The draw results for the Champions League quarter-finals sent shockwaves through the footballing world.
Media outlets rushed to publish their hot takes, while fans flocked to comment sections to vent their spleen.
@BarcaFan99: Semifinalists locked in: Barca, Real Madrid, Bayern, Man City. Easy money. đ°
@JoseIn: Did Barca pull strings again? How do they always get the easiest draw? Roma is a bye week.
@JuveUltra: The only easy opponent is gone. Real Madrid vs. Juventus is basically the final in advance. Ronaldo against Buffon again... my heart can't take it.
@RedArmy: United vs. Bayern? Honestly? I'd say it's 30-70 in Bayern's favor. We need a miracle.
@TacticalTim: Don't be so pessimistic. It's 50-50. Bayern have been mediocre this season. They sacked Ancelotti, had Sagnol for five minutes, and dragged Heynckes out of retirement. Their ceiling isn't that high.
@GermanEfficiency: Heynckes is a legend. Bayern have won the Bundesliga five years in a row by 10+ points. That stat isn't meaningless; it's show their dominance.
Ling scrolled through the comments on his phone, chuckling at the tribal warfare, before tossing it onto his bed.
"Bayern, huh?" he muttered. "Well, to be the best, you have to beat the best."
He grabbed a towel and headed for the shower, but first, he had business to attend to.
The Lottery.
His goal against Sevilla in the closing stages had brought his personal Champions League tally to five. The system had pinged him immediately after the match.
"Please don't let it be another passive skill..." Ling whispered, closing his eyes.
Although he often told himself that hard work was the key, he knew the truth.
Without the System, he was just a talented winger.
With the System, he was becoming a god.
He focused his mind. A cold, mechanical voice echoed in his consciousness.
[MISSION COMPLETE: European Elite]
[Requirement: Score 5 Champions League Goals]
[Reward: Golden Module Treasure Chest]
A magnificent golden chest materialized in the void of his mind.
It pulsed with light, its surface adorned with the shifting faces of legendary playersâPelĂ©, Maradona, Zidane, Cruyff.
Ling opened it.
The light exploded, blinding him for a moment.
[Filtering based on position: Forward/Winger...]
[CONGRATULATIONS!]
[You have obtained: "Three-Dimensional Spatial Awareness" Module]
Ling blinked. "Three-Dimensional Spatial Awareness?"
There was no prefix.
No "Ronaldo's Speed" or "Bergkamp's Touch." Just a raw, abstract concept.
[Module Details: Perception Enhancement. Enables the user to utilize all legal body parts (head, chest, shoulders, back) to control the ball with the same proficiency as their feet. Unlocks aerial dribbling and juggling combat techniques.]
As the golden light dissolved into his mind, clarity washed over him.
Football is played on the ground, coaches always said.
Keep it simple.
But the true masters played in the air.
Ling closed his eyes and saw a figure in a yellow jersey.
Ronaldinho.
He saw the Brazilian trapping a 60-yard pass with his back. He saw him flicking the ball over a defender's head with his shoulder.
He saw the "Sombrero" flicks, the chest controls that turned into passes.
It's about expanding the playable area.
Most players lived in 2Dâforward, backward, left, right. This module allowed him to play in 3Dâup and over.
In desperate situationsâsurrounded by three defenders near the corner flagâground routes are often blocked. But the air is always free.
...
Over the next few days, Ling became obsessed.
After regular training, while his teammates went home to play FIFA, Ling stayed behind. He practiced controlling high balls with his shoulder blade. He juggled with his neck. He flicked balls up and volleyed them without them touching the grass.
He discovered something incredible: The "3D Spatial Awareness" module stacked perfectly with his existing Bergkamp "First Touch" module.
One gave him the geometric understanding of where the ball could go; the other gave him the mechanical ability to put it there using any part of his body.
It was like unlocking a new dimension of physics.
...
March 18th, 2018
Time flew by. The quiet city of Manchester woke up with a hangover of hate.
It was England's biggest game. History, tradition, success, and pure, unadulterated loathing.
The 200th North West Derby.
The memories of the 199th derby were still fresh. At Anfield, on the day the Kenny Dalglish Stand was renamed, Ling had scored a curling winner in stoppage time.
He had silenced the Kop. He had humiliated them on their special day.
Liverpool fans had not forgotten.
Today, thousands of Scousers descended on Manchester. They came not just for three points, but for retribution.
They had reasons to be confident.
Under Jurgen Klopp, the "Heavy Metal" football was hitting the right notes.
In January, they had fixed their biggest weakness by signing the colossus, Virgil van Dijk, for ÂŁ75 million.
Since his arrival, the leaky defense had turned into a fortress.
And upfront? The "Red Arrows." Firmino, Mané, and the Egyptian King, Mohamed Salah.
Salah was currently sitting on 28 goalsâone ahead of Ling in the Golden Boot race.
But there was another threat. A local lad.
Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The teenager had broken into the first team and made the right-back spot his own.
His passing range was like a playmaker's, and his crossing was lethal. He would be the one tasked with stopping Ling today.
...
The streets around Old Trafford were a battleground of noise.
The Liverpool fans marched in a dense column, surrounded by police horses.
Their anthem, a song born from a 1945 musical that transcended sport, rose into the grey sky.
"Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart!" "And you'll never walk alone!" "YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE!"
It was a song of defiance.
A reminder of their dominance in the 70s and 80s, and a comfort during the tragedies of Heysel and Hillsborough.
But this was Manchester!
The United fans responded with superior firepower.
Massive sound systems blared from the pub gardens, and seventy thousand voices drowned out the Scouse choir.
"We've finished off the Scousers!" "And silenced the Mersey beat!" "We've ended Liverpool's run!"
"GLORY, GLORY MAN UNITED!"
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