100: Soul resonance! Flames flying towards the airport!

[Hint: The 'Generation of Miracles' skill has a higher-level form—'ZONE'.]

[Unlock condition: Complete a 'Deep Intimate Connection' with the corresponding 'first night achievement' target while both the host and the target are in a state of 'Soul Resonance'.]

These two lines of emotionless text were like a real bolt of lightning.

In Lin Feng's pitch-black spiritual world, shrouded in despair and self-doubt, it forcibly split open a blinding light.

His entire being froze in place.

His body, squatting on the cold floor, remained in that posture, motionless.

But his brain began to operate frantically at an unprecedented speed.

Charm Value decrease... because of the collapse of self-confidence... ZONE... higher-level form... Soul Resonance?

Deep Intimate Connection?

He took these unfamiliar words and, in his mind, disassembled and chewed over them word by word, over and over again.

He had always thought that his relationship with Yoona had already reached its peak.

He saved her.

He protected her.

When she was most helpless and in need of help, he provided her with a harbor to shelter from the wind and rain.

He treated her as his most precious treasure, carefully cradling her in his palms and protecting her, not letting her suffer even a bit of harm or criticism from the outside world.

He thought this was love.

He thought this was the "intimacy" the system required.

But now, at this very moment.

He understood.

He was wrong.

Completely wrong, outrageously wrong!

That wasn't the "Soul Resonance" the system spoke of at all!

What was it?

It was just a one-sided giving, an unequal protection.

He looked down from above, treating her like a princess who needed to be saved.

He personally built a safe, warm, and perfect glass cover for her, and then went alone to face the wind and rain of the outside world by himself.

He had never thought about letting her see his pathetic state after being beaten to despair by the Spurs.

He had never told her how much guilt and self-blame he felt in his heart when Kobe fell.

Nor had he ever truly put himself in her shoes to understand how much fear and anxiety she felt as a girl in a foreign land caught in this storm of public opinion sweeping through Hollywood.

He just took it for granted that she should trust him unconditionally.

She should quietly be that perfect goddess who didn't eat the food of mortals within the glass cover he had built.

That's exactly where the problem was!

This wasn't resonance at all!

What is true resonance?

It's two strings being able to vibrate together at the exact same frequency!

It's when he stands at the peak enjoying the cheers of the whole crowd, she can sincerely share his joy, rather than just being a beautiful decoration.

It's when he falls to the bottom and is pointed at by thousands, she can truly feel his pain and then stand firmly by his side, instead of choosing to flee in fear!

It's when she is attacked by rumors and feels afraid and helpless, he can truly empathize with her fear, instead of just lightly saying, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

He had been wrong all along.

What he needed was never a fragile porcelain doll protected behind him.

What he truly needed was a comrade-in-arms who could fight side by side with him!

A woman who, whether he was in the clouds or the mire, was willing to stand with him and bear all the glory and pressure together!

This is "Soul Resonance"!

This is the only key to higher-level power!

Having figured this out, all the mist in Lin Feng's mind instantly dissipated.

The guilt about Kobe that had been weighing him down so much he could hardly breathe.

The sense of helplessness regarding the system that had plunged him into endless self-doubt.

At this moment, they were all completely washed away by an even more burning, more primitive desire!

He craved victory!

He craved to completely crush the Spurs' damn system in the most unreasonable way!

He craved even more to establish that kind of true connection deep within the soul with Yoona, one that could not be destroyed by any external words!

The emotions of despair were swept away.

Replacing them was a scalding flame that rushed from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head!

He suddenly raised his head, his gaze frantically searching the empty and dark training hall.

On the wall, the red electronic clock showed the current time.

4:07 AM.

His hands trembling slightly, he fished out the forgotten phone from his pocket.

The screen was still on the interface of the call that had just ended with Jeff Austin.

Without the slightest hesitation, he opened the browser and his fingers quickly typed in a few keywords.

Los Angeles International Airport.

Flights to Seoul.

On the screen, dense flight information popped up.

His eyes, like a precise scanner, quickly swept over the information.

Got it!

Korean Air, KE018.

Departure time: 7:00 AM sharp.

Departure airport: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Seven o'clock!

Lin Feng glanced at the time in the top right corner of his phone.

4:10.

Driving from here to LAX, if there's no traffic, takes about forty minutes.

It's early morning now; there won't be any cars on the road.

There's still time!

This thought was like a shot of adrenaline, stabbing hard into his heart!

His body, which just moments ago was lifeless and lacked even the strength to lift an arm, seemed to be injected with endless power at this moment.

He leaped up from the cold floor!

The entire movement was full of explosive power, making him look like a completely different person from the slumped figure of a few minutes ago.

The raging flames were rekindled in his eyes.

In those flames were the craving for victory, the regret for his mistakes, and even more, the unquestionable determination to chase back that only bit of warmth.

He didn't even go to change out of the training uniform that was already soaked with sweat.

He turned, strode out, and sprinted toward the door of the training hall.

The heavy sound of footsteps echoed in the empty arena, like the prelude to the beating of war drums.

He rushed out of the training hall and into the cool early morning air.

In the parking lot, the black sports car was crouching quietly in the night.

He pressed the key.

"Beep beep!"

The headlights lit up like the eyes of a beast opening in the dark night.

He pulled open the car door, jumped into the driver's seat, inserted the key into the ignition, and gave it a hard twist.

"Vroom—Roar!"

The engine let out a roar like a sleeping lion being awakened, the massive sound wave piercing the final silence before dawn.

The sports car, like a black arrow released from a bow, instantly rushed out of the parking lot and merged into the empty city roads of Los Angeles.

Lin Feng gripped the steering wheel tightly and floored the accelerator.

He looked at the endlessly extending road illuminated by the headlights ahead.

Lin Feng knew that what he was going to chase back was not just a woman, but his only hope of reversing the series and even his entire career!