Bologna. Casteldebole Training Centre.Wednesday. Tactics Room.
The screen showed a heat map of Inter Milan. It was a solid block of blue and black, dense as a brick wall. "Inter plays a 3-5-2," Adrian Vance explained, his laser pointer circling the three defensive giants: Benjamin Pavard, Francesco Acerbi, and Alessandro Bastoni. "They are not Juventus. They don't rely on one man like Bremer. They are a hydra. You cut off one head, two more appear."
Adrian looked at Rio. "Your Judo Turn won't work. Acerbi is too experienced; he won't rush you blindly. Your Ghost skill won't work; their box is too crowded with three center-backs."
"So I'm useless?" Rio asked, crossing his arms.
"No," Adrian smirked. "You are just looking at the wrong zone." Adrian pointed to a specific area on the pitch: The Left Half-Space, just outside the penalty box, about 22 meters from the goal. "This," Adrian said reverently, "is the Del Piero Zone."
"Alessandro Del Piero," Rio muttered. "The Juventus legend."
"He made a career out of cutting inside from the left and curling the ball into the far top corner," Adrian explained. "Inter's defense is compact centrally to protect the box. But they leave space here because they expect wingers to cross. If you cut inside instead..."
"I can shoot," Rio finished.
"But not with The Cannon," Adrian warned. "If you blast it with raw power from that angle, the ball will fly straight into the parking lot. You need Curve. You need Finesse."
Rio's Apartment.Thursday Night.
Rio sat on his bed, opening the System Shop. [Current Lifespan: 343 Days]
He searched for "Curve". The prices were terrifying.
[Skill: The Beckham Curve (Right Foot)] - Cost: 25 Days. [Skill: The Messi Curl (Left Foot)] - Cost: 40 Days. [Skill: The Trivela (Quaresma)] - Cost: 15 Days.
Rio bit his lip. He couldn't afford Beckham or Messi. He needed something specific. Something pure.
He filtered by "Technique". He found a skill that wasn't attached to a specific God-Tier player, but a specific mechanical motion.
[Skill: The Golden Arc (Finesse Shot)][Grade: A][Effect: Increases Shot Curve by 85%. Automatically adjusts hip rotation and ankle lock to generate maximum side-spin. High accuracy, medium power.][Cost: 14 Days (Permanent)]
Fourteen days. Two weeks of life. It was expensive. But it was a permanent skill. It was a weapon he could use forever. If he wanted to beat Yann Sommer (Inter's Goalkeeper), he couldn't shoot straight. He had to bend physics.
Rio closed his eyes. "I'll take it."
[PURCHASE CONFIRMED][Skill Acquired: The Golden Arc][Remaining Lifespan: 329 Days]
A strange sensation cramped his right ankle. It felt like his bones were being realigned, his hip joint becoming looser. Rio stood up and swung his leg in the empty room. The motion felt different. Smoother. Like a brushstroke on a canvas rather than a hammer strike.
Stadio Renato Dall'Ara (Bologna Home).Sunday. Matchday 3.Bologna vs Inter Milan.
The stadium was packed. The victory against Juventus had ignited the city. Red and blue flares filled the air, creating a smoky haze. But the visitors were loud too. The Nerazzurri. The Champions of Italy.
Rio stood in the tunnel. Ahead of him was Lautaro Martinez. The Argentine World Cup winner was shorter than Rio expected, but he looked like a pitbull. Thick neck, intense eyes, chest puffed out. Lautaro didn't look at Rio. He was staring straight ahead, focused on the kill.
[Opponent Scan: Lautaro Martinez][Role: Complete Forward][Overall Rating: 91 (World Class)][Finishing: 95][Aggression: 99][Trait: "El Toro" (Stats increase when his team is losing)]
Rio took a deep breath. Today, I am not a Ghost. Today, I am an Artist.
The Match.Minute 55.Score: Bologna 0 - 1 Inter.
The game was suffocating. Inter had scored early through a Marcus Thuram header. Since then, they had locked the door. Their three center-backs (Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni) were impenetrable. Every cross was cleared. Every through ball was intercepted.
Rio was playing on the Left Wing today (a tactical shift by Rossi to avoid the central congestion). He was matched up against Benjamin Pavard (Inter's Right Center-Back). Pavard was a World Cup winner. Disciplined. Fast. Rio had tried to dribble past him twice. Failed twice.
"You can't pass me, kid," Pavard said in French, looking bored.
Rio drifted wide. He received the ball from the fullback. He was 25 meters from goal. The "Del Piero Zone".
Pavard stepped back slightly. He expected Rio to sprint down the line or pass backward to recycle possession. Pavard knew Rio's scouting report: Fast, tricky, good passer. But the report didn't say "Long Range Shooter".
He is giving me space, Rio realized. He thinks I'm harmless out here.
Rio didn't sprint. He rolled the ball gently to his right. He opened his body shape, hips facing the far post. Pavard realized the intention too late. "Block him!"
Rio planted his left foot. He didn't smash the ball. He caressed it. He whipped his right foot around the side of the ball, imparting maximum side-spin.
[Skill Activated: The Golden Arc]
The ball launched. It didn't look dangerous at first. It looked like it was heading wide of the far post. The Inter goalkeeper, Yann Sommer, took a small step to his left, thinking it was off-target.
Then, physics broke. The ball caught the air resistance. The Magnus Effect took over. It curved violently to the left. From "Out" to "In".
Sommer's eyes widened. He launched himself into the air, fully horizontal. But the arc was perfect. It was a rainbow made of leather. The ball sailed over Sommer's fingertips and dipped sharply at the last second.
CLANG-SWISH. It hit the inside of the post and nestled into the top corner.
GOAL.Bologna 1 - 1 Inter.
The stadium exploded. The sound was deafening. Rio stood frozen, his leg still raised in the follow-through. He had painted a masterpiece.
"DEL PIERO!" The commentator screamed on the TV broadcast. "RIO VALDES HAS FOUND THE DEL PIERO ZONE!"
Minute 70.The Bull Responds.
The celebration didn't last long. Inter was angry. Lautaro Martinez screamed at his teammates, clapping his hands aggressively. "WAKE UP! IT'S JUST ONE KID!"
Two minutes later, Inter attacked. Lautaro received the ball with his back to goal inside the box. He was marked by Lorenzo De Luca. Lautaro didn't use a System Skill. He used pure grit and experience. He spun Lorenzo, used his low center of gravity to muscle the Captain off the ball, and smashed a shot into the bottom corner. Pure power. Pure instinct.
GOAL.Bologna 1 - 2 Inter.
Lautaro ran to the corner flag, pointing to his ears, silencing the home crowd. He stared at the Bologna fans with cold eyes. I am the King here, his posture said.
Rio watched from the midfield. He realized the difference between a "System User" and a "World Class Player". Rio needed to spend 14 Days to buy a curve shot. Lautaro just... did it. Because he had trained for 15 years. I am buying shortcuts, Rio thought. But he walked the path.
Full Time.Bologna 1 - 2 Inter.
Bologna lost again. But the narrative was changing. They had fought toe-to-toe with the champions. And Rio Valdes had scored a goal of the season contender.
Rio swapped shirts with Marcus Thuram. "Nice curve," Thuram said, winking. "But you need more stamina, bro. You disappeared in the last 20 minutes."
Rio nodded, wiping sweat. Thuram was right. His E+ Stamina was drained. The "Golden Arc" shot took a toll on his hip and core muscles. He checked his System.
[Objective Complete: Score against a "Big Three" Team][Reward: +3 Days][Net Loss: 11 Days] (Cost 14 - Reward 3).
[Current Lifespan: 332 Days]
He was burning life fast. But he was climbing the mountain.
The Tunnel.
Adrian Vance was waiting. "We lost," Adrian stated the obvious. "But I scored," Rio countered.
"A beautiful goal," Adrian admitted. "But look at this." Adrian showed him the league table. Bologna was 10th. "If we want to qualify for Europe... if we want the Big Trophy Bonus (+1 Year Lifespan)... we need to win games, not just score wonder goals."
Adrian looked at Rio's trembling legs. "We have a break now. International Break. Two weeks without games." "Rest?" Rio asked hopefully.
"No," Adrian smiled, a devilish glint in his eyes. "The Transfer Window is closed. But the Free Agent market is open." "What do you mean? We have no Non-EU slots left," Rio pointed out.
"The team is weak," Adrian whispered. "We need help. I found a player. An old friend. A reject from Dortmund." Adrian showed a profile on his tablet. A picture of a Japanese midfielder with sad eyes.
[Target: Kenjiro Tanaka][Status: Free Agent (Injury Prone)][Former Club: Borussia Dortmund][Role: The Passer][Nationality: Japanese (Holds German Passport)]
"He has a German passport, so he counts as EU," Adrian explained quickly. "He sees the game like you, Rio. Maybe even better. But his knees are made of glass. No club will insure him."
Adrian looked at Rio intently. "Does your System sell Potions? Can you heal others?"
Rio froze. He checked the Shop. [Item: Recovery Spray (External)] - Only for Host.[Item: Shared Recovery Link] - Locked.
"I... I don't know," Rio said truthfully.
"Find out," Adrian commanded. "Because if we get Kenjiro... you won't have to carry this team alone. We can build a dynasty of broken toys."