SSS: System online- Bronze Tier

By the time Leo reached the sidewalk, his heart was pounding for reasons that had nothing to do with adrenaline or the sprint.

He walked home in a daze, his steps quicker.

'Why… does it feel farther than usual?'

The distance from the pit to his apartment, it felt stretched, like the road itself had warped to toy with him. Every step took more effort than it should. His breath came in shallow bursts and not just from the run, his mind was buzzing.

'Okay,' he took deep breaths trying to calm himself 'get home, just get home'

He kept his head down as he walked.

'I need answers. I need to feel normal again.'

His shoes hit the concrete, the familiar door of his apartment felt.

He slipped inside, it was quiet and dim.

A sticky note waited for him on the fridge.

"Double shift tonight. Left some pasta in the fridge. Love you.…Mom." The note read.

Leo stared at it for a second longer than he needed to, reading the words twice. Then he sighed and ran a hand through his sweaty hair. "Always working… Always covering for me…" he muttered.

He didn't even bother with the food. The fridge stayed unopened and the pasta forgotten. Instead, he dragged himself to his room, kicked off his shoes, and flopped down on the bed.

Then the thoughts came in flooding.

"What the hell just happened back there…"

He closed his eyes, trying to understand. 'That goal,' he could see it again. The way time slowed down and the way he knew where to shoot and how to angle it.

'That wasn't normal. Not for ..'

He pause and lips curled into a crooked smile.

'Am I going crazy? Or is this just from reading too many of those funny and interesting web novels with system ?"

A weak laugh escaped his throat. "Or maybe… Maybe I really did hit my head too hard…'

Then.. the same mechanical voice echoed in his mind bringing him back to reality

Ding!

[Welcome, Host Leo Foster. You have officially activated the Super Striker System.]

Leo sat bolt upright.

'WHAT THE…?!'

He looked around confused, his room was empty room, He reached the dead though it was still locked, no one else except him alone.

'Okay, hallucination, maybe this is how it just starts. Or might be a concussion. Should I call someone? I should probably. He scrunched his head, wait … I don't even have insurance…'

[The Host should calm down. You are not hallucinating.]

'Oh no. Nope. Nope. I've officially lost it. That's the line, right?'

He froze. The voice was… inside his head?

[The Super Striker System is a specialized sports advancement program designed For copying shots and fusing them to elevate the host into a legendary football striker.]

'…Wait… what? Like a cheat code?'

[You may call it that. However, the host should understand this is not a shortcut without effort. You must complete missions to improve.]

Leo frowned. 'Okay… let's say I believe you. What kind of missions?'

[Missions: Missions may include skill training, tactical learning, physical development, match-specific objectives and social influence tasks. Failure comes with penalties.]]

[Penalties: Failing missions will result in temporary loss of skills or ranking drops. Repeated failures may result in suspension.]

[N/B Player passive Copy-shots are unstable and can vanish if unused or misused.]

The voice paused…Then came a soft chime.

[Player Assessment initializing…]

[Name: Leo Foster

Level: 1…Hosts history in a football academy gives him some base stats.

Position: Center Forward (Striker)

Years of Training: 3

Academy Background: Moderate Talent Detected

Current academy: None]

[Current Attributes:

Height: 5'11"

Pace: 58

Shooting: 62

Dribbling: 60

Vision: 59

Mental Strength: 65

Strength: 63

Stamina: 60

Agility: 61

Balance & Coordination: 62

Game Intelligence: 58

Unique Trait: Basic Striker Instincts.

Rank: Bronze Tier

Growth potential: High]

Leo scratched his head. 'Bronze tier? Is that bad? Huh!'

[It is the first rank. Given that on last year of the academy you were mostly benched, but with your academy experience and natural instincts, there is potential to rise, if the host commits.]

Leo squinted "What's the top?"

[Current Football Ranks: Bronze > Silver > Gold > Diamond > Pro > Legend > Super Striker]

He took a shaky breath. And asked in a whisper "So… you're real. I'm not dreaming?"

[The Host should understand that when speaking to the system he can just think of what he wants, The system is connected to his mind and can read everything from it directly.]

Leo sighed in relief. "Thank God… "Definitely that sounds better, I don't need my mom to think I've finally lost it. Or sound like a lunatic talking to myself in public."

[Understood.]

[In major training missions, guidance can be uploaded into your contacts, video drills, analysis and exercises.]

[Rewards: Host benefits range from skill boosts to gear, stamina recovery and even financial bonuses.]

'Wait… you're saying I could get paid too?

As in real cash?'

[Affirmative.]

A chime rang again.

Ding!

[New Mission Issued.]

[Beginner Mission: Basic Discipline

Objective: Train for at least 1 hour daily for 3 consecutive days in a week

Reward: +1 Speed & +1 Shot Power

Penalty: Loss of "Copy Shot" for 5 days]

Leo stared at the glowing text, hovering mid-air. 'It is real…'

He rubbed his eyes and looked at the holographic screen again. There it was, hovering gently in front of him like something out of a sci-fi anime.

'This is really happening…' he whispered.

There was silence after going through the screen once more, He stood up, he wanted to take a shower and refresh from the sweat that was still clinging to him.

He took a step then ass if he remembered something he paused looking back the screen was still there with no other new prompts.

Thinking how he could move it flickered and vanished , just then he remembered the systems prompt [the host can think as a way of communicating with system no need to talk loud.]

'Cool,' he muttered.

Feeling relieved he walked to the bathroom and turned on the tap and splashed cold water on his face, He let out a long sigh, trying to steady his thoughts.

But when he looked into the mirror, he froze. His muscles looked… sharper. Not ripped, but just a bit more defined than before and more 'starter pack athlete.' His jawline even looked well curved now and is eyes looked clearer.

He leaned in, squinting at his reflection. "Did I always have this much definition? Or this is from the five push-ups I did in a row this morning?"

As he reached for the soap, it slipped and his hand snapped out, catching it mid-air before it hit the floor.

He stared at his hand. "Okay, either I just unlocked my anime protagonist arc… or I'm turning into a Disney prince overnight."

His eyes widened". Then he tried to shrug it off, literally.

'No way…' He banged his elbow on the towel rack.

'Ow!'

'Okay, still human. Good to know."

Then Pinched himself just to be sure,

'Ow!'

He winced again rubbing the spot. 'Definitely not dreaming. Unless my dreams now include pain'

A memory floated up from the past. His old academy coach, crossing his arms and shaking his head.

"You don't have that edge, Leo. You've got some talent, but not enough hunger."

Leo stared at his reflection again. Now, he had hunger. And something else.

He nodded at himself. 'Weird voice in my head, the system, new muscles, sudden soap-catching reflexes… Yep, totally normal Friday night'

He stepped out of the bathroom, dried off and put on a casual white shirt and a short, before he grabbed a pen and scrap of paper, and started scribbling with focused energy.

5 AM: Jog

7 – 8 AM: Ball Control & Shooting at the Old Kitale Park.

Evening: Match footage and tactical clips.

8PM – Reflection and Adjustments…