(Jaeven's POV)
The morning sun painted golden streaks across the Virtus Lombardia training complex. The dew on the grass shimmered like silver dust as I laced up my boots. My heart still fluttered every time I stepped onto this pitch — the pitch. Not the youth field I'd grown used to, but the real thing, where first-team players crafted their art every day.
It had been a week since my call-up. A week of exhaustion, lessons, and quiet frustration.
I wasn't the fastest here. I wasn't the strongest.
But I could feel something shifting beneath the surface — a rhythm inside me that hadn't existed before.
"Han, get moving! Shadow press, don't chase!"
Coach Rossi's voice cut through the air like thunder. The "Midfield King" himself, barking orders at the players as if he were still playing. His tone was sharp, but not cruel. Every correction he gave me carried intent.
I nodded and adjusted my stance, keeping my body low as I mirrored the right winger. The first-team drills were brutal. There was no room for hesitation. You either anticipated two steps ahead, or you were left behind.
"Good, but read the pass, don't follow the legs!" Rossi yelled again.
I bit my lip and refocused. Sweat stung my eyes, but I didn't stop.
The ball zipped across the pitch — one-touch, two-touch, passes fired like bullets. The tempo was unreal. I could barely keep track, yet my body was beginning to feel the rhythm, like a pulse guiding my movements.
After twenty more minutes, the whistle blew. Players stretched, laughed, some joked around. I collapsed onto the grass, panting.
My vision blurred slightly, and a faint shimmer appeared before my eyes.
> [System Notice]
Neural Synchronization Threshold detected.
Analyzing performance pattern...
Activating hidden subroutine: [Flow Trigger]
My eyes widened.
> [New Skill Unlocked]
Skill: Flow State (Lv. 1)
Type: Passive/Conditional
Description: When concentration surpasses a critical threshold during play, mental interference is reduced. Perception sharpens. Reaction time increases slightly.
Effect: +5% Decision Speed, +3% Ball Control precision for 10 minutes.
Cooldown: 1 match.
I blinked rapidly, trying to process it.
Flow State?
It wasn't flashy like teleportation or super reflexes — but it was real. Real enough to bridge the gap between instinct and execution.
And it was mine.
"Han!"
I jerked my head up. Rossi was watching me, one hand on his hip. His expression unreadable.
"You look like you saw a ghost. Get a drink. You're up next in the positioning drill."
I quickly scrambled up, wiping sweat from my forehead. "Yes, coach!"
As I joined the next rotation, the corners of my lips twitched into a grin.
It wasn't a dream anymore — the system was evolving alongside me.
---
The next few days blurred into a cycle of repetition: drills, matches, corrections, collapse, recovery.
Rossi rarely praised me. He didn't need to.
Every subtle nod he gave after a clean touch or sharp run was enough fuel to keep me going.
My teammates had started to notice too.
"Yo, Han," said Matteo, the first-team winger. "You're picking things up fast, huh? You looked lost the first day, but now you're actually reading plays."
I gave him a small smile. "Just trying to keep up."
He laughed. "Keep it up, rookie. Coach Rossi doesn't hand out compliments, but trust me — if you're still here next week, you've done something right."
Those words stuck with me.
That night, I couldn't sleep.
Instead, I opened the system interface.
> [Status Screen]
Name: Jaeven Moretti Han
Age: 16
Team: Virtus Lombardia FC
Position: LW/SS
Attributes
Acceleration: 42 (D–)
Speed: 44 (D)
Dribbling: 46 (D+)
Agility: 43 (D)
Passing: 41 (D–)
Shooting: 44 (D)
Ball Control: 47 (D+)
Stamina: 45 (D+)
Strength: 40 (D–)
Mentality: 55 (C+)
Skill: [Flow State Lv. 1]
Trait: [Prodigy's Echo] – Gradual skill learning through repetition.
Potential: Hidden Tier
The numbers looked small, almost insignificant — but they were real.
Each one carried the weight of my effort.
I exhaled slowly. "Still 4th Division level… but I'll climb."
> [System Tip]
"A legend is not defined by their peak, but by how many times they rise after failure."
I smiled faintly.
The system always had a way of saying the right thing.
---
The following morning, I arrived early — before anyone else.
The sky was still dark, the stadium lights buzzing faintly as I stood at the halfway line, ball at my feet.
The silence felt sacred.
I began running small drills — tight dribbles, first-touch flicks, and low crosses. Over and over again. My body moved almost mechanically.
Then, as I controlled a pass off the bounce, something shifted. The world slowed, just a little. My muscles felt lighter, my breathing synced perfectly with each step.
> [Flow State Activated]
The ball was an extension of my body.
Each touch connected seamlessly, almost subconsciously.
It was as if my instincts had merged with my awareness — I wasn't thinking; I was becoming.
I launched a curling shot toward the far post. It sliced through the cold morning air and hit the bar, rebounding with a clean metallic ring.
The sound echoed beautifully across the empty field.
"…This feeling…"
My heart pounded in rhythm with the quiet hum of the world.
It wasn't power — it was control. Precision. Awareness.
Then the moment passed, and I was back in my skin, panting, the early chill seeping through my sweat-soaked jersey.
I grinned. "So that's what Flow State really means."
---
By the time training officially started, my muscles ached but my spirit burned brighter than ever.
During scrimmage, everything felt easier.
The rhythm of passes, the flow of movement — it all came naturally.
When Rossi stopped the session, his eyes lingered on me for a second longer than usual.
He didn't speak. Just nodded slightly and walked off.
But I caught the faintest hint of approval in that silence.
---
Later that night, as I reviewed the system logs, a faint new prompt appeared:
> [Hidden Progression Path Unlocked]
Mental Flow Integration: 4%
"Maintain Flow State for 10 cumulative hours to evolve skill into a higher tier."
I leaned back, breath caught between disbelief and awe.
The system was giving me a direction — a way forward.
"Ten hours, huh?" I muttered, smiling to myself. "Then I'll live in that state."
The night deepened, but I stayed up visualizing plays, movements, touches.
This was just the beginning.
---