"Yes, sir. I've been observing him. He's getting better. He got a new coach—yes, sir, it's Mr. Crowe Dumi. I don't think he suspects anything. Yes, sir. Goodbye." The striker coach lowered his phone and slipped it into his pocket.
"He has been showing improvement," Maximilian said as he approached the striker coach, who stood with his arms crossed, watching Winston through the hotel's hallway.
"What? Are you scared?" the striker coach asked.
Maximilian stopped in front of him. "He's been doing nothing but practicing basic skills. There's been no significant improvement in his shooting. You need to focus on refining the shooting techniques I taught you."
The striker coach fixed Maximilian with a sinister stare. "If you don't follow the plan, you'll be benched for three matches. The season is approaching its conclusion, and I hear the Federation is planning an event at the end of the season."
"Don't worry. I'm not scared," Maximilian replied with a smirk. "He'll need more than basic skills to beat me. I'll show him what professional football looks like."
He walked past the striker coach. "And don't worry about the plan. I'll go over it with the boys."
The striker coach let out a low, menacing chuckle. He remained where he was, his arms still folded as his gaze followed Winston on the training ground. "Don't underestimate your opponent. He has the same ambition you do. And the head coach has been taking an interest in him."
Maximilian stopped. "One more thing," the striker coach continued. "I heard your senior club's scout will be there to monitor your progress."
Maximilian glanced over his shoulder. The striker coach's lips curled into a sinister smile. "Hehe... What an interesting twist of events."
"Tsk... tsk," Maximilian muttered before continuing down the hallway.
***
he sat on his bed and summoned the Core system. It had already been providing him with regular updates, so he hadn't bothered checking it. He had deliberately avoided opening it because he wanted to immerse himself completely in Dumi's training. His goal was simple: gain as much as possible from the opportunity while he still had it.
Then Annalise's words came back to him. Dumi had been receiving offers from major clubs. Winston knew his time with Dumi was limited. What made the situation even more remarkable was that Dumi was training him for free.
Winston paused, then lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Only three weeks remain until the match. Hopefully, Dumi will start refining my abilities as a striker soon. I think I've reached a decent level with passing and physical conditioning.
And thanks to the Core's restoration ability and Dr. Haruto's treatment, my body is in better shape than it was before. Even when I don't sleep, I still feel fine. Winston slowly sat upright. He sighed and finally opened the Core system.
His eyes widened. For several seconds, he simply stared at the screen. He didn't know whether he wanted to run through the hallway screaming in his boxers or rush onto the balcony and scream until his lungs gave out. Dumi's training had produced results far beyond anything Winston had expected.
His statistics had risen dramatically. The improvement was so substantial that Winston estimated it would have taken him nearly six full seasons of professional league play—and possibly even longer—to reach the same level through normal training alone.
What the hell...? Winston stared at his statistics in disbelief. I've only trained for one week.
Ding!
[Stats]
Name: Daley Winston
Age: 19
Weak Foot: 2
Foot: Right
Profession: Footballer
Team: Westminster F.C. (Under twenty-one team)
Player Rating: 84
Position: Center forward.
Potential: 88
Acceleration [Voltage Core: 58%]
Sprint Speed [Voltage Core: 58%]
Shooting
Passing
Dribbling
Physical [Nether Essence: 58%]
Reward Points: 050
Skills moves: None.
[Dribbling]
Dribbling: 66
Agility: 62
Balance: 60
Reactions: 63
Ball Control: 70
Composure: 65
[Passing]
Passing: 60
Vision: 65
Crossing: 65
FK Acc.: 62
Short Pass: 65
Long Pass: 60
Curve: 70
I really need to thank Dumi for this. I've progressed so much, and it's only the first week of this intense training. The benefits are incredible.
Oh, I even received a ton of rewards this time. I wonder if I should buy some skills from the shop now or wait and ask Dumi. Maybe I should wait. We haven't even reached the shooting portion of our training yet. Still unable to fully comprehend the situation, Winston remained reclined on his bed with the Core system open before him. After this match, I need to focus on the league. I have to break into the top ten best players in the league. And we need to finish first or second in the table. There are plenty of talented players on the other teams, but I have to prove myself.
I need to become the best player in the league if I want a better chance of being scouted by bigger clubs—especially Westminster's senior team.
Winston stood and finished getting dressed before making his way downstairs and into the hallway. His original plan had been to eat breakfast and do some warm-up exercises before continuing his training. However, Dumi had instructed him to take the day off and explore the hotel's facilities instead.
The problem was that Winston couldn't relax. No matter how hard he tried, the upcoming match kept creeping back into his thoughts. The way the striker coach and Maximilian had been behaving lately only made things worse. During his training sessions, Winston hadn't seen either of them practicing on the other side of the training ground.
What are they up to?
Whatever they were planning, Winston doubted it was anything good. The striker coach clearly had something against him, but Winston still couldn't figure out whether that hostility was personal or part of something more sinister.
One thing was certain: animosity rarely led to anything good. I need to stay vigilant. With those thoughts weighing on his mind, Winston reached the ground floor. After scanning the hallway and confirming that there were no familiar faces nearby, he headed toward the dining area.
As he joined the buffet line, he overheard a conversation between several people nearby. "You wouldn't believe it. Westminster F.C. suffered several injuries in the middle of the league, and now look at them. They're on their way to taking second place in the table."
"We have another classic on our hands. Are you going to bet? I'm thinking about it."
"Yeah, sure. I've saved up some money. I also heard there's a match here in four weeks."
"Yeah, you mean the match between those two teammates?"
"Tsk. Shut up. Apparently, there's a lot at stake. I heard the loser gets benched for three matches."
"Seriously? Why would they do that? That's stupid... but now I'm interested. When is the match?"
"Four weeks from now."
Winston's eyes widened slightly. Why has this match between Maximilian and me become so popular? He swallowed nervously. Damn. I'm even more anxious now than I was before.