31: Targeted by the Top Seeds
833 Words
The team’s celebratory mood lasted all the way back to the team hotel. For years, Santo Antonio had been the invisible underdog in every tournament, overlooked, underestimated, and brushed off as free points for elite teams. But after knocking out São Paulo Royal, the entire landscape of the Group of Death had flipped overnight.
The second the players stepped into the hotel lobby, they could feel the difference. Other teams’ players who’d previously ignored them now stole frequent glances, whispering quietly among themselves. Some craned their necks to get a look at Leo, the unknown defender who’d single-handedly neutered Ethan Voss, the region’s once-celebrated prodigy.
Tiago leaned over to Leo, voice low and amused, poking fun at the sudden attention. “We’re famous now. Feels weird, right? Yesterday, no one knew our names. Today, we’re the team everyone’s scared of.”
“More like everyone’s watching us now,” Leo corrected softly, his expression calm. He knew better than to get carried away by temporary fame. Beating one arrogant elite team was impressive, but the group stage still had two brutal matches left, and their upcoming opponents were far more terrifying than São Paulo Royal.
Carlos plopped down on the hotel sofa, scrolling through tournament updates on his phone. His casual smile quickly faded, replaced by a sharp frown. “Uh, guys… we’ve got a problem.”
The whole team gathered around instantly. The official regional tournament rankings and group stage analysis had just been updated. Santo Antonio’s win had pushed them to second place in the group table, only trailing the undefeated top seed, Minas General Academy. More importantly, the tournament’s official tactical report had singled out Leo as the team’s core defensive pillar, marking him as the biggest variable in the entire group stage.
Every upcoming opponent had officially locked onto them.
“They’re putting full scouting focus on you,” Carlos muttered, reading off the screen. “Minas General’s coach said our defensive system is ‘unusually disruptive for a public school team’ and that they’ll adjust their entire offensive lineup specifically to counter you.”
A quiet tense silence fell over the team. Minas General Academy was the absolute top-tier powerhouse of the region. They had no flashy, arrogant stars like Ethan, no over-the-top pre-game posing, just brutal, systematic, flawless team football. They were disciplined, ruthless, and never underestimated any opponent—meaning Leo’s Vanity Shutdown passive would barely work on them.
“Great,” Tiago sighed jokingly, scratching his head. “We destroyed the peacock, and now we’ve attracted the real lion.”
Just as they were digesting the news, Coach Ferreira walked into the lobby with a stack of printed scouting reports in his hand. His face was serious, no trace of the rare smile he’d worn after their victory. He’d never been one to let his team rest on their laurels.
“I’m sure you’ve all seen the updates,” the coach said bluntly. “Our upset win made us a target. From this moment on, no team in the group will take us lightly. Every route, every defensive habit, every weakness we have is being studied.”
He placed the reports on the table, pointing to Minas General’s starting lineup. “Our next match is against the group’s undisputed top seed. They don’t have ego-driven stars, but they have perfect coordination, zero mental lapses, and the best offensive reading ability in the region. They won’t self-sabotage like São Paulo Royal.”
The team’s lighthearted mood faded into focused seriousness. The easy, meme-filled victory was over. What awaited them next was a pure strength showdown, no opponent mistakes to capitalize on, no arrogant blunders to exploit.
Leo flipped through the scouting report quietly, his eyes sweeping over Minas General’s data. Their players were all well-rounded, stable, and mentally tough—precisely the type of opponents his current skills were least effective against. His Vanity Shutdown talent was practically useless here, leaving him to rely purely on his Predatory Read and raw defensive ability.
“They’re coming for me,” Leo muttered to himself.
“They’re coming for all of us,” Coach Ferreira corrected firmly, before softening his tone slightly. “But this is exactly the stage you need. Beating arrogant elites is luck. Beating disciplined champions is a true strength.”
As if on cue, Leo’s system triggered a new official mission, clearing away the afterglow of the last victory and pointing toward their next brutal challenge.
[New Group Stage Mission Triggered: Defy the Top Seed]
[Mission Briefing: Hold off Minas General’s full offensive firepower, prevent a landslide defeat, and create an upset opportunity against the undefeated top seed.]
[Special Reward: Massive attribute growth, talent evolution qualification, and official regional top-player ranking inclusion.]
Leo closed the scouting report, his eyes sharp and focused. The silly meme fame and easy humiliation of arrogant elites were behind them. The real test of their underdog journey was just around the corner.
The underdog’s upward rise had officially begun.
- Writer
