Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

[Extra quest! Ball handling at its best]

[Catch a ball and win 1 XP]

[Eliminate one person and win 1 XP]

1 XP didn't seem like much, but Kai still wanted to take the opportunity to win against Zeren's team.

They appeared really relaxed, and it made Kai want to beat them even more.

Rambo glanced at Kai's team and clicked his tongue.

"Kai is strong, right?" he asked Zeren. "I only heard rumors about his strength."

"Look at his other teammates, though," one of their teammates said. "They have no chance if we eliminate Kai right away."

Zeren nodded in agreement. He was about to say something more when he saw another class emerge from the other side of the field.

There, in their P.E. uniforms, was the second-year class that Lina was a part of!

Zeren's spine straightened, and he found himself getting more fired up to win the game.

"Kai's not that good at handling the ball," he said to his teammates.

Rambo frowned in confusion. "Really? How come he's in the basketball team, then?"

"Well, he's decent for a basketball player," Zeren said. "But he's still not the best within our team. Did you know? Yuze still makes him practice dribbling skills up to this day."

Rambo and the rest of his teammates laughed out loud.

"Isn't that something that middle schoolers do?" one of his teammates asked.

"I know," Zeren said. "So don't be intimidated and just throw the ball at your own will."

They all nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, in Kai's team, the last-picked person, Yesu, sighed bitterly as he looked at his teammates.

"It's over," Yesu muttered.

Meanwhile, Kai appeared more determined than ever. Well, he was the one who picked the team, so it would be strange if he didn't believe in them.

However, what was stranger was the fact that he picked such a team in the first place.

"They probably think we're an easy target," Kai honestly said.

His teammates cast their heads to the ground.

Then, Kai smirked. "That just makes it more exciting for us to beat them."

They all looked at Kai like he had gone insane.

Bao scratched the back of his head. "As much as I am elated to be the first person to be chosen on this team, I also can't help but wonder how we'll be able to beat them."

The others nodded in agreement.

"Just avoid the ball," Kai simply said. "You guys are great at avoiding things, aren't you?"

Bao pursed his lips since he couldn't refute Kai's statement.

"Well, running away is something I'm definitely good at," Bao chuckled, lightening up the atmosphere.

"Me too," another chimed. "I run away from Rambo at least three times a day!"

Kai chuckled along with them. Bao was already used to his deep, villain-like chuckle. However, for the people who didn't know about his real personality, he sounded cunning and evil.

Nonetheless, they gained the courage to face Zeren's team because of Kai, so they decided to just give their best despite the circumstances.

"Alright, let's start!" Miss Cherry exclaimed, making the students go to their positions.

Kai was at the very front, while Yesu and Bao were next to him. The others were scattered sporadically to avoid any double eliminations.

The game began with the ball in Zeren's team. Without any hesitation, Rambo fiercely threw the ball toward Yesu, the ball hurtling across the field as a missile. Yesu's eyes widened as he found himself in its path, and before he could react, the ball smacked into his shoulder.

The impact was so strong that the ball bounced away with incredible speed, leaving the others intimidated by Rambo's strength.

The others watching flinched and even stepped back as Yesu clutched onto his shoulder.

"Dang, that must have hurt."

"Rambo, calm down, please."

"Now, I get why his parents named him Rambo."

"It's a good thing it didn't hit another body part...if you know what I mean."

As the opposite team cheered, one of Kai's teammates grabbed the ball and launched it toward their side. However, since it was pretty slow, Zeren caught it effortlessly, his reflexes as sharp as his aim.

Zeren smirked as he felt the second-year class, and possibly Lina, watching their game. With a grin, he hurled it back toward Kai's direction.

However, Kai stood tall, his eyes fixed on the ball launching towards him. At first, he was uncertain how the game would go since he hadn't played dodgeball before. He also didn't know what to expect from the other team.

However, as he followed the speedy trajectory of the ball, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows in surprise.

"I can see it," he muttered, calmly reaching for the ball and catching it cleanly, his arms steady and unshaken.

Zeren's eyes widened as he observed Kai's steady posture. As far as he knew, he gave all of his strength for that ball! How was he able to catch it so effortlessly?

Lina's eyes widened in surprise while Kai's teammates watched in awe as he held the ball, a glimmer of determination in their` eyes.

Without missing a beat, Kai spotted an unsuspecting player on the opposing team. With a swift motion, he sent the ball flying toward them, imagining that he was throwing a basketball to a teammate who was at the very end of the court.

The ball ricocheted off of Zeren's teammate's chest and bounced toward another player, creating a domino effect.

Before anyone could react, two players from the opposing team were eliminated with a single throw, leaving his classmates stunned silence.

Rambo clicked his tongue and quickly picked it up with a determined gaze.

Then, he turned to Kai and narrowed his eyes at him. He took a step back, almost as if he was gathering all of his energy into the throw before launching it forward.

"What the heck? The ball's so fast!"

"At this point, Rambo should be a pitcher."

"Avoid it!" Yesu shouted from the sidelines.

However, even then, Kai stood still as he watched how the ball moved toward his way at great speed.

"I can still see it," he muttered confidently, stretching his hand in a straight manner as he predicted where the ball would land.

"He's going to catch it like that?"

"Is he crazy?" Lina muttered. "He's going to hurt herself."

Then, the ball landed in his hand. However, even then, his arm remained straight, and his body remained still.

Zeren's eyes widened in surprise.

"Since when was he so good at catching the ball?" he muttered.