Romeo Teixeira was personally dropped off at home by Raiola himself.
The moment he stepped through the door, he dove into the system interface.
> [Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the Novice Mission. You have received a Novice Treasure Chest and unlocked the ability to exchange assists for attribute points!]
[Would you like to open your treasure chest now?]
Last time, the novice chest gave him Maradona's legendary close control template. This time, it had to be something just as outrageous.
Romeo's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"Open it!"
> [Opening treasure chest...]
[Success!]
[Congratulations! You've acquired the Ronaldinho Dribbling Template!]
A surge of electric energy jolted through Romeo's body like a bolt of lightning.
He could feel the shift immediately.
His dribbling stat started to spike wildly.
77… 80… 86… 91…
It finally stopped at a jaw-dropping 98.
An almost full-level attribute.
Romeo stood frozen, awestruck.
Ronaldinho—the smiling magician of the pitch, the former No. 10 of Barcelona's Dream Team II, a player who made football look like art. In his prime, he could dribble through a sea of defenders like they were cones.
Even in the U.S., where his name might not echo like Messi or Ronaldo's, anyone who'd ever watched highlights knew the name "Dinho."
And now Romeo had inherited his dribbling genius.
With full-level passing, Maradona's control, and now Ronaldinho's dribbling—was there any doubt?
He was becoming the ultimate midfield maestro.
> [You earned 3 assists in the match. These have been converted into 3 Free Attribute Points.]
The system's voice pulled Romeo out of his daze.
In the top-right corner of his attribute panel, the words [3 Free Points Available] flashed.
> [Free attribute points do not expire and may be allocated at any time.]
Romeo didn't hesitate.
He wasn't the type to hoard cash or points—especially when some of his physical stats still hovered around average.
He muttered decisively, "System, add all three points to Strength & Resistance."
As a central midfielder, physical strength wasn't optional. He'd be a marked man soon—opposing defenders would crash into him hard. Better to brace now than regret later.
With a chime, the system confirmed his allocation.
His Strength & Resistance stat climbed from 77 → 80.
Even a 3-point bump made him feel sturdier. His core felt tighter, his muscles denser, like every cell had upgraded.
His Overall Rating ticked up as well: 73 → 75.
That might not seem elite, but for his age, it was ridiculous. Only a few world-class prodigies would dare to compare.
> [Congratulations! You've exited the Novice Phase. Novice Missions will no longer appear.]
"Huh?"
Romeo blinked.
No more missions? No more treasure chests?
What the hell!?
He wasn't about to grind out 10 assists per season for a couple stat points. Even elite midfielders barely racked up 20 or 30 assists in a season—and that was at their peak!
"System, don't tell me you're ghosting me now," Romeo said warily.
> [Rest assured. You can still earn treasure chests by triggering them in official matches.]
[The stronger the opponent and the harder the match, the better the reward. Chests are rated from 1-Star to 5-Star.]
> [Only 5-Star chests contain Legendary Templates like those the host has received so far.]
Romeo nodded slowly, understanding now.
So the Novice Chests were essentially free 5-Star drops to get him started.
From now on, if he wanted elite gear, he had to earn it the hard way.
Still, that felt fair.
And suddenly, Romeo's mood lifted again.
---
Meanwhile, while Romeo explored his newfound powers, Raiola wasn't wasting time either.
He quickly released a public statement through his agency, announcing an official signing with Romeo Teixeira.
The entire football world was shaken.
Raiola's name alone was a lightning rod for attention. He didn't just sign any young talent. If he was backing someone, it meant that player was destined for greatness.
Naturally, it sparked a media firestorm across Europe—but it exploded even more dramatically across U.S. social media.
Romeo's name lit up trending charts:
#RomeoTeixeiraSignsWithRaiola
#MidfieldProdigy
#NextRonaldinho
#FromBenchToBarcelona
But that was just the beginning.
More stories erupted like wildfire:
"American Wonderkid Stuns in La Liga: 3 Assists Against Real Madrid B!"
"Midfield Magic! Is Romeo Teixeira the New Maradona?"
"Zachary Tate Exposed: Romeo's Suspension Linked to Corruption?"
"Footage Revealed: Riley Tate Brutalizes Teammates at Academy Training!"
"Romeo Was the Victim! The Truth Behind the Youth Team Scandal"
"Romeo Teixeira Kicked Out For Standing Up? Outrage as Truth Spreads!"
At the center of it all—a leaked video.
It showed Riley Tate, the golden-boy son of academy director Zachary Tate, hurling fists and insults at his own teammates during training. One of the victims had a swollen eye and a cut lip.
The footage sent the internet into meltdown.
"This is disgusting! And he was protected?"
"Romeo was punished for THIS? Arrest Riley Tate!"
"Zachary Tate should be banned from football forever."
"Romeo is a generational talent! He imitated Maradona's Goal of the Century move! And you kicked him out?"
Even neutral fans were outraged. Sports pundits began demanding a full investigation into the corruption at youth level.
Romeo Teixeira had gone from a dismissed academy kid to the most talked-about name in American football overnight.
And this was only the beginning.
---