Chapter 53: The tyrant

Although the opponent was in a bad state, Aizen obviously couldn't help with his collapse. It was better to retreat first to avoid media attention. Aizen returned to the locker room with his team. Everyone was in high spirits. The thrill of reclaiming a lead was an incredible feeling.

Dahe said excitedly, "It was great! You didn't see the look on the defender's face in the fourth quarter."

"Yeah, it was awesome," Shota added. "But didn´t we play too aggressively? I saw the guy defending Aizen crying."

"Well, our captain is too strong," someone else chimed in.

Everyone laughed and joked in the locker room before washing up and changing clothes quickly. They knew the coach would treat them to a celebratory meal.

...

The next day, Aizen went to school as usual. There was no game today. After school, he headed to the gym. The basketball hall was already buzzing with activity, and everyone seemed more enthusiastic than usual. As soon as Aizen entered, Da he ran toward him excitedly with a newspaper in hand.

"Aizen, look at how the media is reporting on you. They actually called you a tyrant!" Dahe handed the newspaper to Aizen.

Aizen looked at it carefully and was stunned. A large photo showed him comforting his opponent after the game. The tear marks on the opponent's face were clearly visible, making it look like Aizen was bullying a child. Above the photo, bold letters read, "Surprise! The tyrant is back, trampling the opponent!"

Aizen couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from twitching. The media was ruthless in their pursuit of attention. When had he ever ravaged his opponents? He played seriously and never targeted anyone. Aizen had left the court quickly the previous day, hoping to avoid this kind of publicity, but it seemed inevitable.

Now it looked like his title of "tyrant" was set in stone. His violent playing style, often overpowering defenders, made him an easy target for such a nickname. However, Aizen didn't entirely reject it. He took a deep breath, put down the newspaper, and began gathering everyone for practice.

...

Time passed quickly. Since Jianguang returned to the court, nearly a month had gone by. The outside world never stopped reporting on Aizen, and as he had initially thought, they crowned him with the title "tyrant." But it wasn't just the media's fault. Aizen's performance was increasingly outrageous. His growth in just one month was staggering—he had grown to a height of 201 cm.

This tall frame, combined with a violent playing style, made Aizen unstoppable on the court. The world was amazed by his fast growth, dubbing him a natural basketball prodigy. But Aizen knew it was thanks to his [Evolution Potion], which had fully taken effect. Despite his height, his speed, coordination, and other dynamic talents remained unaffected and even more exaggerated.

...

In the gymnasium, Aizen led the Jianguang team in their last elimination match before the national competition. The atmosphere was electric, with the seats nearly full. Aizen's continuous high-intensity performance had made him a fan favorite. Under the eyes of fans, reporters, scouts, and others, Aizen, standing at 201 cm, ran with the ball, showing no sign of awkwardness in his movements. His powerful presence commanded attention with every step.

As he charged toward the basket, the defender beside him saw Aizen about to break into the restricted area and score. The defender, unwilling to sit back and watch, gritted his teeth and reached out to poke the ball, even if it meant fouling. But Aizen had already seen through his intentions. Instead of avoiding the foul, he used his left hand to guard the ball and drew the foul. He took two steps, sped up, and then jumped high. Like an eagle, Aizen stretched his body fully in the air, slamming the basketball into the basket with force.

"Bang!!" The huge dunk sound echoed throughout the stadium, stirring the intense emotions of the audience.

The spectators, knowing the pattern from previous games, anticipated the next phase. They were excited and eager for what was to come.

As expected, the next scene didn't disappoint. When Aizen dragged the whole team into the [Same Frequency] state, they entered a phase of domination. The opponent had no power to resist and could only endure the onslaught. The scene was indeed a bit cruel, but Aizen needed to cherish every game to improve his proficiency in [Same Frequency]. His efforts paid off as he became more adept at controlling the rhythm of [Same Frequency], dragging his teammates into this state faster than before.

"Beep!!" The game was over! The score was 223:50. It was another extremely exaggerated total, but Aizen and the audience were getting used to it. Since the tyrant's return, he had led the team to score over 200 points in almost every game.

At the moment the game ended, Aizen heard the system's prompt in his mind.

[The mission has been completed. Do you want to receive the rewards?]

Aizen didn't hesitate, "Yes"

[Ding! Successfully fulfilled the promise and led the team to the national competition!]

[Reward: Leadership]

[Passive ability: Improve personal charm, calmness, and the weight of words.]

[Active ability: By yelling, the overall ability of teammates can be improved by 5%, and physical consumption is increased. Uses: once per game.]

Almost immediately, Aizen felt a wonderful change within himself. Although he couldn't pinpoint exactly what was special, he felt more confident and calm.