Chapter 6 – The Edge of Possibility

Ethan's hands still tingled from the shot. The weight of the basketball had felt natural, his fingers guiding it into the air without hesitation. It wasn't luck. It wasn't a fluke. It was skill—genuine, embedded skill, as if he had spent years perfecting his form.

And yet, he hadn't.

He had watched for only a few minutes, and now he could play like someone who had trained for years.

His heart pounded in his chest.

This power wasn't just a gimmick. It was real.

"You wanna run a game?" one of the players asked, tossing the ball back to Ethan.

A test.

Ethan's gut reaction was to decline—he wasn't an athlete, never had been—but something in him stirred. A challenge. A chance to see just how far this ability went.

"Sure," he said, gripping the ball with confidence he had never felt before.

The players quickly divided into teams. Ethan found himself paired with a lanky teenager and an older guy in a hoodie. Their opponents included the player he had copied from—the real basketball player.

"You any good?" the hoodie guy asked as Ethan moved into position.

Ethan hesitated for only a moment before replying, "Yeah."

It was the truth now.

The game started fast. His opponent dribbled past their defense, faking a drive before kicking the ball to his teammate, who took a quick shot.

Swish.

Ethan's body tensed. His eyes followed the movement, every motion analyzing itself in his head—how they moved, how they shifted their weight, how they reacted. The System was learning.

When his team got possession, Ethan took the ball and dribbled forward.

His hands moved instinctively. He didn't fumble, didn't struggle. It felt natural.

A defender came at him fast, arms raised, feet shifting into position.

Ethan didn't think. He reacted.

His body moved on its own, his legs pushing off the pavement as he spun past the defender with perfect footwork. It was effortless.

Gasps echoed from the sideline.

He wasn't just playing. He was playing better than he ever should have been able to.

A rush of adrenaline shot through him.

He drove toward the hoop, lifted the ball—his form aligning automatically—and released it.

Swish.

The ball fell through the net, smooth as silk.

His team whooped in celebration. The guy in the hoodie clapped him on the back. "Damn, man! You move like a pro!"

Ethan exhaled sharply, his heart hammering in his chest. This is insane.

And yet, he wanted more.

The game lasted another twenty minutes, each play reinforcing Ethan's new reality. He could adapt, move, and act at a level far beyond what he should have been capable of.

But as the final shot was made, something strange happened.

A sharp jolt ran through his skull.

Ethan winced, pressing a hand to his temple. It was like static in his brain.

Then—

[WARNING: MENTAL FATIGUE DETECTED.]

His vision blurred for a second.

[EXCESSIVE SKILL USAGE MAY CAUSE TEMPORARY STRAIN. RECOMMENDED: REST PERIOD.]

Ethan's breath hitched. He blinked rapidly, shaking his head. There's a limit.

The realization sent a chill down his spine. He had been so focused on what the System could do, he hadn't considered the cost.

"Yo, you okay?" the player he had copied from asked, frowning at him.

Ethan forced a smile. "Yeah, just a little dizzy. I think I'm done for now."

The guy nodded. "You've got skills, man. You should play more often."

Ethan chuckled. If only he knew.

As he left the court, Ethan's mind was spinning.

He had pushed his ability further than ever before. And it worked.

But it had also drained him.

There were limits. That much was clear. But where did those limits end? Could he expand them?

He needed answers.

And there was only one way to get them.

Night had fallen by the time Ethan reached his small, one-bedroom apartment. It wasn't much—cramped, cluttered, with peeling wallpaper and an old couch that served as both a seat and, on bad days, his bed.

But right now, he didn't care about any of that.

He sat down at his desk, fingers tapping anxiously on the surface.

"System," he muttered.

[ACKNOWLEDGED.]

He inhaled sharply. He had questions.

"What happens if I copy too many skills?"

[MENTAL STRAIN INCREASES WITH CONTINUOUS USAGE. EXTREME OVERLOAD MAY CAUSE BLACKOUTS OR MEMORY LAPSES.]

Ethan frowned. That… didn't sound good. "So I can't just copy unlimited skills?"

[SKILL REPLICATION CAPACITY EXPANDS OVER TIME. TRAINING INCREASES EFFICIENCY.]

His pulse quickened. So there was a way to improve it.

"What's the fastest way to get stronger?"

[SKILLS GAIN EXPERIENCE THROUGH USAGE. HIGHER EXPOSURE TO MASTER-LEVEL TECHNIQUES YIELDS GREATER RESULTS.]

His fingers tightened against the desk. I need better skills.

If he could only grow by learning from the best, then he had to find the best.

And that meant stepping out of his comfort zone.

Ethan's eyes drifted to his phone. There were places where masters of different skills gathered—boxing gyms, chess clubs, hacker spaces, even underground fight rings.

If he wanted to push his ability to the edge, he needed to go where real talent existed.

And so, he made his choice.

Tomorrow, he was going hunting for skills that could change everything.

End of Chapter 6