Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.Halftime.Score: Napoli 1 - 1 Bologna.
Tyler Stone paced the VIP box like a caged tiger. He threw his tablet onto the leather sofa. "Explain," Stone snapped at his lead data scientist. "The model said his Aerial Win Percentage was 4%. He just outjumped Di Lorenzo. Is the data wrong?"
The scientist typed frantically. "Sir, the physics don't make sense. His hang-time was 0.7 seconds. That's NBA level. We... we don't have data on his vertical leap because he never jumps in training."
Stone stared at the pitch below through the glass. "He is hiding his data," Stone whispered. "He knows we are watching. The kid is gaming the system." Stone picked up the tablet again. "Fine. Recalibrate. The goal was a statistical variance—luck. Now I want to see if he can create. Osimhen will destroy him in the second half. The Nigerian is a force of nature. No algorithm can stop him."
The Tunnel.
Rio leaned against the concrete wall, his chest heaving. His nose was bleeding again. He wiped it with his sleeve, leaving a red smear on the white away jersey. The Symbiotic Contract with Kenjiro was draining him. Every time Kenjiro made a sharp turn on his bad knee, Rio felt a dull ache in his own joints.
"Are you okay?" Kenjiro asked, limping slightly. "I'm fine," Rio lied. "Just dry air."
A huge shadow fell over them. Victor Osimhen. The Napoli striker was wearing his signature black protective mask. He looked like a comic book superhero—or supervillain. He stopped in front of Rio. He towered over him (185cm vs 175cm). Osimhen pointed at Rio's boots. "You fly good, small man," Osimhen said in English, his voice muffled by the mask. "But this is my sky."
Rio looked up. [Opponent Scan: Victor Osimhen][Role: Poacher / Target Man][Athleticism: 99 (S+)][Trait: "The Masked God" (Attributes increase by 20% in the final 15 minutes)]
"We'll see," Rio replied, trying to sound confident.
Second Half. Minute 60.Napoli Awakens.
Napoli came out angry. The champions turned up the heat. Lobotka and Anguissa dominated the midfield, suffocating Kenjiro. Bologna couldn't get out of their own box.
Minute 65.Kvaratskhelia dribbled down the left. He cut inside and floated a cross. It wasn't a tactical cross. It was a chaotic ball into the box. Three Bologna defenders surrounded Osimhen. It didn't matter.
Osimhen didn't use a skill. He didn't use a system. He just jumped. He rose like a rocket, smashing into Bologna's defenders with pure muscular power. He hung in the air—athletic dominance—and powered a header toward the goal. Skorupski (Bologna keeper) made a miracle save, pushing it away.
But Osimhen landed, spun instantly like a cat, and smashed the rebound into the net before anyone else could react.
GOAL.Napoli 2 - 1 Bologna.
The stadium erupted. Osimhen! Osimhen! The striker ran to the camera, pointing to his mask and then his chest. It was raw power. Unstoppable.
Rio watched from the halfway line. I spent 12 days to jump like that once, Rio thought bitterly. He does it every 5 minutes for free. This was the gap between a mortal buying power and a god born with it.
Minute 80.The Algorithm's Verdict.
Tyler Stone checked his watch. "Ten minutes left. Valdes is tired. His sprint speed has dropped by 15%." Stone smiled coldly. "The goal was luck. He hasn't created a single chance since then. The algorithm wins. We sell him in January."
On the pitch, Rio was indeed dying. [Stamina: 10% (Critical)][Lifespan: 316 Days]
Adrian Vance's voice echoed in his memory: Stone predicted you are a fraud who can't create. Rio had 1 Shot (The Goal). But he had 0 Key Passes. To beat the bet completely, he needed to assist.
"Kenjiro!" Rio shouted. Kenjiro looked up. He was barely walking. His knee was on fire. "One more," Rio signaled. "Give me one more."
Minute 88.The Final Glitch.
Napoli was confident. They were pushing for a third goal to kill the game. They lost the ball high up the pitch. Kenjiro picked it up. Anguissa charged at him. Kenjiro didn't have the energy for a fancy turn. He just closed his eyes and swung his leg. A long, desperate clearance over the top.
Rio saw it coming. He was running against Natan (Napoli CB) and Di Lorenzo. Rio's legs were lead. He couldn't outrun them in a straight sprint. He needed to outthink them.
The ball bounced. Rio controlled it with his chest, landing just outside the box. He was 20 meters from goal. The Del Piero Zone.
The Napoli defenders panicked. They remembered the Inter game. They knew he could curl it. "BLOCK THE SHOT!" Di Lorenzo screamed. Three defenders rushed at Rio to block the Golden Arc. Even Osimhen sprinted back to help.
Tyler Stone watched the screen. [Action Prediction: Finesse Shot][Block Probability: 95%]
Rio wound up his leg. His hips opened. His body shape was perfect for the curl. The defenders slid to block. The keeper shifted his weight to the far post. Stone smirked. He's predictable.
But Rio didn't shoot. At the last millisecond, he chopped his foot down. The Fake Shot (Ronaldo Chop).
The defenders slid past him like cars on ice. But Rio didn't shoot with his left either. He knew the angle was too tight. He saw something the algorithm missed. A shadow running into the box. Joshua Zirkzee.
Rio slid a gentle, reverse pass through the chaos. A "Key Pass" that cut out four defenders. Zirkzee was alone in front of goal. He tapped it in.
GOAL.Napoli 2 - 2 Bologna.
The stadium went silent. Rio fell to his knees. He didn't score the winner. But he had created it.
Full Time.Napoli 2 - 2 Bologna.
The whistle blew. A draw at the Maradona. A massive result for Bologna. Rio lay on the grass, staring at the night sky. A hand pulled him up. It was Victor Osimhen.
The Nigerian exchanged shirts with Rio. "You are tricky," Osimhen said, wiping sweat. "You don't play like a normal Number 10. You play like... a thief." Osimhen grinned, revealing white teeth. "See you in Bologna, thief."
Rio held the heavy, sweat-soaked Napoli jersey. I survived.
The VIP Box.
Tyler Stone stared at the final stats on his screen. Rio Valdes:Shots: 1 (Goal)Key Passes: 1 (Assist)Algorithm Prediction Accuracy: 0%.
Stone slammed the tablet shut. The screen cracked under the force. He looked at his assistant. "Cancel the Transfer Listing."
"Sir?"
"We don't sell him," Stone said, adjusting his sunglasses. "The algorithm is broken. He broke it." Stone looked down at Rio, who was limping off the field with Kenjiro. "We don't sell him. We stress-test him." "What does that mean?"
"It means we find his breaking point," Stone smiled coldly. "If he survives the league... we throw him into the Coppa Italia. Against the butchers."
The Bus Ride Home.
Rio sat next to Adrian. "We stay?" Rio asked, holding an ice pack to his nose.
"We stay," Adrian confirmed, checking his laptop. "Stone officially canceled the sale order. He lost money on a bet against his own player." Adrian looked at Rio's health monitor. "But Rio... you lost 12 Days for the Jump skill. And 1 Day for Kenjiro's contract." [Current Lifespan: 315 Days]
"We have less than a year," Adrian whispered. "And the season hasn't even hit winter."
Rio touched his chest. The Bionic Heart was humming louder than usual. "Then we need to win faster," Rio said. "What's next?"
Adrian scrolled down the schedule. "Next week... The Milan Derby (Inter vs Milan) is happening. We don't play. But we should watch." "Why?"
"Because there is a rumor," Adrian said, showing a news clip from Brazil. [AC Milan signs new Prodigy from Santos FC.][Name: Silas "The Dancer"][Age: 18][Transfer Fee: €45 Million]
"Another wonderkid?" Rio asked.
Adrian zoomed in on the photo of Silas. In the photo, Silas was doing a trick. But there was something odd. A faint, digital glimmer around his eyes. "I hacked the medical records," Adrian whispered. "His heart rate is weird, Rio. Just like yours."
Rio's blood ran cold. "Another System User?"
"Maybe," Adrian said. "Or maybe just a monster. But if there are others... the Gacha game isn't single-player anymore."