The air crackled with tension as Club Brugge U23s prepared to face Anderlecht's youth squad—the biggest test of the season. The stands were packed, scouts lining the VIP section, notepads in hand. Among them, a grizzled man in a Manchester United jacket stood motionless, his sharp eyes locked onto Ibukun.
Jay-Jay's hologram flickered to life beside him, arms crossed. *"That's Jim Lawlor, United's chief scout. Nasty bastard. He's the one who found Marcus Rashford. Now he's here for *you*."*
Ibukun tightened his shin guards. **"Good."**
**>> MATCH MISSIONS:
>> - "ASSIST A GOAL" (REWARD: 5 SYSTEM POINTS)
>> - "COMPLETE 90% OF PASSES" (REWARD: +3 VISION)
>> - "DEBUT A PURCHASED SKILL" (BONUS: €5,000) <<**
The whistle blew.
---
### **First Blood**
**6th minute** – Anderlecht's midfield enforcer, a bull of a kid named Laurent, went straight for Ibukun's ankles.
*"Oh ho! Welcome to the big leagues!"* Jay-Jay cackled as Ibukun barely avoided the crunching tackle.
The ref played advantage.
Ibukun spun away, scanning the pitch—**no System-assisted vision**, just raw instinct. He spotted his winger's run and lofted a **40-yard diagonal** that landed perfectly on his stride.
**>> PASS COMPLETED: 1/10 KEY PASSES NEEDED <<**
The cross was wasted.
*"Tch. These amateurs!"* Jay-Jay groaned.
---
### **The Skill Debut**
**23rd minute** – Corner kick. Ibukun had spent **5 System Points** last night.
**>> SKILL ACTIVATED: "BECKHAM'S CURVE" (DURATION: 1 USE) <<**
The ball arced toward him. Instead of crossing, he **faked**, letting it run across his body before—
**WHIP.**
His right foot curled the ball in a vicious, dipping arc. The keeper flailed—**post!**
The rebound fell to Brugge's striker, who tapped in.
**1-0.**
*"THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!"* Jay-Jay's hologram backflipped.
**>> ASSIST MISSION COMPLETE (+5 POINTS)
>> SKILL DEBUT BONUS: €5,000 <<**
Lawlor scribbled furiously in his notepad.
---
### **The Reckoning**
**37th minute** – Laurent finally connected.
A "late" tackle—studs up, straight to Ibukun's standing leg.
**>> IMPACT DETECTED: MEDIAL LIGAMENT STRAIN (PAIN THRESHOLD: 70%) <<**
Ibukun **rolled through it**, came up limping, but stayed on.
*"That little shit!"* Jay-Jay snarled. *"Time to school him."*
**44th minute** – Ibukun got his revenge.
A quick one-two, then—
**>> SKILL ACTIVATED: "RONALDINHO'S ELASTICO" (COST: 15 POINTS) <<**
The ball snapped left, then right, leaving Laurent **on his ass** as Ibukun burned past. The shot was blocked, but the message was sent.
Laurent's face twisted in rage.
---
### **The Second Half**
**63rd minute** – Anderlecht equalized. A defensive lapse, a simple tap-in.
**1-1.**
Ibukun's legs burned. No qi-enhanced stamina here—just **pure grit**.
**>> STAMINA: 75/100 <<**
*"You tired already?"* Jay-Jay teased. *"Back in my day—"*
**"Shut up,"** Ibukun muttered, wiping sweat from his eyes.
---
### **The Moment**
**89th minute** – Last attack.
Ibukun received the ball near midfield, **three defenders closing in**.
No skills left. No magic.
Just **him and the pitch**.
A drop of the shoulder **wrong-footed the first man**. A burst of pace **split the next two**. The keeper rushed out—
Ibukun **chipped him**.
The ball seemed to hang forever before—
**GOAL.**
**2-1.**
The stadium **erupted**.
**>> SHOOTING: 72 → 75 <<**
Lawlor was already on the phone.
---
### **The Aftermath**
In the locker room, Coach Vervoort tossed him a water bottle. **"Where the *hell* did that come from?"**
Ibukun just grinned.
Jay-Jay's hologram winked. *"That's my boy."*
**>> NEW MISSION: "PREMIER LEAGUE TRIAL"
>> OBJECTIVE: EARN SCOUT'S OFFER
>> REWARD: 20 SYSTEM POINTS <<**
But as Ibukun left the stadium, a shadow fell across his path—
Laurent, flanked by two teammates.
*"You're not *natural*,"* the enforcer spat. *"We're gonna prove it."*
**>> THREAT DETECTED: PHYSICAL CONFRONTATION IMMINENT <<**
Jay-Jay sighed. *"And here we go..."*
---