The moment Mateo walked through the front door, it felt as if the air itself shifted.
Helena was setting the table when she turned and saw him —the wide, glowing smile on his face, the barely contained excitement in his body.
She straightened instinctively, wiping her hands nervously on her apron.
"Mateo?" she asked, already sensing something huge.
He took a breath, heart pounding, and let the words fly free:
"Mamá… I've been called up.""Tomorrow, I train with Bayern Munich's first team."
For a full second, the world froze.
Then Helena's hands flew to her mouth, her eyes filling instantly with tears.
His grandparents, hearing the noise from the living room, rushed to the doorway.
When they heard the news —the dam broke.
Laughs, cries, hugs — all crashing together.
They surrounded Mateo, crushing him into their arms, shouting congratulations, whispering prayers, weeping openly.
Helena pulled back just enough to cradle his face between her hands, her thumb brushing away a tear.
"Your father would be so, so proud," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.
Mateo closed his eyes, breathing in the moment, feeling the invisible weight of his father's dream settling warmly on his shoulders.
"I hope he's watching," Mateo thought."I hope he knows."
That night, the small apartment turned into a miniature festival.
Pizza delivery, ice cream, clinking glasses of sparkling water.
His grandparents danced awkwardly in the kitchen, laughing like kids.
Helena called distant relatives, her voice shaking with joy.
For once, Mateo allowed himself to simply exist in the moment —without pressure, without expectation.
Just love.
Just home.
Just family.
Hours later, after the laughter had faded into soft memories and everyone had gone to sleep, Mateo lay alone in his darkened room.
His body was tired.
His mind raced.
The ceiling above him seemed vast —like the sky he was about to fly into.
He reached out into the quiet.
"System," he whispered.
"Are you there?"
[System Activation Detected.]
"Always, Host," came the calm, almost familiar voice.
"Congratulations on reaching a Major Milestone: First Team Promotion at FC Bayern Munich."
Mateo smiled, emotion rising again.
"It's time," he said softly."I want to claim everything. Every reward I've saved."
A pause.
Then, almost with a note of satisfaction:
"Acknowledged. As per prior strategic planning, rewards were held back to maximize impact upon reaching the professional level. Beginning compilation of pending rewards:"
The voice shifted slightly — organized, methodical — as it listed them one by one:
Legendary Goal Rewards:7 Boxes (For extraordinary plays and match-winning goals.)
Championship Rewards:
2 Boxes (For winning the U17 Bundesliga two seasons consecutively.)
Top Scorer Rewards:
2 Boxes (For being the league's top scorer twice.)
Top Assist Provider Rewards:
2 Boxes (For leading in assists two years running.)
Most Valuable Player Awards:
2 Boxes (For MVP honors in back-to-back seasons.)
Special Life Achievement Reward:
1 Box (For forming a meaningful emotional relationship.)
At this last announcement, Mateo blinked and sat up in bed.
"Wait, wait, wait… a reward for having a girlfriend?"
"Affirmative," replied the System, unbothered."Research demonstrates emotional support correlates with athletic success. Your bond with Subject Klara has statistically enhanced your psychological resilience, emotional stability, and long-term motivation."
Mateo let out a quiet laugh, running a hand through his messy black hair.
"Klara... you're my lucky star too, huh?"
"Seventeen unopened boxes," the System repeated.
"Seventeen opportunities to elevate your journey to the next phase. Would you like to initiate opening now?"
Mateo leaned back against his pillow, staring at the ceiling, feeling a strange excitement brewing inside him.
"Open the first one," he said finally."Let's see where this road leads."
[Opening First Reward: Legendary Goal Box #1]
A soft shimmering appeared before Mateo's eyes —like a digital mist forming shapes he could almost touch.
Slowly, a golden card materialized, glowing with ethereal light.
Reward Unlocked:Skill Upgrade: Advanced Ball Control
Effect:
Increases sensitivity and precision with ball handling.
Enhances touch during high-speed movements.
Dribbling and first touch responsiveness significantly improved.
Mateo's heart skipped.
"Advanced Ball Control?"
This wasn't a small boost.
This was the kind of skill that separated talented players from legends.
It was no exaggeration to say this upgrade alone could shift the balance in tight matches —allowing him to tame wild passes, dribble through tight spaces, and dance past defenders with greater ease.
[Skill Automatically Integrated.]
Mateo shivered as he felt something strange ripple through his muscles —a subtle adjustment, a new precision.
Almost instinctively, he flexed his foot under the covers, feeling it.
Sharper.
Faster.
More alive.
He grinned wide.
"One down," he said to himself, voice tinged with awe.
"Sixteen more to go."
And somewhere deep inside,he knew:
Tomorrow, when he stepped onto Bayern Munich's first-team training ground...
He would not just survive.
He would ascend.