American Football: King of the Bay Area

The Offense Line was paper-thin, like it was made of papier-mâché—utterly useless, just for show. With just a quick move to get in close and a spin, Von Miller broke through the line in less than a second. He rushed Lu Ke unopposed and completed the sack effortlessly. Lu Ke didn’t even have a chance to finish his dropback, let alone observe the positions of his receivers.

”Fuck!” Lu Ke scrambled to his feet and roared at the Offense Line before him. ”Is this an open bar? Anyone can just walk in and out? You’re giving it away easier than streetwalkers! This is the Rookie Training Camp! Show some damn ability! Now is the time! Stop waiting around!”

Even without Lu Ke’s tirade, the three players on the Offense Line were mortified. This was their job, and they hadn’t helped at all. Shame and anger boiled over. ”Get lost! Use your legs! Run, scramble!” Clint Boling yelled, his face red and the veins on his neck bulging. But after his outburst, he looked away in awkward embarrassment, standing rooted to the spot and fuming at himself.

Taking a deep breath, Lu Ke quickly calmed himself. ”Huddle up. We need to focus on second down.” As the quarterback, he had to stay rational and composed. He had to take control of the situation. ”We still have nine chances! If you don’t want to become a laughingstock, then don’t waste a single one!”

’I have to clear all the special missions from my mind for now. One down at a time. Focus, focus, focus!’

He looked up at the three offensive linemen. He didn’t know them, wasn’t familiar with them. He tried to trust them, but… it was hard with total strangers. ”Alright guys, this is your stage. Play at your own pace, trust your judgment, and let it all hang out!” ’Desperate times call for desperate measures.’ ”Listen up. Miller’s clearly their core. The other three defenders’ rhythm is off. We’ll run a simple screen pass, shift their defensive focus, and then I’ll complete the pass!”

The screen pass used the quarterback as bait, kiting the defensive players to draw them in. Then, the Offense Line would form a wall for the receiver, who would make the catch and break through. Quick, short, and designed to rip the defensive line apart—that was the core of the play.

After quickly calling the play, Lu Ke’s gaze fell on each of his temporary teammates. In a low voice, he said, ”Let the show begin!”

The seven players lined up again. Lu Ke’s mind was a placid lake. Once on the field, he blocked out all external factors and entered a state of pure focus. The opposing defense had no real tactical arrangement to speak of; their entire focus was on Von Miller. That was the thing about star players—they could make or break a team. If you could defeat that one key point, the entire defensive line would be torn open.

’He replayed the first down in his mind, recalling Von’s rush pattern and thinking about potential escape routes.’

”Hike!”

Lu Ke gave the command, and the center, Brandon, snapped the ball. Lu Ke instinctively reached out to take it, but… the snap was too high!

The exchange between the center and the quarterback is the most basic yet most critical link in the offense. Snapping and receiving the ball—two simple actions that require thousands of reps to perfect. The slightest deviation could lead to a fumble, effectively ending the down in complete failure.

This was only the second time Lu Ke and Brandon had ever worked together. Brandon’s snap was a bit high, hitting the space between Lu Ke’s wrists. Though Lu Ke reacted instantly and closed his hands to secure the ball, his grip was unsteady. The ball felt loose, and this forced Lu Ke to slow his dropback. His first priority wasn’t making the pass, but just getting the football under control!

’Dammit!’

Lu Ke adjusted his footing and gripped the ball tightly with both hands, barely managing to control it. Even so, he was scanning the field with his peripheral vision. The bad snap had completely ruined the screen pass. However, the three players on the Offense Line had finally woken up. Using twists and switches, they blocked Von Miller’s rush and stopped two other defenders. Only one defensive player managed to get free by taking a wide loop, and he was now charging straight for Lu Ke without slowing.

’If it hadn’t been for the bad snap…’

But Lu Ke’s mind was clear—no hesitation, no regret. In the time it took to secure the ball, Von had already broken through the line. Lu Ke had to admit, Von’s rush had the force of a tidal wave; with his raw power, he clearly had the upper hand. Then Lu Ke saw him, sprinting forward as fast as lightning.

Von and Watt were both outstanding defensive players, but Watt wasn’t as fast. Watt’s advantage in size and footwork gave his rush the imposing presence of a tiger descending a mountain. Von’s speed, however, was like a blade slicing through the wind, a sharp awl piercing the line to deliver the hit. Different styles, but a similar threat. Strictly speaking, Von was even a cut above!

Von was about to pounce, but there was still a sliver of space between them. In that split second, Lu Ke shouted in his mind, ”Absolute Step!” ’Special Skills. This is the perfect time to use a Special Skill!’

There was no delay. The instant the command formed in his mind, his feet and body were already in motion. If Duan Yu’s Ripple Step from *Eighteen Chapters of the Celestial Dragon* were real, then Lu Ke was experiencing it firsthand—

In the first second, his body became light and filled with power. He could feel an explosive force coiling in his muscles, like a cheetah, brimming with speed and strength. His feet began to move quickly, stepping with a methodical and special rhythm like a master dancer’s graceful moves. In a near-blur of motion, he sidestepped the defender who had initially broken free. With another sidestep, he evaded Von’s surefire tackle. But it still wasn’t over.

In the second second, Lu Ke’s footwork carried him swiftly past his own Offense Line and around two more charging defenders. In that moment, Lu Ke felt omnipotent, weaving with unhurried grace between the players, his body impossibly light. More importantly, as his feet danced and shifted, his Observation Field of View became incredibly wide and clear. He saw Logan. He saw Julio. He saw Jeremy.

With the original screen pass unexpectedly broken, the three receivers hadn’t been able to react to the change in the play. They were still running their designated routes. In those two short seconds, they had already run past the intended short-pass zone, entered the medium-pass area, and were now even pushing into the Long Pass Area.

Julio. Lu Ke’s eyes locked onto Julio’s position and the situation around him.

Julio was now at about the thirty-seven-yard line and still running. Not far away, Richard Sherman was waiting for him. He had his arms spread, his center of gravity low, and his eyes locked on Julio’s route, ready to break at any moment.

However, there was a gap between Julio and Richard—a five-yard window that Sherman could close in an instant. More importantly, Julio was a big-bodied receiver and had the physical advantage in the matchup. ’A perfect opportunity!’

In the third second, Lu Ke took a sharp step forward and whipped his arm around. A bullet pass cut through the air, so fast you could almost hear the WHOOSH as it flew. The sheer force propelled the football forward. The pass wasn’t aimed at Julio’s current position but to a spot directly in front of him, right on a path that would intersect with Sherman’s coverage. This immediately made Sherman believe he had a golden opportunity!

Sherman charged forward, attempting to either intercept the ball or break up the pass. But in the space of a single breath, Julio arrived. He threw a shoulder into Sherman as he stretched out his hands, forcibly snatching the ball from right in front of Sherman’s face. Julio secured the football just as he and Sherman collided violently. Thanks to his size advantage, Julio completely overpowered Sherman, and the two of them tumbled to the ground in a heap.

The Absolute Step skill went on cooldown.

Astonishment. All the coaches and scouts in attendance wore expressions of pure surprise. On that last down, faced with the crisis of a bad snap, Lu Ke had remained unflappable. Squeezed by the pass rush, he used his outstanding footwork to escape the pocket and find an opening. He spotted the opportunity and made a decisive, incisive pass, successfully delivering the ball to Julio in his matchup against Sherman.

Twenty-three yards. It was a twenty-three-yard long pass!

Once again, Lu Ke had completed a spectacular long pass while on the run. It was truly impressive, and the fact that he did it under continuous pressure from the defense made the throw all the more remarkable.

Risky. It had been incredibly risky. Lu Ke felt like his heart had been in his throat. That pass was a dance on a tightrope; it could just as easily have been an interception for Sherman as a completion for Julio. But Lu Ke’s gamble had paid off!

He had estimated Julio’s forward momentum and intentionally controlled his throw, trying to lead him by just the right amount. It wasn’t easy. After the ball left his hand, he had clenched his teeth, watching its flight with anxious eyes. He only let out a long sigh of relief when he saw Julio make the catch.

This was no time to celebrate, however. Lu Ke didn’t grow ecstatic; instead, he became even calmer and began shouting at his temporary teammates. ”Let’s go, quick, hurry up!” No-huddle offense. It was his specialty, and he was determined to put it on full display today.

’Absolute Step is truly incredible.’ The feeling from those three short seconds—that sense of being omnipotent and invincible—was still coursing through his veins. ’The problem is, I only have one use of the Special Skill left. I have to save it for when it counts.’

The seven offensive players quickly got into formation while the seven defensive players were still busy blaming each other. Seeing the offense already set, they cursed under their breath and scrambled back to their positions. But Lu Ke gave them no time to breathe, pressing his advantage.