◆ CHAPTER 32 — First Trials, Absolute Mastery
The sun rose over São Paulo Football Club, bathing the sprawling, state-of-the-art facility in golden light. Birds chirped faintly, but Árman barely noticed. His mind was already at the pitch, already running, already calculating.
At seven years old, he had already mastered every football skill imaginable: striker, winger, playmaker, dribbling, passing, set-pieces, vision, stamina, reflexes—everything. Tonight's synthesis in his dimension had fused every template into a single, perfect football being.
And today, the trials would begin.
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◆ Arrival at the Club
Árman arrived with his father, Leonardo, driving the sleek family car through the gates.
His cousins were already warming up:
Lorenzo Duarte (7) – calm, tactical, observing the field carefully.
Thiago Duarte (7) – hyper, protective, energetic.
Emilia Duarte (6) – devoted, playful, always watching Árman with admiration.
The coaches, staff, and older players were preparing for the day's sessions. Most expected another talented child, maybe a prodigy in physical ability.
They had no idea what awaited them.
Árman stepped onto the pitch. The light hit his hair, glinting like spun silver. His golden eyes scanned the field, calm and calculating. Every muscle, every nerve, every neuron was perfectly aligned to the game.
Even standing still, he radiated control, intelligence, and raw ability.
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◆ Warm-Up — Already Perfect
The coaches began with basic warm-ups:
Sprints
Passing drills
Ball control exercises
Agility cones
Árman moved seamlessly. His sprinting was smooth yet explosive. Each dribble precise, each pass perfect.
Other children struggled with coordination, missed passes, or lost balance. Árman completed the same drills without breaking a sweat, every movement exact, every angle calculated instinctively.
The first whisper among the staff:
> "How… is he moving like that at seven?"
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◆ Dribbling & Ball Control
Next came one-on-one dribbling drills. Players had to get past defenders and maintain control under pressure.
Árman approached calmly.
Feints, stepovers, drag-backs, roulettes—all executed instinctively.
The ball clung to his feet as if magnetized.
He could fake left, go right, accelerate, decelerate—every motion pre-calculated in real-time.
Defenders lunged, attempted tackles, but every move of theirs was already anticipated. Árman shifted the ball around them effortlessly.
Coaches stopped and stared.
> "This isn't a child…" one whispered.
"It's… a genius," another said.
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◆ Passing & Vision
Drills shifted to passing and playmaking.
Short passes, long passes, diagonal balls, wall passes, through balls—each executed with surgical precision.
Every teammate's position, every opponent's reaction predicted instinctively.
Even under pressure, Árman's passes found their target every single time.
He orchestrated the drills like a chess master controlling the board, turning simple exercises into near-perfect executions of advanced tactics.
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◆ Shooting & Finishing
Coaches moved to shooting practice.
Volleys, chips, headers, long shots—Árman executed all perfectly.
Every shot placed exactly where intended, every trajectory calculated for maximum efficiency.
Goalkeepers, even older and taller, couldn't stop a single shot.
> "This is… impossible," muttered the head coach, watching a seven-year-old hit every target perfectly.
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◆ Set-Piece Domination
Free kicks, corners, and penalties came next.
Free kicks curved perfectly over walls and into corners.
Corner deliveries landed exactly where intended, no miscalculations.
Penalties executed with flawless precision, every shot impossible to guess or stop.
Even coaches with decades of experience couldn't understand the level of control this child exhibited.
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◆ Positional Mastery & Game Intelligence
Árman's skills were not just technical—they were tactical:
Switching from striker to winger to playmaker seamlessly, never losing efficiency.
Reading teammates' and opponents' movements instantly.
Always in the optimal position, even before the ball moved.
Anticipating attacks and counterattacks like he had played thousands of matches in his mind.
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◆ Reactions of Family and Coaches
His cousins, already impressed with his modeling and intelligence, were now in awe.
Coaches huddled, whispering urgently:
> "We've never seen anything like this."
"At seven… it's impossible for a human."
"And yet… here he is."
Even older players watching the trials were stunned.
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◆ Árman's Perspective
Árman wasn't nervous. He wasn't trying.
Every step, every movement, every touch, every pass, every shot—was instinctive.
His body, mind, and skills worked as one unit, perfected by the night in his dimension.
He could feel the game flowing through him—every player, every ball, every opportunity, every threat.
It was not magic.
It was absolute mastery.
And this was only the beginning.
> "Tomorrow… we take it further," he whispered to himself.