Chapter 25

"Completed career task: Completed a ten-day short contract."

"Activated virtual training camp: Fear Chamber."

"……?!"

Seeing the notification bar that appeared before him, Chen Mu was taken aback, completely at a loss.

"Virtual training camp? Fear Chamber? What does this mean??"

The first notification was easy to understand; it meant that he had just received a call from Corangelo, who clearly stated that they would not renew the contract. With no other games for the Suns during the current contract period, Chen Mu's first ten-day short contract had ended.

In the system that Chen Mu had, it seemed that this short contract was also treated as a task mode, so upon completing the task, Chen Mu received a reward.

However, he was unsure what this reward meant.

"Virtual training camp... Does this mean that in a virtual space similar to the SP point exchange space, a virtual training camp will be opened for me?"

Chen Mu pondered the meaning of the notification, muttering to himself, "But what does Fear Chamber mean? If I'm not mistaken, this should be a classic Nike advertisement...!"

Chen Mu vaguely remembered that the Fear Chamber series of Nike advertisements was tailor-made for LeBron James.

In that advertisement, James used his superb ball skills to face off against various top players, enduring hardships on the path to self-improvement, and ultimately achieving extraordinary basketball skills.

"Could it be that I'm going to get a basketball game with levels to clear...??"

Chen Mu was at a loss, scratching his head in deep thought when Su Yin's voice suddenly sounded from behind him.

"Brother Mu, what's wrong? Why did you suddenly run out of the store and not come back in after taking the call??"

Su Yin circled around to face Chen Mu, blinking her big eyes, "Could it be a call from the team? Is there something important? Are they offering you a contract renewal??"

Su Yin's questions came in rapid succession, leaving Chen Mu unable to respond. After some thought, Chen Mu decided to tell the truth, "Yes, it was a call from the team manager, but unfortunately, they decided not to renew my contract."

"Ah...?!!"

Su Yin was stunned, her eyes freezing for a moment before she came to her senses and asked anxiously, "Then... will you leave Phoenix??"

"I don't know," Chen Mu replied with a bitter smile, shaking his head. "I don't know where I'll go. I need to discuss it with my agent before making a decision."

"This..."

The sudden departure of a newly acquainted friend was hard for Su Yin to accept. She stammered for a long time, unable to say a word.

After standing awkwardly for a while, Su Yin finally spoke, "Brother Mu, no matter where you end up, my dad and I will support you...!"

"Don't give up hope. If there's no opportunity with the Suns, there are still over twenty other teams waiting for you! You must work hard; I believe you can make a name for yourself in the NBA!"

"Thank you, Su Yin."

Su Yin's words warmed Chen Mu's heart, and he wished he could embrace the sweet girl in front of him. However, Mr. Su was watching them curiously from inside the store, and Chen Mu couldn't muster the courage.

"Su Yin, I have some things to do, so..."

Before Chen Mu could finish, Su Yin nodded obediently, "I understand, Brother Mu. Go ahead and take care of your business."

As they said their goodbyes and Chen Mu turned to leave, Su Yin called out again, "Brother Mu, remember to reply to my messages and stay in touch...!"

"...Okay!"

Chen Mu turned back, nodded slightly at the innocent girl, and then waved his hand, pretending to leave the electronics store with a casual air.

"Su Yin, I will become a superstar. One day, I will be a max contract player, and when I come back to Phoenix for an away game... I will definitely come to see you!"

Chen Mu made a silent vow in his heart, then ran back to his residence without looking back, his mind gradually occupied by another matter.

"Bang"

Panting, Chen Mu returned to his residence, closed the door, and looked around, pulling the curtains shut to ensure no one could see inside. He then sat down by the bed.

He called Daffy and briefly explained the situation. On the other end of the line, Daffy was furious, cursing the Suns' management for being brainless. Although Chen Mu knew it was just for show, Daffy's outburst actually helped lift his spirits.

"Chen, don't leave yet, wait in Phoenix!" Daffy shouted on the phone. "I'll keep looking for a team for you. I don't believe that with your impressive stats, no team will be interested!"

After loudly telling Chen Mu to wait for his news, Daffy hung up.

"Phew..."

After completing all this, Chen Mu took a deep breath, knowing he now had a rare period of undisturbed time. He turned off his phone and set the doorbell to "Do Not Disturb." Chen Mu sat in front of the bed, taking deep breaths to gradually adjust his body to its best state, then reached out and tapped the air.

"Ding"

A magical sound rang out, and the notification bar that only Chen Mu could see instantly enlarged, displaying a more detailed list.

"Virtual Training Camp..."

The list provided a rough description of the virtual training camp.

The virtual training camp was a wondrous space within the SP system, accessible only to players with the system.

In this space, the player's mind and body would be transmitted, but they would not feel hunger or thirst.

The principle was described as complex, involving finding a gap at the intersection of time and space, sending the person into it. Although the mind could perceive the passage of time, the body would feel fatigue and muscle memory, the external world would remain unchanged.

Chen Mu didn't dwell on the principle but continued reading.

"The virtual training camp will open at irregular intervals based on the player's completion of specific career tasks. Each specific task will unlock a different training camp mode, which the player must explore autonomously."

"Hmm..."

After reading this introduction, Chen Mu nodded slightly, seeming to understand. He muttered to himself, "So, the 'Fear Chamber' is one of the training camp modes...!"

At the bottom of the list, there was an "Enter Training Camp" button, currently active. Chen Mu took a deep breath, prepared himself, and tapped the button.

"Whirr...!"

A beam of white light enveloped him, similar to entering the exchange space. Chen Mu felt a sudden dizziness as his body was thrown into a twisted tunnel, his mind and body being torn apart.

"Thud"

Shortly after, Chen Mu landed on the ground, opening his eyes to find himself in the wondrous white light space.

"Phew"

Looking around, the surroundings were bathed in white light. Not far away, a massive metal door rose from the ground, exuding a sense of ritual.

Chen Mu walked to the door and examined it closely. The door was dark in color, cold to the touch, and seemed to be made of copper or iron. It had two panels that met in the middle.

Looking up, Chen Mu, standing at over two meters tall, felt small under the towering door, which was as high as the doors of European cathedrals, creating a sense of awe.

Apart from some circular metal protrusions, there were no decorations, patterns, or text on the door, but standing there, Chen Mu knew he had found the right place.

"Bang, bang, bang, bang"

Chen Mu could already hear the unique sound of a basketball being dribbled on the floor.

"Fear Chamber... I'm here!"

"Rumble...!"

Chen Mu used both hands to push the door open slowly.

"Bang, bang, bang... bang!"

As the door opened, the sound of dribbling grew louder, seemingly just a few meters away.

However, what appeared before Chen Mu was not a familiar basketball court but a relatively small room.

In the center of the room, a stone slab was placed at a 45-degree angle, supported by a base, resembling a route sign at a tourist attraction.

"Rumble...!"

Behind Chen Mu, the door closed automatically, and the room darkened. Then, a beam of white light focused from the ceiling, shining directly on the stone slab.

"Welcome to the Fear Chamber."

On the stone slab, these words were carved. Chen Mu reached out to touch them, and the text changed, rapidly evolving into several lines.

"Choose the type of chamber:"

Below this line, other text clearly served as options. Chen Mu quickly scanned them, and their content was not hard to guess.

"Deadly Accuracy, probably for three-point shooting. Every Inch, likely for positioning and rebounding. Unstoppable, probably for one-on-one training."

There were dozens of such items, each highly targeted, seemingly designed to train a specific skill.

"What do I need the most right now...?"

Chen Mu studied the names of the chambers, analyzing himself:

"My body is too weak, so back-to-the-basket moves won't be efficient. For dribbling, there are too many elements involved—ball handling, fakes, and finishing at the rim—making it hard to improve in a short time. Hook shots and long-range shooting are too difficult, and even with intense practice, it's hard to see significant improvement."

"Is there any skill that can be used independently, without relying on other skills, and can be applied at any time...?"

After some thought, Chen Mu quickly determined his goal.

"Mid-range shooting, and specifically catch-and-shoot! If I can develop my mid-range shooting, my presence on the court will increase more than tenfold...!"

Chen Mu extended his right hand and tapped the stone slab, muttering, "Deadly Accuracy, I choose you...!"

"Whirr"

The text on the stone slab changed again.

"Choose the difficulty level."

"Since I'm here, I have to train with a fighting spirit...!" Chen Mu encouraged himself, "Hell mode... I can definitely get through it!"

"Rumble...!"

With Chen Mu's choice, a stone door opened. As the door opened, the previously faint dribbling sound grew louder.

Chen Mu stepped through the stone door and saw a half-court basketball court in front of him. The surroundings were not brightly lit but illuminated by a few spotlights.

"Bang, bang, bang, bang"

In the center of the court, a figure was dribbling. Upon closer inspection, the figure's movements seemed very familiar.

"Step... exhale!"

The figure stopped, leaned back, jumped, and shot, hitting the mark.

The series of movements was fluid and beautiful. As the shot was taken, the figure moved into a spotlight, and although facing away from Chen Mu, it was enough to make him take a step back, almost gasping for breath.

"Bang, bang, bang"

The figure, continuously dribbling and shooting, wore a classic black training jersey. Near the collar, a single-handed ball-dribbling action was depicted, exuding beauty.

On the back of the jersey, elegant letters were embroidered.

"J, O, R, D, A, N"

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This week, "All-Round Rebound Freak" is on the category strong recommendation list. I hope all the readers can show their power by giving recommendation votes, adding to the collection, and leaving rewards! When I checked, it was ranked around 30th on the new book list for signed authors. Who says sports novels are dead? Who says basketball novels are not read? Who says sports readers are not supportive??

Let's work together to show the entire site the power of sports readers and give a strong push with recommendation votes! Sports have no limits, and basketball never fades! Mobile users can visit http://m.piaotia.net

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