Soccer System: All the Skills, One Player!

Sitting on his bed, Lucas opened the system panel. The familiar windows projected before his eyes. His attributes and skills glowed in an organized interface at first, but it was the inventory icon that held his attention now.

"Five mysterious cards, huh? Time to see what you've got for me."

With one touch, he selected the first card. Immediately, a floating, shiny card appeared in front of him. The card seemed to be made of a material that oscillated between the physical and the immaterial, just like the windows, glowing with a soft gray radiance. They were normal skill cards.

In the center of the card, there was a button with [Reveal] written on it.

Lucas extended his right index finger, hesitated for a moment, and finally clicked the button. The card revealed itself with a faint sound. A bluish light emerged from inside the card, and a floating message appeared in front of Lucas:

[Congratulations! You have got the Common Skill: Silent Steps].

[Silent Steps: Allows you to move with extreme discretion, significantly reducing the sound of your footsteps and improving your ability to infiltrate and approach. Perfect for situations that require subtlety].

"Interesting... maybe I can use this to move around the field better without being noticed by opponents," he thought aloud.

Lucas moved on to the second card. When he opened it, the message that appeared was less impressive:

[Congratulations! You have got the Common Skill: Posture Adjuster].

He raised an eyebrow and sighed, but clicked on the information icon anyway:

[Posture Adjuster: Improves your body awareness and posture, reducing the risk of injury and optimizing your movements.]

"Not bad for avoiding injury, but it's still not something that screams 'soccer skill'. Let's see what else I can do..." He'd gone so long without opening cards like this that he'd forgotten that some of them were disappointing.

[Congratulations, you've got the Common Skill: Spatial Control.]

Lucas's heart raced at the name of the third card, and he quickly clicked on the information icon:

[Spatial Control: Significantly increases your ability to calculate distances, trajectories, and positioning in real time.]

"Now we're talking!" Lucas exclaimed excitedly. This skill seemed to be a game-changer for his performance on the pitch.

With renewed expectations, he opened the penultimate card.

[Congratulations, you have got the Uncommon Skill: Predator Instinct.]

Lucas felt a shiver run down his spine. He clicked on the information icon with a mixture of excitement and nervousness:

[Predator Instinct: Heightens your awareness of movements around you, allowing instant reactions and precise decision-making at critical moments.]

Lucas lay back on the bed, absorbing the information from the first four cards. He knew that, although some of them seemed unrelated to soccer, there was potential to apply them in creative ways.

"Silent Steps may not be a direct skill, but it will help me position myself without attracting attention, especially when I'm marked or looking for space between the opposing defense." He smiled slightly. "And Posture Adjuster? Well, that's useless really."

"Spatial Control. That skill seems to be the most promising so far. Calculating distances and trajectories... It's perfect for everything in soccer. Combine that with Predator Instinct and I can be unbeatable in midfield and my other skills, and I could be unbeatable if I could activate more than one skill at the same time. What I can do is try to activate them in sequence and combine them."

It was as if he was putting together a jigsaw puzzle, and each piece added brought him closer to the ideal vision he had for himself: a complete and differentiated player.

"Okay, last card." Lucas leaned forward, staring at the remaining card.

Unlike the others, he hesitated for a moment. Then he clicked the [Reveal] button.

An unfamiliar sound, almost like a distant roar, echoed throughout the room. The greenish light of the card filled the space with a warm aura before revealing the message.

[Congratulations, you have got the Rare Skill: Titan's Resilience].

Lucas's eyes widened, and he quickly clicked on the information icon.

[Titan's Resilience: A rare ability that dramatically increases your physical and mental stamina when activated. It reduces the impact of fatigue and improves your performance under adverse conditions].
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Lucas remained silent for a few seconds, taking in the impact of that ability.

"That... That's incredible! With this, no matter how intense the game gets, I'll be there until the end."

With the five cards open and his new skills gained, Lucas felt a wave of gratitude for the system.

"This is just the beginning. I still want more of these skills. Each skill is a tool to become the player I've always dreamed of being."

He closed the panel and threw himself on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Tomorrow, I want..."

*Ding*

His cell phone on the nightstand to the right of his bed vibrated with the arrival of a new message.

He reached out and picked it up. The screen lit up, revealing a message notification.

[Lucy <3: Congratulations on a great game today. I couldn't make it to watch in person, but I followed along online. You played very well, as always.]

Lucas smiled as he read the message. Despite the intensity of the game, he had noticed her absence. Lucy was almost always present at Brighton's home games, sitting in the reserved area behind the dugout. He rarely commented, but he noticed when she didn't show up.

[Lucas: Thanks, Lucy. It was a tough game, but we did it. I missed you there today. It was strange not seeing you in the stands.

Lucy <3: I'm sorry I missed you. I had some commitments, but I was cheering you on from home. You played really well].

Lucas: Good to know you were watching. Your support makes a difference, even from a distance.

Lucy <3: Will you have another day off after today's game, like you did after the one against Sevilla?]

Lucas arched an eyebrow. He wondered how she knew about the previous day off, but decided not to ask. Perhaps he'd commented on it to her and simply forgotten.

[Lucas: Yes, I'll be off tomorrow. Why? Are you planning something? Are you planning something?

Lucy <3: So... there's an exhibition of Japanese art at a gallery in the city center, but it'll be over soon. I thought you might like to go. There's no one better to accompany me than you. You are Japanese after all].

Lucas laughed softly as he read. The idea sounded interesting, but more than that, Lucy's company was something he always appreciated.

[Lucas: That sounds like a good idea. When do you want to go?

Lucy <3: How about two in the afternoon? We can meet at the central station.

Lucas: Okay. I'll see you there... I'm going to rest now. Have a good night!

Lucy <3: You too! ^^]

After putting his cell phone back on the bedside table, Lucas lay there for a few minutes, staring at the ceiling. A slight smile remained on his face as he thought about the message.

"Tomorrow's going to be a good day," he said before closing his eyes, letting the anticipation of the next day lull him to sleep.

-:-

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Lucas's alarm clock beeped, and he opened his eyes. And there was the daily mission as usual. Sometimes he completed it, sometimes he simply ignored it. Lately, he had ignored it.

[Daily Mission: Effort X Reward.

Description: You're not good enough. Try harder.

Daily objective:

0/100 Push-ups

0/100 Abs

0/100 Squats

0/10KM Run

Rewards:

+1 Star Point per day

+1 Loot Box].

Lucas sighed. "It's not exactly the most encouraging motivation, but it's worth it."

He knew that these daily missions were a good way to improve both his attributes and his skills. He had been neglecting some of them, especially on the more tiring training days. Today, however, with the rest of the day free and only the afternoon reserved for meeting Lucy, it seemed the ideal time to complete the task.

"Let's do it. Work first, play later."

Lucas put an upbeat playlist on his cell phone and started doing his push-ups. After so long without doing them, it was much more challenging than it used to be.

"Fifty down... Focus on the next fifty," he said, encouraging himself as drops of sweat trickled down his forehead.

Still, he completed it after a few pauses. Next, he moved on to the abdominal crunches.

As he performed the moves on the floor, he felt his abdominal muscles burn with the repetition, but this only motivated him. He knew that strengthening his core was essential to improving his balance on the pitch.

The squats tested his strength and endurance. Each repetition seemed to reinforce the foundation needed to keep his performance on a par with the strongest players in the league.

After completing the exercises he could do inside his apartment, Lucas went out to tackle the 10km run. The campus of the Seyek Institute was quiet, with only a few students running around.