Rio's Apartment.Two Days After the Leverkusen Match.Friday, 02:00 AM.
The city of Bologna was asleep, but Rio Valdes was wide awake. He sat in his living room, illuminated only by the holographic glow of the System Interface floating in the darkened room.
He held a glass of water in his hand, but he didn't drink. He just stared at the new icon pulsing on the screen. It looked like a DNA helix wrapped in barbed wire.
[THE MUTATION LAB]
Rio touched the icon. The interface expanded, filling his vision with complex diagrams of his own body. It showed his muscle fibers, his bone density, and his neural pathways in excruciating detail.
The System explained the risks clearly. The Mutation Lab allowed the Host to fuse two existing skills to create a new, evolved "S-Grade" or "SS-Grade" skill. However, the process was irreversible. The original skills would be consumed, and the cost was paid in Lifespan.
Rio swallowed hard. He had 591 Days left.
He reviewed his current inventory. He couldn't touch The Omniscient Trap—it was his lifeline in the midfield. The Ghost was a passive skill essential for his survival. That left his two offensive weapons: The Cannon (A-Grade), which provided explosive shooting power, and Elastic Hips (A-Grade), which gave him agility and sharp directional changes.
Rio recalled the video of Noah Lami. Noah didn't need tricks. Noah had raw power and perfect technique. If Rio tried to overpower Noah, he would lose. If he tried to out-dribble him, Noah would just smash him physically.
He needed a weapon that defied prediction.
Rio dragged the icon of [The Cannon] into the left slot of the mutation chamber. He dragged [Elastic Hips] into the right slot.
The System ran a simulation. The compatibility check came back at 92%. The potential result was described as a shooting technique that utilizes torque rather than backlift. The mutation cost was a staggering 50 Days of Lifespan.
"Fifty days," Rio whispered. That was almost two months. It was a summer vacation. It was a Christmas with Kenjiro. But then he remembered the 4-1 loss in Madrid. He remembered Noah's mocking face. Cute trick.
If he wanted to be cute, he would save his days. If he wanted to be a King, he had to pay the price.
Rio pressed [CONFIRM].
The screen turned blinding white. A searing pain shot through Rio's hips and quadriceps. It felt like his muscles were being torn apart and knitted back together with steel wire. He fell off the couch, screaming silently, clutching his legs. The pain lasted for five minutes of pure agony.
Then, it stopped. A cool sensation washed over him. A new card appeared in the air. It wasn't Gold. It was Black and Gold.
Mutation Complete. New Skill Acquired: [The Mirage Strike]. Grade: SS.
The description flooded his mind. By combining the explosive fast-twitch fibers of The Cannon with the rotational flexibility of Elastic Hips, the Host could now shoot with Zero Backlift. The effect was terrifying: he did not need to swing his leg back to generate power. He could generate 100km/h shots purely from hip rotation and knee snap. To the goalkeeper, it would look like he was simply walking or dribbling. There was no "trigger" animation. The ball simply exploded from his foot. The only downside was a high stamina drain per use.
Rio lay on the floor, sweating. He felt different. His hips felt loose, like they were ball-bearings oiled with liquid mercury.
Remaining Lifespan: 541 Days.
Bologna Training Center (Casteldebole).Saturday Morning.
The team was preparing for the weekend Serie A match against Lecce. But Rio's mind was already on Tuesday. Real Madrid at home.
During the shooting drill, Skorupski was in goal. "Come on, Captain!" Skorupski shouted. "Show me what you got!"
Rio lined up at the edge of the box. He dribbled slowly. Usually, a striker has a "tell." They plant their non-kicking foot. They swing their arm for balance. They pull their kicking leg back. Skorupski watched for these signs.
Rio didn't do any of them. He was jogging.
Then, [The Mirage Strike] activated.
Rio's hips snapped violently to the right, like a whip cracking. His lower leg extended in a blur so fast the human eye couldn't track it.
BOOM.
There was no wind-up. Just the impact sound. The ball flew from his foot like a bullet from a silenced pistol. Skorupski didn't even dive. He was still waiting for Rio to shoot. The ball hit the top corner of the net.
Swish.
Skorupski stared at the ball, then at Rio. "When did you shoot?" Skorupski asked, confused. "I didn't see you load the leg."
Rio smiled. It worked. "I didn't load it," Rio said. "I just fired."
Matchday 4: The Rematch.Bologna vs Real Madrid.Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.Tuesday Night.
The atmosphere was hostile. 38,000 Bologna fans were whistling. They weren't whistling at their team; they were whistling at the Real Madrid bus as it entered the stadium. They remembered the 4-1 humiliation. They wanted blood.
In the tunnel, the tension was thick. Noah Lami was chewing gum, looking bored. He wore the white kit of Madrid. He saw Rio.
"You look tired," Noah said, glancing at the dark circles under Rio's eyes—the lingering result of the mutation side effects. "Did the system update keep you up at night?"
Rio fixed his captain's armband. "Something like that," Rio replied calmly.
Noah chuckled. "I hope you brought more than just ball control today, Glitch. My aim is to score four."
System Notification: Match Start Cost: 5 Days Deducted. Remaining Lifespan: 536 Days.
The teams walked out. The Champions League anthem played. This time, Rio didn't feel awe. He felt dangerous.
Minute 1.The Statement.
Real Madrid kicked off. They tried to do exactly what they did in Bernabéu. Fast attack. Vinicius Jr. sprinted down the wing. But this time, Bologna was ready. Stefan Posch, the right-back, tackled Vinicius hard. A yellow card in the first minute. It was a message: Welcome to Italy.
Minute 25.The Standoff.
The game was tight. 0-0. Real Madrid dominated possession, but Bologna's defense was digging trenches. Rio was patrolling the midfield, using [The Omniscient Trap] to keep possession whenever the ball came loose.
But he couldn't get close to the goal. Antonio Rüdiger and Éder Militão were marking him aggressively. They knew about his chip shot. They knew about his passing. They didn't give him an inch of space to swing his leg.
"You can't shoot if you can't swing!" Rüdiger taunted, pressing his chest into Rio's back.
Rio received the ball twenty-five meters from goal. Rüdiger was glued to him. Skorupski shouted from the other end: "Pass it back!"
Rio didn't pass back. He faced the goal. Rüdiger was right in front of him, blocking the path. Rüdiger's stance was perfect. He was watching Rio's leg. If Rio pulled his leg back to shoot, Rüdiger would block it instantly.
Rio looked at the bottom corner of Courtois's goal. Now.
[Skill Active: The Mirage Strike]
Rio didn't step back. He didn't lift his leg high. He planted his left foot and snapped his right hip with impossible velocity.
CRACK.
The sound was like a whip breaking the sound barrier. Rüdiger didn't react. He didn't even flinch. His brain hadn't registered a "shoot" signal. The ball exploded from underneath Rio's knee. It flew between Rüdiger's legs before the defender could even close them.
Thibaut Courtois saw the ball late. It was a laser beam, low and hard. Courtois dove. But he was reacting to the sound, not the visual. Too late.
The ball slammed into the bottom corner. The net violently shook.
GOAL.Bologna 1 - 0 Real Madrid.
The Aftermath.
The stadium went absolutely berserk. But on the pitch, confusion reigned. Rüdiger turned around, looking at the goal, then back at Rio.
"What?" Rüdiger mouthed. "You didn't shoot."
Courtois was screaming at his defenders. "Block the shot! Why did you let him shoot?"
"I didn't see it!" Rüdiger screamed back. "He was standing still!"
Rio stood there, invisible smoke rising from his boots. He looked at Noah Lami in the center circle. Noah had stopped chewing his gum. The "Perfect Human" was frowning. His eyes were narrowing, analyzing the physics of what just happened.
System Notification: Opponent Confusion Detected. Effect: Real Madrid defenders are now hesitant. They cannot predict your trigger.
Rio pointed at Noah. "Your turn," Rio mouthed.
Minute 45.The Response.
Real Madrid was angry. You don't poke the bear without expecting a bite.
Noah Lami demanded the ball. He got it. He didn't use a trick. He just ran. He sprinted past Beukema. He sprinted past Lucumi. He was one-on-one with Skorupski.
Rio chased him. He burned his stamina, sprinting back sixty meters. Rio slid. A desperate tackle from behind. He got the ball. Clean tackle.
But Noah Lami was a tank. The impact of the tackle didn't stop Noah. He stumbled, kept his balance through sheer core strength, and recovered the loose ball.
Rio lay on the ground, gasping. I tackled him, and he didn't fall?
Noah rounded the keeper and tapped it in.
GOAL.Bologna 1 - 1 Real Madrid.
Noah picked up the ball. He walked past Rio, who was still on the ground.
"Nice shot," Noah said, his voice devoid of emotion. "But physics always wins in the end. Mass times acceleration."
The halftime whistle blew. 1-1.
Rio limped to the locker room. He had unveiled his ultimate weapon. He had scored. But Noah Lami had just shrugged off his best tackle like it was a mosquito bite.
Lifespan Remaining: 536 Days.
The second half was about to begin. And Rio knew one thing: He couldn't beat Noah with physics. He had to break him psychologically.