When Winston and Oswin stepped into the changing room, the atmosphere was completely different from before. Instead of silence and frustration, they were welcomed by applause from both the youth players and the club's senior players.
The head coach waited for the cheers to settle before stepping forward. "Okay, we didn't win today," he began, looking around the room. "But this draw proved something important." He paused, making eye contact with the players. "It proved that hard work pays off."
Several players nodded. "We went toe-to-toe with the league leaders and refused to give up. That's the mentality I want to see."
The coach pointed around the room. "If we keep playing with this hunger and determination, there's no reason we can't climb to second place... or even first."
A smile spread across his face. "I'm proud of every single one of you."
The changing room erupted in applause. The coach clapped his hands once. "Now get some rest. Our next match is in a week, and we'll regroup at the training ground in three days."
As his teammates began chatting and changing out of their kits, Winston sat quietly on the bench and unlaced his boots one at a time. His thoughts drifted to the image of his father cheering from the stands.
A small smile crept onto his face. Then his attention shifted back to the Core System. Completing the daily challenge excited him just as much as scoring the equalizer. He opened his stats and studied them carefully, weighing which attributes and skills he should invest his newly earned points in next.
[Winston Daley Stats]
Name: Daley Winston
Age: 19
Weak Foot: 2
Foot: Right
Profession: Footballer
Team: Westminster F.C. (Under twenty-one team)
Player Rating: 81
Position: Center forward.
Potential: 87
Pace +
Shooting +
Dribbling +
Passing +
Physical +
Reward Points: 010
Skills moves: None.
What do these plus symbols mean in these categories?
Two teammates sitting beside Winston interrupted his thoughts. Not wanting to draw attention to himself, he stood up and headed for the showers.
As he glanced around the changing room, he noticed how different the atmosphere had become. Youth players were laughing, singing, and teasing one another. Some replayed moments from the match, while others congratulated teammates with pats on the back.
It had been a long time since Winston had felt an atmosphere like this. After showering and packing his belongings, he slung his bag over his shoulder and headed toward the hallway.
"Oi, tomorrow we're meeting at that bakery near the training ground!" Oswin's voice snapped Winston out of his thoughts.
Winston turned to see him walking away with an arm draped around each of two young women.
"We'll talk later, bro. I've got to keep these two babes company."
Winston laughed and waved him off. "See you tomorrow."
As he exited the building, he spotted his father leaning against the family car with his arms folded. "Congratulations," his father said with a faint smile. "You scored and set up a goal." Before Winston could respond, his father opened the passenger door. "Come on. Your mother and sister are throwing a small celebration for you."
The drive home was unusually quiet. After several minutes, Winston cleared his throat.
"I thought you'd be asleep. Seeing you at the match surprised me."
"I took the day off just to watch you play," his father replied. "Tomorrow it's back to work."
A warm smile spread across Winston's face. "Thanks for coming, Pops."
His father simply nodded. "So... how did it feel to be back on the pitch?" he asked after a moment. "I honestly didn't think they'd let you play today."
"I wasn't sure either," Winston admitted. "Our opponents were tough. No wonder they're top of the league."
His father looked through the windshield and smiled. "Your sister's been waiting for you. She wanted to come with me, but some friends stopped by earlier." His expression softened. "What happened to you scared all of us."
He glanced at Winston. "Make sure she knows you're really okay."
"I will."
As the car pulled into the driveway, Winston spotted Anita standing at the front window. The moment the car stopped, she rushed outside with a huge smile and grabbed his sports bag before he could.
"How long have you been waiting?" Winston asked, gently ruffling her hair.
Anita beamed. Lately, Winston had been so absorbed in his own thoughts that she could barely get his attention. No matter how much she teased him, he'd only respond briefly before drifting back into his own world.
"Anita!" their mother called from inside the house. "Come help me set the table!"
She hurried to the door but froze when she saw them. "Oh! You're already home?" she said in surprise. "Did the match finish that early? I've been in the kitchen all day and completely lost track of time."
She immediately wrapped Winston in a tight hug. "So... you're really okay."
She squeezed him so tightly that Winston let out a strained laugh. Only then did the exhaustion he'd been holding back finally catch up with him.
"I hope you're hungry," she said as she let go. "I made plenty of food."
"I'm starving."
"Good. I made all your favorites. Come inside."
As they gathered around the dining table, Winston's mother smiled. "So... how did it go? Did you win? You've been training so hard lately. Your sister and I have been worried sick."
Winston smiled apologetically. "Sorry for making you worry." He shook his head. "We drew, but I scored the equalizer near the end."
Without another word, Winston began devouring the feast spread across the table.
"Eww..." Anita grimaced. "Slow down before you choke."
"Let your brother eat," their mother said with a laugh, pouring him a glass of water. "He's earned it."
Winston emptied the glass in one long gulp before continuing his meal.
After dinner, he stood. "Can I be excused? I want to get to bed early. I'm planning to wake up before sunrise and train."
"Don't stay up too late," his mother replied.
"I won't."
Winston hurried upstairs, entered his room, and locked the door behind him. The moment he was alone, he summoned the Core System. The glowing interface appeared before him. His gaze immediately landed on the small plus symbols beside several categories.
Curious, Winston kicked off his sneakers, lay back on his bed, and stared at the ceiling for a moment.
Mmm... let's see what these categories do.
[Winston Daley Stats]
Name: Daley Winston
Age: 19
Weak Foot: 2
Foot: Right
Profession: Footballer
Team: Westminster F.C. (Under twenty-one team)
Player Rating: 81
Position: Center forward.
Potential: 87
Pace +
Shooting +
Dribbling +
Passing +
Physical +
Reward Points: 010
Skills moves: None.
Let me start with speed
Pace
Acceleration: 68 +1
Sprint Speed: 69 +1
Wow... my acceleration and sprint have both increased. I wonder if I can improve them twice in a single day. But when I trained a few days ago, they didn't increase at all. Mmm... whatever. A rating of seventy is a good start.
Shooting +
Shooting: 70
Att. Position: 67 +1
Finishing: 57 +5
Shot Power: 66 +1
Long Shots: 67 +1
Volleys: 35 +1
Penalties: 44
Winston shot to his feet, disbelief written across his face. He looked around his room as if expecting someone else to have witnessed what had just happened.
Quickly, he scrolled through the shooting category. He dismissed the Core for a moment and threw a triumphant punch into the air.
My attacking position jumped from sixty-seven to seventy-two. My finishing increased from fifty-seven to sixty-two. Even my shot power went from sixty-six to sixty-seven. Long shooting... sixty-sevento sixty-eight. And my volley... it actually went from thirty-five to thirty-six
His heart pounded with excitement. Winston sat back down against the wall, unable to stop smiling as he continued browsing through his stats. Completing the daily challenges had improved far more than just his overall rating. The matches, the training, and the challenges were all rewarding him by steadily raising his attributes.
For the first time in a long while, he felt genuinely excited about the future. With renewed anticipation, Winston continued exploring the Core System's skill categories.
Dribbling
Dribbling: 64
Agility: 45
Balance: 55
Reactions: 54 +1
Ball Control: 66 +1
Composure: 45 +1
Thinking back to the match, Winston couldn't help but admire Oswin's style of play. His dribbling was effortless, his agility exceptional, and his balance allowed him to weave through defenders as if they weren't there.
That's the kind of player I want to become.
If Winston could combine his own finishing ability with Oswin's agility and close control, he'd become a far more dangerous attacker. Without hesitation, he shifted his focus to the dribbling category, determined to improve his dribbling, agility, and balance.
Passing
Passing: 55 +1
Vision: 40 +1
Crossing: 40
FK Acc.: 30
Short Pass: 45
Long Pass: 45 +1
Curve: 40
The low ratings in his quick passing, free-kick accuracy, shooting accuracy, and heading left Winston disappointed.
He wanted a specialty of his own. Everyone around him seemed to have one. Maximilian was a powerhouse whose shooting grew more precise with every match. Oswin could glide past defenders with his dribbling and agility. Even the defenders had qualities that made them stand out.
I still don't have anything that defines me.
The realization humbled him. His teammates weren't just naturally talented—they trained relentlessly to sharpen the skills they excelled at. Come to think of it, when Oswin missed that free kick, he looked frustrated, muttering something under his breath. He must have been pushing himself just as hard, chasing perfection with every opportunity.
Physical
Physical: 66
Jumping: 55
Stamina: 66 +1
Strength: 56 +1
Aggression: 44
My physical attributes still need a lot of work. Tomorrow, I'll use the training ground to focus on them. I should bring my laptop too. There has to be training methods and conditioning programs that can help me improve my physique faster.
If I'm serious about becoming the best, I can't rely on the Core alone. I need to train smarter as well.
Defending
Heading Acc.: 54
Skills moves: None.
Skills
[User skills shop]
Finesse Shot: 50 points
Chip Shot: 25 points
Outside Foot Shot: 60 points
Long Shot Taker: 50 points
Long Passer: 10 points
Dead Ball: 15 points
Gamecharger: 50 points
Incisive Pass: 25 points
Tiki Taka: 10 points
Technical: 45 points
First Touch: 45 points
Quick Step: 50 points
Low Driven shot: 50 points
Maybe I should spend a point on heading. These skill upgrades cost too many points to waste.
After weighing his options, Winston reopened the categories. Instead of upgrading his heading, he invested a point into his balance. He still remembered how unstable he had felt during the match whenever he changed direction under pressure.
The last remaining point went into his shooting. Leaning back against his pillow with both hands tucked behind his head, Winston admired his improved attributes.
A smile crept across his face as he imagined himself playing for the senior team again—not as a substitute, but as a player who truly belonged there.
With those thoughts filling his mind, Winston slowly drifted off to sleep.