Peng Haozhong jogged over with a wide grin, slapping Aiden hard on the back. "You lucky dog! Perfect timing to clean up my mess."
Xie Jincheng appeared next, offering a high-five. "Nice finish, man. Keep it up."
As they walked back toward the center circle, other teammates drifted over to offer their congratulations. Shoulders were patted, hands were shaken, and for the first time all day, Aiden felt like he truly belonged on the field.
From the goal line, Geng Yang watched the celebration with narrowed eyes. He muttered something under his breath—Aiden couldn't hear the exact words, but the goalkeeper's expression said everything. He wasn't impressed by one lucky rebound goal.
The scoreboard now read 3-5, still a significant deficit, but the goal had done more than just narrow the gap. It had proven something important—to his teammates, to his opponents, and most importantly, to himself.
As they lined up for kickoff, Aiden felt the system respond in his mind. A message appeared: [Goal scored. +2 experience points. Current experience: 2/10.]
He was one step closer to level 1, one step closer to unlocking new possibilities. But more than that, he had finally shown everyone what he could do with the ball at his feet.
Aiden looked at the Class 1-C players as they prepared to restart the match. They were no longer ignoring him. Several defenders glanced in his direction, suddenly aware that he might be dangerous after all.
'Good,' he thought. 'Now let's see what else I can do.'
The restart took longer than usual. Players from both teams seemed to sense that something had shifted in the game's rhythm.
Class 1-C no longer looked as confident as they had earlier, while Class 1-A carried themselves with new energy.
Most importantly, Aiden Chen's teammates finally started passing him the ball.
What happened next left everyone on the field—and watching from the sidelines—completely stunned.
In the 41st minute, Xie Jincheng sent a cross sailing toward the penalty area. Aiden timed his run perfectly, arriving at the ball just as it bounced once off the grass.
Without taking a touch to control it, he swung his right foot in a fluid motion that felt as natural as breathing.
The ball rocketed off his foot, staying low as it arrowed toward the bottom corner of the goal. The Class 1-C goalkeeper dove desperately but couldn't get close. The net bulged as the ball struck it with a satisfying thud.
Two goals.
The sideline erupted. Students from Class 1-A jumped up from where they had been sitting, shouting and pointing at Aiden Shen. Even some neutral observers began paying closer attention to the quiet boy who had suddenly found his shooting boots.
Three minutes later, Aiden struck again.
This time it was a perfectly timed run that beat the offside trap. A long ball from midfield dropped just ahead of him as he sprinted toward goal.
The Class 1-C goalkeeper rushed out to narrow the angle, but Aiden stayed calm. He waited until the keeper committed to one side, then slotted the ball calmly into the opposite corner.
Hat trick!
The cheers from the sideline were now deafening. Aiden's teammates mobbed him after the goal, their earlier skepticism completely forgotten. Even players from Class 1-C were shaking their heads in disbelief.
"Where did this come from?" one of them asked his teammate. "He couldn't hit water falling out of a boat in the first half."
The fourth goal came in the 47th minute. Xie Jincheng's shot was blocked by a defender, but the ball fell kindly for Aiden six meters from goal.
With no time to set himself properly, he simply stuck out his toe and redirected the ball toward the net.
It was the kind of instinctive finish that separated good strikers from great ones. The ball slipped between the goalkeeper's legs and trickled over the line before he could react.
Four goals in six minutes.
The Class 1-C players were no longer just defending—they were panicking. Every time Aiden touched the ball near their penalty area, they swarmed toward him like bees protecting their hive.
But the damage was already done. His confidence was sky-high, and his shooting felt absolutely unstoppable.
The fifth opportunity came in the 52nd minute, but this time Aiden Shen's perfectionism got the better of him.
Clean through on goal with only the keeper to beat, he tried to curl the ball into the top corner rather than simply finishing into the bottom corner. His shot cannoned off the post and flew out for a goal kick.
The miss drew groans from his teammates and sighs of relief from Class 1-3. Aiden held his head in his hands, frustrated that he had tried to be too clever.
But he didn't have to wait long for redemption.
In the 59th minute, with the match nearly over, Peng Haozhong threaded a pass into the penalty area.
Aiden collected it with his back to goal, a Class 1-3 defender pressing tight against him. There was no room to turn, no space to shoot normally.
So Aiden did something unexpected. Without even looking at the goal, he flicked the ball backward with his heel. The defender had been pushing forward, expecting Aiden to try to turn and shoot.
Instead, the ball rolled through his legs and into the path of the surprised goalkeeper, who could only watch as it trickled into the bottom corner.
Five goals!
The final whistle blew moments later, but the scoreboard told a bittersweet story: Class 1-A had lost 7-8.
Despite Lu Wenbin's incredible second-half performance, Class 1-C had managed to score three more, keeping their narrow advantage.
As the players shook hands and began collecting their belongings, Aiden Shen felt a mix of euphoria and disappointment. Five goals in one half was beyond his wildest dreams, but losing the match left a sour taste in his mouth.
His body ached from the rough treatment he had received from frustrated Class 1-C defenders. His shins were scraped, his shirt was dirty, and he had a small cut on his elbow from diving to reach a loose ball. But none of the physical discomfort could dampen the incredible high of scoring five goals.
Just as he was savoring the memory of each strike, the system's electronic voice echoed in his mind:
[Congratulations to host for scoring 5 goals in this match. Gained 10 experience points. Experience: 10/10. Upgrade conditions met.]
[Congratulations on successful upgrade.
Reward: 5 skill points.
Current level: 1.
Experience: 0/20.]
[Congratulations on reaching level 1. Mission system now available.]
[New mission available. Please review.]
Aiden's excitement spiked even higher. Level 1 already, plus another 5 skill points to spend. And now he could access missions, which promised even more rewards.
He mentally opened the mission interface, eager to see what challenges awaited him.
[Mission 1: First Victory]
[Mission Description: As a striker with a shooting attribute of 14 points, failing to help your class defeat their opponents in an amateur high school match is unacceptable. You must prove your worth.]
[Requirements: Within 10 days, play another 60-minute match against Class 1-C and achieve victory.]
[Success Reward: 5 experience points and 1 skill point.]
[Failure Penalty: Shooting attribute reduced by 50% for 6 months.]
Aiden's brows furrowed as he read the failure penalty. A 50% reduction would drop his shooting from 14 back down to 7—worse than he had been before the system arrived. For six months, he would be even more hopeless than he had been in the first half.
The system was clearly testing him, seeing if he could deliver when it mattered most. There was no way he could accept that penalty. He had to arrange another match with Class 1-C, and this time, he had to make sure his team won.
Aiden hurried over to where Peng Haozhong was talking with some other players.
"Squad leader," he said, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice. "We should schedule a rematch with Class 1-C."
Peng Haozhong raised an eyebrow. "What's this? Five goals in one game and you're still hungry for more?"
"Exactly!" Aiden nodded eagerly. "Look, I scored five goals and we still couldn't beat them. That's not right. We need to get revenge."
Peng Haozhong considered this for a moment, then turned to the other players. "What do you guys think? Up for another round against Class 1-C?"
Xie Jincheng was the first to respond. "I'm in. Aiden didn't play well in the first half today, but look what happened when he got going. If he plays like that for a full match, we'll destroy them."
Another teammate nodded enthusiastically. "Today was our first proper 11-a-side game as a team. We had no organization, no real tactics. Give us time to prepare properly, figure out our positions and roles, and we'll be much better."
One by one, the other players voiced their agreement. The narrow defeat had stung, especially after Aiden's incredible second-half comeback. Everyone wanted a chance to prove themselves again.
Peng Haozhong grinned. "Alright then. I'll talk to their sports rep and team captain. Let's see if we can set something up for next week."
As his teammates began making plans for the rematch, Aiden felt some of his panic subside. They were just as eager as he was to play again, which meant arranging the match shouldn't be difficult.
But winning it—that would be the real challenge. Class 1-C had proven they could score goals too, and they wouldn't be caught off guard by his improved shooting a second time.
Aiden looked at his 5 new skill points and began planning how to use them. If he was going to guarantee victory in the rematch, he might need more than just elite shooting ability.
The mission timer had already started counting down: [9 days, 23 hours, 47 minutes remaining.]
Time to get to work.