The pain was unlike anything Ibukun had ever felt—white-hot, searing through his spine like a molten wire. He collapsed in the hotel bathroom, his vision blurring as the System's voice stuttered in his skull.
**>> PHOENIX PROTOCOL INITIATED
>> RELOCATING CORE PROCESSING TO NEURAL NETWORK
>> PURGING ALL PHYSICAL TRACES <<**
Jay-Jay's hologram flickered wildly, his form distorting. *"Kid, this is gonna hurt like hell, but when it's over—"*
Then—**silence.**
Ibukun blacked out.
---
### **Awakening**
He woke up on the cold tile floor, his body drenched in sweat. The first thing he noticed?
**No pain.**
No scar.
No trace of the implant that had been lodged in his spine for years.
He scrambled to the mirror, twisting to examine his back—**smooth skin.** As if nothing had ever been there.
**>> SYSTEM REBOOT COMPLETE.
>> INTEGRATION: 100% NEURAL.
>> NO EXTERNAL EVIDENCE REMAINS. <<**
The voice was clearer now. Not mechanical. Not a separate entity. It was **him.**
Jay-Jay's voice echoed in his mind, not as a hologram, but as instinct. *"Told you it'd work."*
Ibukun flexed his fingers. His body felt **lighter.** Sharper. Like he'd been playing with weights strapped to him his entire career, and now they were gone.
**>> NEW PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:
>> BECOME THE GREATEST FOOTBALL LEGEND IN HISTORY.
>> CURRENT PROGRESS: 0.1% <<**
A smirk tugged at his lips.
**"Now we're talking."**
---
### **The Test**
Training that morning was different.
No System HUD. No flashing metrics. Just **instinct.**
He dribbled past defenders like they were training cones, his feet moving before his mind even registered the play.
**>> TRAINING MISSION:
>> COMPLETE 10 SUCCESSFUL DRIBBLES.
>> REWARD: INCREASED AGILITY RETENTION. <<**
Lisandro Martínez whistled as Ibukun nutmegged Fernandes for the third time. **"Bloody hell, mate. What'd you eat this morning?"**
Ibukun grinned. **"Just feeling good."**
And he was. For the first time, the System wasn't a crutch—it was **part of him.**
---
### **Veymar's Problem**
Across the pitch, Veymar watched from the director's balcony, his sharp eyes narrowed.
His assistant leaned in. **"Sir, the medical scans came back. No implants. No anomalies. Just… natural talent."**
Veymar's grip tightened on the railing. **"That's impossible."**
Ibukun glanced up, meeting his gaze.
**>> THREAT ASSESSMENT:
>> VEYMAR HAS NO PROOF.
>> NO LEVERAGE.
>> NO CONTROL. <<**
He gave Veymar a lazy salute before turning back to training.
The game had changed.
---
### **The New Mission**
That night, as Ibukun lay in bed, the System pulsed in his mind like a second heartbeat.
**>> LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE UNLOCKED:
>> "LEGEND STATUS"
>> REQUIREMENTS:
>> - 5 BALLON D'ORS
>> - UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DOMINANCE
>> - REDEFINE THE SPORT <<**
Jay-Jay's voice hummed in approval. *"No more hiding. No more limits. Just football."*
Ibukun closed his eyes, a slow smile spreading across his face.
**"Let's get to work."**
---