[*Time left in the LTC Session 1: 20 minutes*]
Lukas was now sprawled on the floor of the gym unable to move a muscle. Thoroughly exhausted after he was barely able to complete the tasks.
"Didn’t you say the skill would reduce my muscle fatigue by 90%? Why do I feel like all my muscles are dead?" He was barely able to muster the strength to speak up.
[*Why do you think this is something you’d be able to breeze through? You’re currently only feeling 10% of the fatigue.*]
"I don’t believe that" Lukas thought, unable to even muster the strength to speak anymore.
[*Believe what you will, it is the truth.*]
"Finally I am done. I hope I don’t have sore muscles as the skill claimed or else I don’t think I’ll be able to move for days."
The system window appeared in front of Lukas.
Objective: Strength Training
1000 Sit-ups Completion rate: 1000/1000
1000 Push-ups Completion rate: 1000/1000
1000 Squats Completion rate: 1000/1000
150N Resisted Sprint for 25km Completion rate: 25/25
150N Assisted Sprint for 25km Completion rate: 25/25]
[TRAINING SESSION 1 COMPLETED]
- Physical Contact +20
"The training was hell but the results sure are nice." Lukas said with a smile as he forced himself to sit-up from the floor.
His muscles were still feeling the fatigue from the grueling training but it was now possible to move after laying on the floor for a while.
[*Maximum daily LTC limit reached. You will be logged out in 5....4....3....2....1*] TT’s voice sounded as the blinding light from earlier shone. This time it was like the light radiated out of the whole gym instead of just the system screen.
"I’m never gonna get used to this am I?" Lukas thought to himself as he closed his eyes shut and covered them with his palms too.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself back in his room, lying on his bed, and it hadn’t even been half a minute.
He got up from the bed, and was surprised at how fast he stood. There were no muscle pains or soreness from the workout session. He rotated his arms around his shoulder joint, bounced on his feet to check for any discomfort.
"Huh" Lukas was shocked with how much better his body felt to him. Just one session, and he felt like he had a spring in his step.
"I really want to be on the field, to see how much I’ve actually improved."
He went out to see the breakfast on the table, to him it felt like a whole day since he last saw the breakfast, but it had now been at most a minute or two.
Lukas sat down at the dining table to enjoy his breakfast. Muesli served with yogurt, whole-grain bread and a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice.
After a filling breakfast, Lukas took one slow look around. The TV still playing the morning news. This time, about Euros 2024 which would be hosted by Germany.
"The Euros will kick off in exactly 10 days, and with Germany hosting the competition, and world class players in the team, there is hope that this time—we just might win the cup. Obviously home advantage on our side, what do you think about our chances Lothar" Florian Plettenberg, a Sky Deutschland host on a Sky Sports show asked Lothar Matthaus, German legend turned pundit.
"I think our chances aren’t bad. Although they were all friendlies, and a few are against weaker nations, we still haven’t lost a game in this year.
I think the chances are high. We see how Nagelsmann has structured the team. Played on home soil. Kroos is back for his final tournament. Players like Wirtz, Musiala, and Havertz coming into this competition in top form.
I think this competition is very much ours to lose." Lothar Matthaus, one of the greatest German footballers alive said. Expressing optimism at the chance of winning the European premier national competition for the first time in 28 years.
"Yes it has been a long wait, but this time, there is belief that it can happen." Florian added.
"Hope my a**" Lukas thought with a scoff.
"Yeah maybe if the match against Spain wasn’t filled with weird referee decisions."
He remembered the game vividly. Their run through the Euros. The kind of football that they played. The way the fans were starting to have hope.
Then the quarterfinal that had buried that hope.
He knew how it’d all play out, but he also knew he couldn’t do anything about it but get good enough to be included in the next tournament.
And with the system and it’s grueling training regimen, it was all but guaranteed.
"Open Player Profile" Lukas thought, to view the progress of his bone-crushing training.
[ PROFILE – LUKAS BRANDT – FOOTBALLER
DATE OF BIRTH: 30/12/2008 (15)
CAREER STATUS: SV DARMSTADT ACADEMY REJECT
Acceleration: 65 (↑ 30)
Kicking Power: 68 (↑ 20)
Physical Contact: 58 (↑ 20)
Note: Great strength stats for your age. Attack and Defense stats still not up to par.
"Yeah I can see that. Gotta focus on those in the next few da—well that’s new."
Lukas cut himself off as he noticed the newly added ’expand’ option.
"Expand" He thought, giving the command
Injured From Training? Not me. Passive. Level 5/5 ]
"Wait a second, was this only included now because only skills given by the system is included in there? Or because you judged that I don’t have any football skill?"
[*Well what do you think?*] TT said almost mockingly.
"I don’t believe this.. I know how to do skills like the La Croquetta, or the Elastico. Those are like football 101 right?"
[Really? -_-] This time just the screen buzzed in front of him.
[And how many times have you used it to get away from players in a match?]
"But I can do it right here right now." Lukas tried to argue although knowing that TT was right.
He was never able to do something like that even under the least amount of pressure or when it actually mattered.
[*That doesn’t mean anything, and you know that. I have deemed that you do not have any skill with enough mastery to be included in the skill list. It has to be at least level 1/5 to be included.*]
"Fair enough. So I can’t gain skills by buying it in some sort of skill shop?"
[*What do you think this is? You will only be given the necessary time, items, and training needed to acquire football skills. It all depends on how hard you work to both acquire and raise the mastery of any skill.*]
"What about this current one, didn’t you give me that? At full mastery too." Lukas asked as he had some expectations from TT.
[*That is not a footballing skill.*]
"Yeah, I guess you’re right—it’s more like a training aid than a football skill" Lukas nodded as he seemed to be getting a grasp on the workings of the system.
After viewing the player profile window, Lukas closed it as he went to take a shower. It was the 4th of June, and if he wanted to stop the nightmare that put a nail in the coffin for his dreams in his previous life, he had to get even better than he currently is.
A/N: You guys have fun. And please point out any corrections or suggestions