Chapter 20: The Flying Pig 

Some people, some moments, even ten thousand years later, still hit you with a pang of regret when you think back. 

Charles Barkley, the great underdog, the NBA's tragic hero. 

Sure, in the years after retiring, Barkley thought he'd buried that gut-wrenching pain, that nauseating resentment. But the truth? No matter how many years pass, whenever someone mentions his career, Barkley grips his thigh, sinking into a private torment of endless regret. 

"I sleep just fine at night knowing what I achieved in basketball," Barkley once said, reflecting on his career shortly after hanging up his sneakers. 

To the world, retired Barkley tried to paint himself as a guy who didn't measure heroism by wins and losses. 

But in competitive sports, if you really don't judge by success, why would Barkley, in his prime, boldly declare, "You can sub me out when I'm dead"? 

That burning konjou—the drive to win—is what keeps a pro athlete pushing forward. 

In TNT's studio, during a Christmas Special segment about the "Duke Principal," Barkley didn't hesitate. "This kid's like me," he said, no question. 

His co-host, Kenny Smith, jumped in. "How so?" 

With his trademark humor, Barkley rattled off the similarities between him and Zack. 

Like Zack's thick, powerful arms, just like his own. 

Like Zack's broad, bear-like frame that screams reliability, just like his. 

And like Zack's ability to soar through the air despite carrying serious weight, just like he did. 

"But his backside doesn't look as, uh, generous as yours was back in the day," Smith jabbed. 

Barkley fired back, "He's still growing! He's got plenty of potential there." 

"I heard he's been slimming down, trying to get his weight to a more reasonable range," Smith pointed out. 

Barkley shrugged it off. "When I was playing, I was 'losing weight' every year." 

Then Barkley got into Zack's game. 

"As a power forward, he can drive with the ball, use his physicality to bully his way to the rim, and open things up for his team. His range stretches out to the three-point line. Taller guys can't keep up with him, and shorter guys can't match his strength. His skills need polish, but I already see shades of me in him." 

Smith thought for a moment. "Charles, you didn't mention his defense. Is it because he's got more defensive talent than you did?" 

Barkley pulled off a perfect shrug-hand-wave-head-shake combo. "The student surpasses the master. I'm not like some people, getting jealous of the young guns. I like this kid. If he ends up outdoing me one day, I'll just tip my hat to him." 

Truth is, more than all those skills, what Barkley admired most was Zack's never-say-die heart. 

Having battled his own weight more than once, Barkley knew that without konjou, Zack never could've shed dozens of kilos in just months, as his profile claimed. 

The pain of that grind? Only those who've been through it get it. 

Nobody admires someone for no reason. 

In college hoops, plenty of prospects have hotter draft stock than Zack. 

But compared to other prodigies, it was Zack's story that struck a chord with Barkley. 

Years later, still wrestling with weight management after retirement, Barkley would joke on The Conan O'Brien Show, "The secret to losing weight? Spit out the good stuff." 

Yup, even long after retiring, Charles Barkley remained a guy who refused to quit. 

Back in the studio, maybe sensing Barkley wasn't joking around, Smith dropped his usual banter and got serious. "Charles, do you really think this kid could be your heir?" 

Barkley was honest. "I don't know." 

But after a pause, he added, "I just feel it. His game, his build—he's like Charles Barkley II." 

… 

December rolled around, and after grinding nearly a month of ball-handling drills, Zack finally hit his Christmas break. With his 20th birthday—exactly nine days before LeBron James's (Note 1)—he'd planned to celebrate both his birthday and Christmas together. 

But on Christmas Day, as he was about to cut his cake, Zack froze, hit by a sudden jolt. 

It wasn't because he'd caught TNT's Christmas Special, where he'd been crowned Barkley's heir apparent. 

Nope. 

It was because: 

"Legendary Quest [The Dream That Never Fades] has been triggered. The host may choose to accept or decline this quest. 

[The Dream That Never Fades]: Reflecting on the past, Charles Barkley still carries regrets from his career. But your emergence has shown him another possibility. 

Accept this quest, and the host must publicly identify as 'Charles Barkley's successor' in all future public appearances. 

Note: Upon accepting, the [Peak] System's activation condition will change to the host successfully reducing their weight to 125 kg or below. 

However, upon activating the [Peak] System, the host will still receive the original rewards, including the 12 attribute boosts, unaffected by the new condition. 

[The Dream That Never Fades] Completion Requirements: During college, the host must raise the following attributes to: Strength 85, Agility 70, Vertical 75, Dribbling 70, Finishing 80, Post Moves 75, Mid-Range 75, Three-Point 70, Vision 65, Passing 65. 

Quest Reward: [Flying Pig] Badge. 

[Flying Pig]: This badge grants the host exceptional knee durability and partially mitigates the negative effects of body weight on related physical attributes. 

Additionally, upon completing this quest, the system will unlock the [Charles Barkley's Legacy] quest series, offering generous rewards and the chance to upgrade certain badges to Hall of Fame potential. 

In his dorm, Zack set down the cake knife and took a moment to steady himself, diving deep into the quest that had just popped into his head. 

He had no clue why his existence gave Barkley a glimpse of "another possibility." 

But after carefully reading the quest details and requirements, Zack had to admit—he was tempted. 

The [Flying Pig] badge was straight-up game-changing in his eyes. 

Everyone knows NBA players agonize over whether to bulk up. The big question? Can their knees handle the extra weight, and will it tank their other attributes? 

In the NBA, some thrive after bulking up, while others crash and burn. 

Point is, gaining weight always comes with trade-offs. 

But if Zack took this quest, he'd have the tools to soar at a heavier weight. 

And the system didn't say he had to bulk up to reap the badge's benefits. 

So, in a way, this badge could also shield him from unnecessary injuries by boosting his knee durability. 

"What's so hard about calling myself Barkley's successor?" Zack thought. "And why do I need a supermodel's figure to play ball? I'm not trying to debut as a pop star." 

After checking himself out in the mirror—his chiseled face pairing perfectly with his jacked frame—Zack, fully aware of how massive this badge's boost could be, started forming a plan. 

One more thing caught his eye in the quest details. 

The [Peak] System's badges came with potential tiers. 

In simple terms, if Zack didn't have the natural ceiling for a badge, he could only level it up so far before hitting a wall. 

To him, that felt fair and logical. 

But that day, no matter how hard he racked his brain, Zack couldn't figure out why this quest had triggered out of nowhere. 

And he had no idea that Barkley's public endorsement on TNT's Christmas Special was about to send his path to fame into overdrive. 

… 

Note 1: In the story, Zack's birthday is set as December 21, exactly nine days before LeBron James's, as noted in the character card below the synopsis.