Chapter 3 : Awekening

June 6, 2005.

Nico sat on his bed, his emerald green eyes locked onto the ticking clock on the wall. The dim glow of the night lamp cast soft shadows across his room, but his focus remained on the hands of the clock, inching closer to midnight.

Five minutes left.

His heart pounded with quiet anticipation. The system. The one thing the angel had promised him before sending him into this new life. A tool that would help him become the best in the world.

For five years, he had waited for this moment. And now, it was finally here.

One minute.

His fingers clenched the bedsheet slightly, his breath steady but deep.

Ten seconds.

His heartbeat quickened. This was it.

Five… Four… Three… Two… One…

Midnight.

The clock struck 12:00, and at that exact moment—

A sudden wave of light flooded his vision.

His vision blurred, and suddenly, the world around him vanished into an endless abyss. The warmth of his bed, the ticking of the clock, the faint glow of the night lamp—all of it was gone, replaced by an overwhelming emptiness.

He felt weightless, as if drifting through space, yet he couldn't move.

And then, it appeared.

The same angel-like being that had given him this second chance at life. The being that had reversed time and allowed him to be reborn as Nico Cruyff.

It stood before him, its presence radiating a divine light—neither blinding nor harsh, but warm and absolute. Its form shimmered with an ethereal glow, its very existence exuding a sense of power that Nico could not comprehend.

Yet, the being remained silent.

It did not explain, did not greet him, did not acknowledge the years that had passed since their last encounter.

Instead, it simply reached out.

A single finger gently touched his forehead, and the moment they connected, a surge of unexplainable energy flowed into him. It wasn't painful, nor was it overwhelming, but it was deep—as if something had been unlocked within him, something that had been waiting for this exact moment to awaken.

Finally, the being spoke.

"Say 'System'."

Its voice was neither loud nor soft, yet it echoed in the very depths of his soul.

And then—darkness.

His consciousness snapped back as suddenly as it had faded.

Nico gasped, his body jolting upright as his senses returned all at once. He was back in his room, the cool night air brushing against his skin. The clock continued ticking, the faint glow of the night lamp still illuminating the space around him.

Had it all been a dream?

No.

He could feel it. Something was different.

Something had changed.

There was a presence lingering inside him, a force he could not see but knew was there. A silent whisper at the back of his mind, waiting for him to call upon it.

Nico took a deep breath. His heart pounded, but not with fear—with anticipation.

And so, with steady resolve, he spoke the word.

"System."

The moment the word left his lips—

A blinding flash of light.

Before his very eyes, a transparent blue screen materialized, floating in midair like a hologram. Lines of data and neatly arranged text shimmered across its surface, glowing softly in the dim room.

Nico's eyes widened in awe. It worked.

His hands trembled slightly as he focused on the display, his name standing boldly at the top.

[System Status]

Name: Nico CruyffDate of Birth: June 7, 2000Age: 5 years oldHeight: 110 cmWeight: 18 kg

Attributes:

Pace 37Acceleration 38Sprint Speed 35

Dribbling 29Ball Control 32Agility 30Balance 28Skill Moves 24

Shooting 25Finishing 26Shot Power 22Long Shots 20Volleys 19Penalties 23Free Kicks 21

Passing 28Short Passing 30Long Passing 25Crossing 24Vision 30Curve 22

Defending 20Interceptions 21Standing Tackle 18Sliding Tackle 17Defensive Awareness 20

Physical 30Strength 28Jumping 29Aggression 27

Stamina 35

Skills None

SP 1000

Shop Available

___________

Nico exhaled sharply.

It was just like the FIFA player cards he used to see in his past life, but instead of professional footballers, it was him. His current state as a five-year-old child was neatly analyzed and displayed before him.

His stats were low, but they made sense. He was just a kid, after all. His body was still weak, still growing. He had a long way to go.

But this system… this was real.

His heart pounded with excitement. This was his key to greatness.

_______________

Nico's heart pounded with excitement as he navigated to the shop tab.

The first thing that caught his eye was a simple but crucial option:

Convert 50 SP → 1 Skill Point

His eyebrows lifted. That meant if he wanted to buy skills, he needed Skill Points (SP). And then, as he scrolled down, his breath hitched.

A list of legendary skills appeared before him, each priced at 300 SP:

Cruyff TurnElasticoPendulumS-Shaped Free KickRobben's Cut-InElevator Free Kick

Each of these skills was iconic—moves that defined eras of football.

Nico paused for a moment, his eyes flickering toward the option to convert SP into Skill Points.

He had 1,000 SP, which meant he could easily boost his attributes right now. But as he looked at his stats, something became clear—

He was already the best among under-10 kids in the world.

His base attributes, though low by professional standards, were far beyond any child his age. If he started boosting his stats now, it would be too much, too soon.

He needed to think long-term.

La Masia.

That was where his journey would truly begin. Until then, there was no need to waste SP on minor improvements when he could earn natural growth through training.

So instead of boosting stats, he focused on something that would set him apart immediately—a skill.

His eyes landed on S-Shaped Free Kick.

In his past life, he had admired Juninho Pernambucano, the greatest free-kick taker the world had ever seen. His technique, the way the ball danced unpredictably through the air, was nothing short of magic.

Without hesitation, he selected it.

-300 SP deducted

A strange warmth spread through his body. His muscles twitched, his mind buzzed as new knowledge seamlessly embedded itself into his being.

He hadn't even kicked a ball yet, but he knew—his feet understood the motion now.

This was real.

This was power.

Nico's excitement only grew as he navigated back to the shop. He still had 700 SP left, enough to acquire two more legendary skills.

His gaze landed on a name that sent chills down his spine—

Pendulum.

It was the deadliest weapon of Ronaldo "El Fenômeno", one of the greatest strikers to ever grace the game. A skill that made defenders tremble. With just a few precise feints, Ronaldo could send any opponent the wrong way, leaving them grasping at thin air.

Nico didn't hesitate.

-300 SP deducted

The same warm sensation coursed through his body. His legs instinctively understood the movement, the perfect weight shift, the deceptive body feints that made the Pendulum dribble unstoppable.

Nico still had 400 SP left. Enough for one more skill.

His eyes landed on Robben's Cut-In.

A move that was simple in concept but unstoppable in execution. Arjen Robben had built his legacy on this one deadly maneuver—cutting in from the right flank onto his favored left foot before unleashing a curling shot past helpless goalkeepers.

Nico grinned.

This was the perfect addition to his arsenal.

-300 SP deducted

As the familiar warmth spread through his body, he could feel it—the instinct to cut inside, the perfect moment to shift his weight, the angle to strike the ball cleanly.

Nico navigated to the skills section of the system.

Each skill he had purchased—S-Shaped Free Kick, Pendulum, and Robben's Cut-In—was now listed with a proficiency level next to it:

Beginner.

As he focused on them, a notification appeared.

[System Notification]"Skill proficiency can only be improved through practice."

So the more he trained and used these skills, the more refined they would become.

Just as he processed that, another window popped up.

[Daily Tasks Unlocked]

It listed a set of tasks he could complete, and at the bottom, he saw the reward:

Completion Reward → 1 SP

A small smile formed on his lips.

It was clear now—the system wouldn't let him rely on shortcuts. If he wanted to reach the top, he had to earn it.

Nico scrolled through the shop for a few more minutes, letting the excitement settle in. The possibilities were endless, but for now, he had set himself on the right path.

Feeling satisfied, he lay back on his bed, his thoughts still racing with the future that awaited him.

Eventually, sleep took over.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through his window, marking the beginning of a new chapter.

Today was June 7, 2005—his 5th birthday.

Nico woke up, freshened up, and put on his uniform. As he walked into the living room of the villa, he was greeted by the warm smiles of his grandparents.

"Happy Birthday, Nico," his grandfather, Johan Cruyff, said with a proud smile.

Before he could respond, his grandmother, Danny Coster, pulled him onto her lap. She gently kissed his forehead and ran her fingers through his hair.

"You look so beautiful today, my dear," she said affectionately.

And she wasn't wrong.

Since he was three, Nico had grown.

His silky black hair was even more refined, his porcelain-white skin smooth, and his emerald green eyes more striking than ever.

Now, at five years old, he wasn't just gifted with talent—he had been blessed with a presence that could captivate anyone.