Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Jian placed his hand over his chest. There it was—the strong beating of his heart. It was a normal physiologic reaction, of course. He had been running around the court for quite a long time already. However, Jian felt that this was different. His heart raced for something he was unsure of—was it of his pride getting hurt for allowing a gap? Or were the cheers of the Shizi Dogs' supporters getting to him? All in all, he really didn't understand. However, he was certain of one thing—this feeling would be fleeting, too—like everything in his life was. From the stands, Jian's parents watched him. His mother's eyes followed every move he made on the bench, but her smile was thin. Her husband and daughter sat beside her, arms crossed. They exchanged a glance that held years of unspoken fears and regrets. "Should we have scolded him more?" she whispered, tilting her head to the side. "We did," his father replied. "Yeah!" Anhe said. "We wrestled so much. I even almost gave him a concussion once! He had the most normal life!" The older woman shook her head in amusement. "You act as if you raised him. You're only five years older." "I'm still older," she muttered. "Besides, that kid really needs to get a good scolding. I didn't say anything for years because I felt he was more sensitive than the average person. However, I had enough! I want to see him lose everything on the court!" His dad kept his gaze on Jian, who was staring off into the distance like he wasn't there at all. "We gave him the perfect life, but sometimes, it feels like it backfired on us." Jian didn't seem to be listening to anything his coach was saying during the time-out. He stood there, nodding absently, but his mind was elsewhere, lost in that hollow place. His teammates clapped their hands together, trying to hype themselves up, but Jian just walked back to the court without a word, his face expressionless. Meanwhile, Kai was sitting on the bench, his gaze focused on thin air. A new panel glowed brightly. [Endurance, Speed, Strength, Agility. New upgradeable skill set.] [Activate now?] Kai tilted his head, tapping his fingers against the edge of the bench. 'What is this now?' he thought. A new skill set that involved vital features of a basketball player? No, it didn't seem like an ordinary window. It was similar to the ones that superheroes had! It was definitely tempting, but he hesitated. He wanted to know how far he'd come on his own in terms of these strengths. Kai shook his head, deciding to put off the activation later. Besides, he didn't know if the activation would entail something. He didn't want to risk anything in the middle of the game—although, he had technically done that after undertaking the 'Double or Nothing' mission. However, it turned out for the best, so he had no regrets! With that, he pushed himself up from the bench, stretching out his arms as he stepped back onto the court. The players resumed their positions, causing the excitement to come back a thousandfold. Jian's expression didn't change as he took his spot, his face set in that familiar, blank mask. Across from him, Kai was already bouncing on his toes, testing out this new level he'd unlocked just by pushing his limits earlier in the game. The whistle blew, and the game restarted. Jian moved as he always did, his body in perfect rhythm. Kai, on the other hand, felt like he had been reborn. His feet didn't even feel like they touched the ground as he took off in a sprint! He dodged past two defenders with a speed that made them stumble, their jaws dropping as he shot by them. He felt like lightning, quick and unstoppable like every nerve in his body was firing at full capacity. "How is he running at this speed in this quarter?" Gina asked from their table, her eyes wide with disbelief. The other players exchanged looks, and murmurs of concern and awe were heard through the court. "He's going to burn out," Shang said, shaking his head as Kai tore down the court like a man possessed. But Kai only smirked, catching the ball. He wasn't going to burn out. Not today. Jian saw Kai coming at him faster than he'd ever been before. There was a moment, a brief second, where something flared in Jian's chest—something that felt almost like excitement. His heart, which had felt so heavy for so long, skipped a beat. He squared his shoulders, locking eyes with Kai as he braced himself. Kai's eyes gleamed with a wild, reckless energy as he barreled towards Jian. He felt the power coursing through him and the raw strength of his new level. It was intoxicating. This was the biggest upgrade he ever had since he received his system! He had been stuck at the Legend level for a while, so he felt stagnant. However, here it was now—the Enigma level. An enigma—a mystery. Or better yet, a black hole. He wanted to push it further, to see just how far he could go. Kai rolled his shoulders back, feeling a wave of energy surge through him like he'd been holding back this whole time. For the past seven minutes, he had been saving his strength while he let his teammates shine. And they did. Even without him scoring, they had gone head-to-head against the Champions. It was a great opportunity to show that the Shizi Dogs weren't a one-man team. It gave his teammates a boost of morale, too, and it seemed like all of them were working twice as hard to get the title of champions. Aside from that, Kai got some rest because of it. It seemed like his system was actually helping him—contrary to what he believed when the mission was first revealed. However, it was over now. Now, it was time for him to unleash everything he had. "Time to shine, baby," he muttered.