Neil was doing laps around the sports ground like a possessed zombie.
He wasn't dodging potholes like a soldier in a war zone or battling uphill trails. No, this was just the plain old sports ground. But to Neil, it felt like Mount Everest made a cameo in his fitness regime.
Still, he kept running, a light bounce in his step as he hummed The Weeknd's "Sao Paulo", a song that hadn't even been released yet. Time travel perks, baby.
Neil flashed a grin. The song was a vibe. The sky above was clear with cotton-fluff clouds casually floating like they had no deadlines. The sun? Hidden behind a cloud like a shy intern on their first day, just bright enough to remind Neil he was alive, but not evil enough to fry him like a samosa. Perfect running weather.
It had been six days since he regressed to the past. Six days since he unlocked the GOAT FOOTBALL SYSTEM, a literal cheat code from the heavens.
And ever since, Neil had been grinding like Saitama and Sung Jin woo from One Punch Man and Solo Leveling respectively.
Every morning began with:
100 sit-ups
50 push-ups
A jog that would make a normal person raise their eyebrows just like prime Ancelotti.
And in the evening: 6 rounds of Surya Namaskar that left him in positions even yoga instructors would call "bold".
Basically, if hard work was a crime, Neil was serving life without parole.
In his past life, he'd read somewhere that yoga was great for athletes. Something about flexibility, body coordination, and "inner peace." He didn't know about peace, but the soreness in his butt was definitely real.
His muscles? Screaming.
His legs? Betraying him.
His arms? Jelly.
His face? Determined, with a side of please make it stop.
But he didn't quit.
Why?
Because if Cristiano Ronaldo could rise from a small island to become the best in the world, then so could Neil Goyal, the lad from a regular Indian home with a cheat system and questionable taste in protein bars.
Neil's logic was simple:
Pain = Weakness leaving the body.
Sweat = Glory down payment.
Cramp = Progress... maybe.
He was hallucinating slightly by now, pretty sure he just saw a pigeon wink at him. But he was locked in. Grinding. Zoning out. Running like it was meditation for both his body and the demons whispering, "Bro, just take a nap."
And then it happened.
"DING!"
That familiar notification sound rang in his head, crisp and sweet like the ice cream truck in summer.
MISSION COMPLETE.
But Neil didn't open the System yet. No. He was a man of discipline now. A Spartan. A warrior. Or at least, he was too sweaty to touch imaginary buttons in mid-run.
He finally jogged his way back home, opened the door to his room like a secret agent returning from a mission, and flopped onto the floor.
Cold sweat covered his body. The fan above? Useless. The breeze outside? Laughing at him. His body? Half-shivering, half-celebrating.
After a quick shower that felt like a holy ritual, Neil was about to begin his yoga routine when
"NEIL!"
His mother's voice exploded through the house like a Diwali cracker.
"I've been watching you," she declared in Hindi. "Running every day like you're preparing for a marathon! If you fail in studies, remember no one will be more scarier than me, not even THE BOOGEYMAN!"
Neil winced. Not from guilt. From the flashbacks of math tests. But he put on his best model student voice.
"Don't worry, Mom. I already finished my summer holiday homework. I'm just, you know… building a balanced lifestyle."
He didn't mention that he planned to become the world's greatest footballer and that school had officially been demoted to "optional side quest" in his new RPG.
Mom grunted in reply, the Indian mom way of saying "fine, but I'm watching you."
Once the coast was clear, Neil resumed his routine and finished his yoga exercises. And as soon as he struck his final pose.
"DING!"
Another system alert. This time, Neil didn't wait.
He summoned the GOAT FOOTBALL SYSTEM screen, and it popped up like a sci-fi hologram:
****
GOAT FOOTBALL SYSTEM
SYSTEM LEVEL: 1 (15/100 XP to level-up)
USER: Neil Goyal
AGE: 15 years
TALENT ASSESSMENT: Grade-D
XP POINTS: 15 (1 new message)
EVALUATION: LOL. This kid's got passion, but talent? Let's just say… he sucks.
USER MENU
USER STATS
GOAT MISSIONS (4 new msgs)
SYSTEM SHOP (TEMPORARILY UNLOCKED)
SYSTEM LOTTERY (TEMPORARILY UNLOCKED)
SNOOPING TOOL (LOCKED — stop being nosy)
****
Neil narrowed his eyes at the savage evaluation.
"Rude," he muttered. "Let's see you run 10K in 40-degree heat, huh?"
He clicked on the blinking XP tab.
****
XP POINTS: 15 (1 msg)
→ Mission Completed – PREP FOR GOAT-NESS. You have earned 15 XP points.
SN: More missions, matches, fame = more XP. Let's get that bread.
****
Next, he tapped the GOAT MISSIONS tab, fingers trembling slightly.
Would he get a cool skill? An overpowered technique? A magical elixir to make him jacked like a video game character?
****
"DING!"#4 NEW MESSAGESCONGRATULATIONS
→ Mission Completed: PREP FOR GOAT-NESS
→ Mission Rewards
B-Grade Body Enhancing Elixir(Available in System Shop – Consume within 5 seconds after purchase. Do not chug like soda.)
Random GOAT Skill(Available in System Lottery – May contain surprises. Or disappointment.)
5 Bonus XP Points
→ Mission Summary
Run 70 kilometers in a week: 74/70 (A+)
100 sit-ups daily: Avg. 110/100 (S)
50 push-ups daily: Avg. 64/50 (S)
4 Surya Namaskar rounds/day: 6/4 (A+)
→ Overall Rating: A+
→ Bonus Reward: +10 XP
****
Neil stared at the screen, a grin stretching across his face.
"Let's goooo!" he whispered to himself, half-laughing, half-hyped. The system wasn't just real, it was lit.
And this was just the beginning.