Chapter 4: Bigger, Better, Hungrier
998 Words
Chapter 4: Bigger, Better, Hungrier
The only thing louder than the pounding of Kairo's feet on the worn synthetic turf was the f*****g wheezing coming out of his lungs. His breathing was that of a dying vacuum cleaner, yet he did not cease. Not until the screen came up.
[Ding: Host has completed assigned task.]
Kairo halted, stumbled, and fell on one knee, his fingers clawing the grass like the rim of the universe. One minute, perhaps two. The wheeze at last subsided to a great inhalation, and he rose. The blue translucent interface flowered in front of him, buzzing with digital respect.
---
PLAYER INFO
NAME: KAIRO HERNANDEZ
AGE: 14 (1 MONTH TO 15)
HEIGHT: 1.78M (5'10")
PROFESSION: FOOTBALLER
STATUS: YOUTH PLAYER
SYSTEM EVALUATION: A somewhat decent youth player
PLAYER RATING: 57/100
POSITION: WF/AM
POTENTIAL: 80
LEGEND POINTS: 3500
STAT POINTS: 44
---
STATS
Acceleration: 67
Sprint Speed: 69
Agility: 58
Balance: 56
Jumping: 49
Reaction: 49
Stamina: 65
Strength: 43
Positioning: 53
Vision: 64
Ball Control: 60
Crossing: 60
Dribbling: 65
Finishing: 50
Short Pass: 55
Long Pass: 50
Freekick Accuracy: 67
Long Shot: 45
Weak Foot: 3 stars
Skill Moves: 4 stars
---
SKILLS POSSESSED
Stepovers: 85% Completion
SYSTEM LEVEL: 1 (1000 Legend Points to Level 2)
---
Kairo stared at the screen, face slick with sweat and eyes bright with triumph. Two weeks of grind. Two weeks of ritual abuse at the feet of cones, dummies, and late-night drills. All that effort stacked in the bank.
"Max, let's do some divine redistribution," he muttered, grinning.
[Command received. Assign stat points.]
He dove in.
+3 to Acceleration. +1 to Sprint Speed. The burn in his calves deserved that.
+3 to Agility. +3 each to Jumping, Reaction, and Positioning. The boring ones, but essential for match awareness.
+4 to Balance. No more getting bullied off the ball like a wet noodle.
+5 to Finishing. Because f**k it, goals make legends.
+5 to Long Shot. Because someday, somewhere, he was going to scream one in from 30 meters.
+4 to Strength. So the next time some brute tried to body him, they’d bounce off.
[System recommends applying remaining stat points to Long Passing.]
Kairo blinked. "Max, when did you get so helpful?"
[When you stopped being a whiny cunt and started training like a demon.]
He snorted and dumped the last points into Long Passing. The moment it finished, a cool tingling sensation ran down his spine and across his limbs. It felt like someone had injected him with carbonated lightning.
---
UPDATED PLAYER INFO
SYSTEM EVALUATION: Youth Prospect
PLAYER RATING: 62/100
POTENTIAL: 87
---
UPDATED STATS
Acceleration: 70
Sprint Speed: 70
Agility: 61
Balance: 60
Jumping: 52
Reaction: 52
Stamina: 65
Strength: 47
Positioning: 56
Vision: 64
Ball Control: 60
Crossing: 60
Dribbling: 65
Finishing: 60
Short Pass: 55
Long Pass: 60
Freekick Accuracy: 67
Long Shot: 50
Weak Foot: 3/5
Skill Moves: 4/5
---
SKILLS
Stepovers: 85% Completion
Kairo exhaled, slumped on the ground, and just let himself feel it. He was finally becoming someone. Not good yet, no. But better. Definitely better.
Then the honk came.
Sofia was here. He packed up like a criminal hiding evidence, tossed everything into his bag, and jogged to the car.
"How was training?" she asked.
He gave her a lopsided grin. "Felt like dying. Best day of my life."
---
That night, after a shower and a smug inspection of his hard-earned quad muscles, Kairo lay on his bed in a towel, staring at the ceiling.
"Max, any risks in upgrading the system now?"
[System will go offline for ten hours during upgrade. No other negative consequences expected.]
He frowned. Ten hours was ten too many. What if Max ghosted him? What if the whole system crashed into oblivion?
He bit his lip. Then shrugged.
"f**k it. Roll the dice. Upgrade."
[Upgrade initiated. Shutting down in 3, 2, 1...]
Silence.
For the first time in two weeks, the world was normal again.
He poured himself some milk. Joined Amira and Sofia for a chaotic game of Uno. Laughed. Lost. Went to bed.
He tossed. Turned. Thought. Panicked. What if all that training was for nothing? What if tomorrow, he flopped?
But the last thought before sleep was a promise: he had survived worse. And now, he had weapons.
---
At 6 a.m., Kairo was on the floor doing yoga poses that made him look like a spiritual pretzel. Max had recommended it.
By 6:45, he was showered, dressed in a crisp tracksuit, and had triple-checked his bag. The anxiety was real.
He sat on his bed.
"Max."
[Ding. Update complete. Loading new interface.]
The new screen unfolded like origami, sharper and sleeker, with categorized tabs and a smoother font that made his old system UI look like a 2002 PowerPoint.
---
PLAYER INFO
NAME: KAIRO HERNANDEZ
AGE: 14 (5 MONTHS TO 15)
HEIGHT: 1.78M
STATUS: YOUTH PLAYER
EVALUATION: Youth Prospect
RATING: 62
POSITION: WF/AM
POTENTIAL: 87
LEGEND POINTS: 2500
---
CORE ATTRIBUTES
Speed: 70
Body Control: 57
Spatial Awareness: 60
Technique: 63
Shooting: 59
Passing: 60
Body Strength: 62
Weak Foot: 3/5
Skill Moves: 4/5
---
SKILLS POSSESSED
Stepovers: 85%
---
SYSTEM SHOP
Kairo tapped the skill tab like it owed him money.
---
SKILL SHOP
Sombrero Flick: 2500 LP (Requires 5-star skill)
La Croqueta: 1500 LP
Cruyff Turn: 1000 LP
Elastico: 2000 LP (Requires 5-star skill)
---
"Max, if I buy one, do I still need to practice it?"
[Correct. Purchase unlocks technique. Practice improves completion. Completion improves effectiveness.]
"Makes sense. Buy La Croqueta and Cruyff Turn."
[Ding. Two new skills acquired.]
---
SKILLS POSSESSED
Stepovers: 85%
La Croqueta: 50%
Cruyff Turn: 70%
---
"Why is the Cruyff higher?"
[System cross-referenced your muscle memory. You already half-know it.]
He smirked. "f**k yes."
"Kairo, ready?" Sofia called.
He slammed the interface shut like a guilty teen on incognito mode.
Time to show the world what a future legend looks like. Not just bigger. Not just better. Hungrier.
- Writer
