The faint aroma of wet grass filled the air, mingling with the crisp bite of an early Italian morning.
Birds fluttered over the training ground of Virtus Lombardia Youth, where young players were already sprinting under the sharp gaze of their coaches.
But among them stood one boy, frozen — eyes wide, heart pounding.
Jaeven Moretti Han.
Sixteen years old. Korean–Italian.
Reborn in a body that wasn't his… yet somehow felt more his than anything ever had.
His hands trembled as the blue interface hovered before him — clear, futuristic, and almost divine.
---
> [Status Window — Divine Echelon Framework]
Name: Jaeven Moretti Han
Age: 16
Team: Virtus Lombardia Youth
Nationality: Korean–Italian
Position(s): SS / LW
Dominant Foot: Both (Double Foot — A-Rank)
Traits:
— Double Foot (A)
— Spectral Awareness (S)
— Ball Control (S)
— Hidden EX Traits (Locked)
Stats:
Physical:
Strength — 28
Speed — 34
Stamina — 31
Agility — 36
Balance — 33
Technical:
Passing — 29
Shooting — 27
Dribbling — 35
First Touch — 32
Crossing — 28
Mental:
Vision — 40
Decision Making — 30
Will — 73
Perseverance — 81
Charm: 39
Hidden Potential: EX
[System: Divine Echelon Framework Activated]
[Starter Pack Claimed]
[Item Obtained: Phase Card — Neymar Jr. (2012 Goal vs Atlético Mineiro)]
[Skills Acquired: Step Over (Player Skill), Quick Tap Dribble (Player Skill), Flair Touch (Special Skill)]
[Feature Unlocked: Mental Training Room]
---
Jaeven exhaled slowly.
His stats were… terrible.
"Why are my numbers so low?" he muttered. "Even a bench player has better stats than this."
Then he noticed the small note beneath his stats.
> [Body Synchronization: 36% — System adapts gradually to physical vessel.]
So that was it.
Even with his powerful traits, he couldn't use them properly yet.
Still… he clenched his fists.
For someone who once couldn't even walk ten steps without coughing blood, having any strength at all felt divine.
---
The coach's whistle broke his thoughts.
"Han! Stop standing around! You're with the B group today!"
"Yes, sir!" Jaeven shouted instinctively — his voice steady, clear.
The coach looked mildly surprised. "Good. Don't slack off. This isn't a charity club."
Jaeven jogged toward the line of players wearing orange bibs.
As he ran, he felt his new body — the way his feet pressed against the earth, how the muscles responded instantly.
It was foreign… but intoxicating.
---
"Hey, new kid!" one of the older players called out.
"Don't slow us down, yeah? You're the sickly Korean the coach picked up from nowhere, right?"
Jaeven smiled faintly. "Guess we'll find out."
They scoffed. "Big words for a rookie."
The whistle blew.
Training began.
The drill was simple: one-touch passing and movement under pressure.
Simple… but brutal for weak players.
The ball came to Jaeven.
He reacted instinctively — his body flowing in motion, foot adjusting perfectly.
Tap. Pass. Move.
Tap. Pass. Move.
It wasn't flashy, but it was clean.
Too clean for someone his level.
---
A faint glow flickered at the corner of his vision.
> [Spectral Awareness (S) — Activated Temporarily]
The field's movements slowed in his mind — not time itself, but his perception of it.
He could sense spacing, see patterns forming.
He predicted where his teammate would run before the pass was even made.
Tap. Turn. Flick.
The ball obeyed him like an extension of thought.
"Who the hell is this kid?" someone muttered.
---
As he settled into rhythm, another notification appeared.
> [Experience Progress: Ball Control +0.3]
[Dribbling +0.2]
[Body Synchronization: 37%]
His lips curled upward.
"So I can get stronger through play… not bad."
Minutes passed. Sweat poured. But Jaeven felt alive.
When the coach called for a scrimmage, Jaeven was already itching to test something.
He glanced at the system again.
The glowing Phase Card hovered beside his vision — Neymar Jr. (2012).
He wanted to use it. Every cell screamed for it.
But he remembered what the system had said:
> [Phase Cards can only be used once.]
His instincts told him to save it.
He wasn't ready. Not yet.
---
When the scrimmage started, Jaeven found himself on the left wing.
The first few touches were shaky — his speed and strength betrayed him.
He was easily knocked off balance, outmuscled.
Mocking laughter echoed from the sidelines.
But instead of frustration, a quiet fire burned in his chest.
He could see everything, even if his body couldn't match yet.
> "You're still weak," he whispered to himself. "But you have time. You have this chance."
A whistle ended the match.
The coach blew his nose into a towel and frowned. "Han! You've got awareness… but no body. Build your physique or you're useless."
Jaeven nodded respectfully. "Understood."
As everyone walked off the field, Jaeven stayed behind.
The sun dipped low, casting golden hues across the empty pitch.
He opened the system again and saw a new notification.
> [New Feature Unlocked: Mental Training Room Available]
[Would you like to enter? Y/N]
Jaeven smirked.
A chance to train without tiring? He didn't hesitate.
> "Yes."
---
The world blinked.
He stood now in an endless white space — a digital version of the Virtus Lombardia training pitch.
> [Mental Training Room — Player can simulate drills and skill practice. Progress translates partially into real-world improvement.]
A football materialized before him.
He looked at his reflection in the faint light — the same black hair, the mismatched eyes, burning brighter than before.
"This is where it starts," he whispered.
He placed the ball before him, took a deep breath, and began to move — slow, careful touches, foot to foot.
Every sound, every motion felt amplified.
With each touch, he gained understanding — rhythm, balance, flow.
> [Ball Control +0.5]
[Dribbling +0.4]
[Body Synchronization: 39%]
He smiled faintly.
In his old world, he could only watch.
In this one… he could become.
---
As the simulated sun rose in that digital field, Jaeven whispered,
> "No more weakness. No more envy. This time… I'll carve my name into football itself."
And the Divine Echelon Framework hummed in silent approval,
preparing to shape a sickly man's dream into a legend's reality.