What is The System? Why am I trembling in fear in front of it? What could have possibly happened to me in my backyard? The questions tumbled through Ryo's mind, each one more confusing than the last. Nothing made sense. How could he see now? How had he ended up in his bed?
He knew he wouldn't find the answers on his own. The only possibility was to reach out, to engage with the presence that had chosen him.
"System… open," he whispered, almost hesitantly.
Immediately, the floating screen in front of him shifted. The silvery-white surface rippled, blue-violet streaks flowing faster, more urgently, as the lapis-blue characters rearranged themselves. Words shimmered and pulsed, alive with a subtle intelligence, as if The System itself were acknowledging his voice, and slowly the invisible pressure began to dissipate.
[Initiating The System…]
[Recommending A Specialization Based On The Host's Memories…]
[Initiation Complete! System Specialization: Football]
The shifting characters froze, etched on the translucent surface. Ryo slowly read the words on the screen. Even in blindness, he had forced himself to study the written Japanese alphabet. Now that stubbornness proved useful, the characters took time to sound out, but he could read them.
{System Menu}
[Age: 5]
[Exhaustion: 0]
[Height: 105 cm]
[Player: Aoyama Ryo]
[System Level: 1]
[Weight: 18 kg]
(Career Info)
(Player Skills)
(Player Stats)
(Player Titles)
(Quests)
"Whoa…" the words came out on their own, as Ryo stared at the shifting words. Only now, freed from the crushing weight of its presence, did he dare to admire the screen before him.
Even in darkness, he had learned to imagine the world's beauty through sound, touch, and memory. Yet, now that his sight had returned, he knew without doubt: no sound, no memory, and no imagined vision could compare. The System was the most beautiful existence he had ever come across.
Entranced by the screen's beauty, Ryo barely noticed the words at first. Minutes passed before his eyes sharpened on the elegant, glowing strokes. Slowly, their meaning sank in—until the truth hit him like a hammer.
"Wait, I'm five years old!!" he shouted, louder than he intended. So it's true. I've come back to my past. Why though?
But before Ryo could think too much, he had a slight panic, his heart speeding up upon realizing the intensity of his outburst.
Ryo whipped his head toward Ren, praying he hadn't woken him. Luckily for him, Ren remained asleep, his quiet breathing unbroken. Ryo let out a shaky sigh of relief, pressing a hand to his chest to calm the racing in his heart.
"Okay," he muttered under his breath, forcing himself to focus. "One step at a time. How do I open my stats?" Do I just say… "Open Player Stats?"
{Player Stats}
(Overall: 15)
(Player Rank: F)
(Agility: 17)
(Ball Control: 12)
(Defense: 17)
(Intelligence: 22)
(Passing: 20)
(Physicality: 8)
(Shooting: 15)
(Vision: 12)
[Unused Stat Points: 0]
(Info)
I didn't even have to say it out loud… Ryo took his time to read the screen's contents. Wow, there is so much to go through. Maybe the "info" tab will be helpful.
{Info}
[The Number Shown Next To The Stats Are An Average Of All Their Components. The Overall Stat Is An Average Of All Eight Player Stats. If The Average Is Not An Integer, The Value Is Rounded Down.]
[Opening Each Of The Stats Will Show Each Of Their Components.]
[Stat Points Can Only Be Used To Upgrade The Stat Components. Once Stat Points Are Allocated, They Cannot Be Retrieved.]
[Rewards For Quests Or Intensive Practice May Increase Player Stats. Increasing Player Stats By 1 Point Increases All Components By 1 Point.]
[As The Player Gets Better, It Gets Harder To Increase Player Stats.]
"That was a little helpful," Ryo muttered as he read the last sentence. Basically, I can still get better naturally by practicing, but The System also provides extra help to grow. He then went through each of his stats individually.
{Overall: 15}
(Player Rank: F)
[Player Rank Is A Value Derived From The Overall Stat That Shows A Grade For Player Competency.]
{Agility: 17}
[Acceleration: 17]
[Jumping Power: 16]
[Top Speed: 18]
{Ball Control: 12}
[Dribbling: 15]
[Feinting: 13]
[Trapping: 10]
{Defense: 17}
[Defensive Pressure: 20]
[Goaltending: 12]
[Tackling: 20]
{Intelligence: 22}
[Positioning: 28]
[Reaction Speed: 20]
[Tactics: 20]
{Passing: 20}
[Corner Kicks: 22]
[Long Passing: 18]
[Short Passing: 20]
{Physicality: 8}
[Lung Capacity: 10]
[Stamina: 8]
[Strength: 8]
{Shooting: 15}
[Long Distance Shooting: 12]
[Shooting Technique: 20]
[Short Distance Shooting: 14]
{Vision: 12}
[Awareness Of Ally Positions: 12]
[Awareness Of Enemy Positions: 8]
[Field Of Vision: 16]
[Unused Stat Points: 0]
Some of this makes no sense. Why is Reaction Speed with intelligence? Why isn't there a stat for taking set pieces? Whatever, moving on… Going back to the System Menu, Ryo browsed the other tabs he saw earlier. He had skipped the Career Info tab earlier since he didn't have a career yet. Plus, stats are more interesting.
{Career Info}
[Career Assists: 0]
[Career Goals: 0]
[Current Team: None]
[Fame: Unknown]
[Past Teams: None]
(info)
[Keeps A Log Of The Player's Career. Fame Is A Measure Of The Player's Notoriety In The World. More Exposure Will Increase The Player's Fame. Career Goals And Assists Only Count When Scored During Official Games.]
{Player Skills}
[No Skills]
(info)
[Skills May Be Acquired Either As Rewards For Completing Quests Or Through The Practice Of A Specific Skill Set Until Proficiency Is Attained. Skills Are Ranked By Utility And Can Be Upgraded. Continued Use Will Gradually Increase A Skill's Rank.]
{Player Titles}
(One Blessed By The System)
[Being Blessed By The System Allows For Extraordinary Growth.]
(One Who Lacked Vision)
[The Player, Who Was Once Blind, Now Experiences A State Of Focus And Calm When Closing Their Eyes.]
(System Protection)
[The System Wishes For The Player To Grow, So Injury And Illness Become Less Probable And Heal Quickly. The System Will Cure The Player's Neuro-Ocular Severance Disorder.]
(info)
[Titles Are Rare And Unique To The Player. More Titles Can Be Acquired When Overcoming Great Challenges In The Player's Career.]
{Quests}
(Career Quests)
[No Career Quests]
(Daily Quests)
[No Daily Quests]
(Situational Quests)
[No Situational Quests]
(info)
[Career Quests Are Presented As Milestone Achievements In The Player's Career And Provide Significant Rewards. Daily Quests Repeat Every Day And Reset At Midnight. They Provide Minimal Rewards, But Encourage The Player's Growth. Situational Quests Are Provided When The System Deems That The Player Can Take Advantage Of A Situation To Grow. These Quests Provide Ample Reward, Often In The Form Of Skills.]
"Wow, that was a lot," Ryo sighed as he lay back in his bed. Though The System seemed quite extensive and complex, one thing in particular seemed unbelievably clear.
{System Protection}
[The System Wishes For The Player To Grow, So Injury And Illness Become Less Probable And Heal Quickly. The System Will Cure The Player's Neuro-Ocular Severance Disorder.]
Does this title mean I'll never go blind again? Can I really trust it? The questions circled endlessly in Ryo's head. Could he really live a life where he could see like everyone else? Could he walk strange streets alone, watch TV, look out a window and appreciate the scenery?
Still, a shadow of doubt lingered. No matter how powerful The System seemed, Ryo couldn't believe his blindness had simply been erased. He had fought and suffered through years of adapting to darkness. He had endured the weight of wishing for things he could never experience.
Even if it does happen again… Ryo clenched his fists under the covers. I'll still push forward. I'll become a pro, with or without my vision. It was a vow he carved into his heart. A promise he had made to Ren, a dream they had shared. But if, by some miracle, The System truly held his blindness at bay, then he would make himself unstoppable.
"What's making you so happy?" Ren's tired voice broke the silence, poking fun at Ryo, who was grinning smugly to himself.
Ryo jolted, turning his head quickly, only then realizing Ren was awake. The grin plastered across his face gave him away.
"Nothing," he said, forcing his voice calm. "Just… had a good dream."
It wasn't a lie. The System coming into his life was the kind of dream worth smiling at.