Chapter 2: Awakening of the Predator
The morning sun streamed through the paper windows, painting the tatami mats in warm gold. Hayato Kurogane—once Leonardo Cruz—stretched his limbs, still feeling the residual weight of memories that weren't entirely his. Every muscle tingled as if it remembered a lifetime of basketball he hadn't yet lived in this body. The sensation was intoxicating, the potential overwhelming.
His mind flickered back to the system. The translucent blue interface hovered just beyond his sight, waiting patiently. A soft chime announced the next phase of awakening.
> [Primal Ascension System — Host: Hayato Kurogane] Faction: Predator Path Wildness: Siberian Tiger (Dormant → Active) Attribute Points Available: 10
Hayato blinked. The screen listed several attributes and talents he could claim. Speed, strength, stamina, reflex, coordination, court vision, mental toughness. Each with a numeric point value.
He hesitated, thinking back to the streets of the Philippines. His life there had honed his agility, his instincts, his ability to outthink larger opponents. Every stolen ball, every impossible crossover, every shot taken under scorching sun was a fragment of skill. This was his chance to crystallize those fragments.
> [Select Attributes to Allocate]
Hayato's fingers trembled slightly as he moved the cursor. He could feel the Siberian Tiger's presence in his chest, dormant but pulsing with a steady rhythm, reminding him that domination wasn't about flashy tricks. It was about precision, control, and striking when the moment was inevitable.
He selected attributes carefully:
Speed +3 — for lightning bursts across the court. Reflex +3 — for instinctual reactions and counter moves. Coordination +2 — for fluid motion and ball control. Stamina +2 — to sustain effort throughout a game.
A confirmation chime echoed. His vision sharpened. The air felt denser. His body subtly shifted, muscles aligning as if they were newly tuned instruments. Every step he took on the tatami mat felt weightless yet anchored. A power quietly hummed beneath his skin.
> [Attribute Synchronization Complete]
Hayato could feel it: his senses were heightened. The creak of the wooden floorboards outside his room, the whisper of wind through the sliding doors, the faint hum of cicadas—it all felt like a symphony he could step through.
Another chime sounded, deeper this time, almost resonating inside his chest.
> [Wildness Status: Siberian Tiger — Partial Activation] Effect: Presence Suppression (Minor) Effect: Predator Awareness — Nearby targets' weaknesses sensed subconsciously
Hayato's heart raced. The tiger's presence was no longer dormant; it had begun whispering. Not in words, but in instincts. He could sense potential threats, openings, movements that hadn't even happened yet. He placed a hand over his chest, feeling the pulse of the beast.
> "This… is different from anything I've ever felt," he muttered.
The system offered the first Talent Selection.
> Available Talents:
Burst Acceleration: Explosive bursts in short sprints
Mid-Air Adjustment: Perfect shot correction mid-jump
Predator's Calm: Mental clarity under extreme pressure
First-Step Overdrive: Lightning-fast initial movement
Hayato paused. The streets of Manila had taught him one thing: control beats chaos. Raw power without direction is wasted energy. He selected:
Predator's Calm
Immediately, a wave of clarity swept over him. Thoughts that were previously scattered became razor-sharp. He could visualize plays, anticipate movement, and calculate outcomes before his opponents even moved. The Siberian Tiger purred subtly in his chest, approving of his choice.
After hours of orientation, he ventured outside. The neighborhood was quiet; only a few birds chirped and a soft breeze brushed the bamboo trees. He took a deep breath, testing his new abilities. A stray basketball rolled towards him. Reflexively, he caught it mid-bounce, spinning it flawlessly across his fingertips. Every motion was smooth, deliberate, precise. The Tiger's influence wasn't about speed alone; it was about inevitability.
> [Mini-Objective Complete: Attribute Familiarization] Reward: Attribute Point +1
Hayato smiled. One step closer to mastery.
Later, he arrived at the Shohoku gym for a preliminary visit. The smell of old wood, worn leather, and chalk dust greeted him like an old friend. He spotted students practicing layups, free throws, and defensive slides. Observing them, he realized how differently he saw the court now. Every player had openings, weaknesses, tendencies. The system whispered probabilities and predicted reactions in a ghostly overlay only he could perceive.
> [Observation Mode: Active]
A tall redhead stumbled on a layup, grumbling. A quiet, sharp-eyed boy effortlessly sank a three-pointer but ignored the defense. A towering figure barked instructions, commanding attention without raising his voice.
Hayato cataloged them all. Each one was a piece on the chessboard, and he—the predator—was just beginning to assess territory.
> [High-Value Target Detected]
Hayato's pulse quickened. Competition. The system's promise. The Tiger stirred within, tail lashing in anticipation. Not yet. Not too early. Patience. That was the lesson of the Siberian Tiger. The moment he struck, no one would escape unscathed.
Evening fell. Hayato returned to his room, reflecting on the day. He practiced moves alone, jumping, pivoting, dribbling. Every motion synchronized with the Tiger's instinctual guidance. He imagined scenarios: stealing the ball from a taller opponent, evading a fast break, sinking a buzzer-beater with unerring precision. Each thought was measured, calculated, perfect in theory.
> [System Notification] Mini-Boss Assessment Pending: Shohoku Gym – Rookie Trial Initiation
Hayato's eyes glimmered. Rookie trial. The perfect opportunity to test not just attributes and talents, but the very essence of the Predator Path.
He lay down, eyes wide, mind racing, body humming with newfound energy. The Tiger's presence was steady now, like a heartbeat in his chest. Sleep did not beckon him; not yet. Training, observation, calculation—these were his companions.
And tomorrow, the hunt would begin.
> [Objective Updated] Short-Term Goal: Surpass the Shohoku Rookies Medium-Term Goal: Establish Dominance Within Team Long-Term Goal: Apex Predator of Kanagawa High Basketball
As the night deepened, Hayato drifted into a light slumber, one eye half-open, dreaming of courts both foreign and familiar. The city outside was quiet, but in his mind, the Predator was already moving, already watching, already calculating. The hunt had begun, and there would be no mercy for those who underestimated him.
Somewhere deep inside, the Siberian Tiger yawned and stretched, ready for its first real taste of competition.