The group parted ways after the dinner date. Since it was a weeknight and they still had class the following day, it wasn't advisable to stay out too late.
Steve and Tara took a cab back to the college while Ken accompanied Ai to her dorm. Ever since being captured on the streets back in Japan, he was hypersensitive about Ai walking alone in the streets.
It was unfortunate that he could not stay the night, but he bid her farewell with a long goodbye kiss.
"I'll see you this weekend." He said, lingering.
"Mmm, we should have more double dates in the future." Ai replied with a grin. Since it was getting warmer, there would be a lot more home games coming up.
Ken paled slightly, "Maybe at somewhere a little cheaper next time?"
Ai giggled, "Hey, that place was well priced. It's not my fault that Steve ordered the most expensive thing on the menu."
"Next time I'll order something from the kid's menu for him." He stated with malice.
The two said their goodbyes and Ken hailed a cab, heading back to the dorms. It had been a long day and he was feeling rather tired from all of the excitement.
By the time he arrived back, it was already close to midnight and all he wanted to do was sleep. Without thinking, he opened the door and kicked his shoes, disrobing as he made his way to bed.
He glanced at Steve's bed, only to see two bodies curled up against each other, sleeping soundly. Ken rolled his eyes and got into bed, his energy spent.
Out of habit, he opened the system and went through his status window. He couldn't see any changes to his stats, and was about to close it before asking Mika to send him to sleep.
However, a red notification caught his eye, clearing his mind instantly.
'Huh? What is this?'
He tapped on the missions menu and his eyes opened wide in the net moment.
#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)
*Hidden Task: Throw a Perfect Game* [Completed]
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]
>Hidden task rewards - Trait: Perfectionist [Claim Reward]
'No way! A new trait?'
Ken felt like a kid on Christmas day preparing to open up his presents. Without waiting a single moment, he claimed the reward and closed the window.
[Congratulations, user has received the Trait: Perfectionist]
Trait: Perfectionist
Description: User's drive for excellence pushes him to refine his skills and performance to the highest standard. While demanding, this trait ensures continuous improvement and consistency in all aspects of life.
Effects:
Flawless Execution: Reduces the likelihood of mistakes during high-stakes moments.
Practice Efficiency: Maximizes the benefits of training sessions, ensuring faster skill mastery.
Detail Orientation: Heightened attention to detail allows user to spot errors in technique or strategy.
Consistency: Ensures steady performance across all games, reducing variance in results.
Bliss. This was what Ken was experiencing right now.
With the addition of this trait, Ken's efficiency would be through the roof. Not only would this trait be useful in games, it would also translate to the real world as well.
Just thinking of the benefits was enough to wake up Ken's previously tired mind. However, the biggest boon of all was the final effect: Consistency.
As a professional athlete, no one was immune to slumps and dips in performance for varying reasons. But with the Perfectionist trait, provided he was not injured, his performances would vary quite little.
After going through a slump himself when the system was upgrading, he was well aware of how hopeless one would feel in the moment.
'This is the kind of reward I needed…' Ken thought.
But now was not the time to celebrate. He had classes tomorrow, so without dwelling on it too much, he asked Mika to activate her sleep protocol and send him into a deep sleep.
Perhaps it was because he was very tired, or Mika believed he needed more rest, Ken didn't wake up until 7am, a full 2 hours later than he usually would. He stirred, letting out a big stretch.
The sun was coming through the blinds, illuminating the room. Ken turned his head and saw Steve still asleep, his body on the ground with his legs still on the bed. Tara was wrapped up like a cocoon in the guy's bed, causing Ken to let out a dry chuckle.
He didn't wake them, instead heading into the bathroom in order to shower. He would have to make up for missing out on his run this morning, but Ken was in too good of a mood to let that bother him.
As the warm water washed over him, he stared at his new trait, unable to hid the grin on his face. With every mission he completed, the rewards would get better and better.
It was to the point where he didn't know what kind of rewards he would receive in the future.
'Maybe I'll get an autopilot skill one day, and not even have to play.' Ken joked darkly.
But he froze in the next moment, 'I'm kidding Mika… Please don't give me a skill like that.'
[…Don't be ridiculous.]