Chapter 1: The Super Soldier Awakens
Harbor City
Sunset Street Court
The fading sunlight washed the outdoor basketball court in deep orange.
Music blasted from a nearby speaker while the crowd buzzed with excitement.
On the court, Marcus Hale—a streetball guard with millions of followers online—blew past his defender and finished an easy layup.
The scoreboard changed instantly.
68 – 45
A 23-point lead.
The opposing team immediately called a timeout.
Groans came from the losing side.
The team, known locally as the Harbor City Stars, was made up mostly of college players from nearby universities. Right now, every one of them looked defeated.
Their substitute center lowered his voice.
"Captain… we can't stop them inside. They're killing us in the paint."
The captain shot him a sharp look.
"Don't talk like we've already lost."
He gestured toward the cameras near the sideline.
"The livestream's still running. Even if we're getting crushed, we play until the final buzzer."
Gulp.
Up in the third row of the stands, a giant figure drained the last of an iced soda.
The plastic bottle crumpled in his hand.
His knuckles turned pale from the pressure.
The young man stood 2.16meterstall, towering over everyone nearby like a steel pillar. His loose black T-shirt stretched tightly across his chest, barely containing the thick muscle underneath.
His arms were larger than the thighs of the girls sitting beside him.
His name was AdrianCross.
A student at Harbor City University.
But what no one here knew…
Was that Adrian wasn't originally from this world.
Three days ago, he had suddenly awakened here with all his memories intact.
And along with those memories came a voice.
A cold, mechanical voice.
"Basketball GOAT System successfully bound."
"New Player Reward: Super Soldier Physique (Mini Version)."
Adrian had been stunned.
"A super soldier… in real life?"
He had laughed at first.
"What kind of basketball am I supposed to play with that? I'd end up dunking on people like they're toys."
But after three days of testing his body…
He realized the system wasn't joking.
Height: 2.16 meters
Weight: 125 kilograms
Wingspan: 2.30 meters
Even without formal testing, Adrian already knew his physical abilities were terrifying.
He could leap up a full flight of stairs in two steps.
He once accidentally ripped a metal gate off its hinges while pulling it open.
At that moment he understood something.
His body had been pushed to the absolute limit of humanathleticpotential.
Adrian glanced back toward the court where the game continued.
He shrugged.
"This level of competition is boring."
Just as he stood up to leave—
A familiar voice echoed in his mind.
"Ding-dong! System mission triggered."
"Lead the losing team to victory."
"Mission Reward: Invitation to the Chicago NBA Draft Combine."
Adrian froze.
His eyebrows lifted slowly.
Finally.
After three days… the system had given him a mission.
And the reward made his heart race.
The NBADraftCombineinChicago.
Every year, scouts from across the NationalBasketballAssociation gathered there to evaluate the best young prospects in the world.
If he wanted to enter the NBA…
This was the perfect stage.
Adrian looked down at his massive hands.
The question that had been bothering him for days finally had an answer.
So this is why the system gave me this body.
Not to waste it.
But to dominatebasketball.
Adrian cracked his neck.
Then he shouted toward the court.
"Yo! You guys need a center?"
His deep voice rolled across the court like thunder.
Several players turned instantly.
One of the substitutes pointed at the stands with wide eyes.
"Captain! Look at that guy!"
The team captain, RyanCole, followed his finger.
The moment he saw Adrian…
His heart skipped a beat.
Adrian had just stood up, and his shadow stretched across half the seating area. His shoulders were so wide they nearly filled two seats.
Muscles bulged beneath his shirt like coiled steel cables.
Ryan swallowed.
"Which school is that guy from?"
"I think he goes to our university!" a teammate blurted out. "I saw him in the cafeteria last week."
Ryan's eyes lit up like he had found a lifeline.
He rushed to the railing.
"Hey! Can you play basketball?!"
Adrian didn't answer.
Instead, he calmly grabbed a spare jersey from a substitute player and pulled it over his head.
The fabric stretched tight across his chest and back.
The crowd immediately erupted into whispers.
"Holy hell… look at that guy."
"Is that dude even human?"
"His arms are insane."
"That shoulder width could block traffic."
Near the sideline, two reporters were filming the game.
TaylorBrooks lowered her phone slightly when a massive figure suddenly blocked her camera.
She looked up—
—and gasped.
"Malika, come here!"
Her friend hurried over with a camera.
"What happened?"
Taylor pointed.
"Tell me that guy doesn't look like a superhero."
MalikaGrant lifted her camera and zoomed in.
Through the lens, Adrian was adjusting his jersey.
The muscles across his back moved like carved stone beneath the fabric.
Malika's cheeks flushed slightly.
"Good lord…"
"That guy looks like a walking tank."
Taylor smirked.
"Oh? Your face is red already."
"Stop it."
Malika turned away quickly.
"You're the one who likes muscle freaks."
Back on the court, the Harbor City players gathered around Adrian like curious children around a giant.
Ryan rubbed the back of his neck.
"Look… we're down by twenty-three points…"
Adrian glanced at the scoreboard.
"I can see that."
Then he walked calmly toward the basket.
Without warning—
He jumped.
Just a casual hop.
His head rose abovetherim.
When he landed, the entire backboard vibrated with a low metallic hum.
Across the court, Marcus Hale's confident smile slowly faded.
"What the hell…"
"Is this guy here to play… or destroy the court?"
The timeout ended.
The game resumed.
Ryan dribbled the ball past half-court.
Marcus immediately stepped forward and pointed at Adrian.
"I'll guard the big guy."
He spread his arms and pressed his body forward.
But when he got close…
He realized something awkward.
His head barely reached Adrian'schest.
Marcus frowned.
"Just because you're tall doesn't mean—"
He never finished the sentence.
Adrian moved.
No warning.
No wasted motion.
A simple shove sent Marcus stumbling backward.
In two explosive steps Adrian reached the paint.
Ryan instinctively lobbed the ball high.
Adrian jumped.
Both hands caught the pass mid-air.
And then—
BOOM.
The dunk slammed through the hoop like a cannon blast.
The entire backboard shook violently.
The crowd erupted.
The scoreboard changed.
68 – 47
Inside Adrian's mind, the system spoke again.
"Mission Progress: 10%"
Adrian landed heavily on the court.
Marcus was still sitting on the floor in shock.
Adrian looked down at him.
His voice was calm.
Cold.
"Get someone taller."
"You're too short."