American Football: King of the Bay Area

Although the Quarterback Training Package was, by name, a package designed for quarterback training, Lu Ke couldn’t help but think about how today’s special mission was all about the team. It was about promoting unity and cohesion, and even the mission rewards reflected that. So, Lu Ke naturally began to wonder—

’Could the amplification effect of the Quarterback Training Package benefit his teammates?’

For example, what if he used the Skill Package during a full team tactical meeting? Every player from the offense, defense, and special teams would be there, not even excluding the backups. If the training package’s amplification effect had no range limit, just like the Amplification Aura, then the entire team’s Tactical Awareness could be improved.

If it worked, the effect wouldn’t be just for one game or a one-time boost. Instead, every player’s understanding of the playbook would improve, benefiting them for the entire season. Looking at the bigger picture, this was an incredibly young team. They were all set to become crucial cornerstones for the team’s future, making this kind of growth even more valuable.

For the first time, Lu Ke was learning to think like a leader.

So, Lu Ke voiced his thoughts, asking since he didn’t know, ”Qi, does this training package have a usage range limit?”

”...” Qi seemed caught off guard by the sudden, unusual question. It didn’t respond immediately, pausing for a moment before finally giving an answer. ”No.”

’Just as I thought!’ Lu Ke’s guess was correct. From the requirements to the rewards, the ”Gathering the Heart of Candlestick Park” mission was all about thinking like a leader and considering the entire team. Naturally, the effect of today’s Quarterback Training Package wasn’t limited either.

As expected, this special mission was truly extraordinary. A Special Skill and a Quarterback Training Package—their actual effects far surpassed those of any previous mission. Lu Ke was thoroughly satisfied.

A smile involuntarily spread across his face. Beyond the victory, there were so many more gains. They might not have been basic attribute points, but they represented the team’s future. This let Lu Ke taste the happiness and joy of a ”team sport.”

Lucas, who was in the middle of massaging him, caught Lu Ke’s smile and chuckled. ”You’re smiling. Can I take that to mean you’re very satisfied with my service?”

”Ha,” Lu Ke laughed along. ”Of course. No complaints at all. I’m definitely very satisfied.”

After checking the two rewards from the special mission, Lu Ke opened the additional reward. This time, it wasn’t just a simple ”one basic attribute point” but an ”additional reward package.”

Lu Ke didn’t have high hopes. It was an extra reward, after all; getting anything at all was a rare bonus. Besides, he’d already had a massive haul today, so there was no need to be greedy. But after opening the additional reward package, Lu Ke was stunned. It once again confirmed his thought:

’This special mission today was truly extraordinary.’

”Additional Reward Package: First, the host may freely choose one from the known Special Skills. Second, an additional basic attribute point bonus, amplifying the basic attribute points earned from today’s game mission.”

Two whole rewards, and they were particularly substantial.

The first reward was a Special Skill. The available choices immediately appeared in Lu Ke’s mind: Absolute Step, Bullet Time, and Copper Skin Iron Bones.

’But...’ ”Qi, why isn’t Amplification Aura an option?” That was Lu Ke’s first reflex. If possible, he would have loved to stack another Amplification Aura for the offense—or even one for the defense. The current Amplification Aura only had a single use, which was too limited to be a deciding factor in a game.

”The Amplification Aura for the offense is a Special Skill that was just obtained today. It is not within the scope of selectable options.” Qi’s answer was as good as saying nothing. The bottom line was a simple, blunt ’no’.

Letting out a soft breath, Lu Ke didn’t argue further and seriously considered the three skills.

In terms of pure effectiveness, Bullet Time was probably the most direct. Within the five seconds of slowed-down time, Lu Ke could freely choose what to do: run the ball, pass, recover a fumble, avoid an interception, and so on. It was completely under his control.

But Lu Ke was still more inclined toward Absolute Step. Objectively, Absolute Step was only useful for scrambling out of the pocket and avoiding sacks, giving it a limited scope. For Lu Ke, however, it was the most practical skill because footwork was his biggest weakness, and it wasn’t something he could fix in a short time. He had to further enhance his strengths—that was undeniable.

Choose practicality, not greed for all-around ability. Emphasize strengths, don’t just chase an average standard. This was the development path Lu Ke had decided on, so he didn’t hesitate much and ultimately chose Absolute Step.

”DING! Congratulations on obtaining the Special Skill: Absolute Step. Duration: three seconds. Uses: 2/2.”

The second reward was the additional basic attribute point bonus. A spinning wheel with five options appeared in his mind: ”0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%.”

According to the reward description, Lu Ke had earned a total of eleven basic attribute points from today’s game mission. After spinning the wheel, a certain number of points would be added based on the percentage.

Zero percent was obviously the one to avoid, but Lu Ke had already composed himself. The additional reward was just a bonus. It would be great to get something, but it wasn’t worth despairing over if he missed out. Right now, Lu Ke was more curious about something else. ”The number of basic attribute points today is odd. How will the decimal be calculated after multiplying by the percentage?”

”Rounded to the nearest whole number.” Qi’s answer made him feel a bit helpless. Lu Ke knew he’d asked a dumb question. ’Rounding is the only option. What else was I expecting?’

”Spin.” Without any hesitation, he mentally commanded the wheel to spin. WHIRRRR. The wheel spun rapidly, all the numbers blurring together. Lu Ke didn’t bother waiting, simply yelling ”Stop!” The wheel slowly ground to a halt, finally settling on ”50%.”

Not high, not low, right in the middle. His luck was pretty good.

”So, 5.5 rounds up to six, right?” Lu Ke asked again. He didn’t need Qi’s answer; the basic attribute point total in the upper-right corner had already automatically changed to seventeen, confirming his guess.

Following his haul from the first week of the regular season, Lu Ke had once again hit a major jackpot of basic attribute points. The rewards from the special mission, in particular, were so generous they were enviable. As a former journalist, Lu Ke’s mind started racing again. ”Qi, today’s special mission didn’t have any specified requirements. Does that mean... there’s no upper limit? If the team had won by a larger margin, would the rewards have been even more generous?”

For example, what if Lu Ke became the first rookie quarterback in history to throw seven touchdowns in a single game?

Throughout the long history of football, the single-game record for passing touchdowns remains seven, achieved by only five quarterbacks: Sid Luckman of the Chicago Bears on November 14, 1943, and Adrian Burk of the Philadelphia Eagles on October 17, 1954.

George Blanda of the Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans) on November 19, 1961; Y.A. Tittle of the New York Giants on October 28, 1962; and Joe Kapp of the Minnesota Vikings on September 28, 1969.

Seven passing touchdowns in a single game—that was the quarterback record. And after 1969, up until 2011, no other quarterback had managed to replicate the feat, not even the Alliance’s four elite quarterbacks.

On one hand, throwing seven passing touchdowns in a single game is incredibly difficult. On the other hand, by the time a team scores five or six touchdowns, victory is usually already secured. Those top-tier quarterbacks would either be subbed out to rest or would just run the ball to kill the clock, rather than being overly aggressive.

But if a player was aiming to break a record, or if the game was a fierce, close-scoring battle, that would be another story.

Lu Ke was just proposing a bold hypothesis. The system couldn’t possibly have forgotten the mission requirements out of negligence. A look at the rewards proved it: unknown, unknown, unknown. Even the additional reward was unknown. Didn’t this mean that the system assigned rewards based on how well the mission was completed?

”Yes.”

Qi’s answer was so direct and crisp that it left Lu Ke stumbling. But he couldn’t say anything more. The words caught in his throat, and in the end, he could only console himself: ’Don’t be too greedy. The haul I’ve got now is more than enough to be satisfied with.’

He now had seventeen basic attribute points, even more than the fifteen he got in the first week. It was enough for a major upgrade, to fully arm himself. A growth rate like this was enough to make anyone envious. ’One shouldn’t be too greedy.’

So, Lu Ke didn’t press the issue further. He just made a mental note to himself: the next time he encountered a special mission, he had to give it his all and not slack off in the slightest.

Temporarily setting aside all his wild ideas and questions, Lu Ke summoned his Attribute Panel and began to examine it closely.

Although he had already decided to keep stacking points into his various quarterback skills, he still had to think carefully about which ones to prioritize. Just then, his peripheral vision caught sight of the options under basic physical attributes, and his eyes lit up slightly—

He noticed that several of his physical attribute sub-categories had actually increased. Lu Ke was certain the data had changed, but... why? Before this, it had taken half a year, even a full year of training for those numbers to increase by a tiny amount. The last increase was probably before the regular season started. So how had his physical attributes improved again in just six short weeks?

As if sensing the confusion in Lu Ke’s mind, Qi offered an answer before he could even ask. ”The result of the daily training missions. After adding strength training, your persistent exercise is now reflected in the data.”