The atmosphere on the pitch that afternoon was like a battlefield.
The hot Surabaya wind blew, mixing the scent of grass, sweat, and the tension of the remaining players. Of the hundreds of participants who had arrived on the first day… now only ten.
Ten of the best players. Ten hopes. Ten who were just one step away from the Netherlands.
And one of them was Richard.
He stood on the sidelines, breathing heavily, clutching a half-empty water bottle. The FC Utrecht coaches' eyes fixed on each participant who passed—as if they could read their minds from five meters away.
"Rix… I'm really nervous," Richard whispered to himself.
A blue screen suddenly appeared.
---
[New Quest Available]
Final Trial: Duel of Fate Objectives: • Win the duel against the coach's chosen opponent
• Score at least 1 goal
• Show complete determination
Reward: +1 Strength
+20 Agility
+100 EXP
New Skill (Random)
---
Richard took a deep breath.
"This is it… the final phase."
---
Utrecht Coach Announces Final Format
They stood in the middle of the pitch, accompanied by a translator.
"Today's final test," said the translator, "is a 1-on-1 duel in a tournament format."
The participants immediately started whispering.
"Another duel?" "No big deal… this is the most brutal one." "I hope I don't run into that academy kid."
The translator continued:
"Each player has one minute to score. If there's no goal, the winner will be determined by aggression, control, and mentality."
The bald foreign coach looked at them one by one, then said:
> "In Europe, the game is a mental battle.
We want to see who won't give up even when losing."
Richard shuddered at that.
---
Opponent Draw
A plastic box containing the players' names was brought forward. The translator took two sheets of paper at once.
"First duel…
NUMBER 118 – Richard Ardiansyah."
Richard immediately tensed.
"…against… NUMBER 021 – Dhio."
Everyone immediately turned their heads.
Dhio. Surabaya academy player.
The one who had been in the spotlight from the start.
The one with the showy but effective dribbling style.
The one who had laughed at Richard yesterday.
Dhio stepped forward with a lopsided smile.
"Wow, that's perfect," he said, patting Richard on the shoulder. "Finally, we're having a real duel."
Richard was silent. He didn't want to be provoked.
"But bro…" Dhio leaned forward. "…you realize you're not on the same level, right?"
Richard stared at him sharply.
For the first time, he felt no fear from such remarks.
---
The Duel Arena Prepared
Two mini goals, 20 meters apart, and a small area designated as a battle zone.
The referee blew the whistle for both players to enter.
Richard stood on one side.
Dhio on the other, spinning the ball like Cristiano Ronaldo warming up.
The Utrecht coach watched them with interest.
"Time: one minute," said the translator.
"One… two… go!"
---
The Duel Begins
Dhio received the ball first.
He immediately performed a step-over, a body feint, and a lightning-fast change of direction.
Richard defended.
But—
Dhio was fast.
Very fast.
Richard realized: his dribbling was almost professional.
Dhio passed Richard once—and… BOOM!
Hard shot!
The ball hit the post.
Richard nearly died standing there.
Dhio smiled broadly.
"Almost," he said with a wink.
There was laughter from several other participants.
---
Richard's Turn to Attack
Richard began his slow dribble.
Dhio lowered his body, ready to snatch the ball like a predator.
Richard knew, with his usual technique… he was outmatched.
"System," he muttered to himself. "Help me."
"Ding."
---
[Skill Activated: Trajectory Vision Lv.1]
[Passive: Iron Will Lv.1]
The optimal dribble path seemed thin on the ground.
Panic vanished, focus increased.
Richard cut to the right—
Dhio followed, too fast.
Richard spun the ball—
Dhio blocked the path.
"Wall," Richard muttered.
Time was ticking.
Forty seconds remaining.
Dhio snatched the ball and nearly scored a second goal.
The crowd cheered with every move he made.
The pressure intensified against Richard's chest.
"He's faster… more technical… more experienced," he muttered.
Then a robotic voice rang out.
---
[Warning: Quest Failure Imminent]
Recommendation: Activate offensive skill.
---
Richard flinched.
"I have offensive skills?"
Suddenly, another blue screen appeared.
---
[Emergency Skill Unlocked]
Micro Sprint Burst Lv.2
— Extreme acceleration for 0.6 seconds
Cooldown: 20 seconds
---
Richard smiled faintly.
"Here we go."
---
The Decisive Second
Richard got the ball back from the referee.
20 seconds remaining.
Dhio stood in front of him, full of arrogance.
"Come on… show me what you've got," he taunted.
Richard lowered his head.
He gripped the ball tightly.
He took a breath.
"Now."
"DING."
---
[Micro Sprint Burst Lv.2 Activated]
A burst of speed shot through his body.
It was as if there was an electric motor in his legs.
Richard dribbled to the left—
Dhio chased—
then in an instant, he cut sharply to the right!
Dhio was left behind.
Surprised.
His foot slipped slightly.
"WOOO!"
"CRAZY! What kind of speed is that?!"
Richard saw only a blue trail on the ground.
8 meters to the goal.
5 meters.
3 meters.
He lifted his foot—
kicked the ball as hard as he could—
BOOM!
The ball sailed low into the left corner of the goal.
Goal.
The crowd erupted.
The Utrecht coaches stood—
one touched his chin, surprised.
The other scribbled quickly on a clipboard.
Dhio was silent.
Completely silent.
Richard didn't celebrate. He was too tired for that.
---
Live Evaluation
After the duel was over, the translator called them over.
"Richard," he said. "The coach wants to talk."
Richard stepped forward slowly, his heart threatening to jump out of his chest.
The bald coach stared at him for a long time.
"Your speed… unnatural," he said.
"Your mentality… strong."
"Your reaction under pressure… excellent."
He paused.
Then he smiled faintly.
> "You are going to the next stage."
Richard sighed, nearly collapsing.
Dhio protested from behind:
"He was just lucky! Just now—"
The coach raised his hand.
"Football isn't about style," he said firmly.
"Football is… who doesn't stop fighting."
Dhio shut his mouth.
Richard bowed deeply.
"Thank you…"
---
Quest Completed
[Final Trial: Duel of Fate — COMPLETED]
Reward:
+1 Strength
+20 Agility
+100 EXP
New Skill Unlocked:
Perfect First Touch (Passive) Lv. 1
Richard trembled.
New skill?
Perfect First Touch?
That's a skill even professional players would envy.
He stared at the sunset sky over Surabaya.
The journey had just begun.
And the Netherlands…
already felt closer than ever.