Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

The ball swished cleanly through the net, sounding sharp and satisfying.

The crowd was silent for a moment before they burst into cheers. Kai landed lightly on his feet.

His teammates stared, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, in disbelief at what they'd just witnessed.

In front of him, Viktor Schreiber froze. It felt like his heart was ripped out of his chest without warning!

He'd spent years perfecting that move. Blood, sweat, tears, and countless hours in the skating rink! He couldn't even do a triple axel until now!

However, here was this kid who had not only copied it in seconds but improved upon it!

"That's impossible," Viktor muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

Kai, on the other hand, was still feeling the rush of his upgraded skill. The triple axel spin had felt like second nature to him—like he had practiced it for years.

His eyes turned to Viktor, who seemed out of it.

Then, he turned to his teammates, who were still staring at him. "Let's focus," he calmly said.

Max blinked, snapping out of his daze. "Right, right. Focus. Got it."

Zheng grinned, slapping Kai on the back. "You're a monster, you know that?"

Kai didn't respond. His eyes were already scanning the court, his mind churning with possibilities.

The next few possessions felt like a blur. Kai played conservatively, passing the ball and setting screens like nothing had changed.

But his eyes were everywhere, studying the German players for skills he might be able to copy.

Finally, he saw another skill he felt he could try.

It was from Brandt, their shortest player. Although, he wasn't short at all. He still stood at 6'2! Kai was already aware of him since the first quarter and admired his ability to anticipate plays and block shots.

He watched as Brandt leaped to block Marcus' shot with impeccable timing. He didn't situate himself at the very front of his opponent. Instead, he did so a few inches back, causing his opponent to think the shot wouldn't be blocked. However, he did.

It was only possible because he had a high and sustained jump.

Kai felt like he could do that, too.

On the next possession, Kai made his move. He drove toward the basket. Brandt stepped up to challenge him, his arms outstretched, ready to block.

But Kai wasn't aiming for the basket.

Instead, he hesitated for a split second, just long enough to study Brandt's form—the way he planted his feet, the angle of his jump, and the subtle twitch of his muscles before he launched himself into the air.

Brandt managed to block the shot, sending the ball flying out of bounds. The crowd roared, cheering for the German defender.

However, Kai had already gotten what he needed.

The next time Brandt stepped toward the basket, Kai stopped a little over a foot away from him.

As Brandt jumped to shoot, Kai mimicked his exact movements, sending the ball flying out of bounds.

The crowd gasped, and Gina's voice rang out over the noise. "That play looks very familiar! It seems like Kai used Brandt's own style against him."

Brandt stared at Kai, his words getting stuck in the back of his throat. He glanced at his teammates, but only Schreiber understood.

"Did he just…" Brandt trailed off.

Viktor merely nodded, affirming his words.

The game continued, and Kai's hunger for new skills only grew. His eyes locked onto another German player, a point guard named Jonas Meier. Jonas was known for his lightning-quick crossovers.

Kai watched as Jonas executed the crossover flawlessly. Muyang nearly tripped guarding him, causing Jonas easily sank a jumper.

Kai's eyes narrowed. The next time Jonas had the ball, Kai switched onto him, signaling to his teammates to adjust their positions.

Jonas smirked, dribbling confidently as he faced Kai. "You think you can stop me?"

Kai didn't reply. He simply crouched low, his eyes glued to the ball.

Jonas made his move, crossing over with a quick flick of the wrist. Kai mirrored the movement, staying in front of him.

Jonas' smirk faltered. He tried again, this time adding a hesitation dribble.

Kai copied it perfectly; his movements were so identical that it felt like Jonas was facing a mirror.

"What the—" Jonas began, but Kai didn't let him finish.

With a burst of speed, Kai stole the ball, leaving Jonas stumbling backward. The crowd erupted as Kai sprinted down the court, finishing with a powerful dunk that rattled the rim.

Coach Xu Wei watched Kai. He had known the kid for a short period of time, and he knew from the start that he was a great player. However, it felt like his potential was limitless.

Marcus knew about it, too. And despite being the oldest in the team—even old enough to be Kai's son if he wedded early—he still found himself following his commands.

On the sidelines, the German coach, Coach Muller, watched in silence, his arms crossed over his chest. His face was calm, but his eyes were sharp, analyzing every move Kai made.

His assistant coach leaned over, whispering, "What do we do? He's dismantling us piece by piece."

Muller sighed, rubbing his temples. "It's over. We've already lost."

The assistant's eyes widened. "But there's still time—"

"No," Muller interrupted, shaking his head. "You don't understand. The gap will only continue to rise from here. That kid...he's a monster. He's on a different level."

The assistant coach frowned when he saw Muller smiling instead of scolding his players.

"That kid is amusing," he said. "Find out what you can about him. And see if there's a way we can bring him to our team. I want to offer him something before the other countries do."

The assistant couldn't believe it. Was their coach here to recruit new players into their country?

Back on the court, Kai was in the zone. He'd copied not one but two new skills, even successfully integrating them into the game.

The other teams watching from the stands stared in awe.

"Who really is this kid?" one player muttered.

"A prodigy," another replied, shaking his head.

"Ah, crap. The Global Games just found its new main character."