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Ryu looked at the task that had suddenly appeared before him.
"This task came at just the right time."
Two hours of continuous training would earn 1000 cat food pellets.
It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.
With a goal in mind, Ryu felt motivated.
Ryu picked up a basketball and started practicing.
With Karupin's guidance, Ryu's form became quite professional.
The sound of basketballs hitting the court filled the air.
And so, he practiced alone on the court.
A cat lay dozing on a bench by the court.
Until the task completion notification reappeared before his eyes.
[Task Hint: Basic Basketball Training (Completed)]
[Task Reward: Two hours of continuous training, 1000 cat food pellets (Distributed)]
"Finally finished." Ryu panted, wiping away sweat.
He looked at the sky.
Unbeknownst to him, the sun was almost setting.
He could hardly believe his own focus.
After tidying up and gathering his things, Ryu took Karupin home.
After dinner…
A little tired, Ryu took a bath and went to his room to sleep.
Night.
Karupin silently entered Ryu's room.
Looking at the soundly sleeping Ryu, it leaped onto Ryu's bed.
It lay down on Ryu's chest.
It rose and fell with Ryu's breath.
A golden light emerged from Karupin's body.
Golden light enveloped both him and Ryu.
Ryu, fast asleep, frowned slightly.
He felt a sudden dizziness, then found himself in a pitch-black space.
Where was he?
Ryu curiously looked around.
Meow…
A meow caught Ryu's attention.
Looking towards the sound, Ryu saw countless golden particles suddenly appear before him.
The particles multiplied, eventually coalescing into the shape of a cat.
"Karupin?"
Seeing it was Karupin, Ryu was bewildered.
Am I dreaming?
But this is too real!
"Kid, this is the Dream Space, one of the abilities I've acquired."
"As long as you and I are within one meter of each other and both fall asleep at the same time, you will enter this Dream Space."
"Everything here is real, yet not real."
"Dream Space? What's that for?" Ryu asked, puzzled.
"You can treat this place as a training ground," Karupin replied.
"You can conjure up any opponent you want here, but the limitation is that it can only be related to basketball."
As soon as Karupin finished speaking, Ryu felt a blur before his eyes.
Then he found himself on a basketball court.
An orange basketball appeared out of thin air before him.
Ryu held the basketball in his hands, exclaiming in surprise.
"That's truly amazing. I never knew you had such an ability."
"But it's rest time now, why did you bring me here?"
Karupin asked.
"To train, of course. The way you trained today was simply unbearable to watch."
"Besides, training here, you won't feel the loss of stamina. Everything you learn and accumulate here will be integrated into your real body."
"And it won't affect your normal rest."
"That's amazing..." Ryu was completely shocked.
This is practically cheating!
"Then am I going to defy the heavens?"
Karupin rolled his eyes at Ryu.
"What are you thinking!"
"This place will only improve your ball handling skills, feel for the ball, and overall technique, as well as your experience playing against opponents."
"It won't improve your physical attributes at all."
That's already pretty good.
How much more could you ask for!
Ryu was bursting with excitement.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's start now!"
Okay.
Karupin nodded and prepared to leave, making room for Ryu to train.
Suddenly.
A message appeared before both Ryu and Karupin's eyes.
[Task Hint: Dream Space Basketball Training]
[Task Reward: 1 cat food per minute during training]
Both the human and the cat were stunned.
"There are tasks here too?"
"Only one cat food per minute? That's too little!"
Ryu complained.
Karupin, on the other hand, was delighted.
It didn't care about the amount of cat food.
As long as there was cat food, it was beneficial.
"Don't complain about the small amount, kid. This task doesn't seem like a one-time thing, it seems like it's long-term."
"That means you'll receive a fixed amount of cat food when you practice in the dream space."
Ryu said, stroking his chin.
"Now that you mention it, it seems that's true."
"In that case, what are we waiting for? Let's not waste any time."
With that, Ryu picked up a basketball and began training.