[Ding!]
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Adrian opened his eyes. The morning sun hit his face. He didn't wake up in his cramped apartment this time. He was back at his parents' small house in the suburbs of Nice. He had come here late last night to break the news.
"Sign in," he muttered, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
[Ding!]
[Sign-In Successful.]
[Reward: 1x Minor Recovery Drink (Removes 50% of Fatigue)]
[Inventory: 1x Attribute Reset Potion (Used), 1x Minor Recovery Drink.]
He sat up. The smell of frying bacon and coffee wafted under his door. It was a smell he hadn't experienced in months because he couldn't afford good bacon.
He checked his phone.
07:30 AM.
Training started at 09:00 AM.
He got dressed quickly and walked into the small kitchen.
His mother, Sophie, was at the stove. She was a small woman, worn down by years of cleaning other people's houses. When she saw Adrian, her eyes welled up immediately.
"My professional footballer," she whispered, dropping the spatula to hug him.
Adrian hugged her back. With his Strength: 180, he had to be careful not to crush her.
"It's real, Maman," Adrian smiled.
His father, Luc, sat at the wooden table. He was reading the local newspaper, Nice-Matin. His hands were rough, stained with oil from the docks.
"They haven't printed it yet," Luc grunted, pretending to be calm, but the corner of his mouth was twitching upwards. "They still talk about the First Team's injury crisis. They don't know the solution is sitting in my kitchen."
Adrian sat down. His mom placed a mountain of eggs and bacon in front of him.
"Eat," she commanded. "You need strength."
"I have plenty of strength, Maman," Adrian laughed, flexing an arm that was now as thick as a tree trunk.
Luc put the paper down. "We looked at the contract again, Adrian. 5,000 Euros a week. That is... that is more than I make in six months."
The room went quiet. For a family that counted every cent, that number was astronomical.
"I'm going to buy you a new house," Adrian said between bites of bacon. "And you stop working at the docks, Papa. And Maman stops cleaning."
"No," Luc said sharply. He leaned forward, his eyes serious. "You are just starting. One bad injury, and it's over. You save that money. You hear me? You don't buy fancy cars. You don't buy gold chains."
Adrian nodded. "I know, Papa."
"But," Luc smiled, his eyes softening. "Maybe... maybe you can fix the roof. It leaks when it rains."
"I'll fix the roof, Papa. I promise."
They talked for another hour. They talked about his grandfather who loved football, about the neighbors who would be jealous, about the hard times. It was the kind of talk that grounded him.
"Alright," Luc checked his cheap wristwatch. "08:15. We go. I drive you."
"I can take the bus, Papa."
"No," Luc stood up, grabbing his keys. "Today is your first day with the Pros. A pro doesn't take the bus. The King drives the Prince."
The car was a 2005 Peugeot 206. The paint was peeling, the exhaust rattled, and the air conditioning smelled like old cheese.
But Adrian sat in the passenger seat with his head held high.
They drove along the Promenade des Anglais, the beautiful coast road of Nice. The ocean sparkled.
"Are you nervous?" Luc asked, shifting gears with a crunching sound.
"A little," Adrian admitted. "They are big stars, Papa. Dante, Balotelli... they are legends."
"Legends bleed like us," Luc said. "You have something they don't."
"What?"
"Hunger," Luc tapped the steering wheel. "They have full bellies. They drive Ferraris. You? You are hungry. You are angry. Use that."
They arrived at the OGC Nice Training Center.
The entrance was guarded by a heavy gate and security personnel.
As Luc pulled the rattling Peugeot up to the gate, a sleek black Porsche 911 zoomed past them, honking its horn impatiently.
Honk! Honk!
"Out of the way!" the driver of the Porsche shouted.
Luc flinched, pulling the car to the side.
The Porsche stopped at the gate. The window rolled down. It was the team's star winger, Kevin. He wore sunglasses worth more than Luc's car. The gate opened instantly for him.
Then Luc rolled up. The guard stepped out, looking skeptical.
"Delivery entrance is in the back," the guard said, waving them away.
Adrian rolled down the window. He leaned out.
"Player," Adrian said, his voice deep.
The guard frowned. "Player? In this?" He looked at the peeling paint. Then he looked at Adrian.
He recognized the face from the report Lucien had sent down. The "Siege Cannon."
"Oh, uh, sorry monsieur," the guard stuttered, pressing the button. "Go ahead."
Luc drove through the gates. The parking lot was a showroom of luxury. Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Range Rovers.
Luc parked the Peugeot in the far corner, next to a tractor used for cutting grass.
"Go," Luc said, gripping Adrian's shoulder. "Show them who we are."
"I will."
Adrian stepped out. He grabbed his gym bag. He didn't look back at the expensive cars. He walked towards the glass doors of the First Team facility.
Adrian pushed the doors open.
The locker room was massive. Leather seats, personalized lockers, large flat-screen TVs playing match highlights.
The chatter stopped as he entered.
Twenty heads turned. These were men he had watched on TV.
Dante, the Brazilian captain with the iconic afro, was taping his ankles.
Kevin, the winger with the Porsche, was checking his hair in the mirror.
Thuram, the powerhouse midfielder, was juggling a ball.
Adrian walked to the empty locker with his name hastily taped on it: DUBOIS - 99.
"So," Kevin smirked, not turning away from the mirror. "This is the 'Secret Weapon' the coach talked about? He looks like a bouncer for a nightclub."
A few players chuckled.
Dante stood up. He walked over to Adrian. Dante was 188cm, same as Adrian, but leaner. He had an aura of calm authority.
[Target: Dante]
[Role: Captain / CB]
[Defense: 175 (Elite)]
[Leadership: 190 (King)]
[Status: Judging You]
"You're the kid from the U18s," Dante said, extending a hand. "Adrian, right?"
"Yes, Captain," Adrian shook his hand.
Dante raised an eyebrow.
"Welcome," Dante said, releasing the hand. "Training starts in 10 minutes. Don't be late. And don't expect special treatment because you scored a hat-trick against kids."
"I don't expect anything," Adrian said calmly. "I'm just here to do my job."
"And what is your job?" Kevin asked, sneering.
Adrian looked at Kevin.
"To score goals that you miss."
The room went dead silent.
"Oooooh!" Thuram laughed, breaking the tension. "The rookie has teeth!"
Kevin's face went red. "We'll see on the pitch, big guy."
The Training Pitch
Coach Lucien stood with his whistle.
"Warm-up is over!" Lucien shouted. "Rondo! 5 vs 2! Fast passing! One touch!"
This was Adrian's nightmare.
Adrian was put in a circle with Dante, Thuram, Kevin, and a technical midfielder named Morgan.
The ball zipped around.
"One touch!"
Adrian stood in the middle, chasing the ball. He felt like a bear trying to catch flies.
Thuram passed to Kevin. Kevin flicked it to Dante.
"Center!" Dante passed it straight to Adrian.
"One touch!"
Adrian tried to pass it back.
Thunk.
His foot hit the ball awkwardly. Instead of a smooth pass, the ball bobbled up into the air and rolled slowly out of the circle.
[Skill Check: Passing (40)]
"Oh my god," Kevin laughed loudly. "Did you see that? He kicks like a donkey!"
Even Dante shook his head. "Soft touch, Adrian. Soft."
Adrian's face burned. He knew he was trash at this.
"Again!"
For twenty minutes, Adrian was humiliated. Every time he touched the ball, it bounced away or went out. The pros were shaking their heads. They were wondering if this was a prank.
"Coach!" Kevin shouted. "Are you serious? This guy can't play football! He can't even pass five meters!"
Lucien blew the whistle.
"Enough Rondo!"
Lucien walked over. He saw Adrian's frustration. He saw the smug look on Kevin's face.
"Alright," Lucien said. "Since Kevin thinks Adrian is useless, let's change the drill."
Lucien pointed to the penalty box.
"1 vs 1. Attacker vs Defender. Start from 30 meters out. Kevin, you defend. Adrian, you attack."
Kevin laughed. "Coach, I'm a winger, not a defender. But against him? I could defend in my sandals."
The team gathered around. They wanted to see the rookie get destroyed.
Adrian picked up the ball. He walked to the 30-meter line.
He looked at Kevin, who was standing casually, chewing gum.
[Target: Kevin]
[Strength: 65]
[Confidence: 100%]
Adrian felt the Bulldozer skill humming in his veins.
"System," Adrian thought. "Activate Bulldozer mode."
"Go!" Lucien blew the whistle.
Adrian just pushed the ball forward five meters and ran after it.
"Look at that dribble!" Kevin mocked, stepping forward to steal the ball. "It's so loose! Give me that!"
Kevin sprinted in. He planned to just shoulder-barge Adrian slightly and take the ball.
Kevin planted his foot. He threw his shoulder into Adrian's chest.
Kevin didn't move Adrian. Not even a millimeter.
Instead, Kevin flew.
It looked like he had run into a moving train. Kevin was launched backward, his feet leaving the ground. He spun in the air and landed hard on his back, sliding two meters across the grass.
"Oof!" Kevin gasped, the wind knocked out of him.
Adrian didn't even break stride. He caught up to the ball.
He was now 20 meters out.
Dante, who was watching from the side, widened his eyes. "What the..."
Adrian saw the goalkeeper.
Adrian smashed the ball.
The net nearly ripped off the posts.
Adrian stopped. He turned around.
Kevin was still on the ground, wheezing, trying to understand what truck had just hit him.
The entire First Team was silent.
Adrian looked at Dante.
"I can't pass," Adrian said, his voice echoing across the quiet pitch. "But I don't fall down."
Coach Lucien smirked.
"Next defender!" Lucien shouted. "Dante! You're up! Let's see if the Captain can stop the tank!"