Scrimmage (5)

Linus stood in the on-deck circle, swinging his bat rhythmically as he watched Oliver step up to the plate. The game had settled into a tense back-and-forth, and Linus could feel the pressure building. His team needed a spark, and as Oliver squared off against Lukas, the opposing pitcher, Linus found himself hoping that Oliver could break through. Oliver had struggled at the plate all game, and Linus knew that this at-bat was critical.

Lukas, standing tall on the mound, delivered his first pitch—a curveball that seemed to dance through the air. Oliver swung but missed entirely, his timing off. The second pitch was a fastball, and Oliver swung again, this time managing only a foul tip. The count was 0-2, and Linus could see the tension in Oliver's face. Lukas wound up for the next pitch, another fastball that seemed even faster than before. Oliver swung, but it was too late. Strike three.

Linus sighed as Oliver trudged back to the dugout, looking dejected. Now, it was his turn. He took a deep breath and stepped up to the plate, his mind racing. He had faced Lukas earlier in the game and struggled to handle the fastball. This time, though, he promised himself he would stay focused.

Lukas eyed him from the mound, and Linus could feel the intensity of the moment. He gripped the bat tightly, positioning himself in his stance, trying to stay loose but ready for whatever Lukas threw his way.

The first pitch came in fast—a fastball high in the zone. Linus swung, his bat making contact with the ball, sending it sharply backward into the net behind home plate for a foul. The sound of the ding reverberated in his ears, and while he was glad he had made contact, he knew he needed to adjust. His heart raced as Lukas prepared for the next pitch.

The second pitch was low and outside, but Linus didn't bite. He let it pass, and the umpire called it a ball. Linus reset, determined not to let the moment overwhelm him. Lukas then delivered a sharp curveball that broke late, dipping just below the strike zone. Linus, focused on expecting another fastball, swung too early and completely missed.

"Strike two!" the umpire called.

Linus cursed under his breath. He had known Lukas had a curveball, but it was his first time facing one like this, and it had completely fooled him. He realized that he couldn't simply rely on reacting to fastballs. Lukas was too skilled for that.

He tightened his grip, determined to do better. Linus knew Lukas would likely throw the curveball again, knowing he had already swung through it. When the pitch came, Linus was ready, his eyes locked in on the ball's movement. He adjusted his swing, timing it better this time. But as the curveball dropped just below the zone at the last second, Linus's bat sailed through the air—whiff—missing completely.

"Strike three!" the umpire's voice cut through the air as Linus's shoulders slumped.

As he walked back to the dugout, frustration gnawed at him. He had come so close to connecting with the ball, and yet it had slipped through his grasp. It wasn't just about this at-bat either—it was everything. He knew he wasn't good enough yet, and that realization stung. It would be weird, he thought, if he could just start hitting like a pro after only playing for a few weeks, even with the system's help.

But in that frustration, there was also motivation. Linus wanted to get better—needed to. Facing and seeing pitchers like Lukas and Filip had opened his eyes to how far he had to go. Their control, their confidence—it felt like they were operating on a completely different level. He wanted to challenge them, to face their best pitches and come out on top. Linus knew that wouldn't happen overnight, but with clear goals in his mind, he had a direction. One day, he would rise to their level.

After the inning ended with no runs scored, Linus's team jogged back out to the field for the top of the sixth. Their starter, Filip, had been pulled, and in his place was another pitcher who didn't have the same precision or control as Filip. Linus could immediately sense the difference. Balls were in play more frequently, and the opposing team started making more solid contact.

The fourth hitter in the lineup stepped up and hit a strong grounder in Linus's direction. Linus quickly positioned himself, the ball bouncing cleanly into his glove. The runner wasn't particularly fast, so Linus had time to make an accurate throw to first base. One out.

The fifth hitter managed to hit a line drive into the outfield for a single, and then the sixth hitter followed with a sharp ground ball up the middle, putting another runner on base. Linus stayed focused, reading the situation. He knew they needed to clamp down now to keep the lead.

Elias, the seventh batter, was next. He connected with a bloop single into shallow right field, and one of the runners scored, tightening the game. The pressure was mounting, but Linus remained locked in, refusing to let his earlier frustrations at the plate affect his fielding.

Then came the eighth batter, who hit a ground ball sharply in Linus's direction. This was his moment. Linus fielded the ball cleanly, quickly flipping it to the second baseman covering the bag at second, who then fired it to first base for the double play. Two out, three out—just like that, the inning was over.

Linus jogged back to the dugout, his heart racing with excitement. It was his first double play in a real game, and the thrill of executing it perfectly surged through him. As the adrenaline coursed through his body, he heard a familiar chime and saw the system interface appear in front of him.

[*Hidden Mission Completed*]

- Complete your first 'Double play' in a game

- Reward: Upgrade all Fielding attributes by one grade.

Linus blinked in surprise, staring at the glowing text in front of him. He hadn't expected this at all. "Hidden mission?" he muttered to himself. He hadn't even received a warning or a hint about this one. The system had been silent during the entire game, but now it popped up to reward him out of nowhere. It was the first time he had experienced anything like this, and it caught him off guard.

Still, confusion quickly turned to curiosity. The idea that there were hidden missions in the system intrigued him. He could potentially complete these secret objectives without even knowing they existed. If that was true, there could be all kinds of goals waiting for him to achieve—like getting his first hit or making an important defensive play. His mind raced, trying to figure out what other hidden missions might be lurking.

For now, though, he looked at his upgraded attributes.

[Fielding]: E- 

- Fielding: E-

- Arm strength: E

- Arm Accuracy: F+

- Reactions: E