Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

"Can you treat us now, coach?" Muyang asked, appearing excited as he patted the old man's shoulder. "I know we still have one more game, but we've achieved a great feat, right?"

The others nodded in agreement, already sick of eating food from the hotel.

Coach Xu Wei stopped and sighed. He opened his mouth to respond, but Kai beat him to it.

"No," Kai said, causing everyone to turn to him. "We can't eat out yet. We have to go to the buffet today."

Kai looked at the deadline of his mission.

[12 hours, 43 minutes]

There was less than a day before he could finish it!

Dong scratched the back of his head. "Are kids these days really this strict? I would love to eat out."

"Not us. Just him," Max whispered. However, with one glare from Kai, he zipped his mouth shut.

Coach Xu Wei smiled. "Well, since the star player of today's game said so, let's all go to the dining area!"

The others groaned in silent complaint. However, Kai's smile couldn't be painted. With the German team reflecting on their loss, they definitely wouldn't have come to hog all the muffins.

They arrived at the large hall, and Kai sighed in relief when he saw that the buffet table had a stack of muffins on the side.

"Finally," he muttered.

As they walked there, however, he realized that although it looked plenty from afar, it was only enough for their team.

"Ooh, are these the banana muffins you guys kept telling us about?" Muyang asked.

Zheng nodded. "You'd love them. We had them yesterday, and they were the bomb."

Kai watched as his teammates grabbed a banana muffin each, leaving him with just one piece. He pursed his lips as he gazed at the singular piece.

"Well, it couldn't be helped," he muttered, grabbing it and walking back with his teammates. He could still wake up early tomorrow to eat the other two needed for his mission.

They began to eat, yet Kai was more silent than usual. He ate without much gusto, and he kept glancing at the banana muffin by his side.

For someone who had played so vigorously against a top team, he ate so little. Then came the desert. He took a bite out of the muffin and instantly melted when the taste hit his tongue.

It was a taste he had missed for a long time, so he closed his eyes to savor it. Just then, when he opened his eyes, he found two more muffins in front of him.

His eyes widened as he looked at his teammates.

Zheng and Max were smiling at him.

"I had a hunch that you were mad we didn't invite you last night," Max said. Kai's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Take it," Zheng said. "We ate so much yesterday."

Just then, another muffin was placed in front of him. It was Jian's.

"I suggested we call you, but Max said you looked upset. Anyway, you can have my piece too…just because you did so well in the game."

Kai thought it was going to stop there. However, another muffin was added. This time, it was from Jimmy, making him even more surprised.

"I had enough sweet things today," he muttered before glancing away.

Kai couldn't help but smile, instantly devouring the two other muffins in front of him. The others watched him in amusement.

"Does he like it that much?" Caleb muttered.

Meanwhile, Jaw-Long, who was right beside him, sniffed. Caleb turned to him with wide eyes.

"Are you crying?" he whispered.

Jaw-Long grabbed a napkin and started wiping his eyes. "Ah, youth," he muttered. "It's so beautiful."

With three muffins devoured, his system lit up before him.

[Congratulations! You have finished your mission.]

[You have reached a new level.]

[Current level: Black hole (XX)]

[All stats had been upgraded to SS]

[Copy cat skill: Can copy skills from those with lower basketball skills within 3 to 10 seconds]

[Quantum leap: Able to jump higher than 95% of players in the entire world]

Kai felt overwhelmed by the number of upgrades he had gotten in a matter of seconds. He felt like his body had become physically stronger. It must be because of the sudden upgrade of all his stats.

He had felt that his copycat skill had improved since the game, too. However, it was insane how he could copy skills within ten seconds now.

What confused him was his new level, though.

"Black hole?" he muttered.

Just then, he felt his teammates look at him with narrowed eyes. He paused and glanced at all of them.

"What?" he asked.

"I was talking about my drastic diarrhea experience when I completed overseas," Jaw-Long said. "You don't have to call it a black hole. It was a really hard time."

Kai grimaced. "That's not what I'm talking about," he said, shaking his head.

"Ah, whatever," he muttered. "Continue on with your story. I have some things to settle."

With that, Jaw-Long went back to his story while Kai continued trying to figure out what the (XX) next to his new level was supposed to mean.

Just then, a 'read description' button appeared right next to it. He sighed in relief and internally clicked on the button.

[Black hole: A system-level reserved for the chosen few in basketball. It represents the pinnacle of ability and potential. Those who awaken this power become a force that defies logic, capable of absorbing everything on the court—knowledge, skills, momentum, and even the will of opponents. Nothing escapes their grasp; they adapt instantly, turning weaknesses into strengths and chaos into opportunity.]

[The "XX" symbolizes an infinite number. To achieve the Black Hole is to achieve mastery unparalleled. Players who reach this stage are no longer bound by the ordinary.]

Kai took it all in. However, he felt breathless as he silently read it all. He clicked on the next page, and although there were only three words displayed, he felt the impact of it.

[You are limitless.]