For the following days, Marco tried to find that feeling again.
That special state—the zone—is like a fleeting dream. Although his perfected skill move acted as a trigger for calling upon that state, entering it at will and sustaining it after the execution of the skill itself was a monumental task.
To use it in a live game, he had to master it to the point of natural instinct. An opponent wouldn't always allow him the luxury of focusing solely on a specific move to enter the state. Top athletes in any field can enter this state freely and at will; Marco was still a long distance away from that.
So, for the next few days of training, Marco focused on this almost obsessively. Aside from the improvements it brought to his game, living in that state was addictive—it felt like being on drugs. The feeling of every action flowing into the next, and the ability to make his body and the ball follow his mind seamlessly, gave him a false sense of omnipotence.
Even though he knew it was an illusion, it didn't stop him from craving the sensation.
The semifinals of the DFB-Pokal were fast approaching. He aimed to master this state to some extent before then. Through relentless effort and a focused approach, he eventually learned to enter the state semi-deliberately.
This meant he couldn't enter it totally at will yet, but with some luck, he could reach the state with a 50% probability. Unlike skill training, where he had models in the form of other players to emulate, the zone is a unique skill that differs from person to person. One cannot simply copy someone else's approach.
However, their experiences could still provide a valuable reference point. He didn't shy away from consulting veteran players and coaches, hoping to gain some insight. After these consultations and further analysis by the system, he derived a few basic but essential rules.
Entering the zone cannot be forced. If the task you are performing is too easy or too difficult, entering "flow" is impossible. If the task is too easy, the mind wanders and quality drops unconsciously. If it is too difficult, the brain enters survival mode, struggling simply to adapt. The key to flow was the balance between the two.
It was also important not to try and force the state itself. Instead of focusing on the zone, one had to focus intensely on the task. Only when the mind begins to flow with the action—when the turbulence calms—will the patterns emerge and flow be created.
Coupled with the concept of using the perfected skill as a "trigger," he had laid the groundwork for his deep dive into the zone.
He was like a blind man groping in the dark, trying to carve out a path. The task required not only intense focus and dedication but an open mind—a willingness to learn and observe the hidden power within himself. Without knowing it, Marco was wandering into the territory of spiritualism.
Although he had been a man of science in his previous life, after literally being reincarnated, denying such supernatural phenomena felt hypocritical. After all, just because science cannot explain something doesn't mean it doesn't exist; it simply proves we have yet to explore that area deeply.
Keeping an open mind was paramount, but it also made his job more difficult. A lack of constraints was a blessing and a curse at the same time. Yet, Marco was not afraid of the journey ahead; he was excited. He was in no hurry—after all, Rome was not built in a day.
Days went by fast in a blur of focus and sweat. It was yet another match day, but not just any match: it was the crucial semifinal battle of the DFB-Pokal.
On the morning of the semi-final, Marco woke with a strange feeling in his chest. It wasn't nervousness, but anticipation. They had been training for so long just for this day, and Marco had been waiting.
It had been a few league matches since he first acquired the flow state. Through in-game experience, he had somewhat optimized his performance and gained rudimentary control over his game.
In the midst of his daily morning routine, his phone rang. He checked his inbox; as expected, it was Scarlet.
She had been relatively free for some time, and Marco found moments in his tight schedule to accompany her. She had been worried about interrupting his training, knowing how crucial this period was for him and the team. However, Marco rarely skipped sessions and tried to maintain a stress-free mind, per the system's advice. Extra training wouldn't improve his ability significantly in the short term, but careful rest and relaxation would.
Marco checked the message and found an image attached. It was a photo of Scarlet in a morning dress. Even without makeup or fancy clothes, she looked natural and radiant to him. Her cute expression brought a smile to his face.
They had been in a relationship for a while now. Even though they tried to keep it quiet for as long as possible, the media eventually found out. It wasn't that they were afraid of the public eye; they simply wanted to avoid the noise and gossip.
Despite their time together, they never grew bored of one another. They always tried to accommodate each other. They had yet to have a serious fight; the occasional small disagreements were usually resolved in the blink of an eye.
Marco replied to the message with a photo of his own and hurried to join the team.
Today's match was once again hosted at Signal Iduna Park, proving that luck was still on Dortmund's side. Their opponent was FC Carl Zeiss Jena—a well-known club from East Germany with a great deal of historical significance.