*(Calculated Football Warfare)*
---
**Medical Evaluation – Day 14**
The team doctor's ultrasound wand glided over Ibukun's ankle as the screen displayed pulsing red and blue bloodflow patterns.
*"Ligament integrity at 89%,"* the doctor muttered. *"But these microfractures..."* He tapped the screen where tiny bone fissures glowed like spiderwebs. *"One bad tackle and—"*
*"Clear me."* Ibukun's voice carried the finality of a slamming prison door.
The doctor sighed and stamped the form.
***`INJURY STATUS: MEDICALLY CLEARED (CONDITIONAL)
WARNING: 28% RE-INJURY RISK
RECOMMENDED: 60 MINUTE CAP`***
Jay-Jay materialized in the reflection of the examination light, adjusting imaginary cuffs. *"Time to educate our Belgian friend."*
---
**Training – The New Methodology**
Ibukun's playing style had mutated. Where once there was reckless aggression, now existed a surgical precision designed to inflict maximum psychological damage within the rules.
**Session Highlights:**
1. **Passive-Aggressive Pressing**
- Standing just outside tackling range, forcing opponents into rushed passes
- *"Accidental" shoulder checks that looked like momentum*
2. **The Silent Treatment**
- Ignoring Loïc's trash talk during drills
- Responding only with colder, harder tackles in return
3. **Legal Provocation**
- Purposeful slow walks past fouled opponents
- Muttering statistics about their failures under his breath
***`NEW TRAIT UNLOCKED: "PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE"
EFFECTS:
→ Opponent focus -15% when marking Ibukun
→ Referee suspicion +5%`***
---
**Reserve Match vs. Lommel SK**
The test case arrived sooner than expected—a behind-closed-doors friendly where Ibukun was limited to 45 minutes.
**Key Moments:**
- **Minute 12:** Loïc attempted a "friendly" handshake. Ibukun gripped just hard enough to make the Belgian's knuckles pop, smiling as he walked away.
- **Minute 27:** After being fouled, Ibukun stood slowly, brushing imaginary dirt from his shorts for a full eight seconds while maintaining eye contact with his aggressor. The opponent received a yellow for his next challenge.
- **Minute 43:** A "misplaced" pass rocketed into Loïc's stomach from point-blank range. Ibukun raised a single apologetic hand—the gesture somehow more insulting than words.
***`POST-MATCH ANALYSIS:
→ Loïc completed 23% fewer passes when marked by Ibukun
→ Received yellow card for frustration foul
→ SP EARNED: 150 (PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE BONUS)`***
Jay-Jay nodded approvingly from the sideline hologram. *"Now you're learning."*
---
**The Bloodline Skill**
Alone in the training room, Ibukun finally accessed his inheritance:
***`"OKOCHA'S TOUCH" ACTIVATED (400 SP)
EFFECTS:
→ Ball sticks to feet 0.3 seconds longer
→ First touch success +18%
→ Requires: 3 successful dribbles per match to maintain`***
The training module forced him to recreate Jay-Jay's most infamous moves:
1. **The 1994 Rainbow Flick** (Failed 11 times before success)
2. **The Bolton Helicopter Turn** (Tore skin off his left knee practicing)
3. **The Frankfurt Fake Shot** (Mastered only after 47 attempts)
Blood pooled in Ibukun's boots by session's end. His HUD glowed:
***`TECHNIQUE MASTERY: 61%
WARNING: EXCESSIVE SWEAT INCREASES INJURY RISK BY 14%`***
---
**The Social Aftermath**
Loïc's Instagram post that night showed his bruised ribs with the caption:
*"Third world football 😴 #NoSkillJustDirty"*
Ibukun's response came not online, but in the gym at 3 AM—adding 20kg to his leg press machine.
Jay-Jay watched as Ibukun's SP ticked over to 529.
*"They always talk when they're scared."*
---
**Chapter 8 Closing**
The night before his official return, Ibukun stood before the tactics board studying Loïc's heat maps. Every habit, every weakness glowed in neon detail.
His HUD displayed the waiting mission:
***`NEXT MATCH: SERAING vs. WAREMME (FULL 90 POSSIBLE)
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: "BREAK LOÏC'S FOCUS WITHOUT A FOUL"
SECONDARY: "3 SUCCESSFUL DRIBBLES TO MAINTAIN OKOCHA'S TOUCH"
BLOODLINE WARNING: FAILURE = SKILL LOCK (7 DAYS)`***
Outside, thunder rumbled—the same storm that had birthed him.
—-