Chapter 24: The Effects of Recovery Potions
Night after Ryo-ta drank the potion, his body began to emit a faint glow.
It was a subtle light, like fluorescent paint, that would be unnoticed unless someone was looking closely.
The glow seemed to concentrate on Ryo-ta's right elbow, left knee, and areas like his waist and hip joint.
(Wait, Ryo-ta's body is glowing!?)
Wataru stared in astonishment at Ryo-ta, who was also dumbfoundedly watching his own body.
"Oh, this… my body feels hot!?"
"Is… is it okay?"
"Y-yeah… it's already subsiding. What is this?"
"I think it's evidence that the healing effect is working."
"Why is my body glowing? That's strange. …Doesn't it hurt?"
Ryo-ta, who had been sharply questioning, suddenly began to inspect his arm. The glow had already faded.
In the next moment, he started to move his arms and twist his body with unusual movements, his expression tense and his eyes wide, showing a desperate intensity.
"Whoa, really? No, it doesn't hurt. This, this too! My elbow is stretching!"
"Ryo-ta, people are really staring at you, you're attracting a lot of attention!"
"Oh, sorry about that."
The coffee shop in the hotel had a relatively calm clientele. Ryo-ta's loud reactions made him quite conspicuous.
Nevertheless, if long-standing pain was instantly relieved, the excitement was not an exaggeration.
Wataru couldn't fully understand or empathize with the struggles of an injured athlete because he had never taken sports seriously himself.
However, he remembered Ryo-ta's pained expression from when he had been suffering from injuries in the past.
"Hey, can we go outside and move around a bit?"
"Of course. How about going to a park?"
"Yeah, let's do that."
Surprisingly, Ryo-ta's usually standard Japanese accent slipped into Kansai dialect as he was overcome with excitement.
They pulled up a map on their smartphones and moved to a small park nearby. It was a rather desolate place with just a swing and a clock, but fortunately, no one was there, making it perfect for Ryo-ta to move around.
In the early summer's warm weather, Ryo-ta fully demonstrated his exceptional physical abilities.
He performed sprints, lateral jumps, full squats, throwing motions, and swings.
With each movement, Ryo-ta voiced his joy and beamed with happiness.
"Wow, what is this!? It really doesn't hurt at all! No way!"
"I'm so glad for you, Ryo-ta!"
"Wow, look at this, Wataru! I can do moves like this!!"
"Wow, a round-off into a back handspring! I've seen that as a home run celebration!"
"My body feels so light! I'm not afraid of anything—"
"Hold on a minute!!"
"What? What's up, Wataru?"
"Don't say that, it feels like something bad might happen!"
Ryo-ta looked puzzled by the abrupt interruption but seemed to be still thrilled. He nodded with a smile.
It seemed the catastrophe had been averted.
From Ryo-ta's actions and movements, it was clear that the healing potion's effectiveness was almost certain.
Thus, Wataru had to ask for payment. Although he believed Ryo-ta would not default, people often reacted unpredictably when money was involved.
With his heart pounding, Wataru asked:
"So, Ryo-ta, how do you feel about the effects?"
"Ah…"
Ryo-ta's expression turned serious for a moment, and Wataru's mind raced with worry.
"The pain is completely gone. Maybe it's because of the increased flexibility, but I feel a bit of discomfort when moving. I think I'll get used to it quickly."
"So, it means you've experienced the effects?"
"...Yeah! I'm sorry for doubting you! This really is an incredible medicine. Actually, I didn't even tell the coach or trainers, but I was in a lot of pain in my lower back and hips, and I was just managing it."
"I see."
"With this, I think I can move at full capacity! Thank you for reaching out to me. Look forward to the rest of the season. I'll show you an amazing performance."
"I'm looking forward to it."
"I'll send you tickets. Come watch the games. And as promised, I'll pay you and introduce you to some contacts."
"Just don't strike out every time you bat after I go."
"Don't be ridiculous."
With a broad smile, Ryo-ta raised his arm, flexing his well-developed biceps.
His confidence was evident.
Wataru was delighted that he could be of help to Ryo-ta.
To transfer the 350,000 yen, personal identification was required. Since it was a weekday, they both went to the bank to complete the transfer.
Wataru had registered as a sole proprietor to work as a web writer. Otherwise, the income might have been taxed exorbitantly.
(Just one transaction and this much money…)
Seeing the large sum in his bank book, Wataru felt a surge of emotion. This was just the beginning; it wasn't a one-time income.
In fact, this was only the start of what lay ahead.
As time had passed, Ryo-ta's initial excitement had calmed down a bit, but he still spoke with a good mood and asked Wataru:
"So, do you have any specific players you want me to introduce you to?"
"You can choose the players. It's fine if they're from the same team but not in the same position, or from a different team, or even athletes from different sports."
"That's helpful… To be honest, I'd rather not help players in the same position."
"Of course. You're focused on your own career."
Wataru agreed with Ryo-ta's sentiment. Ryo-ta was relieved that his decision was not criticized.
"Just like you didn't believe me at first, others might not believe me immediately either. But there must be people who are struggling with injuries and are willing to spend money. Please introduce me to such people."
"I think there are more than you might think. How should I contact you?"
"Well, due to certain circumstances, I might be hard to reach for a while. So, could you send messages to my email?"
"Sure. That's fine, but just how hard will it be to reach you?"
"It's a place where such medicines are obtained, so I can't say much. Sorry."
"Yeah, I get it."
Wataru couldn't honestly disclose the existence of another world.
Although he gave a vague answer, Ryo-ta accepted it, possibly imagining negotiations with an Amazonian tribe.
The guess was not too far off.
"Well, I need to head back for my next procurement. Thanks again for meeting with me and making the purchase today."
"No, thank you. Thanks to you, I can look forward to playing more baseball. I never thought this day would come. You're my benefactor, thank you."
"I'm looking forward to seeing your name in the news!"
They exchanged bows and left the scene.
Wataru felt exhilarated by the substantial amount of money obtained, helping Ryo-ta, and the promising prospects for his business.
(I need to report to Mariel and Eir. They'll surely be thrilled!)
Feeling lighter on his feet, he hurried back home.
That year, Ryo-ta Endo made an outstanding comeback and significantly invigorated the baseball world.
But that story was still a little further down the road.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone