"Slam Dunk!!"
"Ohhhhhhhhhh!!!"
As the commentator's excited voice echoed, the entire venue erupted in deafening cheers.
A slam dunk is one of the most electrifying plays in basketball—recognized as the most aggressive, dominant, and thrilling way to score. It's also one of the most challenging.
When a teammate lands a dunk, it's a massive morale booster.
Who would've thought that Oliver, initially overlooked, would shock the entire stadium with such unstoppable momentum the moment he stepped onto the court?
"Hey, hey, that guy named Oliver is incredible!"
The girls who were previously cheering for Kaede Rukawa covered their mouths in astonishment.
Even if they didn't understand the intricacies of basketball, they could feel the power behind that play.
"Yeah, yeah! And if you look closely, he's actually kind of handsome... I suddenly want to cheer for him too."
One girl was practically love-struck.
"Hey! Focus! We're here to cheer for Rukawa-sama!"
The bespectacled girl leading their group tapped the banner behind her and scolded them sternly.
"Even if Oliver is really good, there's no way he compares to Rukawa-sama! That dunk took so much effort, and Rukawa's already scored over 20 points. He can't catch up!"
"True…"
The girls returned to their senses and glanced at the scoreboard.
11:32.
With so little time left, catching up by more than 20 points seemed like a fantasy.
"Got it? So let's just keep cheering for Rukawa-sama! He's unbeatable!"
"Rukawa, Rukawa, let's go!! Rukawa, fight!!"
After a brief distraction, the girls resumed their synchronized chants.
Inside the court...
"11:32…"
Oliver glanced at the scoreboard as he landed from the dunk.
The point gap was massive. With under ten minutes remaining, turning the game around through normal means was nearly impossible. He had to find another way.
Before Wako Junior High could even celebrate, Fuqiu Junior High wasted no time and launched a fast break from the inbound.
Kaede Rukawa dashed forward, snatching the ball before Oliver had fully landed, and sprinted straight toward the opposing basket.
"Quick counterattack!"
"Fall back and defend!"
Oliver and the opposing captain shouted at the same time. All the players snapped to attention and charged toward the paint behind Kaede Rukawa.
"Damn… this body is too weak!"
Oliver tried to chase, but he lagged behind everyone else.
He had previously relied on experience, but now, his physical limitations were clear.
The Oliver of this world was seriously lacking in athleticism.
"System prompt: Hidden mission 'Slam Dunk' completed. Would you like to claim your reward?"
"A reward?"
He hadn't even realized completing the dunk would trigger a hidden mission.
But there was no time to overthink.
"Claim it!"
"Ding! Reward received. New skill unlocked: Sonic Dash."
"Skill Description: Temporarily exceed physical limits to sprint at extreme speed. Costs significant stamina."
"Cooldown: None."
"Sonic Dash? What a dramatic name. Let's see just how fast this really is!"
Without hesitation, Oliver activated the skill.
In the next instant, his legs felt supercharged—like he was riding a motorcycle at full throttle. With a roar, he overtook everyone ahead and caught up to Kaede Rukawa in mere seconds.
"What the—?!"
"How is he this fast?!"
Fuqiu players felt a gust of wind as Oliver blazed past them. In the blink of an eye, he was already beside Kaede Rukawa.
"Oh my god! Oliver just caught up with Rukawa in an instant! He's like a bolt of lightning!"
The commentator's voice cracked with excitement.
"From Fuqiu's rim to Wako's paint in five seconds! These numbers rival pro athletes!"
Kaede Rukawa turned in shock, watching Oliver barrel toward him with no sign of slowing.
He had sprinted full-speed the moment he got the ball—how could Oliver possibly catch up?
"Let's see you try and stop me now!"
Wako's tall center raised his arms high, ready to intercept.
Kaede Rukawa leapt for a layup.
"No way!"
The center also jumped, aiming to block him.
But Rukawa's finesse showed. Mid-air, he switched the ball to his opposite hand, pulling off a smooth crossover and releasing the shot.
Caught off guard, the center couldn't react in time.
"Crap… he's going to score!"
Bang!
But another hand swatted the ball mid-air—its trajectory changed!
The shot clanged off the rim.
Wako's power forward grabbed the rebound.
Rukawa turned and stared at Oliver—who had jumped half a head higher than him—with growing competitiveness.
Oliver ignored the stare and shouted the moment he landed.
"Fast break! Go!"
His teammates understood immediately and passed the ball to him. Oliver did a clean C-shaped turn to get around his defender and charged toward Fuqiu's basket.
"What a gorgeous block! Oliver denied Rukawa's shot and is now sprinting like an arrow toward the basket!"
The commentator's voice rang again.
"A C-shaped pass!? When did Oliver learn that!?"
Back on Heguang's bench, the coach looked like he'd seen a ghost.
The C-shaped pass was a classic but difficult technique. Even the starters had trouble mastering it.
And yet Oliver just pulled it off like it was nothing.
"Was I... blind this whole time? Has Oliver been hiding his true strength?"
The coach slumped into his seat, questioning everything.
"System prompt: Mission 'Block Kaede Rukawa's Shot' complete. Claim reward?"
"That was a mission too? When did that get added?"
An alert flashed in the corner of Oliver's vision. A mission list popped up:
Main Mission: Win the Japanese High School National League Championship (Unfinished)
Stage Mission: Defeat Fuqiu Middle School (Unfinished)
Random Mission: Block Kaede Rukawa's Shot (Completed)
"So that's how the system works... Looks like a mobile game interface, honestly."
He chuckled to himself.
"Claim reward!"
"Ding! Reward received. New skill unlocked: Accurate Shooter."
"Skill Description: Greatly increases shot accuracy for the next five attempts. Energy cost varies with shot distance."
"Cooldown: 15 minutes."
"Nice!"
Oliver's eyes lit up. He planted his feet, jumped, and lifted the ball with both hands.
"What?! He's not even at the three-point line yet! Is he about to shoot from there?!"
The commentator was stunned.
"What is he thinking?!"
Heguang's coach leapt up.
"You're running full-speed, then stopping abruptly to shoot? You don't even have time to aim!!"
He was livid.
"He should've gone inside and played it safe. Why rush a shot like that?!"
Just moments ago, that same coach had been hopeless. But Oliver's performance gave him a spark of belief—and now, he was furious at the apparent recklessness.
Oliver didn't care.
He leaped, eyes fixed on the distant rim.
"Accurate Shooter activated."
A warm sensation flowed to his fingertips. Oliver gathered his strength and released the ball high into the air.
The entire arena fell silent.
Everyone watched as the ball traced a perfect arc.
Bang!
It kissed the rim, bounced up, and fell straight down into the net.
Swish!
Nothing but net.
The crowd gasped.
"He... he made it! Oliver just nailed a long-range three-pointer!!"
The commentator's voice cracked again.
"What the hell was that?!"
The crowd exploded in cheers.
The coach's jaw practically hit the floor.
"Wako Junior High 14:32! The gap is starting to close!!"
patreon(Jutsu_143