Finally upgraded!
Ma'el collapsed to the ground, lying on the wet and soft grass, gasping for breath, his face full of satisfaction and release.
He was already close to his limit.
Fortunately, he held on to the last breath and achieved an upgrade today.
The bitter ends, sweetness begins!
"When fully prepared, occasionally can perform shots of excellent quality."
This is the evaluation of Ma'el's current shooting skills on the skill level panel, which is a slightly abstract concept.
But his personal feeling was very clear.
This upgrade has brought him not only power, but also many power techniques, aiming techniques, and honed muscle memory!
With these, the probability of producing a perfect quality shot with both speed and angle should be around 30% to 40%.
"But there is a premise: being fully prepared."
In the high-level modern football rhythm of confrontation, defensive players generally won't give attacking players much space to adjust and aim.
For Ma'el to find the opportunity to "pull back the bow" in a match is as difficult as ascending to heaven.
If it happens once every 90 minutes, it would be considered lucky.
"But, this is only Long Shot Lv2; there are still 3 more levels to go."
Ma'el was not downhearted, everything was just beginning, and he still had a lot of room for growth.
At least by the youth team's standards, he had transformed from an ordinary player to a heavy shooter with a violent strike, possessing certain characteristics.
Such players are quite favored in any team.
Because they have the ability to suddenly change the course of the game on their own!
As for how to make the coaching staff notice this advantage?
Ma'el was not worried. Opportunities to "pull back the bow" in games are scarce; in training, they're not.
His best chance to showcase is during the twice-weekly shooting training!
Long Shot Lv2 already gave him some competitiveness, but what about Lv3?
Would it shorten the preparation time, giving him more shooting opportunities on the pitch?
"Temporarily not trying to develop other skills, focus on training long shots."
Ma'el knew that trying too much leads to lack of excellence. If he could upgrade his Long Shot to Lv3 before the trial period ends, staying at the Arsenal Youth Training Camp would likely not be a problem.
After resting for a while, he stood up with itchy feet, preparing to try a couple of shots before heading back to the dorm for a shower.
By now, it was already four in the afternoon, and many players from the Arsenal U17 team also came to the field for extra practice, with many eyes on Ma'el.
"Ma'el, why did you change your shoes?"
A tall, blonde youngster walked over with a few others, smirking, "I heard someone saying you still work odd jobs after training?"
Ma'el gave him a glance and said nothing.
This was Ian, an English defender for Arsenal U17, and his skills were considered among the top in the team.
However, Ian, who was born and raised in London, looked down on foreign players in the team.
He believed that only people like him deserved the UK's youth training resources, and other foreign players were just thieves coming to steal job opportunities.
"Is this earned from your odd jobs?"
Seeing Ma'el ignore him, Ian was annoyed, got a bit cold-faced, "Doesn't seem like the latest model. How about you wash my shoes for two months and I'll give you a pair of the latest ones?"
"Hahaha..." Laughter erupted from behind him. Most grinned, but some had heavy expressions, seeming to feel this wasn't right.
"Oh."
Ian acted as if he suddenly remembered something, "You're not an official Arsenal player yet, and your contract with the team is only six months.
"If you do the math, it's almost up. So no need to wash them; I'm afraid you won't finish two months before you have to leave, and without completing the term, you won't be paid."
Another burst of laughter erupted, and Ian joined in, shaking his head as he continued to stir the pot, "It's a shame, for a kid like you with no home, once you leave, you'll never come back here."
With that, he strolled past Ma'el with a bunch of people, walking happily.
"Bang!!"
But at this moment, a dull thud resounded.
Ma'el suddenly strung his bow and shot powerfully towards the goal, and the ball's trajectory was right in the path of Ian's group.
Striking someone from such a close distance wasn't difficult; with his current level, he could easily do it.
"Puff!" Ian heard the sound and instinctively turned around, only to have the ball hit him right in the stomach area, the massive impact causing his stomach to cave in, churning violently.
Then, an indescribable pain radiated from his stomach, and he clutched his belly, kneeling on the ground, filled with rage, but could only let out a 'hum' sound.
"What are you doing?!"
A player who had a good relationship with Ian supported him with one hand and pointed at Ma'el with the other, accusing, "This Frenchman must've done it on purpose!"
Beside them, two of them quickly approached Ma'el with fierce expressions, as if they were about to make a move without further ado.
The situation suddenly became chaotic, with people from other positions on the field coming over to watch the drama, some sighing, while others secretly enjoying it.
"It's just a shot, football players shouldn't be afraid of getting hit by the ball?"
Ma'el shrugged, a faint smile on his lips, "That would be cowardly."
After speaking, he turned and walked off the field, satisfied with his experiment, ready to head back to the dorm to rest.
The crowd behind hesitated for a moment but didn't follow.
Causing trouble or fighting within the club was absolutely unwise. If the coach found out, they could face suspension, expulsion from the team, or even more severe consequences.
Everyone could see that Ma'el's kick was intentional, but his control of the situation was just right, leaving them with nothing to hold against him.
"Damn it!"
After thinking for a while, some local English players still felt indignant, and two of them followed his example, bringing out a ball each and aiming for Ma'el's direction.
But their aim was far off, not even getting within a meter of Ma'el.
The two kicked in unison, but equally embarrassed, blushing to the tips of their ears, only able to point at Ma'el's back and curse, "Wait and see!"
......
The next morning at nine o'clock, the fitness center at the training base.
All members of the Arsenal U17 team were in side plank position on the ground, training their core strength.
"In the British football system represented by the Premier League, confrontation is always the main theme on the field."
The head coach, Hans, walked around, scratching his bald head and speaking seriously, "That's why three weekly strength training sessions are essential, and no slacking is allowed.
"I don't want Arsenal Youth Training Camp to only produce technically skilled but physically weak players. My players must have strong confrontation abilities.
"Many of you already have tactical skills at the level of the English First Division or even the Championship, but no teams are loaning you because they're afraid you won't keep up with the physical pace!"
Hearing the head coach's definition of their abilities, many eyes lit up with excitement, gritting their teeth to persist.
The English Championship League and First Division, in their eyes, are not just lower leagues that nobody wants to go to.
They are the best places to hone their skills and gain attention!
Places they can see and touch.
"Damn Frenchman, one day I'll skin you alive."
Unlike others dreaming of professional teams, Ian evidently hadn't gotten over the humiliation of the previous day, muttering to himself, his eyes fixed on Ma'el.
Ma'el sensed this but wasn't concerned about Ian.
This name evidently belonged to someone who didn't make a name for himself, the type that rattled with emptiness.
He was different; he had a bright future, focusing on football to enhance his abilities.
This kind of person wasn't a real competitor; a little more effort and he'd leave him far behind.
At this point, several lines of text suddenly appeared before Ma'el's eyes, capturing his attention.
[Skill: Level 1 Power]
[Skill level: 129/300]
[Utility: You have initially realized the importance of enhancing body strength and confrontation, but you're still too frail, longing for the moment of upgrade.]
New skill?
Ma'el's eyes glinted, Level 1 Power... is it because of the ongoing strength training?
It seemed his guess was correct; as long as he engaged in specific training for a certain period, he could gain the corresponding specialized skill.
However, why does the skill level of Level 1 Power directly equal Long Shot Lv2?