Ethan saw the team sheet before anyone told him.
Someone had leaked it online early. A blurry photo, folded at the corner, posted by a fan account that lived off rumours and hope.
Millwall XI.
His name was there.
Not in brackets.
Not with an asterisk.
Just there.
Starting.
The system reacted immediately.
Match Role: Starter
Expectation Load: High
Visibility Index: Elevated
He didn't celebrate it. He just locked his phone and went back to lacing his boots.
The dressing room was quieter thanks usual. No music. Just the sound of tape ripping and studs clicking on concrete. A couple of players glanced his way, then looked back down.
No resentment.
No encouragement.
Just awareness.
The manager walked in last, eyes scanning the room.
"Same rules," he said. "Win your duels. Move the ball fast."
His gaze stopped on Ethan.
"And you," he added. "Don't disappear."
Ethan nodded once.
That was it.
The walk out at The Den felt different this time. Not overwhelming. Focused. The noise didn't wash over him anymore—it pressed from all sides, demanding attention.
Kickoff came fast.
The opposition made their intentions clear immediately. Every time Ethan received the ball, someone hit him. Late shoulder. Studs on the ankle. A tug at the shirt just long enough.
The referee let it go.
Welcome to the Championship.
The system flagged it.
Physical Targeting: High
Officiating Leniency: Detected
In the seventh minute, Ethan went down after a heavy challenge. The crowd roared—not in sympathy, but expectation.
Get up.
He did.
He adjusted instead of reacting. Dropped five yards deeper. Took the ball on the half-turn. Released it early. Forced defenders to choose between pressing him or holding shape.
Decision speed over dribbling.
Efficiency over flair.
The system tracked the shift.
Playstyle Alignment: Improving
Energy Cost: Reduced
By the twentieth minute, the fouls slowed. Not because they'd stopped trying—but because they were arriving late.
That was the first win.
The game stayed scrappy. Second balls. Long throws. Corners swung into chaos. Ethan didn't force himself into it. He hovered. Drifted inside. Offered passing angles.
In the thirty-eighth minute, it clicked.
Ethan checked inside, dragged a midfielder with him, then slipped the ball wide at exactly the right moment. The fullback crossed low. The striker arrived.
Goal.
The Den erupted.
Ethan didn't get the assist on paper. Two passes removed. But the system knew.
Impact Contribution: High
Creative Chain Value: Recognised
A defender slapped him on the back as they jogged back to halfway.
"That's it," he muttered. "Keep doing that."
At halftime, the manager didn't praise him.
He didn't criticise him either.
"Same again," he said. "They're adjusting. So do you."
The second half was harder.
Legs tired. Space closed. Ethan took one heavy hit near the touchline and felt it deep in his ribs. Not pain—warning.
The system responded.
Fatigue Threshold: Approaching
Risk Level: Manageable
He stayed disciplined. When the ball wasn't on, he tracked back. When it was, he kept it simple. He drew two fouls that killed momentum. The crowd appreciated that more than tricks.
In the seventy-fifth minute, the manager glanced at him, then looked away.
No substitution board.
Trust.
Millwall held on. Another 1–0.
After the whistle, Ethan bent forward, hands on knees, lungs burning. A veteran midfielder walked past him and nodded.
"Didn't hide," he said.
That meant more than applause.
In the tunnel, cameras hovered closer than before. Questions came quicker.
"How did you find your first start?"
"Different pace?"
"Settling in already?"
Ethan answered calmly. "Still learning."
That clip went online within minutes.
By the time he got home, his phone wouldn't stop buzzing.
Josh Zerker had replied publicly to a highlight clip.
"Smart football. Love that movement."
No emojis. No exaggeration.
The system reacted sharply.
External Visibility Spike: Moderate
Audience Overlap: Expanding
Jordan called ten minutes later.
"You just gained thirty thousand followers," he said.
"I don't even have an account," Ethan replied.
Jordan laughed. "Exactly. That's the point."
Money followed attention now.
Jordan continued. "Two brands reached out tonight. One's offering ten grand for a single post once you're set up properly. No pressure yet."
£10,000.
For one post.
Ethan leaned back on the couch, ribs sore, head steady.
"That's more than my old monthly wage," he said.
"And that's just the start," Jordan replied. "But football comes first. Always."
The system chimed softly.
Commercial Opportunity: Rising
Distraction Risk: Controlled
Later that night, when the flat was quiet again, the system activated fully.
DEVELOPMENT ANALYSIS IN PROGRESS
Match Data: Sufficient
Pressure Performance: Positive
Efficiency Index: High
A progress bar appeared. Slow. Deliberate.
Comparative Archetype Scan: Near Match
Ethan sat up.
Not a name yet.
Just data.
Movement economy.
Decision timing.
Output per touch.
This wasn't about speed or strength.
It was about clarity.
The bar stopped at ninety percent.
Consistency Gate: Active
Template Sync: Pending
Not yet.
He lay back and stared at the ceiling.
He'd started.
He'd survived.
He'd mattered.
And now people were watching for different reasons.
Before sleep, he checked his bank app again.
Weekly wage pending: £6,000
Appearance bonus pending: £1,000
Seven thousand earned that week.
Earned.
The system dimmed for the night.
Trajectory: Confirmed
Next Objective: Repeat Performance
Ethan closed his eyes.
Starting once meant nothing.
Doing it again meant everything.
END OF CHAPTER 23
Author's Comment
That was the first real test.
No hype.
No shortcuts.
Just doing the job when it mattered.
Next chapter, things start to speed up — on and off the pitch.
What do you want to see first?
• The system template activating
• The Zerkaa link going public
• Dressing room politics
• Or Ethan's first big Championship moment
Let me know.