Chapter 6 — Baptism of Brilliance
The Johan Cruyff Academy Stadium buzzed with anticipation. The stands were packed with scouts, journalists, and murmuring coaches from across Europe. Banners rippled in the chill wind — Ajax versus Feyenoord, the most bitter rivalry in Dutch football, even at youth level.
For Julian Mattheus Côrrea Dos Santos, this was his first official match for the Ajax U-19s. Yet, as he stood on the pitch, his pulse remained steady. The System's interface flickered faintly behind his eyes.
[System Notification]
Quest Active: First Step to Glory — Debut Match (U-19 Division)
Scouts Present: 37
"EXP": (0/50,000)
Mood: Composed | Confidence: Absolute
Julian tightened his boots, staring toward the Feyenoord defenders as if they were lines of code waiting to be rewritten.
The whistle cut through the air.
Within seconds, Julian took command of the midfield. His first touch — immaculate. His movement — unreadable. Feyenoord's backline hesitated each time he advanced, unable to anticipate whether the boy from Rio would dribble, feint, or simply warp past them.
By the tenth minute, Julian received a long pass just shy of the halfway line. The ball bounced once. His body adjusted — perfectly measured, entirely balanced. Without a second's hesitation, he swung his right foot around the ball in a flawless Trivela, the outside curve carrying it across half the field and into the top corner.
The crowd erupted. The goalkeeper stood motionless. The ball had defied every expectation of physics.
[System Notification]
Skill Execution: Trivela Perfeita — Grade: SS+
"EXP" +2,000
Julian didn't celebrate — he simply jogged back to position, eyes burning.
Minutes later, a Feyenoord midfielder tried to dispossess him near the box. Julian triggered the Hiper Drible Infinito — his movements multiplying, steps overlapping reality, until two defenders collided violently mid-tackle, collapsing to the grass. The crowd gasped. His acceleration blurred into open space.
The opposing center-back charged — too aggressively. Julian sidestepped, spinning midair as the defender's leg twisted horribly beneath him. The sound was sickening. The stadium went silent. The referee's whistle blew, medics rushing in.
Julian froze for half a second — guilt flickering behind his focused expression — then turned back toward the play.
[System Warning]
Opponent Status: Severe ACL Tear — Forced Retirement Probability: 100%
Emotional Stability: -3 | Focus Recalibrating… Complete.
From that moment on, Feyenoord ceased to exist as a tactical unit. Julian's flair shattered their confidence; his rhythm dictated their collapse.
Midway through the first half, he faced the goalkeeper one-on-one. Instead of finishing, he looped the ball upward, jogged in a perfect arc, and leapt — twisting into an impossible overhead kick that struck the top corner.
[System Notification]
Skill: Overhead Precision Strike — Grade SSS
"EXP" +3,000
Crowd Reaction: Frenzy Detected
Ajax's bench rose in disbelief. Scouts began recording on tablets, whispering into earpieces. Some clubs had come to observe. Others had come to recruit. All now sat silent, witnessing something closer to possession than performance.
As the match spiraled forward, Julian stopped counting goals. Each one became a rhythm — flicks, nutmegs, elasticos, rabonas, and rainbow flick volleys. Every move a spectacle, every finish a statement.
By the 70th minute, even the Feyenoord coach stopped shouting instructions. Players stood paralyzed, their defensive shape gone. The scoreline flashed on the sideline screen like a cosmic joke.
Ajax 84 — 9 Feyenoord
Julian had scored 72 of those goals and assisted the other 8. Every touch of the ball resulted in destruction — defenders diving the wrong way, keepers lunging at shadows.
As the final whistle blew, the crowd fell into a stunned silence that quickly turned into rapturous applause. Cameras clicked like gunfire. Scouts exchanged desperate, frantic words.
Julian stood in the center circle, calm as ever, chest rising and falling with slow, even breaths.
[System Evaluation Complete]
Rating: 86 (+16)
Reputation Increase: Continental Level
Next Quest: "The Eyes of the World" — Prepare for Senior Team Call-Up
He looked toward the sky as his teammates surrounded him. For all the chaos, the crushed defenses, the shattered expectations — he felt something familiar creeping in. A quiet, unshakable hunger.
He had played the perfect game.
Now he wanted more
The Forge of the Prodigy
As the crowd's applause echoed through the corridors of the stadium, Julian sat alone in the locker room, staring at his reflection. The System interface shimmered faintly in the corner of his vision, unreadable to anyone else. His heart still raced, though his expression remained calm.
The game was over — and yet, in his mind, he was already back in training.
[System Notification]
Memory Stream Access: Flashback (Three Days Prior)
The world around him blurred, and the familiar Ajax facility vanished, replaced by an endless white void — the Training Center, newly unlocked after his dominance against La Masia.
[Training Center Activated]
Environment Type: Adaptive Simulation
Difficulty: Infinite Scaling
Time Ratio: 1 Second (Reality) = 100 Hours (Simulation)
Julian stood at the center of a colossal digital field. Everything shimmered with cold precision — holographic defenders, simulated weather, even the texture of the turf was indistinguishable from reality.
[System Prompt]
Welcome, Julian. Training Module Initialized.
Goal: Perfection through repetition.
Skill Fusion: Unlocked.
He cracked his knuckles and smiled faintly.
The simulation began. A dozen holographic defenders swarmed toward him — each moving faster, sharper, smarter than any real opponent. Julian activated Hiper Drible Infinito, his movements slicing through them like fluid geometry. Every microtouch triggered a sequence of data — spin, cut, flick, reversal. The System recorded every angle, every inefficiency.
[Training Update]
Dribble Speed: +3
Reaction Time: +5
Spatial Awareness: +7
Days in the simulation passed like Seconds in reality. Julian trained His "Tiro de Carnificina Infinita" until the System itself had to adapt its goalkeeping algorithm to react. He trained set pieces, reflexes, and positioning against AI versions of the best defenders in Europe.
Saliba,Bastoni,Mendes,Pacho.Each Were Mere Statues In Front of His Riddicoulous Dribbling Skills.
Eventually, the sky above him darkened — the simulation world adjusting itself to mimic exhaustion. Sweat dripped from his chin as he collapsed to his knees, smiling through heavy breaths.
[System Notification]
Training Efficiency: 98%
Stat Evolution Triggered.
Would you like to view your updated attributes?
→ [Yes]
The void dissolved into darkness as Julian's Status Interface appeared before him in full holographic clarity.
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[System Interface — Updated Player Status]
[Name]: Julian Mattheus Côrrea Dos Santos
[Age]: 14
[Position(s)]: CF, CAM, CM
[Sub Position(s)]:Trequartista
[Rating]: 89
[Status]: Wonderkid Ascendant
"EXP": (32,500 / 50,000)
[Origin]: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
[Current Club]: Ajax AFC (U-19s)
[System Mode]: Active Ascension
Core Attributes:
[Attacking]: 97
Shooting: 96
Technique: 99
Agility: 98
Vision: 92
Shot Accuracy: 96
Shot Power: 95
Offensive Positioning: 93
_______________________
[Defense]: 38
Slide Tackling: 34
Tackling: 38
Power: 42
Defensive Positioning: 40
Defensive Awareness: 36
________________________
Physique:88
Strength: 85
Physicality: 88
Stamina: 90
Confrontational Fortitude: 87
___________________________
Mental Fortitude:75
Mental Strength: 77
Discipline: 72
Confidence: 80
Composure: 75
Aggression: 70
_____________________
[Auxiliary Attributes]:96
Freekick Accuracy: 97
Shot Accuracy: 96
Decision Making: 88
Work Rate/Ethic: 85
Dribble Speed: 95
Reaction Time: 91
Spatial Awareness: 94
____________________
[Skills]: 19
Special Skills:
- Hiper Drible Infinito (Mastered): Movement chain extending beyond reaction time; collapses defenders through cognitive overload.
- Tiro de Carnificina Infinita (Advanced): Curved power strike with dynamic trajectory modulation; unpredictability near absolute.
- Trivela Perfeita (New): Long-range, outside-foot shot with spin calibration exceeding measurable precision.
- Overhead Precision Strike (Unlocked): Airborne control of trajectory; aesthetic efficiency ratio: 100%.
Special Traits:
- Chaos Structuring: Ability to integrate flair into rigid tactical systems without efficiency loss.
- Spatial Dominance: Reactive prediction of opponent positioning.
- Fan Magnetism: Public impact amplification effect — global recognition growing.
Current Quest:
"The Eyes of the World" — Prepare for Senior Team Call-Up
Objective: Sustain dominance in U-19 Division for 5 consecutive matches.
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The interface dimmed. The white void faded. Julian opened his eyes — back in the present, in the Ajax locker room, still drenched in post-match sweat. His reflection in the mirror smiled faintly.
The System's voice, lighthearted and ever-present, whispered in his mind, half-mocking, half-proud.
"You've come a long way from Rio, kid. Let's see if the world can keep up."
Julian stood, stretched his arms, and walked toward the exit — ready to face a world that, for the first time in football history, was no longer sure what was possible.