NBA: GIANT KILLING

The court fell into a moment of dead silence, then erupted into a frenzy!

Everyone was astonished by the unexpected outcome of such a seemingly lopsided match.

This 5'9" Asian player had actually won!

Gorin's teammates were stunned, unable to believe that their star player had just been defeated by an unknown shorty.

The spectators were even more shocked:

"Oh my god, what kind of speed was that? It was like a scene out of a movie! "

"That ball-handling and offensive rhythm… this video will make me famous! I need to post this on the school forum ASAP!"

"I feel like his playing style reminds me of…"

"Allen Iverson!"

The way Oliver moved on the court, playing with such fluidity and freedom, overlapped in their minds with the image of Iverson in his prime.

Yet, as the crowd cheered, Oliver simply turned and walked away without a word.

Coach Boeheim of Aina University hurriedly pushed through the spectators, hoping to stop this unassuming young man. But when he finally reached the court, only Gorin remained, frozen in disbelief.

"Who was that young man just now? Gorin, do you know him?" Boeheim asked.

Still in shock, Gorin muttered, "I don't know. He came here wanting to join the team, but I thought he was over his head, so I figured I'd teach the kid a little lesson…"

Boeheim sighed. It made sense—Gorin had always been a top player with natural talent and physical prowess, rarely facing setbacks. This loss might actually help toughen his mentality.

Still, the coach had one concern: "Did he really want to join our team?"

Gorin hesitated, then asked, "Coach… you're seriously considering recruiting him? You saw how we treated him. Maybe he got discouraged, nobody wants to be treated the way people treaed him…"

He trailed off. Because just moments ago, he was one of the people who mocked him.

He was even one of the worst ones.

He can't help but feel a little bit of regret.

Kilnt wouldn't hold a candle against him…

Gorin forced a smile.

The kid was no joke.

Anyone who could make Gorin, with all his pride, admit defeat after just two possessions was special.

Coach Boeheim thought to himself: 'I definitely can't let this talent slip away.'

"Where did he go?" Boeheim asked urgently.

"He left right after the game. Strange, I thought he would stay for a bit or at least talk to you." Gorin was equally puzzled.

Meanwhile, Oliver, who had appeared like a shooting star only to disappear just as quickly, was now leaning against the bathroom wall in his dorm, gasping for breath.

"Ding! Experience Card duration has ended. You have permanently retained 20% of its attributes!"

As the system's voice echoed in his mind, Oliver's muscles and nerves, which had been stretched to their absolute limits, suddenly relaxed. He felt completely drained.

A template experience card will give you all the skills, experiences, and even the physical attributes of said player in order to pull off all his moves.

It was a great boon for Oliver…

However, that would certainly put a strain on the body.

Still, he forced himself to walk back to his dorm room. No way was he going to collapse after showing off like that.

The performance he had just put on wasn't entirely his own. The system had transferred Iverson's peak muscle memory, ball control, and court awareness into him for a brief period.

But his body was still his own. It was the system that had maximized his muscle control, temporarily pushing his speed and reaction time to the extreme.

Yet, that feeling—the absolute mastery over his movements and the ball—was still fresh in his mind.

The Peak Iverson Experience Card wouldn't let him keep everything, but it did leave behind a 20% permanent stat boost.

20% may not be a lot, but his mind can still remember the feeling when he pulled of AI's signature moves.

He can recall it. He can grasp it. It's just a matter of time and effort.

That was fine. Strength had to be earned through training—he couldn't rely on the system for everything.

With that thought, Oliver forced himself into the shower, his legs trembling from exhaustion.

As soon as the warm water hit his skin, a sharp pain shot through his calves.

'Damn… I really pushed myself there.'

Even after the system had preserved 20% of his gains and nullified most of the aftereffects, his body still felt the strain.

Just as he finished his shower, his phone rang.

It was Carl. Like Oliver, he was an international student. They had become close friends, especially since Carl also loved basketball and dreamed of making a name for himself in the NCAA.

"Hello?" Oliver answered.

"Was that really you just now?"

The excitement in Carl's voice was practically bursting through the phone.

"You actually beat Gorin, that's huge! Were you always this good?!"

"Yeah, it wasn't too bad," Oliver replied casually while carefully putting on his clothes, afraid of making his muscle soreness worse.

"Come on! Stop acting like it's no big deal!"

Carl scoffed, then continued excitedly, "Do you even realize? You're a campus legend now! They're calling you the hope of Aina University—the one who will lead us to an NCAA championship!"

Oh, right… I originally just wanted to try out for the team. Now that I've beaten one of their starters, I should at least get a bench spot… right? Oliver thought to himself.

"Ding! New mission unlocked: Self-Improvement!"

The system's sudden notification interrupted his thoughts.

Mission Requirements:

100 push-ups per day

10 km of running per day

100 squats per day

100…

The list went on and on.

Oliver's head started throbbing. Well, this is for my own good… but I better not get bald though.

"Mission Reward: After 10 consecutive days of training, receive a one-day Superstar Experience Card."

Another card!

He really shouldn't complain now. The first card gave him AI's template! Imagine all the possibilities! 

Despite all the aching muscles, Oliver couldn't wait to start his workout.

Even if it was just for a day, he'd still retain 20% of the attributes permanently.

And in the future, there would be plenty more opportunities to earn experience cards.

If he kept accumulating these boosts over time… his progress would be unstoppable.

'My journey begins now."