Chapter 13: The North Amsterdam Ghost
The one-week jump felt like a blur of lactic acid and grey mornings.
Luuk hadn't just trained; he had reconstructed himself. Under the guidance of the Status Screen, he had spent seven days in a "forced evolution" cycle. He had sprinted up sand dunes until his vision tunneled, performed thousands of "Chambered Snaps" in the concrete cage, and spent his nights in ice baths that turned his skin blue.
[Agility: 51.1 -> 60.2]
[Acceleration: 59.5 -> 62.1]
[Stamina: 61.8 -> 65.4]
He was finally fitting into his own skin. The "Lag" between his 100-rated mind and his physical body was shrinking.
Now, he stood in the tunnel of the SV Sloten stadium. It wasn't the Johan Cruyff Arena, but for a regional U-19 league match against AFC Amsterdam, the atmosphere was biting. The wind whipped through the tunnel, carrying the scent of cut grass and the nervous energy of twenty-two teenagers.
"Listen up," Coach Visser said, his voice echoing off the concrete walls. He wasn't looking at the captain. He was looking at Luuk. "AFC is a possession-heavy team. They're going to try to starve us. If you get the ball to Luuk, he holds it. No exceptions. We play through the Nine today."
Jonas Dekker, the captain, tightened his armband. He didn't look at Luuk with disdain anymore—he looked at him with a wary kind of hope. After a week of seeing Luuk dominate training without breaking a sweat, the team had reached a silent consensus:
Give the ball to the Ghost, and he'll make the world stop.
As they stepped onto the pitch, the Status Screen flickered to life, overlaying the green turf with a tactical grid.
[Match Mode: Active]
[Opponent Analysis: AFC Amsterdam U-19]
[Tactical Threat: High Press (Aggression: 75)]
[Objective: Break the Press. Secure the Three Points.]
The whistle blew.
The game started at a frantic pace. AFC moved the ball with academy-level precision, their midfielders rotating in triangles that made the Sloten regulars chase shadows. For the first fifteen minutes, Luuk didn't touch the ball. He just stood in the center-circle, his silver-grey eyes scanning the "Vectors" of the game.
[Spatial Synchronization: 16.4/100]
[Anticipation (81.2): Predicting Passing Lane intercept in 4 seconds...]
A stray pass from the AFC center-back was cut out by Mo. The Sloten midfielder didn't even look; he just hammered a panicked, waist-high ball toward the center. It was a "hospital pass"—fired with enough velocity to break a normal player's ribs, with two AFC defenders closing in on Luuk's back like wolves.
Luuk didn't move toward the ball. He waited.
As the ball arrived, Luuk leaped. In mid-air, he twisted his 183.5cm frame. He didn't use his chest. He used his 100 Ball Feel. He caught the ball on the instep of his trailing foot while his back was turned to the goal.
The ball didn't bounce. It died on his foot, losing 100% of its momentum instantly.
The two defenders collided behind him, expecting Luuk to be knocked off balance. But with 95 Balance, Luuk was a mountain. He landed, kept the ball glued to his laces, and performed a Zero-Radius Pivot.
"He's loose!" the AFC coach screamed from the sidelines.
Luuk drove forward. His 72.4 Dribbling was now supported by his 60.2 Agility. He wasn't the "stiff tree" anymore. He moved with a lazy, liquid grace that made the defenders hesitate.
A third defender stepped up—a tall, athletic boy who looked like he belonged at a pro academy. He lunged for a tackle.
Luuk didn't speed up. He slowed down. He used a Guided Deflection, touching the ball with the outside of his boot just as the defender committed. The ball skipped two inches to the left—exactly enough to bypass the foot.
[Dribbling: 72.4 -> 72.8]
He was at the edge of the box. The keeper was screaming instructions. Luuk didn't look at the goal. He saw the "Blind Spot" behind the defenders.
Instead of shooting, he performed a No-Look Reverse Pass—a Nagi-style flick with his heel. The ball zipped between two defenders, landing perfectly in the path of the Sloten winger, who was so shocked to have the ball that he almost fumbled it before slamming it into the bottom corner.
1-0.
The Sloten fans—mostly parents and locals—went silent for a heartbeat before erupting. They hadn't seen a goal like that in years. It wasn't a goal built on effort; it was built on Efficiency.
Luuk didn't celebrate. He just turned and walked back to the center-circle, his silver-grey eyes scanning the stands.
In the third row, a man in a black scout's jacket with the AZ Alkmaar logo on the lapel was scribbling furiously in a notebook. He wasn't looking at the goal-scorer. He was looking at Luuk's feet.
[Neural Load: 35%]
[Status: Just Getting Started]
[SYSTEM LOG: MATCH UPDATE - 22nd Minute]
User: Luuk van den Berg
Condition: Optimal (Hyper-Recovery working in real-time)
--- [CURRENT STATUS SCREEN] ---
**[I. Physical Attributes]**
Pace: 62.8 | Acceleration: 62.1 (+2.6) | Agility: 60.2 (+9.1)
Stamina: 65.4 (+3.6) | Strength: 56.2 | Balance: 95 (Synced)
**[II. Technical Attributes]**
Ball Control: 100 (MAX) | Ball Feel: 100 (MAX)
Dribbling: 72.8 | Passing: 60.4 (+1.3) | Shooting: 56.5
**[III. Sense & Software]**
Ball Sense: 100 (MAX) | Spatial Awareness: 75.4 (+0.6)
Anticipation: 81.2 | Composure: 92
Spatial Synchronization: 16.4/100 (Isagi Path)
____°____
A/N: Hey! I hope you all like the chapters.
I'm still finding my rhythm,
but I am dedicated to give you better chapters. Happy to have you here for the journey!