Ethan Brooks had been playing for a few minutes now, and he finally understood what the system meant by only being able to use eighty percent of Klay Thompson's abilities. It definitely didn’t mean his shooting was limited to eighty percent—his shooting was almost at a hundred percent. What he couldn’t fully utilize was the defense and off-ball movement that relied on Klay Thompson’s top-tier athleticism! Shooting was never going to be an issue; after all, that’s the most basic skill for a basketball player.

After high-fiving his teammates, who looked like they couldn’t bear to watch any longer, Ethan Brooks stepped up to the free-throw line again.

By now, many fans had already covered their eyes. They didn’t want to watch the rookie they’d just thought was a sharpshooter miss all three free throws.

Then, Ethan Brooks made his third free throw—nothing but net...

66 all!

At the start of the fourth quarter, the Hawks went on a 12-2 run, erasing the 10-point lead the Rockets had fought for over the first three quarters!

Seeing Ethan Brooks swish his third free throw, the crowd was stunned again, but in the end, they still applauded...

The Rockets called a timeout.

Ethan Brooks was thrilled, not just because he made the free throw—making the free throw was thanks to Klay Thompson’s ability, and he was self-aware enough to know that. What really excited him was the voice in his mind!

“Congratulations, host, on achieving your first 10-point game. The Superstar Lottery Template basketball player section is now unlocked, and your first draw is free.”

Superstar Lottery Template! That sounded way more impressive than the Rogue Lottery Template!

Just as Ethan Brooks was excitedly heading back to the bench, a group of team doctors surrounded him and dragged the bewildered Ethan Brooks into the locker room for a checkup...

Ethan Brooks almost let out a “Yamete!” What was going on? Miss a free throw and get kicked out? These guys were doctors—were they going to dissect him?

Chapter 8: First Lottery Draw!

Regular rewards: Score 10 points, reward 50 Superstar Points.

Win the game you participate in, reward 20 Superstar Points.

Achievement rewards: Win the season opener, gain 10 Rogue Points and 10 Superstar Points.

Make a miraculous three-pointer, gain 5 Superstar Points.

Make your first career three-pointer, gain 3 Superstar Points.

For hitting three consecutive threes against top star Steve Francis and earning the “Rising Star” title, gain 100 Rogue Points.

Make your NBA debut in an official game, gain 20 Superstar Points and 20 Rogue Points.

Lead your team to a comeback, gain 10 Superstar Points and 10 Rogue Points.

First made field goal...

So many firsts...

...

...

Ethan Brooks lay in his room, grinning from ear to ear as he watched the virtual panel—visible only to him—displaying the stream of rewards from his first game.

He didn’t mind at all that the team doctors had poked and prodded him for ages before finally letting him go home. After all, it was the coach’s good intention, worried he might be injured.

As for the house, of course it was rented!

Houses in America are cheap; lots of big mansions sit empty, some even sold off for a few thousand bucks, but most of the time, they just can’t be sold.

Of course, Atlanta’s real estate market is pretty good—it’s a famous city for the wealthy—but just like anywhere else in the US, after the 2007 subprime mortgage crisis, there were bankrupt homeowners everywhere desperate to get rid of their houses and sell them cheap.

First, most houses need to be renovated after purchase, and the ones that have already been renovated are ridiculously expensive.

Then there’s property tax. Some people go bankrupt and can’t even pay the property tax, so they just sell the house. For private residences, property tax can be as high as five percent of the house’s appraised value per year. If you can’t pay for a certain period, the bank might auction it off, and the price is unpredictable. It’s better to sell it cheap and get some money back. Only businesses like inns, hotels, or apartments pay income tax, which is state and federal tax.

And Ethan Brooks had just entered the NBA—he hadn’t even received his first two-week paycheck yet. Of course the house was rented, and it was the super cheap kind.

As for how to earn Rogue Points and Popularity Points, Ethan Brooks had figured it out: Rogue Points are mainly related to influence, while Superstar Points are only awarded for completing certain achievements. Both seem to be used for lottery draws.

Still, being a rookie is great! No matter what you do, there’s an achievement to unlock. Like making your first three-pointer, your first points—each comes with an achievement and a reward. But who knows when the next reward will come; after all, everyone only gets one “first time,” whether you’re a man or a woman.

For every point scored in the regular season, you get 5 Superstar Points; in the playoffs, it’s 10 Superstar Points per point. Winning a game you play in gets you 20 Superstar Points. These are the regular ways to earn Superstar Points. The rest depend on achievements or other methods Ethan Brooks hasn’t discovered yet.

Rogue Points: 227.

Superstar Points: 173.

Superstar Lottery Template free draw count: 1.

Looking at what he had, Ethan Brooks still felt a bit lost.

What the heck does all this mean!

Lottery draws—Ethan Brooks understood that. He figured he could get things similar to player cards. But why are there two things: the Rogue Lottery Template and the Superstar Lottery Template?