THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

Right after leaving Coach Johansen's office, Zachary looked for a secluded spot beside the administrative building. He opened the system interface after surveying his surroundings. He had confirmed that there wasn't a soul close by since all the players were on the pitch going through various drills. The dropping of two players from the team that morning seemed to have motivated all his teammates beyond measure.

"DING"

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G.O.A.T MISSIONS

#NEW MISSION: five-months Speed Workout from your Coach.

*Task 1: Complete two sets of the following speed drills, three times a week, over a distance of 50 meters. High-Knees, Butt-Kicks, B-Skips, Bounds, Single-Leg Diagonal-Bounds, In-and-Out Leg-exercise (Click here to watch instructional videos).

*Task 2: Complete twenty sets of sprints, over a distance of 20 meters, three times a week.

*Task 3: Complete ten sets of Resistance-Band sprinting, over a distance of 20 meters, three times a week.

*Task 4: Complete four rounds of half a dozen Hatha-Yoga poses, daily, for a week (Click here to watch instructional video).

*Task 5: Complete four rounds of half a dozen Hip-Flexor exercises, daily, for a week (Click here to watch instructional video).

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*Rewards:

->600 Juju-points

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*Punishment in case the mission is still incomplete after the stipulated time.

->1200 Juju-points subtracted from the user.

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*Remarks: When you live for a dream, hard work is not an option. It's a necessity.

****

Zachary noticed that the system mission was an exact copy of the training plan designed for him by Coach Johansen. He could now confirm that the coaches could initiate system missions if they gave him a task. It was like fishing for a quest from an NPC in a video game.

However, he felt overwhelmed after glancing through the exercises. By his estimation, he would need a minimum of two hours to complete the workout each day. He was going to be busier than usual over the following few months.

He didn't need to watch the instructional videos for most of the drills aside from Hip-Flexor exercises. He clicked on the video to understand the routine. A black silhouette appeared on the translucent system interface going through various poses of stretching his legs.

To Zachary, it was almost like watching a yoga video. The human shadow, on-screen, stretched its legs into different angles, some excessively obtuse. He felt relaxed after watching the video since there was no exercise in the routine he couldn't do at that moment.

He only needed to re-adjust his schedule to fit Coach Johansen's training plan. With the physical-conditioning-elixir from the system shop, he was confident he would complete the mission and earn the six hundred Juju-points.

"Zachary! What are you doing?" A voice interrupted his musings. He willed the system screen to close and glanced sideways. Paul Otterson stood to his left, his blue training jersey caked with sweat. "We're almost starting the tactical training sessions. Won't you be attending?" The Swede asked, wiping his sweaty forehead with the back of his sleeve.

Zachary flashed him a soft smile. "I was perusing through the training plan Coach Johansen designed for me. But, I can now join you for training."

"The coach designed a personalized training plan for you?" Paul exclaimed, resting his hand on Zachary's shoulder. "Lucky you. What is the training plan for?"

Zachary explained the goals of the new training routine to his flatmate as they walked to join the others for tactical training sessions.

A few minutes later, the team performed passing, shooting, and tackling drills—under the watchful eyes of the coaches. The intent was for the academy players to improve their overall gameplay. The coaches tried to recreate the most effective key passes in a defensive game. Passes were directed back into the 18 repetitively with increasing pace.

There were a dozen more coaches in the academy who helped the different players with personalized training. But, most solely instructed the students younger than 15. Johansen, Bjorn, and another goalkeeping coach were in charge of training Zachary and his under-17 teammates.

In the evening, Coach Johansen took them through a theoretical tactical session, analyzing recent matches played in the top European leagues. They reviewed videos of Barcelona, the unbeaten Arsenal, and AC Milan playing against various teams.

The Coach expounded on the techniques, formations, and remarkable performances in the games. He went on and on, highlighting the playing styles that Zachary and his teammates could learn. By the time he completed his lecture, it was already 6 p.m.

Zachary was feeling too worn out to go through with his new speed workout routine after the hectic training that day. He headed back to his apartment with his flatmates and watched a Manchester United game. After that, he ate a light dinner and headed back to his room for the night.

After locking the door and drawing the blinds, he summoned the system interface and selected the G.O.A.T-Skills-Simulator. Training in the simulator had turned into a pre-sleep habit the previous few weeks.

The system's virtual program allowed him to train in two modes. He could learn skills under the guidance of 3D models of great players like Beckham, or he could select an option to train by himself. Zachary chose the self-training mode since he intended to attempt modifying the Bend-it like Beckham Juju.

Over the next hour, he tried his best to improve his kick-swing speed in the simulator. He deviated slightly from Beckham's shooting posture to add more power to his curling freekicks. The process was not as troublesome as he had first imagined.

He didn't manage to hit the target that night. However, his shots grew more powerful and curved closer to the goalpost after each attempt. He felt his technique improving over the hour spent in the simulator.

However, he didn't end his training after the hour elapsed. He loaded the training packages for the Bend-it like Beckham Juju and resumed practice in the simulator. Although he intended to modify Beckham's technique, he needed a starting point. Completely mastering Beckham's setpiece-skill in the virtual world was a good start. The knowledge would be a guiding lantern to usher him through the darkness. He spent two more hours practicing setpieces before sinking back into his sheets to sleep.

**** ****

Weeks flashed by in a blur and the days became colder and shorter. Before Zachary knew it, September had arrived. His training had kept him busy and made the passage of time barely noticeable.

He had spent the preceding weeks sticking to a practice routine. He'd managed to incorporate the speed workout routine into his schedule three days each week. He went through every drill assigned to him by Coach Johansen without missing a single day. Step by step, he was on his way to completing the system mission.

However, his school tasks became more demanding as the school term progressed. The upper secondary school lecturers assigned him a greater number of assignments since he was in his final year.

Zachary would have been hard-pressed to cope if not for group discussions with Marta Romano, his classmate. After months of mingling, Zachary had developed a solid friendship with the Italian girl. She didn't make him feel uncomfortable like the rest of the European girls. She'd helped him with several assignments. His grades remained above average due to her tutoring efforts.

He did not hope for anything more than friendship in their interactions. At that moment, his sole focus was soccer. He didn't want any distractions. However, she kept pestering him to fulfill his promise (which he would rather forget) before every group discussion. It felt like he owed her money rather than a date.

He finally gave in and took her out for a movie at the beginning of the autumn break. Together, they watched Captain America—The First Avenger, showing that Saturday via Prinsen Kinosenter.

Zachary had a good time. He felt his fatigue melt away after taking some time off from his training routine to have fun.

It was the first time he had taken time out of his routine for anything other than soccer or academics since his arrival in Norway. He made a mental note to fit more relaxation time into his weekly schedule after the experience.

When they finished watching the movie, they rode a bus to City Syd and had dinner together at a small restaurant there. Zachary was surprised by how expensive the food was. A simple spiced pizza in the restaurant cost 550 Norwegian Kroner, yet he could purchase it in the supermarket for just 20. Other main course dishes were in the range of 800 - 1000 Kroner.

"Would you like me to select the dishes?" Marta asked after noticing Zachary's hesitation. Her Italian accent weighed heavily on her words. She was seated opposite Zachary in the uncrowded restaurant.

"I'm hesitating because everything here costs a fortune," Zachary replied honestly.

There was no use in putting on airs, pretending he could afford such expense while he was still saving up half his allowance to help his grandmother settle in Lubumbashi. "Let's just eat pizza," he suggested.

Marta flashed him a radiant smile. "Pizza is fine with me. You forget I'm Italian." Her presence was so magnetic and sensual that it distracted him for a moment. However, after remembering the system mission, he reigned in his urges. He needed to remain focused until he graduated from the academy.

After the meal, they talked for an hour about happier things: food, gossip, academics, and goals. Zachary had a relaxing evening that day.