Donnie glanced up.
The scoreboard.
145 to 9.
A score so lopsided it would be impossible in a real game!
In terms of individual stats, 'Aomine' alone had racked up 83 points.
On the court, the CG, which had only been running for about three minutes so far, had left Donnie, playing as Teiko's opponent, completely numb.
Their jerseys were soaked with sweat.
Chests heaved violently, and the realistic feeling of exhaustion made it hard for Donnie to catch his breath.
He looked speechlessly at his teammates, who were crushed by 'despair.' He knew these young players had given their all, but their opponents… their opponents weren't playing like humans!
That dark-skinned kid named 'Aomine' was virtually unstoppable. Whether it was a double or triple team, he scored as easily as taking candy from a baby.
All sorts of outrageous stop-and-go moves, dazzling dribbling skills, and a terrifyingly unpredictable shooting style that wasn't confined to any fixed form.
All of it combined to create an unstoppable scoring machine.
"So this is the Generation of Miracles? Damn! If Japan doesn't send you guys to the Olympics, I seriously don't get it!" Donnie gasped for air, muttering his thoughts.
He looked towards the opponents' side of the court.
Besides Aomine with his blue hair…
There was Number 4 with red hair, Number 5 with purple hair, Number 7 with green hair, and Number 8 with yellow hair.
These teammates of Aomine had hair colors just as outlandish as his, and they were all characters who had appeared on the game's cover art.
Although the CG was short and Donnie hadn't seen them make any significant plays, it was obvious these guys were bug-level players just like Aomine. He just didn't know what their specific abilities were yet.
"TEIKO!"
"TEIKO!"
"TEIKO!"
The cheers from the crowd rose and fell with each point Teiko scored.
And Aomine's offensive drive only intensified with the cheers, as he relentlessly attacked.
"Bring it on!" Aomine seemed to taunt.
"All of you, try and guard me!"
"No matter how many of you there are, I'll still score on you!"
The character Donnie was playing on the court got into position early, adopting a solid defensive stance. Yet, Aomine still blew past him in an instant, mercilessly.
[Terrifying!]
[Dude, Donnie, do something! You're getting cooked!]
[Your team only scored 9 points? That's beyond pathetic.]
From the moment the CG started, Donnie had been completely captivated, with no attention to spare for the chat. He whipped his head around to chase after Aomine. Seeing three of his teammates positioned in Aomine's path of attack, he felt there might still be a chance to defend.
However, to his surprise, the three of them didn't even attempt to stop Aomine's drive. They just let him pass through. And the character Donnie was controlling also came to a halt.
Aomine, cradling the ball in one hand, looked back with a bewildered expression.
"You guys…"
He turned and saw only three figures with their heads bowed, silent.
"So that's how it is…"
"Again."
"I just put in a little effort, and you all give up…"
All the excitement, the panther-like wildness, vanished from him in an instant.
Even the smile on his face disappeared, replaced by a coldness like unyielding ice on a mountaintop, his disappointment palpable.
"Basketball…"
"It's… not that fun anymore, I guess."
He casually tossed the ball upwards from his hand, then confidently turned and walked back towards his half of the court.
Donnie's view was fixed on Aomine Daiki walking towards him, and the basketball that swished through the net as he did.
[They forfeited.]
[Man… don't give up!]
[Easy for you to say. If I were playing against someone like that, I'd probably throw in the towel before halftime.]
[Yeah, it's a total beatdown.]
[But damn, this game's immersion is insane!]
[That last scene with Aomine Daiki was so freaking cool!]
[First time I've ever seen a VR game this realistic!]
Teiko's opponents were broken, to the point where they didn't even move when it was their turn to attack.
On the other side, Aomine returned to Teiko's half-court and rejoined his four teammates. The five of them stood in a line, their presence overwhelmingly intimidating.
In just a few short minutes, Number 6, Aomine – a mere glimpse of the Generation of Miracles – had showcased his crushing power to Donnie and everyone watching the stream.
With nothing more than a brief opening CG, the game had made everyone understand the meaning of the 'Sci-Fi' tag.
Donnie swallowed hard and muttered, "This basketball game is actually kind of insane…"
The scene shifted.
The CG ended, and the game officially transitioned to the main interface.
And at that moment, the chat exploded.
[BROS! This CG's presentation is top-tier in the country, right? No contest!]
[Just watching that VR segment as a viewer felt super immersive. Donnie himself must be having an even crazier experience!]
[You don't think all the game's quality went into this opening CG, do you?]
[Could be. Don't forget, it's a free game…]
…
At this point, Donnie was still savoring the CG he'd just witnessed because it had been just that awesome.
The running, the sweat, the lights – everything was almost indistinguishable from reality.
He couldn't help but exclaim, "Chat, that was unbelievable!"
"Even though I wasn't controlling my body just now, the realism was intense!"
"If the actual gameplay is at this level, then this game is definitely the pinnacle of domestic VR production!"
"Alright, let's dive straight into the game!"
The screen flashed.
Donnie found himself in a world showered with cherry blossoms.
The midday sun shone directly down on the street he was on, and the cherry blossoms around him added splashes of vibrant color.
Instantly, Donnie felt a difference, and the viewers in the chat noticed it too.
[Hahaha~]
[Donnie got a growth spurt!~]
[He's gotta be close to 6 foot now, right?]
[Tears of joy. Thank you, KuroBas, for fulfilling Donnie's dream of a second puberty.]
[The switch between first-person and third-person view is so smooth!]
[Holy smokes, switching to third-person, the character Donnie's playing is actually pretty handsome!]
By now, Donnie could finally spare a glance at the chat, but what he read immediately made his expression darken.
"Hah~" he scoffed.
"I'm 6'3" in real life, okay?!"
"This game actually made me shorter!"
Donnie grumbled at the chat as he started walking.
"The game's set in Japan, right?"
"Setting the game in Japan and only releasing it on Japan's DMM platform… is the developer planning a counter-offensive into the Japanese game market?"
"Props to the dev, that takes guts!"
"But the game production quality is definitely there. The feel of the actual game is pretty similar to that CG. Now let's see what the content is like."
He walked down the street. At the end of it was a streetball court.
Suddenly…
A basketball came flying rapidly towards Donnie.
He instinctively leaned slightly to the side, arm shooting out, and expertly caught the ball.
The fluid, reflexive action even surprised Donnie himself for a second.
[WHOA!]
[NICE CATCH, DONNIE! SICK REFLEXES!]
[Oh no, Donnie's already showing off right at the start!]
[This game is nuts! It can even upgrade the player's physical stats!]
[Donnie, that ugly dude in front of you threw the ball! Go get him!]