Chapter 127: Venomous Snake’s Animal Instinct
At that moment, Dicky Anthony’s face twisted into a feral snarl. A jade-green glow spread around his body, and behind him, the vivid silhouette of a venomous snake slowly took shape, lifelike and menacing.
“So it’s Animal Instinct… interesting.”
Nash Gold watched Dicky Anthony with curiosity, murmuring to himself.
Zack, seated courtside, couldn’t help but speak as he watched the game unfold.
“A venomous snake’s Animal Instinct… looks like Nijimura’s next attack is going to be rough.”
On the court.
Shuzo Nijimura stared at Dicky Anthony, clearly sensing the dangerous aura radiating from him.
Dicky Anthony looked almost possessed, muttering nonstop,
“Are you kidding me… are you kidding me…!”
Shuzo Nijimura even wondered if Dicky Anthony had lost his mind. In the brief moment he was distracted, Dicky Anthony suddenly closed in on him, just like a venomous snake striking.
Seeing this, Shuzo Nijimura immediately went into a between-the-legs dribble.
Then he exploded forward, accelerating like a streak of black lightning and instantly breaking past Dicky Anthony.
“He got past him!”
The crowd cried out in surprise.
Zack shook his head slightly and muttered to himself,
“A venomous snake… isn’t that easy to get past…”
On the court.
After breaking through Dicky Anthony, Shuzo Nijimura was just about to gather the ball when a dangerous presence surged from behind him.
He quickly shifted the ball from his right hand to his left, his offensive motion coming to a sudden halt.
In the next instant, Dicky Anthony appeared right in front of him, sticking close the moment he showed himself.
Shuzo Nijimura tried to dribble through with speed, but every time he made a move, Dicky Anthony immediately recovered, clamping down again and constantly swiping at the ball.
Shuzo Nijimura attempted straight-line drives, yet Dicky Anthony was somehow able to keep harassing him from behind with nonstop steal attempts.
As a result, Shuzo Nijimura’s dribbling rhythm was completely thrown off.
Miyamoto Tokima frowned, his expression growing heavy.
Even though Shuzo Nijimura had entered the Zone, the Zone didn’t mean invincibility—it only pushed a player’s abilities to their absolute limit.
When facing an opponent who far outclassed him, the Zone wasn’t always effective.
Just like the current matchup between Shuzo Nijimura and Dicky Anthony. In his normal state alone, Dicky Anthony already overwhelmed Shuzo Nijimura in nearly every aspect.
After entering the Zone, Shuzo Nijimura could rely on speed to break through Dicky Anthony on offense.
But defensively, he still had no way to effectively stop Dicky Anthony’s [Venomous Fang].
The gap in physical talent was simply too large.
Originally, a Zone-activated Shuzo Nijimura against a normal-state Dicky Anthony should have meant neither could truly stop the other, both forced to rely on whether the opponent missed their shots.
But now, the situation had changed.
Dicky Anthony had activated his Animal Instinct—and not just any Animal Instinct, but the notoriously difficult Venomous Snake Instinct.
This completely patched up his defensive weaknesses, even strengthening them instead.
As a result, the advantage Shuzo Nijimura gained from the Zone vanished entirely.
Things unfolded exactly as Miyamoto Tokima had feared.
Under Dicky Anthony’s snake-like defense, Shuzo Nijimura’s shot clanged off the rim.
After the miss, Kit Barry and Hausberg simultaneously boxed out Jason Silver, making it extremely difficult for him to move.
Dicky Anthony’s eyes locked onto the ball like a venomous snake. He leapt high and secured the rebound.
The moment he came down with it, Dicky Anthony charged hard toward the frontcourt.
But compared to a Zone-activated Shuzo Nijimura, his speed was still lacking.
Shuzo Nijimura caught up in an instant and assumed a defensive stance.
Dicky Anthony’s face twisted even further as he muttered under his breath,
“Toying with me… a venomous snake is not something you toy with!!!”
Suddenly, the venomous snake behind Dicky Anthony stirred.
Its emerald-green eyes snapped open, and its forked tongue flicked out.
The moment the tongue appeared, the snake straightened its body, taking on an attacking posture. Its jaws opened wide, revealing two sharp, gleaming fangs.
The instant those fangs were bared, Dicky Anthony moved.
From beyond the three-point line, he rose high into the air, his body straightening like a snake rearing up.
Both hands, like venomous fangs, released the basketball.
[Venomous Fang]!
Shuzo Nijimura jumped with all his strength, trying to stop the shot, but the difference in height and wingspan was too great. His fingertips still fell just short of the ball.
All he could do was watch as it dropped through the hoop.
Swish!
The three-pointer counted.
After the ball went in, Dicky Anthony continued muttering,
“Not allowed… to be toyed with…”
Behind him, the venomous snake slowly lowered its upright body. Its mouth closed, but its tongue continued to flick in and out.
Its body settled into a defensive stance, emerald eyes locked tightly onto Shuzo Nijimura.
Shuzo Nijimura felt a chill run through him—but it lasted only an instant before disappearing.
He muttered helplessly,
“What a terrifying guy… monstrous physical talent, a troublesome Animal Instinct, and even… a ‘stable’ mental state?”
It wasn’t strange for him to think that way. Dicky Anthony’s current condition looked downright insane.
He kept talking to himself, his eyes fixed solely on Shuzo Nijimura, barely sparing even a glance for his teammates.
Nash Gold noticed this as well. It was the first time he had ever seen someone enter this kind of state after activating Animal Instinct.
Turning to Titus Monroe, Nash Gold spoke up.
“Hey, kid. What’s going on with your captain?”
Titus Monroe gritted his teeth and shot back,
“Why should I tell you?”
Nash Gold froze for a moment, then suddenly laughed.
“You’re pretty interesting.”
Titus Monroe turned his head away, refusing to look at him.
“I’m not telling you.”
“Ten dollars.”
“Our captain’s Animal Instinct has a flaw.”
Nash Gold smiled in satisfaction.
“Go on.”
Titus Monroe stared seriously at Dicky Anthony’s figure and continued,
“Our captain’s Animal Instinct is the venomous snake. His state after activating it is different from everyone else’s.”
“When others activate Animal Instinct, they can still control their body, thoughts, and actions—in other words, they can restrain their instinct.”
“But our captain is different. His Animal Instinct makes him lose his rationality. In his mind, there’s only his opponent.”
“That means once he activates it, he’ll fight that opponent to the very end. There’s no one else in his head—not even his teammates.”
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