The tension in training was so thick you could feel it in your lungs.
Noah's rise had been meteoric. In less than three weeks, he'd gone from unknown academy player to the name on everyone's lips.
But not everyone was clapping.
Especially not Curtis Jones.
"You know, people don't like being ordered around by someone who hasn't even played a proper first-team game," Curtis muttered, loud enough for several players to hear during warmups.
Noah didn't look at him. He was juggling the ball idly with one foot.
"I don't give orders," he said flatly. "I just lead."
"You think that makes you captain material?" Curtis laughed bitterly. "You're 16. You've played what—two friendlies? Calm down."
Noah flicked the ball high into the air, caught it under his foot without looking.
"I'm not here to be liked," he replied. "I'm here to dominate."
---
The next few sessions were icy. Whenever the two were on the same team, there was tension. Misdirected passes. Overhit through balls. Barely disguised elbows during challenges.
Klopp noticed.
So did the rest of the squad.
"Curtis is fuming," Harvey said quietly to Stefan Bajčetić one afternoon. "He's not used to someone taking space like this."
"He's always had freedom in midfield," Stefan replied. "But Noah... he doesn't ask for space. He takes it."
"Yeah. It's like playing with a storm."
---
Noah's reputation was splitting the team.
Some admired his drive, his precision, his intelligence on the ball.
Others saw him as arrogant. Cold. Calculated.
Veterans like Milner watched from the side with unreadable expressions. Younger players like Bobby Clark looked up to him with wide eyes. Coaches muttered behind clipboards.
"He's efficient. Clinical."
"But there's an edge. Like he's always... measuring people."
---
It came to a head during an 11v11 internal scrimmage.
Noah and Curtis were placed on the same side—midfield and striker.
Klopp was watching closely.
Early in the match, Curtis ignored a passing lane to Noah and instead took on two defenders before being dispossessed.
Noah didn't hide his frustration.
"Simple pass. I was through."
Curtis shot him a glare. "Don't tell me how to play my game."
"Then stop playing like a child."
The next few minutes were chaos. Curtis refused to play him in. Noah started checking deeper, pulling space away from midfield. The shape collapsed.
By the 25th minute, Klopp blew the whistle.
"Everyone off. Except you two."
The squad hesitated.
"Go," Klopp barked. "Water. Now."
As the rest of the players trudged off, Klopp stood before Noah and Curtis.
"I don't care who's right. I care about function. And right now, you're both liabilities."
Curtis crossed his arms.
"He's trying to turn everyone into pawns."
"I'm trying to win," Noah shot back.
Klopp stepped closer.
"Curtis, you want to be a leader? Then control your ego. Noah, you want to lead? Learn how not to turn teammates into enemies."
Then he walked off, leaving them in silence.
---
Later that evening, Noah sat alone in one of the indoor gyms, juggling a ball slowly between both feet. The usual fire in his chest was flickering—faint, uncertain.
Was he pushing too far?
Becoming something else?
But then, the System activated.
> New Trigger Detected: Mental Clash – Emotional Surge
Synchronization Spike: 32% → 41%
Template Trait Unlocked: "Metavision – Emperor's Layer"
The world around him pulsed.
Suddenly, it was as if the lines of the pitch drew themselves in his mind. Players weren't just players—they were vectors. Movement, angle, intention... he could feel them. A full 360-degree understanding of space and rhythm.
He stood, ball still at his feet, and let it roll away.
The whole game had just unfolded in his head like a puzzle.
And he was the only one holding the solution.
---
The Next Morning – Training Match
It was clear from the moment the whistle blew—something was different.
Noah's eyes didn't follow the ball like everyone else's. They scanned.
Even without possession, he was moving perfectly.
He drifted into blind spots, dragged defenders into space traps, pinged first-touch layoffs before the receiver even asked for them.
And Curtis?
Curtis was trying to keep up. Chasing ghosts. Every time he looked, Noah was gone—already cutting in, already switching lanes, already unlocking defenders.
In the 18th minute, Harvey intercepted a pass, Noah ghosted between two lines, and Harvey fed him on instinct.
He didn't even look at goal.
He chipped it behind him.
Curtis, trailing the play, caught it in stride—and scored.
Silence.
Then cheering.
Even Curtis looked confused. "You... set that up?"
Noah only winked and jogged back to the halfway line.
---
After training, Klopp pulled aside Pep Lijnders.
"He's evolving faster than anyone we've had at that age."
"But at what cost?"
Klopp nodded slowly.
"That's what we'll find out."
---
That night, Harvey caught up with Noah as he walked back to the dorms.
"What was that today?"
"Metavision," Noah replied. "Seeing everything before it happens."
Harvey laughed. "You're unreal, man. You're like... orchestrating us."
Noah looked up at the stars.
"Not orchestrating," he said softly. "Controlling."
---
System Update
> Metavision Activated: Range Level 1 (15m radius)
Ability: Anticipate player movement up to 1.2 seconds ahead
Cognitive Strain: Medium
New Trait Unlocked: "Command Aura – Passive Influence on Teammate Positioning"
Curtis Jones – Relationship Shift: RESPECT (Mixed)
---
End of Chapter 4