After his consciousness returned to the room, Ken looked over and realized that it was already past midnight. It didn't feel like he'd been in the Image Training realm for that long, but it wasn't uncommon for him to lose track of time in there.
Ken opened up his system and went right to his inventory. It had been a terribly long time since he'd received a lottery ticket, let alone a Diamond one.
The last time he'd used a Diamond lottery ticket he'd received the legendary skill Intuition. This skill had been incredibly useful against tough batting opponents as well as his ability to steal bases.
'If I get another skill like that…' Ken thought, hovering over the item in his inventory.
After a few more moments, he decided to use it.
Like last time, there was no big wheel or overly flashy fanfare. Instead, a window appeared after some delay, revealing the new skill.
[Congratulations, you have received the skill: Master Coach]
'Eh?'
Ken blinked a few times, seeing the golden letters shining dazzlingly in front of him. Like the intuition skill, the words were golden, meaning it was definitely a Legendary skill, but Ken wasn't sure how to feel.
'Master Coach? But I'm a player… What good will this skill do me?' he thought.
Master Coach (Legendary): Those who come under the user's tutelage will progress 50% faster than others. Results are dependent on the pupil's potential.
As Ken read the description for his new skill, he only felt more confusion. Why would the system give him a coaching skill? He was only 22 years old, he wouldn't be coaching for at least another 15-20 years.
Of course he wasn't exactly upset with such an amazing skill, quite the opposite in fact.
Ken already had his Training Demon skills which improved the training benefits of those around him by 20%. This was a big part of the reason why Columbia had been able to get so far, despite not being a nationally ranked program.
With the addition of 50%, Ken could train players up to 70% faster than any other coach. Not only would that make him sought after, it would also bring him a lot of opportunity after he retired.
While it was a little disappointing that he did not receive a skill he could use right now, Ken wasn't that heartbroken. At the very least, he could use this skill to train his two kids, if they ever decided to follow in his footsteps.
'Well… Maybe my daughter might not want to play baseball or softball.' He mused inwardly.
'My daughter…'
Ken felt his mind wander. Ai was currently almost 7 months pregnant, which meant that he would be a father in at most 2 months. Everything still felt surreal at the moment, like he was living in some kind of dream.
Ken shook his head, removing the distracting thoughts. The last thing he wanted to do was go through the dream scenario again, not when it had plagued him for so long.
'Mika… Use sleep protocol please.'
[Affirmative]
Ken felt his eyes get heavy and his vision dark as he drifted off to sleep.
***
The next morning, Ken woke up in a great mood. He sauntered out of his room after putting on his workout clothes, only to see Daichi and Rohan waiting for him as usual.
Ken blinked a few times before a mischievous smile crept onto his face, "Rohan, go get some cold water from the fridge…"
"Huh? Why?"
Just as Ken was about to hiss at him, Steve appeared, dressed in workout gear. "We ready to rumble?" he asked, wearing a smile.
Ken's expression turned sour in the next moment, "I thought you were still asleep…"
"Wait… Is that why you wanted the cold water?" Rohan asked, half shocked.
"Huh? Don't tell me…" Steve's eyes narrowed, his suspicions growing.
"Nonsense, I was just thirsty." Ken said, waving it off. However, he was mumbling under his breath on his way past. "Hurry up, the day is wasting."
As the four got onto the street, Steve spoke up, "Now, you know where you're going right? I don't want to have to ask for directions again."
"I've lived here for 8 months already, don't be ridiculous." Ken snapped.
"Alright, but don't act like you haven't got lost plenty of times in the past."
"Sometimes you just gotta go where the wind takes you." Ken said, breaking into a light jog.
The trio of Steve, Daichi and Rohan followed closely behind while Ken set the pace. Everyone present had run with Ken many times, so they knew what to expect.
Every workout was great, all they had to do was follow Ken. While it might have been difficult in the beginning, everyone present was a top athlete. They could essentially switch off their brain and follow Ken.
Not only did he set the pace, his runs helped build both stamina and help their aerobic fitness tremendously.
Just running alongside Ken was just as rewarding as training under an actual conditioning coach.
Daichi and Rohan had run with Ken for months now. Both knew that the final mile was the toughest part and too often they would fall behind quite considerably.
It couldn't be helped, Ken's legs were far too long with his 6'6 frame. It would be unfair to compare with the guy who seemed to be favored by the gods.
Yet on this day, Daichi was surprised at his own conditioning. Instead of falling behind like usual, he was able to keep up with the pace.
Not only that, but Rohan was still hot on his heels, followed by Steve some way back.
Daichi was a little mystified, but he didn't complain. By the time they arrived back at the house, he was a bit tired, but not as much as usual.
"Hey, did you lower your pace this morning?" he asked Ken.
"Huh? Why would I lower my pace?" Ken replied, as if it was the silliest question in the world.
"Oh… It just felt a little easier to keep up with you today." Daichi replied honestly, "Maybe I've improved?"
Ken raised his eyebrow but then suddenly remembered his new skill, Coach Master.
'Could it be because of that skill? But all I did was set the pace, is that enough for these 3 to be considered my pupils?' he thought.