{Daily Quest – Prepare For The School Team}
[Complete 50 Passes: 50/50]
[Dribble Past A Player 10 Times: 4/10]
[Shoot 50 Times On Goal: 0/50]
[Tackle A Player 10 Times: 7/10]
"You've gotten better since yesterday," Ren said as they paused for a short break. "You managed to get past me more this time."
Ryo only gave a small nod. He knew he'd improved, but right now he was more focused on finishing his daily quest than celebrating progress. If he practiced too much now, Ren might get worn out before his game, and Ryo didn't want to pile extra work on him afterward either.
"It looks like some of your teammates are here, Ren-nii," Ryo said, pointing toward a group of kids heading for the pitch. The previous match had just ended, and the players were trickling off the field.
"Yeah, I'll go over," Ren replied, already jogging toward them. "Make sure you watch me, okay?"
"Of course. I won't miss a single minute," Ryo said with a grin.
As Ren ran off, Ryo was left with the ball at his feet and the same problem in his head: How do I finish the quest without him? Just as he started thinking of a solution, he saw his dad.
Oh, that's how… A mischievous grin appeared on his face as he made his way over to his unsuspecting father.
"Dad," Ryo blurted before his father could even speak, "I still want to try a few things. Can you practice with me a bit?"
His dad blinked, clearly caught off guard by his sudden request. "Uh… sure. But once your brother's game starts, we're watching him, alright?"
"Okay, thanks!" Ryo said quickly. He began explaining the drill he had in mind. His dad wasn't much of a player, but he knew the basics — after all, he always watched the national team's games.
"You're really trying to work your old man dry," his dad joked as he prepared himself for the unexpected exercise.
After only fifteen minutes of playing, Ryo was done with the quests that couldn't be completed by himself.
{Daily Quest – Prepare For The School Team}
[Complete 50 Passes: 50/50]
[Dribble Past A Player 10 Times: 10/10]
[Shoot 50 Times On Goal: 0/50]
[Tackle A Player 10 Times: 10/10]
They ran through the drill a few more times until Ren's team started warming up on the pitch, at which point they stopped. By then, Ryo had worked up a light sweat, though his legs still felt strong.
"Ryo, I'm going to find a spot to watch. Come meet me before the game starts," his dad said, still catching his breath.
"Okay. Give me fifteen minutes—I'll practice some shots," Ryo replied.
His dad nodded and headed off toward the crowd.
Left alone, Ryo set up the ball in front of an empty goal. He knew he had to get through the shots quickly, but he refused to rush them. Each strike, he focused on his technique: planting his foot cleanly, swinging through, shooting the ball where he wanted it. Each time he heard the ball hitting the net, Ryo felt more and more motivated.
He slowly found himself in a rhythm, making the repetition carry him forward. By the time ten minutes had passed, the ball had found the net fifty times, and Ryo finally let himself breathe out, satisfied.
{Daily Quest Complete – Prepare For The School Team}
[Complete 50 Passes: 50/50]
[Dribble Past A Player 10 Times: 10/10]
[Shoot 50 Times On Goal: 50/50]
[Tackle A Player 10 Times: 10/10]
[Daily Quests Completed: 1]
[Next Daily Quest In 13 Hours 5 Minutes]
Nice, I was able to get it all done. What about my stats? I saw The System trying to bother me while I practiced. Open System.
Upon opening The System, however, Ryo was not met with his satisfying growth, and instead was faced with the System Menu.
Ryo, clearly confused, was beginning to think The System had broken. Last time it showed me my stats when I opened it. The System better not be sulking because I ignored it earlier.
Just as he was about to give up and tediously check his stats one by one, the Lapis-blue characters rearranged themselves on the screen.
{Notification!}
[The Player Can Look At Notifications By Saying "Open Notifications". Notifications Are All Deleted Once The Player Goes To Sleep.]
Oh, that's useful. Did The System get an upgrade, or is it just mad at me? With The System still as mysterious as ever, Ryo sighed, bringing up the notifications. Ryo didn't have to look long before he found what he was looking for.
{Player Stat Increase!}
[Acceleration: 17 —> 18]
[Long Distance Shooting: 12 —> 13]
[Short Distance Shooting: 14 —> 15]
[Trapping: 13 —> 14]
{New Total!}
[Agility 17 —> 17]
[Ball Control 15 —> 15]
[Shooting: 15 —> 16]
[Overall: 15 —> 16]
"Oh, my overall level went up." Ryo blinked at the glowing panel. "So the more effort I put in, the faster I improve…" He thought back to his earlier drills—his passes had been half-hearted compared to his shots. "Guess that's why passing didn't move up. Still… progress is progress." A faint smile tugged at his lips.
Having finished looking through his stats, Ryo jogged toward the side of the pitch. The stands and sidelines were already filling up, the low murmur of voices mixing with the crisp sound of cleats on grass.
With the weather turning cold and the snowy winter quickly approaching Nagano, the season was drawing to a close. Along with the end of the season came the regional tournament. Each age group in the league had its own regional and national tournament, and with football gaining traction in Japan, the crowds buzzed with excitement.
It didn't take long to spot his dad, waving from a cluster of parents near the halfway line. Sliding in beside him, Ryo realized he'd made it just in time. The whistle blew, and Ren stepped onto the pitch with his team. Damn, he's actually a starter.
"Let's go, Ren-nii," Ryo whispered under his breath, clapping with the crowd.
{New Quest}
(Situational Quest – Cheerleader)
[Cheer On Your Brother As He Scores His First Goal.]
[Time Limit – Until The End Of The Game]
[Rewards – New Skill: Crowd Support (E)]
[Penalty – None]
Huh, a quest? A translucent window floated in front of him. Cheer Ren on? That's it? And the reward… a skill?
Ryo's lips curled into a grin. Well, that shouldn't be too hard; I was going to cheer anyway. It's my first time seeing one of his games.
From that moment on, he didn't take his eyes off the pitch. He clapped and shouted Ren's name whenever he touched the ball, never holding back his cheers.
The first half was like a brawl; both sides were viciously fighting to control the tempo. Neither side seemingly gained an advantage until, in the thirty-ninth minute, the opponents slipped one past their defense and scored. A wave came crashing down over Ren's team; Ryo could see some players' shoulders slump, their steps a little slower. He clenched his fists, leaning forward on the sideline. Come on, don't give up…
At halftime, their coach's words seemed to light a spark again. So, they came back onto the field with renewed energy, and Ryo's voice rose above the crowd. "Let's go, Ren-nii!"
With a burning intent to score, all Ren's team needed was one push to turn the tide of the game. Thus, with constant pressure, a breakthrough came in the sixty-first minute.
The opponents won a corner, and the box filled with bodies jostling for position. Ren, playing striker, had dropped unusually deep—further back than strikers normally would. Ryo caught it immediately. He's helping cover… smart.
The corner swung in, curling too close to the net for the opponents to reach, so their keeper punched the ball away as he jumped up to reach it, not attempting to catch it. The ball soared out of the penalty box, bouncing toward the right touchline.
And Ren was there. His timing was perfect, controlling the ball as it landed, preventing it from escaping to the sidelines. The crowd erupted into cheers; this breakaway was their chance.
Two defenders closed in fast: one cutting across from Ren's left, the other pressing from the front-right. Ren had only a heartbeat to act before they trapped him.
"You got this, Ren. Dribble past them!" Ryo shouted, his voice carrying over the noise of the crowd.
Then—at the last possible moment—Ren nudged the ball right, dangerously close to the touchline, forcing the front defender to twist awkwardly. In that same instant, he rolled his foot over the ball, spinning sharply back the other way. The left-side defender barreled past helplessly, momentum betraying him, while the first defender's path was blocked by his own teammate.
"Whoa! That was so cool, Ren!" he yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Keep going!"
Ren crossed the halfway line, and only two defenders were left between him and the goal. The other striker also pushed forward, closing in to support him. The two defenders, unsure of how to handle the incoming threat, miscoordinated and both went forward to tackle Ren. But Ren timed his approach perfectly—drawing the defenders in close before slipping a lateral pass. The moment his teammate reached it, Ren was already sprinting into the gap left by the defenders.
The striker responded in turn, sending a quick through ball right before Ren went offside, cleaving through the defense. Ren was through.
The crowd roared, the air electric. The keeper hesitated and retreated onto the goal line instead of moving up to cut off the angle. Ryo leaned forward, anticipating the next moment.
He's all alone. He won't miss this.
Ren, seeing the goalkeeper's retreating figure, planted his left foot and drove his right through the ball. It flew low and fast, with unbelievable power for a six-year-old, streaking toward the left corner. The keeper dove, but he was too slow.
The net rippled as the ball crashed into it, absorbing its momentum—the ball bouncing a few times before coming to a stop.