The Utrecht morning wind cut through his bones. Richard pulled his club jacket closer, still unfamiliar to him. Dew still clung to the fence as the young players arrived, some speaking Dutch that flew by like bullets. Richard couldn't understand. He only noticed one thing: their stares. Some were curious… but many were dismissive.
On the sidelines, Coach De Vries held a tablet, examining each participant one by one. Assistant coach, Coach Bram, had brought a complete list of names with the previous day's evaluation notes.
Richard gulped.
Today was the Hell Test.
The test that would determine whether he was worthy of joining the official FC Utrecht U-18 development program or being sent home.
The system suddenly beeped.
---
DING!
[Main Quest Opened]
Name: The Real Trial Begins
Target 1: Get a score of at least 7/10 in the Technical Ability Assessment.
Target 2: Successfully pass the Physical Endurance Test without collapsing.
Target 3: Show at least two highlight reels that catch the coach's attention.
Reward: +3 Attribute Points, +1 Skill Ticket, Good Impression (Low-tier).
Penalty: "Potential to be removed from selection."
Richard swallowed.
"Oh my God… three targets at once?"
The system flashed before disappearing.
Aquila appeared in the side stands, wearing a thick hoodie, waving with a faint smile that could melt the morning frost. "You can do it, Rich!" she said, her voice high-pitched but full of enthusiasm.
Richard raised his hand in response. Slightly relieved—but also increasingly nervous.
---
1. Technical Test: Passing, Control, and Precision
"All participants, form up!" shouted Coach De Vries.
The players lined up. Richard was positioned slightly behind, between two much taller Dutch players. The one on the left, with long blond hair, looked at him scornfully.
"New guy from Indonesia, right?" he said.
Richard nodded.
"Try not to embarrass yourself."
Richard took a deep breath.
---
First drill: One-touch passing under pressure.
The ball is passed quickly to Richard. He must control and return it in one touch, while two players press from the flank.
The first ball comes.
Richard controls it—quite well.
The return touch. Accurate.
The second ball comes harder.
Richard holds it a split second too long.
The pressure makes him late.
His return touch misses the target cone by a few centimeters.
Coach Bram writes something on his tablet.
Richard can guess: Minus point.
His heart is racing.
"Stay focused, Richard!" Aquila shouts from afar.
The third ball comes even faster.
Richard bends his knees, leans forward, the first touch is soft—a perfect touch.
He immediately turns his foot and returns it with a beautiful one-touch, slipping between the two pressing players.
Coach De Vries nods slightly.
One plus point.
By the time the drill is over, Richard is panting, his breath white in the cold air.
"Just the beginning," he muttered.
---
2. High-Speed Dribbling Test
The hurdles were zigzagged, followed by a 20-meter straight sprint.
Richard stepped forward.
"Ready… GO!"
He took off.
His shoes clung to the damp grass.
The ball stuck to his feet fairly steadily, but the pressure of time made it wobbly.
At the fourth hurdle, the ball slipped slightly.
"Hahhh—focus!"
He chased after it and regained control.
During the straight sprint, Richard gave it his all.
His hips almost felt like they were about to give way.
His heart was pounding.
At the end of the line, the sensor beeped—signaling the finish.
Coach Bram read the numbers.
"Not bad," he muttered. "Still not top tier, but it can be improved."
---
3. Physical Endurance Test — Running Circuit Hell
Four laps.
Each lap involved a combination of 50-meter sprints, side-step runs, backward runs, and push-ups at checkpoints.
The local participants seemed used to it.
Richard?
By the second lap, his legs were feeling heavy.
This was where his mental fortitude was tested.
Behind him, a dark-skinned Dutch player tapped him on the shoulder.
"Don't give up, Indonesian. Keep running."
Richard didn't have time to respond, but it provided a small morale boost.
The third lap, his knees nearly gave out.
The fourth lap, his breath burning.
Suddenly—
---
DING!
[Passive Activation: Determination Boost Lv.1]
Effect: +3% Stamina Recovery for 2 minutes.
Richard's eyes widened. "Even the system knows I'm about to collapse…"
He forced himself to stand again.
Time seemed to stretch.
Seconds seemed to stretch out.
But he ran again.
As the finish line approached, all sound seemed to disappear—except the system's voice.
---
DING!
[Quest Target 2: Complete]
Richard almost fell, but he caught himself by leaning on his knees and catching his breath.
Aquila covered her mouth, worried.
Coach De Vries simply said, "Strong will. I like that."
---
4. 5v5 Mini Game Test — Looking for Highlights
A small pitch was set up.
Richard entered the blue team as the left-sided striker.
The whistle blew.
The ball moved quickly, and all the players were aggressive.
Richard rarely got the ball because his team's midfielders didn't trust him.
But in the final minutes, the situation changed.
The opposing player made a pass error.
The ball sailed toward Richard.
"Now or never," he muttered.
Richard pounced on the ball.
Two opposing defenders immediately blocked his path.
Richard dribbled once—but failed.
They were still close.
He tried again with the technique he had just practiced: the heel flick escape.
This time it worked.
The two defenders were left behind for a split second.
He entered the box.
The goalkeeper advanced.
Richard kicked—
The ball sailed low and hard into the left corner.
GOAL.
Aquila spontaneously stood up and applauded.
The coach stared, slightly surprised.
One highlight.
But he needed two.
---
Last minute
Another blue team player lost the ball and the opponents counterattacked.
It was a 3 vs. 2 situation.
Richard, exhausted, forced himself to sprint back.
An opposing player fired a shot.
The goalkeeper barely had time.
Richard jumped—
He chested the ball in front of the goal line.
He immediately controlled it, turned, and sent a well-directed long pass that beat two opposing players.
The ball fell right to the feet of the Blue team's striker.
"Richard!!" shouted a teammate.
He ran and—
Another GOAL!
Second highlight.
The final whistle sounded.
Test over.
---
DING!
[Quest Target 1 Complete]
[Quest Target 3 Complete]
[QUEST: CLEAR]
Reward Distributed.]
— +3 Attribute Points Added
— +1 Skill Ticket (Basic)
— Good Impression (Low-tier) Applied to Coach De Vries
---
Richard sat on the grass. His body felt like it was about to break.
But in his heart…
He had won.
He had proven that a Lamongan kid could stand among European talent without fading.
Coach De Vries approached him.
"Richard Ardiansyah," he said softly.
"You… surprised me."
Richard looked up, breathing hard.
"D—did I pass, Coach?"
The coach didn't answer immediately.
He just patted Richard on the shoulder.
"Come tomorrow morning at 7. We'll discuss the final decision."
Then he left.
Richard stared at the cloudy Utrecht sky.
Aquila came over and hugged him gently from the side.
"Whatever happens… I'm proud of you," she said.
Richard closed his eyes.
The fight wasn't over.
In fact, it had just begun.