen confirmed with a nod, tapped the panel, and Court 1 glowed blue. A humanoid figure materialized—tall, clad in white, bouncing a ball rhythmically. It moved smoothly, mechanically.
Rizen gulped. The bot didn't breathe. Didn't speak. Just existed.
Leo settled into the umpire's chair, a floating scoreboard before him.
"Best of three games. Win two to take the set. Minimal coaching. Show me what you've learned."
Rizen nodded, strode to his baseline, and spun his racket.
"Let's see how 'ghostly' you are."
Leo raised his hand, grinning.
"Match start!"
The ball rocketed.
The avatar's opening serve was sharp but clean. Rizen, startled by its precision, lunged just in time for a crosscourt return.
Thwack!
The bot slid into position, its movements robotic yet flawless. Cold. Relentless.
But Rizen refused to buckle. He accelerated, legs recalling Leo's drills, combat instincts adapting to the bot's patterns.
From the chair, Leo watched, eyes alight.
"Not bad, Rizen… Not bad at all."