The walk back from the 'Matina' conference room was a silent, heavy march. The air, which had been electric with their own victory just hours before, was now thick with a new, suffocating pressure. They had just watched a basketball god, Emon "The Machine" Jacob, surgically dismantle a fellow Mythical Five player. The reality of their bracket, their impossible path, had settled upon them like a shroud.
Marco, for the first time in his life, was speechless. His boisterous, triumphant energy from his own interview had been completely snuffed out. He just walked with his head down, the image of Jacob's effortless, 14-0 run burning in his mind. Gab, Ian, and Cedrick were stoic, but their faces were grim. They had just watched a player who was bigger than their guards, faster than their bigs, and smarter than all of them.
When Tristan and Daewoo reached their room on the tenth floor, the mood was funereal.
"He's... just..." Daewoo said, his voice a low, hollow whisper as he unlocked the door. "He's just on another level. I... I don't know how you stop that, Captain. I don't."
"You don't," Tristan said, his voice flat as he walked into the dark room. "You just... try to contain him. Like Coach said. You throw bodies at him."
"But... is that enough?" Daewoo asked, looking at his captain, his eyes searching for some reassurance, some hope.
Tristan didn't have an answer. He just dropped his key card on the desk. "Get some sleep, Woo. We have a long day of film tomorrow."
Daewoo, physically and emotionally shattered, just nodded. He was asleep within five minutes of his head hitting the pillow, the sheer exhaustion of their game and the subsequent mental trauma of the film session pulling him under.
Tristan, however, was wide awake.
He lay on his own bed, staring at the textured ceiling of the hotel room, the darkness a poor comfort. The air was cold, the air conditioner humming, but he felt a bead of sweat roll down his temple.
He saw Emon Jacob's perfect, high-release jumper. He saw his impossible, no-look passes. He saw his effortless, gliding dunks.
We can't beat him.
The thought was a betrayal, a cold, sharp spike of treason in his own mind. He was the captain. He was the one who had promised Aiden. He had just led his team to a 38-point victory over a monster. And yet, sitting here, he knew, with a sickening certainty, that he was completely and utterly outmatched.
He thought of his own stats. Ball Handle: 70. Speed with Ball: 60. Passing Vision: 70. He was a good high school point guard.
Emon Jacob was a pro.
The despair was a physical weight, pressing down on his chest. We're done. We fought all this way, just to be food for a true shark.
He closed his eyes, frustrated, angry, and... scared.
DING.
The sound was not in the room. It was in his head. A soft, clear, familiar chime.
His eyes snapped open.
The dark hotel room was suddenly illuminated by a familiar, ethereal blue light. A translucent window had shimmered into existence, floating a few feet above his bed.
He held his breath. He had been waiting for this.
[Mission 12: THE BEAST OF MINDANAO] - Mission Success!
You were tasked with facing a monster. You were undersized, outmatched, and underestimated. Instead of fighting his fight, you followed a new strategy. You trusted your grinders, you unleashed your daggers, and you executed a perfect, team-wide ambush. The Janitor has been cleaned out.
[Failure Penalty: Severe reduction in all current player statistics.] - AVOIDED
Tristan let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding for the entire game. The penalty, the constant threat of losing everything, was gone.
And then, the real prize.
[MISSION REWARDS]
[+25 Physical Stat Points]
[+50 Attribute Points]
[1x Bronze Skill Badge]
[3x Silver Upgrade Badge]
[2x Gold Upgrade Badge]
His heart hammered against his ribs. The points were a godsend. The Bronze Badge was always welcome. But the Upgrade Badges... three Silver... two Gold.
This was an arsenal. This was the System acknowledging the new, terrifying level of the competition. This was the equalizer.
[Passive Mission Rewards Have Been Applied]
[Your skills have grown through the trial of a National-level game!]
[Floor General (Silver) Level 9 -> Level 10]
[Acrobat (Silver) Level 1 -> Level 2]
[Dimer (Bronze) Level 9 -> Level 10]
[Slithery Finisher (Bronze) Level 9 -> Level 10]
[Post-Fade Phenom (Bronze) Level 2 -> Level 3]
[Comeback Kid (Bronze) Level 2 -> Level 3]
[Giant Slayer (Bronze) Level 1 -> Level 2]
A warm, electric hum pulsed through him as his core abilities settled at a new, higher baseline. He had gotten passively better, just by surviving.
But now, it was time to evolve.
"Status," he whispered.
The screen flashed, showing his stats before the new distribution.
PHYSICAL
Speed: 70
Acceleration: 70
Strength: 60
Vertical: 60
Stamina: 85
Agility: 70
He had 25 Physical Points. He thought of Emon Jacob's effortless, gliding speed. He thought of Carlo Bedia's explosive first step.
I'm not fast enough. Not strong enough. Not yet.
He needed to become a different level of athlete. He distributed the points with surgical precision.
[Speed: 70] -> Apply 5 Points -> [Speed: 75]
[Acceleration: 70] -> Apply 5 Points -> [Acceleration: 75]
[Strength: 60] -> Apply 5 Points -> [Strength: 65]
[Vertical: 60] -> Apply 5 Points -> [Vertical: 65]
[Agility: 70] -> Apply 5 Points -> [Agility: 75]
[Physical Points: 0]
He felt it instantly. A deep, thrumming hum in his muscles. The lingering soreness from the game seemed to evaporate, replaced by a new, coiled, electric potential. He felt lighter, more powerful, more connected.
Now, the 50 Attribute Points. He looked at his Playmaking stats, his mind laser-focused on his impending duel with Emon Jacob.
Pass Accuracy: 81
Ball Handle: 70
Speed with Ball: 60
Passing Vision: 70
Off Ball Pass: 70
Not good enough. Jacob's Ball Handle and Vision must be 85 or 90. I need to close the gap. I need to be a general, not just a guard.
He also needed a way to punish them. He thought of his mid-range shot, the one he'd used to answer Calapan.
He made his decisions.
[Mid-Range Shot: 70] -> Apply 10 Points -> [Mid-Range Shot: 80]
[Ball Handle: 70] -> Apply 10 Points -> [Ball Handle: 80]
[Speed with Ball: 60] -> Apply 10 Points -> [Speed with Ball: 70]
[Passing Vision: 70] -> Apply 10 Points -> [Passing Vision: 80]
[Off Ball Pass: 70] -> Apply 10 Points -> [Off Ball Pass: 80]
[Attribute Points: 0]
A jolt, not physical this time, but mental, shot through him. The world seemed to snap into a new, higher definition. He looked at the sleeping form of Daewoo, and he could suddenly see the angles of the room in a different way, the passing lanes, the spatial relationships. His mind felt faster. He felt an intuitive, deeper connection to the imaginary ball in his hands. An 80-point Ball Handle. An 80-point Passing Vision. He was, in an instant, a truly elite playmaker.
Now, the badges.
He pressed the [1x Bronze Skill Badge] randomizer. The wheel spun... Acrobat... Dimer... Clamps... Deadeye...
It stopped.
[New Skill Acquired: Ankle Breaker (Bronze) (Level 1): Improves the chance of making defenders stumble or fall on well-timed dribble moves.]
A slow, dangerous smile spread across Tristan's face. A new weapon to create space. Perfect.
He then looked at his [3x Silver Upgrade Badge] and [2x Gold Upgrade Badge].
This was the real arsenal.
He opened his skill list.
[Bronze Skill Badge: Tight Handles (Level 10)]
This is the first one. He thought of the suffocating pressure of a full-court press, the traps he'd have to beat.
He applied one Silver Upgrade Badge.
[Bronze Skill Badge: Tight Handles (Level 10)] -> [Silver Skill Badge: Tight Handles (Level 1)]
[Skill Evolved! Your ability to break down defenders and dribble through traffic is now significantly improved!]
He now had two Silver Upgrade Badges and two Gold Upgrade Badges left.
He looked at his two Silver skills: Floor General (Level 3) and Acrobat (Level 2).
He looked at the two Gold badges.
This is it. This is the moment.
He knew exactly what he had to do. He couldn't beat Emon Jacob as a Silver-tier general. He had to become something more.
He applied one Gold Upgrade Badge to Floor General.
[Applying Gold Upgrade Badge to Silver Skill Badge: Floor General (Level 10)]...
...UPGRADING TIER...
[SKILL EVOLVED!]
[Gold Skill Badge: Floor General (Level 1)]
[Description: Raises the offensive abilities of all teammates when you are on the floor. Unlocks advanced play-calling. Your teammates receive a significant boost to their shot IQ and offensive consistency.]
Tristan gasped as a wave of pure, cold information flooded his mind. He didn't just understand his own plays; he suddenly saw the game in a new, four-dimensional way. He saw the 'why' behind the 'what.' He saw the patterns, the rotations, the emotional triggers of his teammates. He finally, truly, understood what it meant to be a coach on the floor.
He had one Gold and two Silver badges left.
He looked at his Bronze skills: Dimer, Slithery, Giant Slayer.
If I'm going to beat Jacob... I can't just be a passer. I have to be a threat. I have to be just as much of a killer as he is.
He used his remaining badges with ruthless, decisive speed.
[Applying Silver Upgrade Badge] -> [Bronze Skill Badge: Dimer (Level 10)] -> [Silver Skill Badge: Dimer (Level 1)]
[Applying Silver Upgrade Badge] -> [Bronze Skill Badge: Slithery Finisher (Level 10)] -> [Silver Skill Badge: Slithery Finisher (Level 1)]
His passing and his ability to finish in traffic were now elite.
He had one Gold badge left. He looked at Acrobat (Silver), Ankle Breaker (Bronze). He looked at Giant Slayer (Bronze).
No.
He smiled, a true, confident smile.
I'm saving this one. This one is for the Finals. This is my ace in the hole.
He was done. He had transformed. He was no longer the player who had walked into this room, terrified of the machine from Cebu.
"Status," he whispered.
The final, beautiful screen appeared, reflecting in his determined eyes.
STATUS
Name: Tristan Herrera
Age: 15
Physical points: 0
Attribute points: 0
FINISHING
Close Shot: 70
Driving Layup: 70
Driving Dunk: 11
Standing Dunk: 5
Post Control: 18
SHOOTING
Mid-Range Shot: 80
Three-Point Shot: 70
Free Throw: 70
PLAYMAKING
Pass Accuracy: 81
Ball Handle: 80
Speed with Ball: 70
Passing Vision: 80
Off Ball Pass: 80
DEFENSE/REBOUNDING
Interior Defense: 20
Perimeter Defense: 30
Steal: 40
Block: 15
Offensive Rebound: 15
Defensive Rebound: 15
PHYSICAL
Speed: 75
Acceleration: 75
Strength: 65
Vertical: 65
Stamina: 85
Agility: 75
SKILLS
Gold Skill Badge: Floor General (Level 1)
Silver Skill Badge: Acrobat (Level 2)
Silver Skill Badge: Tight Handles (Level 1)
Silver Skill Badge: Dimer (Level 1)
Silver Skill Badge: Slithery Finisher (Level 1)
Bronze Skill Badge: Post-Fade Phenom (Level 3)
Bronze Skill Badge: Comeback Kid (Level 3)
Bronze Skill Badge: Giant Slayer (Level 2)
Bronze Skill Badge: Ankle Breaker (Level 1)
Tristan dismissed the screen. The blue light vanished, plunging the room back into darkness.
He was no longer just Tristan Herrera, the scrappy captain from Cavite.
He was a Gold-tier Floor General with an 80-point handle and 80-point vision. He was a Silver-tier finisher with a new Ankle Breaker badge and an 80-point mid-range shot.
Emon Jacob was a machine.
LA Morales was a monster.
Carlo Bedia was a legend.
Good, Tristan thought, a cold, hard confidence settling into his bones.
Let them be. I'm not the underdog anymore.
I'm the ambush.
He closed his eyes, his mind calm and sharp, and for the first time since arriving in Davao, he fell into a deep, dreamless, and truly restful sleep.