The flight was only around 3 hours, but Ken had always dreaded flying. Now that he was 6'5 and getting taller every day, he struggled with getting comfortable on flights.
Finally stretching his legs, he let out a sigh of relief.
Their bus was already waiting for them at the airport and took them straight to the hotel where Ken and Steve were given a room to share. By now, everyone knew that the two were inseparable, even the coaching staff.
The hotel rooms were nothing special, but Ken didn't mind. At least they were around the same size as their dorm room and had a private bathroom, unlike on campus.
After getting settled, the team went and had a late lunch together before gathering for a meeting. It was a regular film study session, but the coach also released the starting line up for tonight's game.
"Ethan, you'll be starting tonight's game. Ken, you're on the mound tomorrow." Coach Brown stated. "Julio, DeShaun, Blake, you'll be the relief pitchers and Sam, Dylan, you'll be closing."
"Infielders: Tristan, Zeke, Levi, Kaden. Outfielders: Ken, DJ, Ayden. Catcher: Clinton, backup catcher Stephen. Designated Hitter: Jackson, and we'll put Stephen and Karl down as pinch hitters."
The lineup was as Ken had expected. He was feeling rather excited after hearing his name in the lineup, even if it was in the outfield. Turning to Steve, Ken saw that the guy was wearing a smile.
It looked like the coach had seen how much he'd improved and was willing to use him as both a backup catcher and a potential pinch hitter.
"Good for you man." Ken whispered, giving his friend a nudge.
After studying some film and going over their game plan, it was already nearing 5pm. The team was then ushered out to a bus waiting out the front and taken to Melching Field at Conrad Park, the home ground for the Stetson Cappers.
The field was beautiful and looked to be able to host at least a couple thousand spectators. Since it was winter, the sun was already close to retreating over the horizon, painting a beautiful sky of orange and blue over the field.
As Ken got off the bus, he took in the sight. This would be his first official college game playing as a Bobcat. His inner child was screaming with joy, making it almost feel surreal.
*DING*
Ken froze before a smile crept onto his lips.
'So it's finally time huh?' He mused inwardly.
Ken didn't even have to check the system notification to know that a new mission had appeared. He had been waiting for this for months, but only now an hour before the first match did it decide to appear.
"Alright guys, follow me to the locker rooms. I want us on the field in 20 minutes." Coach Brown called out, rounding up the team members.
"Are you nervous?" Steve asked, though it was clear he was being cheeky.
Ken scoffed, "I've played on the world stage before, who do you think I am?" He replied in an over-the-top manner.
"Pfft…"
"Hahaha."
The two laughed jovially, dispersing any lingering nerves. If he was honest, Ken was a little nervous, but it was mixed with so much excitement that he couldn't tell what was causing his hands to shake.
"We finally made it huh?" Steve said, his eyes looking up at the large floodlights which would be turned on shortly.
"Mmm. It won't be long before you make the starting lineup man, I guarantee you." Ken replied with confidence. As long as Steve continued to take this seriously, he would make sure of it.
Steve smiled in response. It was obvious that he too was looking forward to the day where he would take the field as a starter.
The team made their way to the lockers and began to get dressed under the orders of the coach. Ken quickly got ready before taking a seat and placing his cleats on. He was far too eager to see the new mission he'd been given.
#NEW MISSION: NCAA Division I Tournament.
*Task 1: Hit 20 home runs [0/20]
*Task 2: Finish season with best ERA
*Task 3: Finish season with greater than 70 RBIs
*Task 4: Finish on top of Ivy League
*Task 5: Win Ivy league Championship
*Task 6: Qualify for NCAA Super Regionals
*Task 7: Qualify for College World Series
*Task 8: Win College World Series
*Task 9: Win MVP (Tiered rewards for each Tournament)
REWARDS:
>Task 1 rewards - 50,000 Major points
>Task 2 rewards - 50,000 Major points + Draft stock increase
>Task 3 rewards - 70,000 Major points + Draft stock increase
>Task 4 rewards - 100,000 Major points + Additional Mentee skill slot
>Task 5 rewards - 100,000 Major points + Trait selection
>Task 6 rewards - 150,000 Major points + EX-Grade Physical Elixir
>Task 7 rewards - 250,000 Major points + EX-Grade Mental Elixir
>Task 8 rewards - 250,000 Major points + Diamond Lottery Ticket
>Task 9 rewards - [Based on Performance]
Ken's eyes widened as he stared at the window in front of him. Not only was there more tasks in this mission, the rewards were also completely bonkers.
But before he could give them more than a cursory glance, the coach's booming voice got his attention.
"Let's go, we've got no time to lose."
Closing his system window, Ken vowed to give it a thorough once over when he returned to the hotel a bit later. There were a few terms he had heard before but didn't exactly know their meaning, like ERA and RBI.
It would be rather embarrassing if he admitted this to anyone, so he decided to keep it to himself and do his own research. After all, he had never focused on things like stats. All he cared about was winning.
When they arrived on the field, the lights were already on, illuminating the beautiful field. The synthetic turf gave it a pristine look and the dirt looked well-maintained.
"The outfield looks a little shorter than I expected." Ken muttered to himself. But that was fine, it meant that it would be easier to hit home runs.