The Draw

"Three people? Even if I'd just taught Akashi a lesson and shown off in front of Aomine, that only made two..." Looking at the system's notification, Ken Kaneki turned it over and over in his mind, but he couldn't figure out how the task to guide others could already be nearly halfway complete.

"Whatever. It is what it is. I'll train for now, then go home tonight and do my draws." Ken Kaneki stopped dwelling on it and threw himself back into training.

Before he knew it, the day's training was winding down. Ken Kaneki packed up and headed home with Daiki Aomine and the others.

"Hey, hey, Ken-chan, you were amazing today!" Satsuki Momoi was unusually talkative. "That gray-haired guy couldn't fight back at all against Kaneki-kun!"

"Haha, was I?" Ken Kaneki replied with a faint smile. "Maybe I just train harder. I heard that guy was a delinquent before he joined the Basketball Club. How much time could he have spent on basketball?"

"You can't say that, Ken-chan," Atsushi Murasakibara mumbled around his ice pop. "That gray-haired guy is definitely stronger than an average person, but even if he trained hard, he'd still only be a good player. He can't compare to you at all."

"Don't underestimate what hard work can do, Murasakibara." Ken Kaneki patted Atsushi Murasakibara on the shoulder. "And if you ask me, you should train harder, too. You've got so much talent, but you're always lazing around. One of these days, someone's going to make you eat your words."

"Yeah, Murasakibara. Ken-chan's right," Satsuki Momoi added.

"Hey, Satsuki, you're acting kind of strange today." Daiki Aomine looked suspiciously between Ken Kaneki and Satsuki Momoi. "You never used to call Kaneki that."

"I do not... Mind your own business. You're so annoying, A-Dai." Satsuki Momoi's cheeks flushed as she complained to Daiki Aomine, as if he'd just exposed her secret.

"I don't mind Momoi calling me that, Aomine," Ken Kaneki said with a laugh, smoothing things over. "We've been friends for a long time, after all. Momoi calls you A-Dai, too, doesn't she?"

"Ummm, what you said makes some sense, but something still feels off..." Daiki Aomine wanted to say more, but couldn't figure out what.

"Oh, stop talking, A-Dai! The more you try to explain, the worse it gets. You're going to make Ken-chan—make Kaneki-kun uncomfortable." Luckily, the night hid Satsuki Momoi's face, which had turned red all the way to her ears.

With the night growing late, the laughing, chatting group went their separate ways.

"I'm home!" Though Ken Kaneki knew no one was there, he still called out as he entered. After putting down his bag, he lit two sticks of incense before his parents' memorial tablets. "Father, Mother, please bless me from heaven and let me get something good!"

"All right, time for my draws!" Ken Kaneki reverently bathed and changed, praying that the ancient Greek god in charge of lottery draws would look kindly on his sincerity and filial devotion.

The familiar system interface, the familiar wheel, the familiar prize pool.

"I'll try a B-class draw first, just to test the waters!" Ken Kaneki didn't want to waste his chances, so he proceeded cautiously.

A flash of light—and another unremarkable 2 million yen...

"Not bad. It's more money than last time. Luck's on my side!" Ken Kaneki was now fully in gambler mode. "Three A-class draws!"

"Congratulations, Host, on completing your first triple draw! You have received one random Badge Blind Box! Congratulations, Host, you have obtained the skill Dual Blade Style! Congratulations, Host, you have obtained the Gold-class badge Speedster! Congratulations, Host, you have obtained the Gold-class badge Black Mamba!"

"Skill: Dual Blade Style. Skill type: Body. Skill Trait: Mirror Image. Skill level: A. Skill effect: Upon obtaining this skill, the Host's left and right hands gain mirror-like balance. Any movement performed by the dominant hand can be perfectly replicated by the other hand!"

"Badge: Speedster. Badge type: Body. Badge Trait: Super Speed. Badge level: Gold-class (can grow, maximum level: Hall of Fame). Badge effect: When equipped, the Host gains a 10% boost to breakthrough speed."

"Badge: Black Mamba. Badge type: Skill. Badge Trait: Accuracy. Badge level: Gold-class (can grow, maximum level: Hall of Fame). Badge effect: When equipped, after the Host makes three shots, starting with the fourth shot, each shot gains a 10% bonus to its success rate. The bonus applies for five consecutive shots. Note: The bonus doubles when facing a double-team of three or more players."

"I made a killing!" Ken Kaneki's eyes were practically shining like camera flashes. "The first skill's a little situational, but balancing both hands will make my offense on the court much harder to defend. That's not bad. And those two evolvable badges are practically like getting two S-class draws for free!"

Ken Kaneki excitedly picked up his glass and took a sip of water. "While my luck's still holding, I'd better open the blind box!"

Ding~ When the opening animation ended, a purple badge appeared before Ken Kaneki.

"Congratulations, Host, you have obtained the Hall of Fame-class badge Immense Strength."

"Badge: Immense Strength. Badge type: Body. Badge Trait: Immense Strength. Badge level: Hall of Fame. Badge effect: When equipped, the Host gains a 20% boost to strength when dunking, blocking, or boxing out."

If there were such a thing as a combat-stat panel, Ken Kaneki would definitely be the legendary all-rounder. The legendary Zone let players draw out 100% of their potential, when they could normally only use 80%. A player's strength increased exponentially upon entering the Zone, yet tonight's draws had already made a shallow version of the Zone part of Ken Kaneki's everyday state.

"From today on, I'm a guy who can land critical hits with a basic attack. I owe it all to my own hard work." Ken Kaneki sighed. "System, draw!"

At Ken Kaneki's command, the S-class prize wheel began to spin with a rattling whir. His heart raced faster with every turn. At last, a ding rang out, and the final two prizes were revealed.

"Congratulations, Host, you have obtained the S-class skill Zone! Congratulations, Host, you have obtained the S-class skill Air Walk!"

"Skill: Zone. Skill type: Concept. Skill Trait: Overpowered. Skill level: SS (can grow to SSS-class). Skill effect: Upon obtaining this skill, the Host's stamina consumption rate increases by 100%, all physical attributes except durability increase by 50%, and shot accuracy increases by 50%, making the Host the most overpowered player on the court!"

"Skill: Air Walk. Skill type: Technique. Skill Trait: Divine Technique. Skill level: S. Skill effect: God of Basketball's signature skill. Upon obtaining this skill, the Host's jumping ability increases by 20%. When facing a defender in midair, flexibility increases by 20%, coordination increases by 20%, and shot accuracy increases by 10%."

"Now that's interesting..." Ken Kaneki stroked his chin, deep in thought. "If I enter the Zone first and then use Air Walk, wouldn't that make me invincible?"

No one could have known that this wild, outlandish idea of Ken Kaneki's would one day create the most iconic play in basketball history. Not even Ken Kaneki himself. Right now, all he could think about was the upcoming national tournament.

Note: This is a bonus to the success rate, not a boost to a specific percentage. For example, if the base success rate is 50%, a 50% bonus means 50% × 1.5 = 75%.