Aiden's mind buzzed with possibilities as he explored the system's interface. The task page showed nothing but empty space.
A message appeared explaining that missions would only unlock once he reached level 1. The skills page was equally bare, waiting for him to hit level 10 before special abilities became available.
The referee's whistle cut through his thoughts. Around him, players from both teams were already jogging back onto the field. The second half was about to begin.
'I need to do something now,' Aiden thought desperately.
Geng Yang's challenge echoed in his mind, along with the doubtful looks from his teammates. If he didn't score in the next thirty minutes, his dream of playing forward would be over.
The system had given him 10 skill points to start with. Aiden stared at his attributes, trying to decide how to use them. He could spread them evenly across all his abilities, but that would only give him small improvements everywhere. Or he could focus everything on one skill.
'What do I need most right now?' The answer was obvious. He needed to score goals.
Without hesitation, Aiden poured all 10 skill points into his shooting attribute. He watched the numbers change on his mental screen: the potential value climbed from 13 to 14, costing him 2 points. Then his current ability soared from 6 all the way to 14, using up the remaining 8 points.
14/14. His shooting was now maxed out at its new potential.
The moment the upgrade completed, something strange happened in Aiden Shen's mind. New knowledge flooded in—not memories exactly, but instincts. His body suddenly understood angles, power, and placement in ways it never had before. He could picture exactly how to strike the ball to send it curling into the top corner, or how to place a low shot just inside the post.
It felt like he had been playing football his whole life, but only now truly understood how to shoot.
Aiden flexed his fingers and rolled his shoulders. The other players around him looked the same as before, but something fundamental had changed. When he looked at the goal sixty meters away, he didn't just see a target—he saw dozens of ways to beat the goalkeeper.
'This is it,' he thought. 'This is how I prove myself.'
The referee placed the ball at the center circle. Class 1-C would kick off, leading 5-1. Aiden took his position on the left wing, bouncing slightly on his toes. Energy coursed through him like electricity.
Fweeeee!
The whistle blew.
For the first five minutes of the second half, Aiden might as well have been invisible. His teammates passed the ball between themselves, but never to him. When attacks developed, they looked for Xie Jincheng, the other forward who had actually managed to score in the first half.
Aiden raised his arms and called for the ball twice, but both times he was ignored. The sting of rejection burned in his chest, but he kept moving, kept positioning himself for opportunities that never came.
Then Xie Jincheng scored again.
The ball deflected off a defender's leg and fell perfectly for Xie Jincheng just eight meters from goal. He didn't waste the chance, driving it low into the corner. Class 1-A had their second goal, though they still trailed 2-5 after Class 1-C answered back almost immediately.
Aiden watched his teammates celebrate with Xie Jincheng and felt something cold settle in his stomach. While his fellow forward was building confidence with goals, Aiden was being frozen out completely.
'I need to force the issue,' he realized. 'No one's going to just hand me a chance.'
His opportunity came in the 38th minute. Peng Haozhong, their squad leader and one of their best players, intercepted a lazy pass near the halfway line. The Class 1-C defense scrambled to get back into position as Peng Haozhong pushed forward with the ball.
Aiden sprinted toward the penalty area, timing his run to stay onside. When he reached the edge of the 18-yard box, he threw his right hand up high and shouted as loud as he could.
"Squad leader! Over here!"
In a professional match, such an obvious call for the ball would have drawn immediate defensive attention. But this was amateur hour.
The Class 1-C players were focused entirely on Xie Jincheng, who had two defenders shadowing his every move. They barely glanced at Aiden.
Peng Haozhong looked up and assessed his options. Xie Jincheng was well-marked. Aiden stood completely alone, with the nearest defender five meters away.
But Peng Haozhong hesitated. Aiden Shen's first-half performance had been so poor that even their squad leader had lost faith in him. Instead of passing, Peng Haozhong lowered his head and charged toward goal himself.
'Not again,' Aiden thought, watching another opportunity slip away.
But he didn't give up. Even if no one wanted to pass to him, he could still help the team win. A victory would give him 4 experience points toward his first level.
Aiden began running sideways, trying to drag defenders out of position and create space for Peng Haozhong to shoot.
The Class 1-C defenders didn't even follow him. They stayed exactly where they were, completely ignoring his movement.
'They don't see me as a threat at all,' Aiden realized. The feeling was worse than being marked closely—at least that would mean they respected his ability. This was dismissal of the most complete kind.
With nowhere else to go, Aiden changed direction and drifted into the penalty area. Maybe Peng Haozhong would miss his shot and Aiden could pick up the rebound.
Peng Haozhong pushed forward until two defenders closed in on him. He was trapped about twenty meters from goal, with limited options. But their squad leader had decent dribbling skills. He pulled the ball left, then pushed it right, creating just enough space for a shot.
His foot connected with the ball cleanly, sending it arcing toward the Class 1-C goal. The shot had good direction but lacked power and precision—exactly the kind of effort that professional goalkeepers saved easily.
The Class 1-C goalkeeper wasn't professional. As the ball approached, he panicked and rushed forward, trying to punch it away rather than catch it cleanly.
His fists connected with the ball but couldn't control the direction. Instead of sailing safely out of bounds, the ball dropped straight down into the penalty area.
Right in front of Aiden.
Time seemed to slow as the ball bounced once on the grass. Aiden didn't need to think—his body already knew what to do. The new shooting ability guided his movements like an invisible coach, positioning his left foot perfectly while his right leg drew back.
The ball was still rising from its bounce when Aiden struck it. His foot connected with the sweet spot, sending the ball on a trajectory that curved just inside the far post.
The Class 1-C goalkeeper had barely recovered from his punch when he saw the shot heading for the corner of his net.
He took one desperate step to his right, then stopped. The ball was already past him, nestling into the side netting with a satisfying swish.
Goal!
Aiden stood frozen for a moment, hardly believing what had just happened. The systematic knowledge that had flooded his mind was one thing, but seeing it work in practice was something else entirely. His shot had been perfect—not lucky, not accidental, but technically flawless.
The celebration around him snapped Aiden back to reality. His teammates were running toward him, genuine smiles replacing their earlier doubt.
Aiden regained composure and pumped his fist in the air. His first goal of the match—finally. The weight that had been pressing down on his chest since halftime suddenly lifted, replaced by a surge of pure joy.
"Yes!" he shouted, spinning around to face his teammates.