THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

After completing training that day, Zachary thought of Emily's advice and straightaway headed to the head coach's office. Although he found the door slightly ajar, he still knocked a couple of times and then waited quietly by the side.

"Come in," the voice of Coach Johansen sounded from inside the room a few seconds later.

Zachary immediately pushed the door wide open before stepping into the spacious office. He immediately realized that Coach Johansen was in the middle of watching one of Juventus' past matches on the big screen beside his office table.

On looking closely, he managed to learn that the Italian giants were facing off against Galatasaray, the famous Turkish club. However, they were still one goal down even though the clock was already pointing to the 89th-minute mark. For sure, they would most likely lose the game.

Zachary remained standing quietly on the side as he followed the game besides the coach. The game gradually moved into extra time, but nothing unexpected happened. Juventus did not manage to score the equalizer and eventually lost the game.

"A nice game, isn't it?" Coach Johansen said, standing up and turning towards Zachary. "Good execution of tactics by Roberto Mancini to frustrate Juventus' powerful midfield. He organized his side well, enabling them to beat the Italian giants 1:0 in that UEFA League group match that was played back in November last year."

Zachary's curiosity was a little bit piqued. "Who scored?"

"Wesley Sneijder," the coach answered. "He scored Galatasaray's only goal of the match in the 85th minute."

"Oh, Wesley Sneijder..."

Zachary wasn't surprised. Wesley Sneijder was a very skilled player who was undisputedly one of the best midfielders in the world during his prime. He even had a chance of winning the Ballon d'Or in 2010 if the Dutch could have triumphed in that year's World Cup final against the Spaniards.

But an even more surprising fact was how the midfielder's performance declined in only a couple of years. It took only a few unfavorable transfer moves and a couple of injuries to reduce a player who was almost at the top of the world into another nondescript athlete. It was truly unfortunate!

Thinking about all that, Zachary comprehended how easy it was for even the best footballers to lose their form. As long as a player was down on his luck and didn't work hard, then the performance on the pitch would gradually decline.

So, Zachary again resolved to continue working hard and trying his best to improve his skills throughout his career. No matter the circumstances he faced, he couldn't stop. Relentless toiling was the way forward if he yearned to have a long and successful football career.

"If we prepare well for the game, we can also overcome the Italian giants," Coach Johansen said, interrupting his thought process. "As long as we take all our chances and maintain discipline in defense, we can win. Don't you think so, Zachary?"

"Of course, we can win," Zachary said, nodding. "Football is played on the pitch, not on paper. So, even if they have big-name players, we can still overcome them if we do our best and get our tactics right."

Coach Johansen chuckled. "I'm very pleased with your optimism, Zachary," he said. "By the way, why are you here? Shouldn't you be home, recovering from the post-match fatigue?"

"Coach," Zachary said, letting out a breath. "There's something I need to talk to you about." His tone had turned glum.

"First, have a seat, Zachary," the coach said, settling in his office chair. "What is it?"

Zachary took up the seat in front of the coach's table. "My only guardian, my grandma is sick," he said. "As I speak now, she's in a coma and on Oxygen therapy."

He then told the coach about the actual condition of his grandma and his plans for her treatment. He ended the whole account by informing the coach that he might have to travel out of Norway repeatedly in the coming weeks.

"I see," Coach Johansen said, leaning back into his seat after listening. "I'm sorry to hear that your grandma is ill." His expression then flickered a few times as his eyes narrowed. It was as if he was deep in contemplation about something.

"So, when do you wish to travel out of Norway?" The coach continued after a few more seconds. "Can you be more specific so that we can factor your absence into our plans?"

"I'm not sure yet," Zachary replied. "However, I would like to be there when my grandma undergoes the operation to remove the tumor in Zurich."

"Then, first find out the exact dates when you'll be traveling before asking for permission from the club management," the coach advised. "For now, stay strong and continue training. Don't let this unfortunate circumstance become a major roadblock in your career. Okay?"

"Yes, coach," Zachary said, nodding. "I understand."

The coach nodded. "Don't worry. The club will be with you throughout this hardship. Moreover, from what I know, tumors are easily curable in today's world. Many people survive and recover after suffering from brain tumors. So, take heart and continue praying for your grandma's quick recovery."

"Thanks, coach."

-----

For the next three days, Zachary continued working hard. Aside from taking part in the team training sessions, he also found time to sharpen his mastery over the step over the skills. Whether it was night or day, it didn't matter. His immersion in the step-over practice routines was exceptional. It even helped him forget his worries, and slowly by slowly, he pushed both his mental and physical conditioning states for the skill to 100%.

Early morning on Wednesday, after he'd just finished going through a cone dribbling drill at Lerkendal, the long-awaited system's notification rang in his mind.

"Ding"

"The user has completed all the required mental and physical conditioning routines to master the Robinho-Step-Over Juju," the system AI intoned. "However, to conclude the whole process, the user will now have to receive a few more experiences and first-person perspectives of using the skill from the system. Is the user ready to receive the information from the system at the moment?"

Zachary didn't reply right away. He first packed his things and returned to the dressing room before taking a shower to cool himself down. After that, he settled on one of the sofas in the then empty player's resting lounge before summoning the system.

"System," he gave a mental command. "I'm ready to receive the information. Please, begin the information transfer immediately."

"Command received," the system's AI replied. "Loading the required data packages for the Robinho-step-over juju. The system will start transferring the information into the user's mind in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0."

A slight tremor went through Zachary's mind when the countdown reached zero. Soon, foreign memories started flooding his mind as the information transfer started. They rooted themselves in his consciousness, making him feel like he'd already performed the step-over skill millions of times. It was a marvelous sensation that filled him with confidence. And at that moment, he was sure that he would be able to perform step-overs even with his eyes closed in the future.

"Wonderful."

A smile lit up Zachary's face as he stood up from the sofa. He immediately picked up a ball from the nearby rack and started performing step-overs there in the lounge.

He dribbled the ball around the room by relying on only the technique for the next few minutes. His feet were like the rims of a moving bicycle as they flashed over the ball repeatedly without end. Anyone else who could chance upon him at that moment would judge that he'd mastered the art of step-overs and pushed it to the highest level.

"Sweet."

Zachary ended his session and settled back on the sofa with a smile. With the skill finally in his repertoire, he'd gained another weapon to take on Rosenborg's next opponent - Juventus. As long as he could play his cards right during the two legs of the fixture, then he might really help his team qualify for the Europa League quarter-finals. Zachary could feel his hopes shooting through the roof and soaring to the skies just by imagining the scene.

"Bzzt Bzzzt! Bzzt Bzzzt..."

Suddenly, his phone started vibrating in his pocket, ruining his merry mood. He fished it out hurriedly and glanced at the screen. The next moment, he felt a wave of anxiety wash over him as the call was from Emily.

Two days ago, his grandma had been transferred to Zurich for treatment. She'd stabilized and even woken up a couple of times after arriving in Switzerland. However, Zachary understood that he couldn't celebrate until seeing her biopsy results. If the tumor happened not to be cancerous, her chances of recovery would be very high. But if the results were the other way round— Zachary could feel a shudder racing along his spine while thinking about the possibility. He was really nervous, especially since that day was when the biopsy results would come out.

"Morning, Emily," Zachary said after placing the phone next to his ear.

"Morning, Zach," Emily replied from the other end of the line. "How are you? Are you training hard?"

"Of course," he replied. "I'm already at the pitch as we speak now."

"Great," Emily said. "I'm glad you're still working hard."

"Emily," Zachary said, his tone edgy. "I'm a big boy. Just give it to me straight. How are the results of the biopsy test?"

Emily sighed audibly. "The doctors say that it's not the worst-case scenario."

"Meaning?" Zachary pressed, his heart pounding fast and hard in his chest.

"The tumor in her brain is not yet cancerous," she replied. "However, they discovered that it's premalignant. That means that the abnormal mass of cells is not yet cancerous, but it does have the potential to become malignant in the future."

"Oh my God!"

Zachary couldn't stop his mood from sinking after hearing the biopsy test result.