I could check other players' stats through the system.
On the opposing team, the strongest was Caleb, while on my team the best player was Evan.
Evan Clark (Level 14)
• Agility: 12
• Strength: 14
• Endurance: 13
• Resistance: 15
Caleb Brown (Level 13)
• Agility: 14
• Strength: 12
• Endurance: 14
• Resistance: 12
Both of them came from families slightly above the regional average.
Naturally, their stats were far higher than most students'.
Still, one thing caught my eye: neither of them had chosen a progression path yet.
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The match would last 40 minutes, and I had to finish all my tasks within that time.
I started the game by safely completing every pass that came my way.
After 15 minutes, I had already made 20 successful passes,
but I still hadn't managed a single long pass.
I pushed a bit forward, and when the ball came to my feet, I saw Evan unmarked.
I quickly sent a long pass toward him.
He controlled the ball seamlessly and scored.
The system chimed immediately:
• You have earned 8 points for making an assist.
A solid reward.
I decided to push the tempo even more.
By the 25th minute, the score was 3–2 in our favor,
and I was close to completing all my tasks:
• Complete 30 successful passes (34/30)
• Complete 2 successful long passes (1/2)
• Complete 3 successful defensive challenges (2/3)
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In the 30th minute, Caleb launched a fast attack.
He passed to David, who started dribbling straight toward me.
David's stats were slightly better than mine, but not by much.
Just before he could advance further, I slid in.
A clean tackle.
I stole the ball and flashed a quick grin at him before sprinting forward.
After crossing midfield, I sent a long pass to Jackson.
He immediately redirected it to Evan.
Evan fired a shot into the top left corner—far beyond the keeper's reach.
Goal.
---
The match ended 5–2 in our favor.
Then a cascade of system notifications burst forth:
• You have earned 40 points for winning the match.
Task Rewards:
• Complete 30 successful passes (44/30)
• Complete 2 successful long passes (2/2)
• Complete 3 successful defensive challenges (4/3)
• You have earned 45 points for completing all 3 tasks.
The losing team had to buy drinks for everyone.
I joked around with David while sipping mine, and the rest of the day passed quietly.
Eventually, I headed home.
As usual, I walked into the house under Sofia's irritated glare, then went straight to my room.
I opened the system immediately.
I now had a total of 148 points.
Outside my daily routines, I had also earned 3 points by helping an elderly man on the street.
I began distributing my points:
• +1 Agility
• +2 Endurance
Spending a total of 128 points.
Just as I finished upgrading my stats, the system chimed again:
• Congratulations! You have reached Level 9. You have earned 100 points for leveling up.
A satisfie
d smile spread across my face as I stared at the system screen.
This was only the beginning.
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