Chapter Five: The Twelve-Free-Throw Trap

He stood by himself. On his first possession back, Chen drove and lofted the ball. Han saw it rise above the rim and saw a defender charging from behind. He did not close his eyes. Both legs fired. His huge body truly left the floor for the first time. He caught the ball at its peak and smashed it through contact. His left knee bent securely on landing. There was no tearing sound, only the violent shake of the rim. Han hung there and released a roar that had waited two years. [Han Zheng has broken through his core obstacle: jumping through contact and landing safely.] [Ember Points +40.] [First stage of physical restoration complete. Ability unlocked—Live Calibration. The host may identify one trainable mechanical deviation during a game.]