Chapter 42

Slowly opening his eyes, Chen Mu found himself in the familiar white light world.

Looking around, everything was a vast expanse of white, like being in the clouds. Although he could still feel the solid ground beneath his feet, Chen Mu felt as if his body had become lighter, and he could jump higher than usual.

"Insight Eye, what kind of training camp will it be...?"

Relying on his previous memory, Chen Mu took a step forward and soon saw the familiar notification panel. After a series of selections, Chen Mu chose to activate the virtual training camp "Insight Eye" and selected the highest difficulty—Hell Level.

"Hell Level, though the pain and difficulty are extremely high, to improve, if I can't even endure this much, how can I become the best basketball player?"

Chen Mu encouraged himself. After completing all the selections, a tall building slowly rose in the distance. Approaching it, he saw the towering gate and the familiar sound of dribbling. This time, Chen Mu felt no unease or fear, only boundless anticipation and curiosity. He pushed the door open and walked in.

This time, the door opened to reveal a bright full-court basketball court.

"Hmm, the treatment has improved this time, giving me a full court~"

Chen Mu smiled slightly and stepped in. He saw a black athlete, taller than himself, dribbling the ball.

"So tall...??"

Chen Mu was taken aback. From the name "Insight Eye," he initially guessed that the training camp would focus on passing. Generally, guards have better passing skills than forwards. However, the person in front of him had a physique that looked like a power forward, with a height of over two meters and a robust build, much larger than Chen Mu.

"Over two meters tall, a strong build, but playing as a guard... Could it be...?!"

Chen Mu took a deep breath and walked forward. Upon closer inspection, his suspicions were confirmed.

"Magic Johnson!"

Wearing the classic Lakers retro training uniform, standing at 6 feet 8 inches with an impressive wingspan, Magic Johnson, despite his height, became the greatest point guard in history through his signature one-handed dribbling and his masterful, deceptive passing.

In front of Chen Mu, the virtual image of Magic Johnson was as vivid and lifelike as the previous image of Jordan, seemingly within reach.

Compared to the overwhelming dominance of Jordan, Magic Johnson's presence was more unique. Although also a historical superstar, and even considered by many commentators as potentially on par with Jordan if he had maintained his health and drive, Magic Johnson gave a different impression from the god-like figure of basketball.

Walking beside Magic Johnson, watching him continuously dribble, pass, and perform classic moves familiar from game footage, Chen Mu couldn't help but marvel at the superstar's team-oriented aura.

Historical superstars, though their rankings are often debated, generally have a consistent list of top candidates. Besides the undisputed number one, Michael Jordan, the top ten historical superstars include the three great centers (Russell, Chamberlain, Abdul-Jabbar), the Magic-Bird duo (Magic Johnson and Larry Bird), Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Hakeem Olajuwon. Among current players, LeBron James is also a top ten superstar.

These eleven people at the pinnacle of the pyramid, though their rankings may vary, generally remain within the top ten.

If one observes closely, it's clear that Magic Johnson is a unique case among them. Team-oriented players like Russell and Duncan, though individually outstanding, are most renowned for their exceptional defensive skills. Of course, Duncan's offense is also notable, but it's not as standout in the top ten.

Magic Johnson, also a team player, has always been criticized for his defense. Due to his height, he had issues defending smaller, quicker guards. During the Lakers' Showtime era, it was often the shooting guard who defended the opposing point guard, while Magic Johnson acted as a roving defender, grabbing rebounds and initiating fast breaks.

Additionally, in terms of offensive ability, Magic Johnson had many impressive scoring performances, but overall, he wasn't considered an explosive scorer.

So, what exactly made Magic Johnson enter the pantheon of basketball?

Watching Magic Johnson pass up close, Chen Mu seemed to glimpse the answer.

"Challenger: Chen Mu"

"Training Program: Insight Eye"

"Difficulty: Hell Level"

"Challenge Begins"

Familiar text appeared in the air. This time, Chen Mu was not as flustered as before. He shook his head in resignation and paid attention to his surroundings.

"This damn system never gives specific instructions on the first attempt; it only reveals them after I fail. What a lousy system~"

With his previous experience, Chen Mu moved cautiously around the court. To his surprise, this time, there was no invisible resistance. He could move freely to any corner of the court.

"Beep," "Beep," "Beep"

As Chen Mu tested the court, a series of beeps sounded in his ears. Looking up, he saw a virtual figure rapidly moving forward, one hand gesturing towards him, seemingly asking for the ball.

"Sure enough, it's passing!"

Chen Mu nodded slightly. Following the direction of the wind, he caught a basketball flying through the air and, with a single-handed flick, passed it to the figure.

The basketball, under Chen Mu's poor passing technique, moved awkwardly and erratically, far exceeding the speed of the running figure, quickly passing by it.

The running virtual figure then disappeared.

"Damn, it's really hard!"

Even before choosing Hell Level, Chen Mu had prepared himself, but he didn't expect the task to be this difficult. The virtual figure that appeared moved quickly, not in a straight line, and its speed varied due to changes in stride. The position of its hand moved up and down with its running motion, making it very difficult to aim.

Chen Mu's passing skills were already poor, with a system rating of only 15, worse than his mid-range shooting.

On the court, every time Chen Mu grabbed a rebound and tried to initiate a fast break, he would often pass the ball too far, making it difficult for his teammates to catch.

"If I could pass like Webber, the team could score many more points through Allen Iverson's fast breaks. Unfortunately, my hands are just not up to the task."

Turning to look at Magic Johnson nearby, Chen Mu watched in amazement, his mouth slowly opening wide and not closing.

"Swish," "Swish," "Swish"

Magic Johnson continuously caught the basketball. Various virtual figures appeared beside him, with different heights and builds.

These virtual figures moved at different speeds, some fast, some slow, and some varying in speed. Each figure's feet left the ground at different heights, and their hand movements varied.

Moreover, none of the figures ran in a straight line; they often deviated and sometimes even reversed direction. From their running directions, it was easy to predict what actions they would take after receiving the ball—whether they would attack the basket, stop suddenly, jump shoot, or dunk.

Some figures even started from the opposite half-court, sprinting towards the basket, taking a step and leaping high, waiting for Magic Johnson to pass for an alley-oop.

Magic Johnson, like a master in a shooting game, used his hands as precise snipers, passing with one hand, two hands, bounce passes, and high arcs, occasionally making spectacular full-court passes that left the audience in awe.

Each of these passes was flawlessly delivered to the virtual figures, and with each "beep," the figures performed their subsequent basket attacks.

The basketballs either smoothly entered the hoop or were powerfully dunked, and the figures then disappeared. At the moment of their disappearance, a small number appeared at their location.

"+2," "+3," "+2"

After observing for a while, Chen Mu understood that these numbers represented the points scored by the virtual figures after receiving Magic Johnson's assists.

On the scoreboard, the number next to Magic Johnson's name kept increasing, while Chen Mu's name still had a big zero.

"It seems this time, the goal is to compare the total points scored by teammates after assists...!"

Chen Mu fully understood the task. Taking a deep breath, he began to try passing to the virtual figures.

When the virtual figures received passes from both players, they would choose the most precise and timely pass to catch and then attack the basket. Based on his previous Hell Level experience, Chen Mu deduced that the goal this time was to reach 60% of Magic Johnson's score.

"In other words, I have to compete with Magic Johnson in continuous full-court passing and assists?"

Chen Mu felt a bit nervous but also incredibly excited. He smiled and said to himself, "Come on, Magic Johnson, I'm not afraid of you...!"