CHAPTER 127: BURN, REST, RISE

Darkness.

A thin, trembling breath escaped his lips.

The ceiling came into focus—faint lines of morning light filtering in through the blinds. The color was soft, almost golden. Peaceful. Silent.

But Dirga’s body told a different story.

A crackling jolt of pain rippled down his side. Then another, in his calves. Shoulders. Neck. Even his fingertips.

Tight. Twisted. Cramps like knots of wire.

His muscles weren’t just sore—they were screaming.

Like his body had been set on fire and left to burn overnight.

He tried to move. A twitch of the foot. Agony. His back locked up, chest compressed.

[System Detected Abnormal Status: Post-Overload Muscular Distress]

[Echo: Use Injury Reducer?]

His voice came out cracked. "Yeah... do it."

[Echo: Confirmed. Injury Reducer applied.]

[Activating System Recovery Pulse...]

A warm, radiant shock pulsed from the base of his spine.

It wasn’t pain—it was release.

Like hot water soaking deep into his joints.

The pain didn’t vanish—but it softened, faded into dull echoes. His breath slowed. His heartbeat, which had felt like a drum before, now thumped steady.

His fingers moved. Then his arms. Still sore. Still tight.

But he could sit up.

And he did, sweat clinging to his bare chest. His blanket slid down, damp with the aftershock of last night’s war.

The regional final...

It came back in flickers.

The roaring crowd. The flash of camera lights. Masaki’s thunder. Kaito’s final shout.

The trophy, gleaming under arena lights.

Then the system spoke again.

[Quest Complete]

Regional Championship: Horizon’s Campaign

Win First Round (OK)

Win Quarterfinal (OK)

Win Semifinal (OK)

Win Final (OK)

Reward Unlocked:Legendary Skill or Item

Dirga’s eyes widened. He exhaled a slow breath.

"...Oh right. I forgot."

Victory didn’t just bring glory—it brought evolution.

[Echo: Displaying current status...]

Horizon High

Name:

Dirgantara Renji

Age: 15

Height: 178 cm

Weight: 70 kg

System Level: High School

Item :

Injury Reducer x 1Training Booster x 1

Skills:

Maestro’s Pulse (Legendary)

Type: Passive + Triggered

Passive Effect:

Your presence aligns your teammates’ rhythm, subtly improving spacing, reaction, and off-ball movement.

Active Skill 1 – Maestro State:

Usable once per half – 60 seconds

Boosts: Passing precision, Decision-making speed, Team synergy and Flow efficiency (+20%)

Active Skill 2 – Flow State:

Enter a state of extreme focus and physical power. Boosts physical attributes by 50–200%, scaling with game pressuregame pressure. Duration and intensity scale with stress.

Tempo Sight (Legendary)

Type: Passive + Triggered

Passive Effect:

instinctively senses rhythm shifts, spacing gaps, and tempo changes, enhancing his anticipation and off-ball movement.

Active Effect:Godframe

Unleashes an evolved spatial awareness ability—granting the user a 45-second "Godframe" view per quarter.

Phantom Drive Legendary

Type: Passive Your body flows like liquid steel. Movement stays fluid under fatigue and contact. 75% resistance to physical disruption (bumps, air collision, off-balance shots). 40% reduced stamina on explosive moves. +10% stamina regen per minute on-court.

Flow Boost: In Flow State, gain +15% speed, +10% vertical, and time dilation for micro-instinct vision.

"The Untouchable": After dodging 2+ defenders, gain +25% movement precision and +20% breakaway speed for 6 seconds.

Attributes:

Inside Scoring: B+ to A

Shooting: B+ to A-

Playmaking: A+

Defense: C+ to B

Physical: A to S

Mentality: S+

"...Damn," Dirga muttered, eyes wide as he stared at the floating status window.

What just happened to my skills?

Yesterday, he’d only had Kinetic Drive—a rare-grade physical buff. But now?

Phantom Drive (Legendary).

It wasn’t just an upgrade.

It was evolution.

[Echo: Skill "Kinetic Drive" has advanced due to host’s physical attribute reaching rank S. Congratulations.]

Dirga let out a breath. So that was it.

His body had crossed the threshold—and the system had responded in kind.

Stronger. Sharper. Faster.

The game would feel different now.

But it wasn’t over yet.

Another screen pulsed open in front of him.

[Quest Complete: Regional Championship]

[Reward: Choose 1 Legendary Skill based on performance path]

▪ Offense

▪ Defense

▪ Playmaking

Dirga’s eyes swept his own status panel again.

He already had playmaking covered—Maestro’s Pulse made him the heart of his team.

He had mental strength too. That S+ mentality wasn’t just a stat—it was will forged in fire.

And thanks to Phantom Drive, his body had become a blade.

But now, he faced the question that would define his future:

Did he want to score more...

Or stop the best from scoring at all?

His thoughts flickered back to Masaki.

The storm. The raw power.

What if he had to face that again?

Then he remembered the nationals. The tournament ahead.

The pressure. The aces. The unknown monsters waiting on the other side of the bracket.

He clenched his fist.

"...I need to shut them down."

[Echo: Confirmed. Generating optimal defensive skill for host profile.]

[Skill Acquired: Black Mirage (Legendary)]

A shadow swept across the system window as the skill was revealed.

Black Mirage (Legendary)

Type:

Passive + Triggered

Passive Effect:

Dirga reads opponents like an open book. Drives, fakes, step-backs—he sees through them all with uncanny clarity.

Steal and block timing increase dramatically, especially against top scorers. Enemy skill effects targeting Dirga are weakened slightly on impact.

Active Effect:Counterveil

Triggered after reading an opponent’s move.

Reverse momentum in an instant—cut through space to intercept or break free.

+60% reaction speed, +40% movement precision, and full immunity to physical disruption for 8 seconds.

Use: 2 times per game

(Can refresh if host forces 3 consecutive defensive wins: steal → block → forced turnover)

The system window faded with a soft chime.

Dirga stared at it for a moment longer, a small grin tugging at the corner of his lips. His reflection gleamed faintly in the screen’s residual glow.

Offense might win games...

But defense?

That wins championships.

And he was done playing for anything less.

The aches in his body hadn’t fully faded.

Muscle fibers still twitched with ghost-pain from yesterday’s war.

His shoulders, heavy from medals and rebounds.

His legs, coiled springs, sore yet sharp.

He rose from the bed slowly—no longer like a boy waking up from sleep.

But like a weapon unsheathed.

Sharper than ever.

A quick glance at his system panel confirmed it:

Maestro’s Pulse.Tempo Sight.Phantom Drive.Now: Black Mirage.

Another skill.

Another layer to his game.

A wall. A trap. A mirror that reflected every opponent’s move back at them with double the force.

At nationals, they would learn.

He wasn’t just a floor general anymore.

Not just the maestro.

He was becoming a menace—on both ends of the court.

But just as his momentum surged, reality struck back with one last notification.

The court would have to wait.

Before he could break ankles or shut down scorers...

He had to pass Japanese history and trig first.

"Defense can win championships," he mumbled, flipping open his textbook, "but it won’t get you past midterms."

The battle had shifted.

From hardwood to homework.

And just like before—

Dirga intended to win.

He stood slowly, body still sore from battle

Sharper than ever.

Another skill in his archive.

Another edge for nationals.

And this time... he will become a manace in defensive side

But before that learning for the exam is the focus