Noah was the first to arrive at training.
Every. Single. Morning.
Long before the sun broke over the Melwood horizon, before the first staff member unlocked the main gate, he was already there—sprinting between cones, working on tight-angle shots, or studying his own recorded movements on a borrowed iPad.
He wasn't just training harder.
He was obsessing.
> System Message:
Kaiser Template Sync: 21%
Trait Unlocked – "Emperor's Gaze": Enhances situational awareness and body orientation in 1v1s.
He felt unstoppable.
Like a lion walking among sheep.
---
By week two of preseason, the change was obvious. Not just in his performance, but in his demeanor.
Gone was the humble newcomer who quietly listened and learned.
In his place stood a boy who acted like he belonged at the top.
"Ball," he'd bark during rondos, expecting immediate obedience. When passes weren't sharp, he let it be known.
"Again. Crisper. If you're passing like that in a game, I'm benching you myself."
He wasn't the captain. He wasn't even officially a first-team player. But no one could deny that when he was on the pitch, people started adjusting around him.
He didn't ask for control.
He demanded it.
---
In a finishing drill one morning, Noah blasted a left-footed curler off the post and in. Then turned and pointed at Harvey Elliott.
"That's how it's done," he said. "Feed me like that in a match, and I'll give you three assists a game."
Harvey chuckled, hands on hips. "Maybe I want the goals for myself."
Noah smirked, stepping in closer.
"You're not that guy, Harvey. Not right now. But you could be the one making the killer passes. The one unlocking defenders while I finish the job."
Harvey raised an eyebrow. "So you want me to be your sidekick?"
"No," Noah said. "I want you to be my right hand."
---
That night, Noah sat in his dorm, lights off, body sore, mind racing.
He pulled up the Blue Lock Template System.
> Suggested Ego Alignment: 68% — Dominant Leader
Potential Support Node Detected: Harvey Elliott
Synergy Forecast: High
Recommended Action: Convert target into Tactical Subordinate (Playmaker Route)
He leaned back, staring at the glowing screen.
This wasn't friendship.
It was strategy.
Harvey Elliott had vision, technique, and flair—but he lacked bite. He still played with a kind of boyish freedom, not a killer instinct. But with the right pressure, the right guidance...
He could be the perfect piece on Noah's chessboard.
---
The Manipulation Begins
Noah didn't start by telling Harvey what to do.
He made him feel needed.
"Harv, I want to test this new movement. Think you can feed it with a no-look pass?"
Or:
"You're the only one here who sees those pockets before I do. I need that."
He flattered, suggested, tested—and Harvey responded.
The partnership grew on the pitch.
They started linking up naturally in scrimmages. Harvey would drop into half-spaces, pulling markers out, while Noah darted into gaps like a viper. It was fluid. Precise. Beautiful.
Klopp noticed.
"This connection between Ramsey and Elliott... it's interesting," he murmured to Pep Lijnders during a session.
But to Noah, it wasn't just "interesting."
It was inevitable.
Harvey would be his arm.
Others would fall in line next.
---
In the locker room, Noah's jokes came with a sharpened edge.
"You bottling that last pass again, Harv?"
Harvey laughed, but not without tension.
And when Harvey flubbed a through-ball in a 7v7 drill, Noah clapped—sarcastically.
"You're better than that. Do better."
Some players raised eyebrows.
Curtis Jones muttered under his breath, "Man's acting like he owns the place."
But no one said anything aloud.
Because Noah kept producing.
Every training game. Every drill. He dominated.
His pressing was relentless. His finishing lethal. His awareness surgical.
---
Training Match – First Team vs Reserves
Klopp decided to test the waters: First team vs reserves, full pitch, full intensity.
Noah started up top for the reserves. Harvey just behind him in the right channel.
The first half was tight. Then came the 42nd minute.
Harvey picked up the ball near midfield, looked up—and found Noah sprinting diagonally across Matip and Robertson.
The pass was perfect. A slicing ball that defied gravity.
Noah didn't break stride. He caught it mid-run with his chest, let it drop once, then flicked it past Alisson with the outside of his foot.
Cold. Calm. Clinical.
1–0.
He didn't celebrate wildly.
He jogged over to Harvey and simply nodded.
Harvey smiled, trying not to beam.
Hooked, Noah thought.
---
After the match, Klopp pulled him aside.
"You've got teeth," he said. "And now you're starting to bite."
Noah only replied: "I'm hungry, boss."
---
Dorm Room – Late Night
Harvey knocked on his door, sweaty and wired from the match.
"You're different lately," he said.
Noah sat on the edge of his bed, towel over his shoulders. "How so?"
"You walk around like you own the squad."
Noah didn't blink. "Because I plan to."
Harvey blinked. "You think that's how it works here?"
"No," Noah said, standing. "That's how it's going to work because of me."
He stepped forward, voice quiet but sharp.
"I don't care who's ahead of me. I don't care about names or reputations. I'm going to lead this team one day. And if you stick with me, really stick with me—I'll make sure you rise too."
Harvey's brow furrowed.
"This isn't some anime, mate. This is Liverpool."
Noah smiled.
"And I'm the main character."
---
System Update
> Support Node Converted: Harvey Elliott – Tactical Subordinate (80%)
Team Chemistry Bonus: +5% in Competitive Fixtures
Trait Synergy Unlocked – "Duo Echo": Shortens decision-making time during link-up play
New Objective:
"Expand your influence. Establish control over the forward unit. Target: Curtis Jones / Darwin Núñez."
Noah closed the screen and smirked.
He was building something greater than just a career.
He was building a kingdom.
And every kingdom needed loyal knights.
---
End of Chapter 3