Super Striker System
Ten minutes later as Leo, Jace, Marco and other two of Jace's other boys stepped onto the cage-like field for the 5v5 match, murmurs spread through the crowd.
"Who's the new kid?"
"He's dead meat."
"No one beats Axel Vargas."
But those who had seen Leo's street clips were already shouting his name.
" Fos! Sniper! Sniper!"
Leo heart pounded. Across from him stood Axel Vargas, built like a brick wall.
"Welcome to hell," Axel smirked.
On the sideline, two local gang groups were already arguing over the bets.
"Who's that kid?" one of them asked.
"No idea. He looks soft."
"I ain't betting on him."
One guy shrugged. "Jace never brings losers. I'll put a little on the kid."
The others laughed. "Hope you like losing money."
"That boy's got fire, you'll see! Another interrupted, mine on Fos the Sniper!"
"You're mad! He's just a washed-up academy reject! My money's on Dante, he eats boys like that yellow bread for breakfast!"
Another man shouted, "Fos scored against Dante, man! You don't score flukes against Dante!" Then he leaned towards the man who had placed his bet on Dante and Axel , "Ohhh! I forgot you're not in social media since your girl keeps your phone."
Those that were near erupted into laughter.
…
From the first touch, Leo knew this wasn't normal football. The game was brutal as every move was met with a shove, an elbow or a trip. He tried to dribble past Axel, only to get slammed onto the ground.
The crowd roared with laughter, then exploded "Woiii! Did you see that? "Axel has got no brakes!"
Doubt crept into Leo, Was he really cut out for this? He got up, tried again, and…
BAM!
Axel's brutal elbow smashed into his temple. The world tilted and Stars exploded in his vision. Voices faded…and as darkness rushed in. Something happened… A mechanical electric voice echoed in his head.
[Super Striker System Analyzing…]
[New User detected]
[Matching…]
[Activation successful]
[Super Striker System Activated!]
Leo felt weightless, then a flickering blue holographic screen appeared in the void in front of his eyes.
Host: Leo Foster]
[Level: 1]
[First Skill Unlocked: "Copy Shot" (Cristiano Ronaldo)]
[Mission: Score a Free Kick Goal to Unlock Next Upgrade!]
Leo's mind reeled. He had read about systems in some novels, but this, this was impossible he had never imagined it on real life. ' A system? Like in those web novels? Nah… this can't be real. Am I dreaming? Or I am already dead?'
As if reading his thoughts, the voice continued.
[Host has suffered damage, the System activation has been initiated to aid emergency recovery and enhance football capabilities.]
At the same time as the voice echoed in his mind, he suddenly felt a sensation throughout his body. Then, the feeling that he had been having, as if everything was a blur, suddenly vanished.
He seemed to see that everything had returned to how it was before he had been hit. More than that, he felt that he had somehow gotten sharper than before.
As he was contemplating about what was happening, he suddenly heard a voice, beside him, a real voice, not the system's.
"Leo! Leo, can you hear me?"
He blinked, Jace was crouched beside him, eyes wide with concern.
"You okay, man? That hit looked bad. Are you hurt?"
Leo stared at him for a beat, then shook his head slightly. "I'm… I'm good."
"You sure?"
Leo's eyes snapped open and the real world flooded back completely, everything around him was brighter.
The crowd was still laughing. Axel turned away, thinking he was done, but Leo wasn't done.
He pushed himself up. Jace stared at him, wide-eyed. "Dude, you got knocked out. Stay down."
Leo smirked. "I'm good."
Axel turned, surprised to see Leo standing again. "You should've stayed down, kid."
A whistle blew, a foul had been called and Leo was awarded a free kick just outside the cage. The crowd gasped. Jace gaped and Axel narrowed his eyes and a thin smile curled at his lips and smirked, his mind already spinning.
'Look at him… all heart, no clue. Just a football dreamer. This Kid probably thinks this is his movie moment, bounce back, make the shot and crowd goes wild. But this isn't some fantasy, this is underground ball. This is my cage, I'm the king here. And he's about to find out the hard way that heart doesn't mean a damn thing when you're up against someone like me.'
Dante also with his arms crossed, also thought to himself. 'Go on, kid. Take your shot. Let's see that hope in your eyes one last time… before I crush it.'
Leo stepped forward. Something felt different, his stance adjusted. He could see the shot before even taking it. The system's knowledge filled his mind…how to take the shot, where to strike and the perfect angle. 'Balance, power, the exact way Cristiano Ronaldo would hit this.'
He struck the ball, it knuckled through the air, swerving unpredictably, a perfect CR7 shot, then the net shook.
Thump!
GOAL! All the funs found themselves shouting…
Jace's voice was the first to break through. "What the hell was that?!"
The place erupted. Men who had bet on him leaped into the air.
"Sniper! Sniper! Sniper!"
"I told you! I told you he's not just hype!"
The losing side cursed, throwing bottles.
"Eeh! This guy just cost me five large! Nkt!"
"Relax, you'll make it back next week. Maybe."
Dante's crew stood frozen, especially , Axel looked more shaken.
Jace and his crew ran over to Leo, grabbing him by the shoulders
"That's what I'm talking about!" Jace added.
Leo barely heard him. He stared at his hands, breath coming fast. "What just happened to me?"
The system's voice returned.
Ding!
[Mission Complete!]
[Welcome, Player Leo Foster. Your performance has been evaluated.]
[Initial Skill Bonus Unlocked.]
[Next Upgrade Unlocked…]
[New Quest: Rise Through The Ranks … ]
[Status: Active]
Leo smirked, but deep inside, his thoughts were a storm. 'What is this thing? A system? That only happened in stories like in those web novels that I read, maybe I hit my head too hard and now I am going crazy'…'wait…those football skills, and that shot… it had been real.'
The crowd still erupted like someone had just lit a fuse to a fireworks stand. Cheers bounced off the rusted metal walls of the cage, some people hopping over the wire mesh just to get closer. Phones were out, recording him, flashing lights catching Leo's face as strangers screamed.
"Sniper! Yo, did you see that shot?! Bro's not human!"
Leo blinked. His head still rang from the earlier fall, and everything felt… surreal. Had he really just done that? He barely had time to process before a rough voice barked from the other side of the cage.
"Dante, we letting this clown steal the spotlight now?"
Axel was fuming. His jaw was tight and his fists clenched like he wanted to punch a hole through something or maybe someone.
Dante didn't look much calmer. He grabbed Axel's shoulder and pulled him to the side. "We can't let this guy walk in here and become king. No f**king way," he whispered, voice cold.
Leo didn't hear the words, but the way their eyes tracked him, like he was a prey was enough to know that they were discussing about him.
Jace was beside him in an instant. "Bro," he said, low and fast, "you need to bounce. Now."
"What?" Leo asked, still dazed. "Why? We won…didn't we?"
Jace gritted his teeth. "You don't get it. You scored that goal in their cage. You humiliated them. People here don't forget that sh*t. They don't forgive it either. You just made yourself a target, and not in a fun TikTok way."
Leo rubbed his temples. "My head… Damn, I must've hit it harder than I thought." He faked an headache, he wanted to dig more about the system.
Jace nodded. "All the more reason. I'll grab your cut, probably around $70. Good for a first-timer. Just go before someone decides to jump on you for fun."
Leo didn't need to be told twice. As he slipped through the gathering crowd, people reached for him, some to high-five, others to record or shout more nicknames.
Yo, bro! What's your name again? Fos Sniper?!" someone shouted.
"Can I tag you on Insta?!"
Leo did bother, he pushed forward, ducking his head and weaving through, ignoring the chants of 'Sniper!' that echoed behind him.