2012 · On a Flight to Los Angeles
Three hours after takeoff, the cabin lights dimmed.
Most passengers had already closed their eyes, some resting, others pretending to sleep behind their headphones.
Gu Kai leaned back in his seat, his forehead resting lightly against the window. Outside, clouds stretched endlessly—pure white, without boundaries.
Yet he felt no trace of drowsiness.
That sensation from the night before still hadn't faded.
It wasn't anxiety.
It wasn't nervousness.
It was more like—
His body was waiting for a command.
The moment he closed his eyes, his vision abruptly darkened.
Not black.
But a silence so complete it felt as though the outside world had been cut off entirely.
The next second, a line of text—clear and impossible to ignore—slowly unfolded within his consciousness.
---
[NBA Trait System · Binding Complete]
[Host: Gu Kai]
[Date of Birth: 1995.11.22]
[Current Age: 16 (not yet full age)]
[Pathway: Professional Basketball · Ball-Dominant Core]
Gu Kai's breathing stalled.
This wasn't an illusion.
Not a fleeting flash, not a blur—but something stable, anchored.
He instinctively tried to open his eyes, only to realize his vision wasn't affected at all.
The system felt like another layer laid directly over his awareness.
[Original development system: Disengaged]
[Current status: Free-growth pathway]
When the next line appeared, the tone changed for the first time.
[Evaluation Result: Rejected by the existing system, but not rejected by basketball.]
Gu Kai's fingers tightened slightly.
That sentence felt like something he had never gotten the chance to say out loud—spoken for him instead.
[Critical turning point detected]
[New Player Package conditions met]
The system paused for half a second.
[Activate "New Player Package"?]
This time, Gu Kai didn't hesitate.
Activate.
---
His vision seemed to zoom in.
The interface expanded—structured, precise, cold to the point of cruelty.
🎁 [Gu Kai · New Player Package] (One-Time Only)
Rewards locked. No reroll available.
---
🟡 Gold Trait I
Amen Thompson | Monster-Level Physical Talent
- Explosiveness: Significantly enhanced
- Speed: Significantly enhanced
- Hang time & aerial control: Significantly enhanced
- No speed loss during repeated jumps and direction changes at high body weight
- Offensive and defensive coverage greatly expanded
[Evaluation]
This is a physical template that should not exist on a guard.
---
🟡 Gold Trait II
Ja Morant (Rookie) | Vertical Destruction Engine
- First-step acceleration and change of pace enhanced
- Probability of tearing open defensive structures increased
- Aerial contact and adjustment success rate improved
- In-game dunking intimidation greatly enhanced
[Evaluation]
You will learn how to destroy a defense with a single step.
---
Gu Kai's breathing grew noticeably heavier.
Not because of the words—
But because the instant these two traits finished loading, he could clearly feel something inside his body being fully unlocked.
States that once felt barely maintained were now completely open.
Like switching to a different fuel system.
No pain.
No flashy effects.
Only a dangerously clear instinct—
If he were on a court right now,
he would be far stronger than yesterday.
The system didn't stop.
A new page unfolded.
---
📊 [Initial Attribute Panel]
Name: Gu Kai
Height / Wingspan: 198 cm / 218 cm
Weight: 98 kg
Position: Point Guard / Ball-Dominant Core
🧬 Physical Attributes
- Explosiveness: 89
- Speed: 89
- Hang Time & Aerial Control: 89
- Strength: 82
- Stamina: 89
- Endurance: 89
- Injury Resistance: 89
🏀 Technical Attributes
- Ball Handling: 89
- Driving: 89
- Passing: 88
- Court Vision: 88
- Finishing: 89
- Dunking: 89
- Mid-range: 80
- Three-point Shot: 70
---
Gu Kai stared at the numbers, his gaze gradually calming.
He knew very well—
this wasn't "invincible."
His three-point shooting was only 70.
His defense was far from perfect.
But this panel, at his age—
It wasn't a "prospect."
It was a liability.
One last line appeared.
[Overall Evaluation: 85]
[Overall Rank: B-tier (NBA Green Room Level)]
[Stage Objective Generated]
---
🧬 Stage One Objective: The Breaker
Keywords: Establish footing / Build a label
- Tear through defenses
- Shatter the confidence of your matchup
- Make scouts write down your name, not a template
[Stage Reward Preview]
- Lightning First Step (Enhanced)
- High-Difficulty Finishing (Long-Armed Variant)
---
The interface slowly faded.
The plane continued its steady flight above the clouds, as if nothing had happened.
Gu Kai opened his eyes.
He lowered his head, looked at his hands, then slowly clenched them.
This time, there was no doubt.
Because the system hadn't told him—
you will definitely succeed.
It had given him something far more brutal,
and far more fair.
A path that could truly lead to the end of professional basketball.
Gu Kai leaned back into his seat, the corner of his mouth lifting ever so slightly.
Los Angeles hadn't arrived yet.
But for some people—
Waiting was no longer an option.