The school day passed in a blur. Marco sat through mathematics, German literature, and English classes in a daze, his body present but his mind light-years away. The teachers' voices faded into background noise as he mentally reviewed everything the system had shown him that morning.
Cut inside move: 7.5/10. That's my best skill. But 7.5 isn't enough. Dennis has it at probably 8.5. Leon's passing is probably 9.0. I need to close the gap.
"Reus!" The English teacher's voice cut through his thoughts. "Perhaps you could answer the question?"
Marco blinked, suddenly aware that the entire class was staring at him. The teacher—middle-aged, stern-looking Frau Schneider—waited with raised eyebrows.
Shit. What was the question?
But his classmate Tim, sitting beside him, had his textbook open. Marco's eyes darted to the page: Chapter 3, Present Perfect Tense.
"Uh... I have played football?" Marco tried, knowing his English from his previous life was far better than a German fifteen-year-old's should be.
Frau Schneider nodded. "Correct. Though please pay attention, Mr. Reus. Your English is good, but that's no reason to daydream!"
"Sorry, miss Schneider."
I have to be more careful, Marco thought as the lesson continued. Though there is no need to hide the fact that my English is way better than those average German teenager. But Frau Schneider might kick me out of the class if it continued.
When the final bell rang at 3:00 PM, Marco felt like a prisoner being released. He practically ran back to the dormitory, changed into training gear, and grabbed his ball.
The academy had practice pitches available for individual work. Most players went home or hung out after classes, tired from the morning session. But Marco jogged to an empty pitch near the back of the complex, placed his ball in the centre circle, and called up the system.
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[Individual Training Session: INITIATED ]
#Recommended Focus:
Cut Inside Move (7.5/10 → Target: 8.0/10)
#This skill is identified as:
- Natural talent (★ designation)
- High-value for left winger position
- Signature move potential
#Current limitations:
- Execution speed: 6.8/10
- Body feint quality: 7.2/10
- Touch spacing: 7.1/10
- Finish accuracy: 7.5/10
#Training Protocol:
Phase 1: Slow-motion repetition (understanding mechanics)
Phase 2: Full-speed execution (building muscle memory)
Phase 3: Against resistance (cone as defender)
Phase 4: With finishing (complete the action)
#Recommended repetitions: 100 minimum for measurable improvement
#Estimated time: 90 minutes
Begin?
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Marco took a deep breath. 100 repetitions. Ninety minutes. This is what it takes.
"Begin," he said aloud.
The system highlighted his field of vision, drawing glowing lines that only he could see—the optimal path, the ideal touch spacing, the perfect angle of approach.
[#Repetition 1: Slow Motion Phase:
Step 1: Approach ball at 40% speed
Step 2: Plant left foot 18cm left of ball
Step 3: Weight on left foot, hips open 45°
Step 4: Using outside right foot, cut ball right
Step 5: Accelerate out of cut with second touch
Execute ]
Marco approached the ball at a jog, following the system's guidance precisely.
Plant left foot.
Shift weight.
Outside of right foot touches ball, cutting it sharply right.
Accelerate forward.
[Repetition 1: Complete
Rating: 6.2/10
#Issues detected:
- Left foot plant 4cm too far left (reduced stability)
- Hip angle only 38° (insufficient power generation)
- Second touch too heavy (lost 0.3 seconds) ]
Adjust and repeat.No praise. Just analysis. Just what needed fixing.
Marco reset, tried again.
[Repetition 2: Complete
Rating: 6.5/10
#Issues detected:
- Left foot plant improved (+2cm correction)
- Hip angle 42° (better, still suboptimal)
- Second touch improved (within acceptable range)]
Continue.Again. Reset. Execute.
[Repetition 3: Complete
Rating: 6.8/10
Improvement trajectory: Positive ]
Again. And again. And again.
Ten repetitions. Twenty. Thirty. Marco's legs began to burn. Sweat dripped down his face despite the cool September air. His breathing grew laboured.
But the numbers climbed.
[Repetition 47: Complete
Rating: 7.1/10
Note: Muscle memory formation detected. Body beginning to automate movement pattern. ]
Around repetition fifty, something clicked. His body stopped fighting the movement and started flowing through it. The cut felt natural, instinctive. Like it had always been there, just waiting to be uncovered.
[Repetition 58: Complete
Rating: 7.4/10
Significant improvement. Mechanics solidifying.
#Recommendation:
Transition to Phase 2- Full Speed Execution]
Marco paused, hands on knees, gulping air. His lungs burned. His thighs screamed. In his previous life, he would have quit after ten minutes. But this body—young, athletic, optimized—could handle more.
And I need more, he thought grimly. Average isn't enough.
"Phase Two," he gasped. "Begin."
The system shifted its display. The glowing path remained, but now it emphasized speed, explosiveness, the snap of deceleration and acceleration that made the move dangerous.
[Phase 2: Full Speed Execution
The cut inside move's effectiveness comes from:
1. Pace entering the move (defender must respect speed)
2. Sudden deceleration (defender's momentum commits)
3. Sharp directional change (defender cannot recover)
4. Explosive acceleration out (create separation)
Execute at 85%+ speed. Slower is insufficient to replicate match conditions. ]
Marco backed up ten meters, took a breath, and sprinted toward the ball.
The acceleration felt electric. Fifteen-year-old legs pumping, wind in his face, ball ahead. Plant foot. Shift weight. Cut—
Too hard. The ball skipped away from him, rolling out of control.
[Repetition 59: FAILED
Rating: 3.2/10
#Issue:
Touch too heavy at speed. Reduce contact force by 15%. ]
He reset. Sprinted again. This time lighter touch—
[Repetition 60: Complete
Rating: 6.9/10
Better. Touch weight improved. Acceleration out still slow. ]
The failures were frustrating, but Marco forced himself to stay calm. This is the process. This is what improvement looks like. Fail, adjust, repeat.
By repetition seventy-five, he was consistently hitting 7.5 ratings at full speed. His body had adapted, learned, absorbed the pattern. The cut felt crisp, dangerous. He could imagine a defender's weight shifting the wrong way, caught flat-footed as he exploded past.
[Repetition 89: Complete
Rating: 7.7/10
Excellent. Approaching target threshold.
#Recommendation:
Transition to Phase 3 - Simulated Pressure]
Marco placed a training cone five meters from the ball, imagining it as a defender. The system overlaid a glowing figure on the cone, showing optimal positioning, expected movements.
[Phase 3: Against Resistance
Approach as if defender is real. Make decision-making component:
- Will defender commit early? (Exploit with speed)
- Will defender wait? (Sell with feint)
- Will defender anticipate cut? (Counter with going outside) ]
React to defensive positioning.
This was different. Not just execution, but reading, adapting, deciding. The tactical element that separated good players from great ones.
Marco approached the cone at speed. The system showed the imaginary defender holding position. He's waiting, not committing.
Marco gave a subtle shoulder drop to the right, selling the outside move. Then cut left sharply, bursting past where the defender's weight would have been.
[Repetition 90: Complete
Rating: 7.9/10
Excellent tactical decision.
Feint successfully sold fictitious defender.
#Note: Actual defenders will be more complex. But foundation is sound.]
Ninety repetitions became one hundred. Then one hundred ten. Marco lost track of time, lost himself in the rhythm.
Approach. Execute. Analyse. Reset. Approach. Execute.
The sun dipped toward the horizon. Shadows lengthened across the pitch. His legs were rubber. His shirt was soaked through. But his cut inside move...
[Repetition 127: Complete
Rating: 8.1/10
MILESTONE ACHIEVED
Cut Inside Move: 7.5/10 → 8.1/10
Skill improvement successful.
New baseline established.
Muscle memory formation: 73% (will continue improving with sleep/recovery)
#Recommendation:
Cease training. Risk of overuse injury at 7% and rising.
Optimal recovery period: 18 hours before intensive work on this skill again.
Congratulations. First training session completed successfully.]
Marco collapsed onto the grass, chest heaving, limbs trembling. His vision swam. But through the exhaustion, through the pain, he felt something profound:
It worked.
Two hours of focused, guided, intensive training. One hundred twenty-seven repetitions. And his signature skill had improved from 7.5 to 8.1. Not much in absolute terms. But from the system's rankings, that pushed him from "decent youth player" to "quality youth player" in that one specific move.
If I can do this for every skill... if I can make these gains across the board...
"Marco? What are you doing here?" A voice called across the pitch.Marco lifted his head. Coach Hoffmann, the assistant coach focused on technical development, was walking toward him, a look of surprise on his weathered face.
"Extra training, Coach," Marco managed, sitting up. "Working on my cut inside."Hoffmann reached him, glancing at the solitary ball, the worn path in the grass where Marco had repeated the move over and over. His expression was unreadable.
"How long have you been here?"
"Uh... two hours? Maybe?"
The coach's eyebrows rose. "Two hours of the same move?"
"Yes, Coach."A long silence. Marco's heart was calm, though he was expecting something from the coach.
Then Hoffmann smiled—a small, approving smile."That's dedication, Reus. Not many boys your age have that discipline." He paused, considering. "You're on the evaluation list for next month's review. Borderline case. You know that?"
Marco's heart skipped a beat. Borderline. So it's already that serious.
"I... I know I need to improve, Coach."
"Well." Hoffmann gestured at the pitch. "This is how you do it. Not talent alone. Work. Repetition. Most of your peers don't understand that yet. Maybe you're starting to."
He turned to leave, then paused. "Don't overdo it, though. Rest is part of training too. Your body needs recovery to improve."
"Yes, Coach. Thank you, Coach."
When Hoffmann was gone, Marco lay back on the grass, staring at the darkening sky. His body screamed at him. But his mind was clear, focused, determined.Borderline case. Evaluation next month. That's October. Five months before the historical release date. They're already considering cutting me.
Sigh...I need to keep woking on the primary skills.
Marco nodded to himself.
Through balls next. Then finishing. Then first touch. Each skill honed, improved, brought up to a level where he couldn't be ignored.One hundred twenty-seven repetitions today. Call it one hundred per day, five days a week. That's five hundred reps weekly. Two thousand per month. In eight months...The math was staggering.
Sixteen thousand repetitions of his core skills. With the system's guidance making each rep count more than blind practice would.
I can do this, Marco thought as he finally forced himself to stand, muscles protesting every movement. It'll hurt. It'll be exhausting. But I can do this.
He limped back toward the dormitory as the last light faded from the sky. Tomorrow would bring another team training session. Then school. Then more individual work.Every day. For eight months.
But as he reached his dorm room and collapsed onto his bed, too tired to even shower, Marco allowed himself a small smile.
Day one: Success.
Seven months, twenty-nine days to go.