Starter Pack?

*Sound Effects*

**Language**

'Thoughts'

"Dialogue"

(Point of View)

[System]

[Would you like to open the Starter Pack?] I read once more, my curiosity piqued. I wiped my eyes and looked again, still seeing the same message.

"What the hell?..." I muttered, my mind racing with confusion and disbelief.

[Yes/No?] the prompt urged me to make a choice.

"Okay, I've either been drugged or I'm dreaming," I whispered to myself, my heart pounding. I pinched my arm to confirm my wakefulness.

"Ouch," I winced. "Guess I'm not asleep."

I furrowed my brow, wondering how to respond. There were no buttons or controls in sight. I tentatively tapped the message on the screen, and suddenly, the display changed.

Before me, I now saw a purple pack with a basketball icon on the inside. (Image)

"Hmm, how do I open this?" I pondered aloud, but my words yielded no results.

I tried tapping the pack, but it remained unresponsive. "Open?" I said quietly, still nothing happened.

In a moment of sheer curiosity, I reached out to touch the illusory package, and to my amazement, I felt my hand grab it. I pulled it out of the window, and there it was, glowing in my hand.

With a sense of anticipation, I ripped the pack open to reveal what appeared to be trading cards.

The first card bore the label "item" at the top and displayed a pair of plain black Nike joggers.

The second card also featured an "item," this time a Nets jersey worn by Jason Kidd, marked with the number 5.

The third card, distinct from the others, carried the label "boost." What caught my attention was the prominent "3x" symbol emblazoned on it, accompanied by a brief description that read:

[Can be used once. Once activated, for 3 games, the amount of currency received will be tripled]

"What currency?" I wondered, perplexed by the unfamiliar concept.

I moved on to the next card was labeled "consumable", which depicted an image of an orange Gatorade bottle. The description read:

[Recovery Drink: Can be consumed to regain half stamina once]

"This is surreal," I thought, shaking my head as I approached the final card.

It featured an image of Kobe Bryant, and unlike the others, this one had no description underneath. I turned it over and found a striking image of a black snake against a purple background. 

(Image)

The description read:

[Kobe Bryant developed the Black Mamba alter-ego in 2003 to separate his on and off-court lives. The Mamba Mentality played a crucial role in his journey to becoming one of the greatest basketball players of all time. It wasn't just about scoring points or winning championships; it was about the relentless pursuit of excellence in every aspect of his life.

The Mamba Mentality was characterized by a few key principles. First, Kobe believed in the importance of hard work and preparation. He famously arrived at the gym hours before his teammates and stayed long after practice ended. He understood that success was not accidental; it was the result of countless hours of practice and refining his skills.

Second, Kobe had an unwavering self-belief. He never doubted his abilities, even in the face of adversity or criticism. This self-confidence allowed him to take on any challenge with a fearless attitude.

Third, he emphasized the importance of resilience. Kobe faced numerous setbacks and injuries throughout his career, but he never let them define him. He always found a way to bounce back stronger than before.

Lastly, the Mamba Mentality was about embracing competition and pushing oneself to the limits. Kobe welcomed competition because it brought out the best in him. He wanted to face the toughest opponents and relished the pressure moments in games.

These principles, among others, made up the core of the Mamba Mentality, and they can serve as a source of inspiration for anyone striving to achieve greatness in their own life, whether it's in basketball or any other endeavor.]

Underneath the lengthy description, there was additional text in golden lettering.

[Mythic - Mamba Mentality (Passive): 

*Possesses exceptional endurance, requiring only 4 hours of sleep to feel completely rested. During sleep, injuries heal at an accelerated rate, approximately 10 times faster, allowing for a quicker recovery.

*Maintains unwavering composure on the basketball court, regardless of the situation. Can stay focused and composed during high-pressure moments, including taking free throws. Possesses the ability to silence the distractions of the crowd, enhancing concentration and accuracy.

*Develop an irresistible urge to engage in 1v1 matchups, during which currency gains will be multiplied by 15x.

*Mastery over pain perception, with the capability to completely turn off pain receptors. This unique skill allows for peak performance even when dealing with discomfort or injuries, enabling the player to push through physical challenges without distraction.]

"Holy shit," I exclaimed loudly. I didn't know what to do with the cards, however, after much trial and error I was able to place them back in the screen that had an image of the cards that I just pulled in it.

I tried to make the screen go away, however nothing worked. I tried doing some hand signals and eventually when I swiped right with my hand the screen disappeared. 

I decided it was time to get some sleep, feeling utterly exhausted from the bizarre events of the previous night.

The next morning, I woke up at my usual time, but a lingering sense of disappointment hung over me. I couldn't shake the feeling that it had all been a hallucination. Reflecting on it, none of it made any logical sense—from the incredibly detailed cards to the sensation of touching them.

As I lay there pondering, I recalled reaching out with my hand toward the ceiling last night. Almost instinctively, I reached out again, and to my amazement, the purple screen reappeared right before me.

My heart raced with excitement, and I couldn't contain my astonishment. I decided to experiment further and attempted to interact with the cards. To my delight, I could draw them out of the screen, just as I had done last night.

However, when I clicked on the Kobe Bryant card, a new set of options appeared.

"Integrate?" I read aloud, feeling a mix of curiosity and apprehension. Unable to resist, I clicked on it, and another window immediately prompted me.

The screen displayed a message:

[This Mythic card can be fully integrated once, but future integrations will require completing special quests to unlock all the features. Do you wish to proceed?]

Without a moment's hesitation, I clicked "Yes."

Suddenly, a wave of tranquility washed over me, and while I could recognize the emotions I should have been feeling, I felt oddly detached from them. I quickly closed the window and headed to the bathroom, my curiosity piqued. In the mirror, I gazed at my own reflection, struck by the unusual sense of calm that had enveloped me. It was a stark departure from my usual demeanor.

Recalling the descriptions on the cards, I decided to test something. I pinched my arm once more, registering the sensation of the pinch but experiencing no accompanying pain.

'HOLY SHIT!' I couldn't help but exclaim mentally but my body didn't flinch at all from the excitement.

I began to look more at the system and explore. I noticed at the top some tabs, some had a '???' symbol and were greyed out so I couldn't select them. The only ones that were available was the 'Card Deck' which was what I currently had selected, the other was options where I could select and alter the color of the screen along with the font, however I kept it as is since I liked purple.

The tab to the left of 'Card Deck' was 'Status'. I clicked on it to see:

[Finishing: 73] (+)

[Shooting: 72] (+)

[Playmaking: 76] (+)

[Defense: 63] (+)

[Physical: 63] (+)

[Overall: 69]

[Status: Normal]

'Damn' I thought, 'There's no way I'm that bad right?' Glancing at the plus sign beside each of them, I tapped it and watched as it expanded even more.

[Finishing: 73] (-)

 [Close-Range Shot: 72]

 [Driving Layup: 74]

 [Driving Dunk: - ]

[Shooting: 72] (-)

 [Mid-Range Shot: 72]

 [Three-Point Shot: 68]

 [Free Throw: 75]

[Playmaking: 76] (-)

 [Pass Accuracy: 80]

 [Ball Handle: 74]

 [Speed with Ball: 73]

[Defense: 63] (-)

 [Interior Defense: 60]

 [Perimeter Defense: 65]

 [Steal: 78]

 [Block: -]

 [Offensive Rebound: -]

 [Defensive Rebound: 50]

[Physical: 63] (-)

 [Speed: 75]

 [Acceleration: 54]

 [Strength: 42]

 [Vertical: 75]

 [Stamina: 71]

[Overall: 69]

[Status: Normal]

My best guess was that these stats were relative to the average NBA player. Considering that only around 500 players were currently playing in the NBA, it made sense that the standards were set so high. I assumed that the '-' next to some of the stats indicated they were not applicable, which made sense as I couldn't currently dunk despite my high vertical due to my height. With a sigh, I tapped the '(-)' symbol to close the expanded view before turning my attention to the other tab.

The last tab that was available said 'Packs' I looked at it and I saw a load of different packs that featured tons of different players from current to retired players. The one sticking out the most was an Image of Michael Jordan jumping from the free throw for a dunk.

I looked at my currency which was on the bottom left and it read '0' next to the gold symbol. Looking back at the Michael Jordan pack I saw 50,000 gold. I didn't know how to get gold yet, but I knew for sure that it wasn't going to be easy. Out of curiosity I selected the pack for more information.

'Ah, so all packs have 5 cards, the first 4 being items, consumables, and boosts which were rarer, however, the last card was the player card' I put together. I tried to find more information and saw a question mark near the bottom of the pack and it stated the rarities:

Common (Gray): 40%

Uncommon (Green): 30%

Rare (Blue): 20%

Epic (Purple): 10%

Legendary (Red): 0.1% 

Mythic (Black): 0.001%

???

"Great," I thought, my enthusiasm waning as I glanced at the abysmal rarities listed at the bottom of the screen. I didn't know what the last one was, but I knew it was something inconceivable considering I got something this amazing that was already a mythic.

Looking back at my other cards, I noticed that all the rest were common's and only the skill I received was a higher rarity.

It also stated that the rarity only went up to a certain rarity depending on the player. For instance, a role player wouldn't have a legendary or mythic card, however, it would make their pack cheaper to purchase. What intrigued me the most was the Jordan seemed to be the only person to have a '???' rank on his.

I closed the system and decided to head to the local park, which had become my second home, before making my way to the AAU gym to practice my shots. I needed to be ready whenever they called me to prove myself.

Arriving at the empty court, I plugged in my headphones and began my routine. Shot after shot, I expected fatigue to set in, but it never came. There was no ache in my legs despite the relentless practice.

"This is like a cheat code," I thought, realizing the significance of being able to block out pain. That alone, even without the other boons, would be a game-changer.

Glancing at my phone, I realized I had been out for much longer than I thought. I headed back home for breakfast, where I found my mom just finishing up in the kitchen.

"Thanks, Mama," I said with a lack of emotion, and immediately regretted it. 'Oops,' I thought.

Concerned, she turned around and asked, "Are you okay, Javi?"

"Yeah, Mom, I'm okay," I replied quickly, trying to force a smile and raise my voice in excitement, but it felt strangely difficult.

'I didn't see that coming,' I thought. Worry crept in as I considered the possibility of losing my ability to express myself and becoming like a robot. I made a mental promise to practice using the skill so that I could still joke around and be myself.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter! As stated, Javi will be overpowered, however, it will take some time. Additionally I hinted at additional features down the road, expect one of them which will be important to pop up soon!

Also I want to clarify something with the Mamba Mentality. The main character is going to harness it to not affect his game stats, however, he will still exhibit his personality like before. It may bring out some competitiveness that he already had, however it's not going to erase his personality and nerves unless he chooses for it to.