Academic Struggles

Howard was a bit nervous—just a tiny bit.

His eyes were tightly shut, his face scrunched up like a helpless victim, as if the simple sentence he had just spoken had drained him of all his strength.

Lance said, "Okay."

Instinctively, Howard's shoulders tensed up, feeling small and vulnerable.

He vividly recalled the terror of being dominated by Lance during the "30-yard shuttle runs." As a tight end, Howard prided himself on his burst speed and strength, so it was no surprise when Lance beat him in the 50-yard shuttle. But with the 30-yard sprint, Howard thought he might actually stand a chance.

Yet, he lost. Fifteen times.

The most humiliating moment was when Lance actually lapped him.

Lapped!

How was that even possible? Howard had all but collapsed in defeat. From that day forward, he made a point to avoid Lance whenever possible.

But now, Howard needed Lance's help. Without it, this semester's finals… well, let's just say disaster was imminent!

Howard knew he was walking into the lion's den. After being crushed physically, he was about to experience the mental equivalent. Just the thought of it made him shudder. But summoning his courage, he stood in front of Lance—so nervous that he didn't even hear the response.

"What?" Howard squinted his eyes open, his face twitching as if struggling to function properly.

Lance had to suppress a chuckle. "Why do you need my help?"

Howard froze for a second. "I just want to play football."

The sentence felt oddly familiar.

Lance couldn't hold it in any longer, bursting into laughter. "Hahaha!"

Lance had been wondering why Howard, who hadn't had any academic issues in the past two years, suddenly needed extra help. The completely nonsensical response made the whole situation even funnier.

Howard was confused, staring blankly at Lance.

But laughter was a good sign, right?

Howard hurriedly waved to the others. "Come on, come on, Lance agreed!"

In an instant, five more "groundhogs" jumped out from their hiding spots.

Even though Lance had been mentally prepared, the sheer number of them still caught him by surprise. Then he spotted Jacobs, trying desperately to blend in with the crowd, clearly embarrassed.

Jacobs, normally reserved, looked unusually awkward, his face showing hints of discomfort.

Looking closer, Lance realized that among the group—Jacobs, Hurts, and others—they were all freshmen. The reason for this sudden plea for help was obvious.

Transitioning from high school to college opened up a whole new world for them. They'd thought that assignments and exams were things of the past, only to find them waiting right around the corner. Completely unprepared, these freshmen were now in full panic mode.

Lance turned to Howard. "What's a junior doing in the middle of a bunch of freshmen?"

"Hehe." Howard chuckled awkwardly, "Learning has no age limit, right?"

Lance narrowed his eyes at Howard's smile and suddenly had a thought. "Wait… don't tell me you guys are asking me for help with math because of some stereotype, are you?"

Instantly, everyone froze.

Howard shivered. "No," but his voice caught in his throat, barely making it out.

Everyone exchanged awkward glances.

Finally, Jacobs stepped forward. "You sure you're not the one trapped by stereotypes, assuming we'd ask for math help?"

His response was a bit of a tongue twister, leaving Howard dizzy and confused.

Lance looked at Jacobs, not offended at all. He simply raised his chin. "So, it's not math?"

Jacobs hesitated, lowering his gaze and muttering, "Not entirely."

Lance raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised but feigning ignorance. "Sorry, what did you say?"

Jacobs glanced up quickly. "Not entirely," he repeated, then immediately looked away as if his neck had stiffened.

At that moment, Howard seemed to snap out of his confusion. "Lance, it's not just math. I mean, it's not all math."

"A small part of it does involve math, but there's also economics, British literature, statistics…"

As Howard continued listing subjects, Lance's jaw nearly dropped. "Hold on! You guys do realize I'm not a search engine or an academic website, right?"

Just then, a few more players who had been lurking near the locker room rushed over. It was Allen, Foster, and a couple of others, all beaming with hope as they looked at Howard.

"So, did Lance agree?"

"Lance, you're a lifesaver!"

The scene turned chaotic.

Raising his right hand like a conductor silencing an orchestra, Lance gestured for them to pause. Instantly, the noise stopped, and all eyes were on him.

Lance said, "Guys, I'm just a student, like you. And we're in different majors—this isn't high school."

Allen opened his mouth, looking perplexed as he turned to Howard. "Didn't you explain it properly?"

Howard was equally confused. Did he not?

Allen rubbed his temples in frustration.

Foster, more composed, spoke up. "We know that. But your coursework seems so light, and besides being smart, you must have some study techniques. We just need some tips."

"My economics class requires me to read ten papers and then write a short one myself. I don't have time to read ten papers right now."

Ah, so that's what it was.

Lance exhaled deeply. "Of course, no problem. There are definitely techniques for reading papers. Once you grasp a few key points, you can speed-read a paper in five to ten minutes. You might not fully understand it, but at least you'll know the main arguments."

Foster nodded appreciatively. "That's exactly what we need."

Allen wiped his forehead dramatically, even though there was no sweat. "Thank goodness. Lance, we really need someone with a brain."

Lance laughed. "What about the one on your neck?"

Allen looked up as if realizing for the first time. "Oh, this? Doesn't work too well." His honesty made everyone burst into laughter.

Allen turned back to Lance. "We just need some pointers, some techniques, you know? That way, we can get through finals quicker and have more time to train. Roll! Roll! Roll!"

Lance considered it seriously. "True. I could use some training partners."

Allen: Uh, buddy, I think you misunderstood. I wasn't talking about training with you. Should I clear this up?

But before Allen could explain, Lance had already moved on.

Allen: Uh, dude?

Scanning the group, Lance figured they'd be spending some quality time in the library today.

So, Lance quickly outlined the plan. They'd return to the dorms, grab their study materials, jackets, and maybe some snacks. They'd meet at the library entrance after dinner.

Allen: Uh, dude?

But as the group dispersed, Allen quickly followed, eager to avoid being left alone with Lance. He had no desire to end up in the gym lifting weights with him.

Finally, the commotion around Lance quieted down.

It seemed there would be no time to relax tonight. Summoning the training system in his mind, Lance eagerly activated the reward he had just earned—

A Recovery Boost Card: 5x.

The third type of card had appeared!

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Powerstones?

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