Ever since Zack gave his word, Paul had turned up the heat on his training, pushing him harder than ever.
But during those intense fundamental drills, Paul would often shoot Zack a look of pure disbelief. "Senpai, are you *really* a guy who played four years of high school ball in America?"
Zack knew exactly what Paul was getting at. Stuck carrying the baggage of the "old Zack," he could only respond by doubling down, throwing himself into training with laser focus.
Paul, seeing this, would nod with a satisfied grin. "That's more like it. High school ball and college ball are totally different beasts. Talent alone won't keep you alive in college hoops, Senpai."
Even though Paul hadn't yet stepped onto the college court himself, that didn't stop him from schooling Zack on the basics.
Oh, and here's the kicker: when Paul's older brother, Charles "C.J." Paul—a player at Hampton University—heard his little bro had taken on the role of Zack's personal *shuuren* (training) coach, he jumped right into the mix to help shape Zack up.
"Is this chubby dude *really* the Zack I remember?"
Back when C.J. graduated high school, the "old Zack" hadn't started slacking off yet. If C.J. hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he'd never have believed that kid Coach Luton once hyped up could turn into… *this*.
"Good thing it's not too late to turn things around," C.J. said, clapping Zack on the shoulder. "Coach Luton always said if you put even half your heart into basketball, you'd be a lock for the starting lineup."
Compared to his younger brother Paul, C.J. was way more outgoing, with a ton of hobbies to match.
During breaks from training, he'd chat with Zack about all the stuff young guys care about. Noticing Zack's personality had become way more open, C.J. couldn't resist a jab. "Man, if you'd been this lively back in the day, you wouldn't have still been a virgin when I graduated."
Ouch. Zack, silently taking another hit for the original owner of this body, could only hang his head.
It was clear as day: the old "Zack," with his loner vibes and self-centered attitude, had been a fish out of water from the moment he set foot in America. He didn't vibe with the lifestyle, didn't know how to connect with his peers, and ended up a total outsider—both at school and on the court.
"Believe it or not, Zack," C.J. said, "Chris might act like he's never backing down, but deep down, he's always been scared of being alone.
When I heard he was hitting the court with you every afternoon, I couldn't wait to come meet you.
I don't know what you went through these past two years, but I'm really digging the vibe you're giving off now.
You know, when we were kids, our dad used to tell me and Chris, 'Instead of envying legends, go write your own legendary story.'
I'm not saying I know how far you'll go in basketball, but if you keep grinding, I'm sure this journey will become your own *densetsu* (legend)."
As the guy who'd later play a huge role in Paul's NBA rise, C.J. lived up to his rep from Paul's interviews—a brother who knew how to light a fire under you.
With the Paul brothers as his *nakama* (comrades), Zack hit a major milestone on the 40th day of his weight-loss plan: he'd dropped 15 kilos, going from 180 kg to 165 kg.
Sure, he was still overweight, but his moves on the court were noticeably sharper. Plus, the high-intensity training had leveled up his basketball fundamentals big time.
In C.J.'s words, Zack was finally starting to look like a real basketball player.
On top of that, after clearing the second and third phases of the *Santen* (Peak) System's challenges, Zack could now redeem a daily Nutritional Supplement Drink. He'd also racked up some serious stat boosts: +8 future agility potential, +4 future speed potential, +2 future vertical leap potential, and +4 future strength potential.
In the upcoming fourth-phase challenge, if Zack could pull it off, he'd score +4 more vertical leap potential, +2 speed potential, and a mysterious "Terminator Package" reward.
"In a couple days, there's a 3-on-3 streetball tournament in Winston-Salem," Paul said out of nowhere after training one day. "I went ahead and signed you up."
Zack, who'd been itching to test himself in a real game, grinned. "Thanks, Chris!"
What he didn't notice was the sly smirk Paul flashed right after.
"Chris, why didn't you tell Zack that Chris Ellis is playing in that tournament?" C.J. asked, puzzled, once Zack was out of earshot.
Paul shook his head. "Why stress him out? A surprise matchup will show us how far Zack's come."
C.J. sighed. "But he's up against the Demon Deacons' starting center!"
Paul just shrugged. "So what? If you're gonna fight, fight the best. Isn't that our family motto?"
…
Two days later, at an outdoor court in Winston-Salem called "River Valley," Zack stepped into his first basketball game in this new world.
It was just a 3-on-3 half-court streetball match with a $1,500 prize, but the night before, Zack was so pumped he barely slept.
In this game, the Paul brothers would be his teammates, fighting alongside him.
As for their opponents? Zack found them both unfamiliar *and* oddly familiar.
Unfamiliar because he didn't know the three guys personally.
Familiar because all three were "Zack's" schoolmates.
Chris "The Beast" Ellis: 205 cm, 115 kg, the Demon Deacons' starting center. A sophomore who locked down the starting spot as a freshman, Ellis was built like a tank and known for his ferocious defense.
Tyrese Monk: 197 cm, 90 kg, the Demon Deacons' starting small forward. A senior with tons of game experience and versatile offense, Monk averaged 10.8 points and 4.0 rebounds last season.
And then there was Ronnie Evans, who looked like Hollywood star Tyrese Gibson. At 190 cm, he was the Demon Deacons' best sixth man last season, with a ridiculous 47.8% three-point shooting rate.
Digging through "Zack's" memories, Zack found that Ellis left a *deep* impression.
Why? Because on the very first day of college, freshman "Zack" got absolutely *wrecked* by Ellis in practice.
In those painful memories, Ellis was either slamming dunks over his head or doing whatever he wanted against him.
As for Monk and Evans, "Zack" didn't have much on them. After all, the old Zack had completely checked out, paying zero attention to his teammates.
On the court, when the opposing trio spotted Zack, their jaws practically hit the floor.
"He's *that* much slimmer?" Evans asked, curious.
"He's still playing basketball?" Monk said, baffled.
"He's our opponent?" Ellis gaped, eyes wide.
Truth be told, before the game, the "senpai trio" had been most curious about Chris Paul, their soon-to-be teammate for the new season.
But the second Zack stepped onto the court, his Shaq-level frame stole the spotlight.
"Don't sweat it," Paul told Zack before tip-off. "I've watched tape on 'The Beast.' His offense is pretty raw. Use your wingspan and height. If he tries to bully you in the paint, I'll be there to help on D."
Despite assuring C.J. that he wasn't worried about Zack getting smoked by Ellis, Paul was clearly more invested than he let on once the game started.
Here's the thing Paul didn't know: Zack wasn't scared of "The Beast" Ellis—not even a little. In fact, he was kinda hyped.
After reviewing Ellis's playstyle through "Zack's" memories, Zack figured out why the original owner got destroyed. It all came down to one thing: he was terrified of contact.
Since this 3-on-3 streetball game had no fouling out, and Zack knew from memory that Ellis was trash at free throws, he saw an opportunity. If Ellis tried to overpower him, Zack was betting "The Beast" would only screw himself over.
At River Valley, after a coin toss, Paul's team got the ball first.
Zack caught Paul's subtle signal and moved into position, setting up for a pick-and-roll near the 45-degree angle on the right.
The "senpai trio" never saw it coming. The former "Shame of Wake Forest" pulling off a high-level move like a pick-and-roll? No one even bothered to hedge on Evans, who was guarding Paul.
Screen set, dribble, deep breath, rhythm adjusted, shot released.
With no one in his face, Paul drained a clean three-pointer. 3-0.
Evans, fuming, turned to Ellis. "Yo, you just gonna let me get stuck guarding two guys?"
Ellis, caught off guard and losing the moral high ground, raised his hands. "My bad, my bad. Honestly, I didn't think that guy could set a screen like that."
Next up, the senpai team's ball.
Eager to clap back, Ellis bolted straight to the paint, calling for the ball.
Seeing this, Monk, handling the ball on the wing, lobbed it to "The Beast."
But things didn't go as Ellis planned.
The old "Shame of Wake Forest"? Today, he was bringing some *guts*.
Sure, Ellis knew Zack's current weight might make backing him down tough. But what really threw him off was Zack's defensive stance and reaction speed.
"The Beast" wasn't just some brainless bruiser. He'd planned to use his speed and agility to outmaneuver the "big chubster."
But the second Ellis spun with the ball, thinking he'd blown past Zack, he crashed right into him.
*He read my move?*
*No way. If he was this good, how'd I clown him so bad back then?*
Desperate to save face as the Demon Deacons' starting center, Ellis—now a bit tilted—forced up a shot despite Zack still being in position.
Then, his vision went dark.
A mountain—one he could never climb—rose off the ground, looming over him like a tidal wave.
*SMACK!*
*BOOM!*
The moment Zack's feet hit the ground, the court seemed to shake.
The ball, swatted clean out of bounds by Zack's massive paw, sparked a deafening roar from the crowd.
C.J. rushed over, shoving Zack in excitement. "Bro, do you realize what you just did? You *buried* the Demon Deacons' starting center!"
Even after the block, Zack felt like it was all a dream.
It wasn't until C.J.'s shove and the weight in his knees hit him that he snapped back to reality, muttering, "Wait… I can jump *that* high?"
To protect his knees during weight loss, Zack hadn't even tested his vertical.
But just now, reacting on instinct to block Ellis, he'd finally tasted the joy of being a big man!
"Is this what they call *tensei* (natural talent)?"
Staring at the lingering flab on his belly, Zack couldn't even imagine how *sugoi* (awesome) it'd feel once he shed all the weight!
…