“System, is this my innate potential?”, I asked while balking at the idea. Alas, (Yes) was the reply in the unchanging emotionless tone, as if it was an obvious fact.

“Hahaha”, I laughed blankly, wondering just how I had managed to find any success as a pro. The countless days of training while following a diet that even supermodels would loathe flashed through my mind.

A bitter laugh escaped me as I realized how futile all that was, naively believing that my efforts would be rewarded one day.

My mental stats were the cherry on top, seemingly affirming my talent while simultaneously mocking me. My sky-high competitiveness triggered a series of profanities towards whatever divine being had granted it to me, dooming me to never be able to walk away from the sport.

‘At least that answered my question as to what made me stick with it so long’

“Enough wallowing, it’s all in the past now… or should I say future? Anyway, now I also have the opportunity to prosper as a football player”

While studying my status in depth, I realized the probability of success of the Gacha spin was just simply calculated by {(100 - (potential))*2)}

“System, can you show me the ceiling for my technical skills?”

(I am unable to fulfill your request. I can instead display your status at your prime. Would you like to view it?)

Intrigued if I had managed to meet my potential, I agreed.

A gleeful smile took over my face as I realized that I’d actually managed to reach the limits of my potential on most of my attributes. All that excruciating work wasn’t as useless as I had just made it out to be.

My smile got even wider as my eyes fell upon my shooting and ball control, ‘No wonder every manager I played under always commended my first touch and shooting. They really were top-notch’

A warm sense of accomplishment spread through my being as I reveled in the validation while also feeling a pang of sadness over losing all this progress accomplished through bone-breaking effort. I brushed off my doleful feelings as I recognized that this status screen would always be my badge of honor even if no one else could see it.

Spending a few moments reigning in my rollercoaster of emotions, I realized that I didn’t have any idea how these values corresponded to practical performance on the pitch, “System, could you show me the status of a different player in the future to get a better grasp of these numbers?”

(While I am in possession of this function, it is a paid feature that can be found in the store section. As an introductory exception, I can provide you with the information of any one player of your choosing to facilitate your understanding. Please specify a player)

Its response immediately sent my brain hurtling as it attempted to deduce the reason why such a feature wasn’t free, “Of course! I could become the best player agent or scout in history if I could obtain such information at no cost”

‘On that note, I should look into operating a player agency, I already know all the future superstars anyway.’ Quickly jotting the idea down, I commanded, “Show me Lionel Messi’s status in his prime”

I stood speechless with my jaw on the floor as I took in the glorious numbers, “Wow! I did not think that anyone would have ever achieved a 100 on any physical stat. He really achieved the human limit of agility”

Still having a hard time recovering from that, I scrutinized his other attributes as I matched them with his performance on the pitch.

Having had the privilege of spectating the 2010/2011 Champions League semi-final between Barcelona and Real Madrid, I remember doubting my eyes after witnessing Messi pull off stunts with the ball that seemingly broke the laws of physics.

Moving on to his immaculate technique, it took me a moment to realize that I had the same level of shooting as him. While it immediately boosted my confidence, it was also the catalyst to my competitive spirit flaring up as one laughably impossible but earnest thought drowned out all others, ‘Can I reach his level with the system?’

(Technique can vary even at the same level. The host was at the very beginning of LV 9 while MESSI was approaching the end. He achieved Lv 10 shooting later in his career)

The no-nonsense voice grounded me as I lamented, “Do you have to be a killjoy? Stupid system”

[My intelligence does not conform to human standards. Calling me stupid is meaningless]

Snorting at the reply, I rebutted, “All I heard is not intelligent. Makes you stupid in my books.”

Choosing to not let the system dampen my spirits, I swore, “I am so glad I now have an idea of what the very best looks like. Just wait, I am gonna surpass you one day.” The fact that my shooting was anywhere as good as Messi's was enough to wipe away a lot of my regrets.

Switching to the menu screen after making sure to sear his status screen into my mind, I stared at the greyed-out store tab, unable to select it, “System, how can I unlock the store?”

(All unlocks can be achieved by completing the appropriate missions) it answered, prompting me to check out the final tab - missions.

Seeing a list of available missions, I selected the mission titled ‘Main Mission’ …

… and froze, stunned into speechlessness.

//Author's Notes:

This concludes the first arc of the story! (Yay!)

Big Thank You to everyone who has stuck with the story!

And a special thanks to everyone who has commented suggestions or just to let me know that they enjoyed it. It really means a lot to me.

I'll be editing the first few chapters since I wasn't using tools like Grammarly to check them, nor was I super set on a tone. That's why, there might be fewer chapters uploaded next week.

Hope you enjoyed reading :)

PS: The next arc contains a lot of matches, so I'd appreciate any feedback on them during this arc. I have added a poll for it.