Chapter 14: Awakening the Serpent

Victor Kane sat in his office, the soft hum of the overhead light blending with the distant echoes of his players wrapping up their drills. The Snake Tactics Manual lay open on his desk, its serpentine lettering shimmering faintly as if alive, beckoning him into its labyrinth of secrets. Victor had spent hours with the manual, studying every detail, but tonight, something felt different.

The glowing text on the page wasn't static—it rippled, the letters shifting like snakes slithering over sand. A faint pulse radiated from the book, and Victor's headache returned, sharper this time. He gritted his teeth, pressing his palms to his temples.

"Alright," he muttered, fixing his gaze on the page. "What now?"

The system responded—not with words, but with a notification that appeared in his vision.

[New Task Unlocked]

Objective: Achieve a two-match winning streak using Sidewinder Drift.

Reward: Unlock the skill Coil Maneuver and upgrade the Team Synchronization Buff to 40%.

Failure: Progress toward the next unlock will reset.

Victor's brow furrowed. The stakes weren't unexpected, but they were cruel. It wasn't just about winning—it was about maintaining perfection. And for a club teetering on the brink of relegation, perfection was a luxury.

The pulsing of the manual slowed, the task details fading as the book shifted its focus back to the unlocked tactics. Victor's eyes fell on Sidewinder Drift, its rank clearly marked as C. Beneath it, the buffs were listed, glowing faintly.

Team Synchronization: +30% (Upgradeable to 40%)

Passing Precision: +25%

Game Awareness: +40%

Confidence Boost: +20%

And below the buffs, the skills remained grayed out, their potential locked behind performance gates.

Coil Maneuver: (Locked) – A defensive countermeasure designed to absorb pressure before launching an overwhelming counterattack.

Fang Sequence: (Locked) – Rapid, diagonal offensive plays to exploit defensive gaps.

Venom Surge: (Locked) – A sudden tempo shift to unbalance and disorient structured opponents.

Victor leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled as he processed the information. The progression system wasn't just a tool—it was a challenge, one that demanded as much from him as it did from his players. It forced him to consider every decision, every risk.

Later that evening, Victor tested the system further, attempting to uncover the extent of its capabilities. He flipped through the manual's pages, his thoughts focused on potential future formations. The manual responded, revealing glimpses of the locked tactics:

Black Mamba Counter (Rank: S): A formation designed for rapid counterattacks, striking with the precision and speed of a venomous serpent.

Viper Strike (Rank: S): Explosive offensive play, ideal for teams capable of swift transitions and sharp finishing.

The sight of the S-ranked tactics made Victor's fingers itch. But the system held them just out of reach, as if taunting him. A small message appeared beneath the locked formations:

[Condition for Unlock: Compete in a Championship-Level Playoff]

Victor scowled. "Championship-level playoff? In League One? Might as well ask me to sprout wings and fly."

The system, as always, offered no reply.

The next day, Victor walked onto the training ground with the manual in hand. He hadn't activated the Team Synchronization Buff yet, saving its limited use for match days, but he had an idea. Flipping through the pages, he focused on the Drift Pass and Ripple Effect, two skills already embedded within the Sidewinder Drift.

"Quinn," Victor called out, waving the midfielder over. "We're tweaking the rotations. I want you to focus on Ripple Effect today—use the rotations to force open passing lanes."

Quinn frowned. "Ripple Effect?" he echoed, unfamiliar with the term.

Victor quickly sketched on the training board. "It's the idea of overlapping options. When you rotate, think of it like a ripple in water—it creates space for others to move into. Adjust your positioning to give Templeton and Akins diagonal passes, forcing the defense to split."

Quinn nodded slowly. "Got it."

As training resumed, Victor's mind wandered back to the system. For all its power, it didn't offer easy answers. He had to interpret its instructions, apply its insights, and figure out how to integrate its knowledge into the real world. The system didn't make him omnipotent.

The players moved across the pitch, their rotations beginning to align. Victor could see the early signs of Ripple Effect taking hold, even if it wasn't perfect yet. Progress. That's what mattered.

By the end of the session, the manual pulsed faintly in Victor's pocket. He retrieved it once the players had left, flipping to Sidewinder Drift. A new notification appeared.

[Skill Progression: Ripple Effect – 50% Mastery]

Increase mastery to 70% to unlock improved passing options.

Victor chuckled softly. "It's like training a dog, except the dog is a football tactic."

The manual didn't acknowledge his comment, but Victor didn't mind. For the first time since arriving in this strange, parallel world, he felt like he had a tangible path forward.