The morning was filled with one drill after another. They worked on ball control, silky dribbling techniques to evade defenders, explosive trigger runs, and agility exercises spread across the field. Every station incorporated different pieces of football training equipment, forcing the players to constantly adapt. The bald, short instructor showed no mercy. Each drill had to be repeated at least ten times before anyone was allowed to move on, and he refused to give them rest intervals.
By the halfway point, every player was drenched in sweat. Winston, however, handled the drills far better than most. After months of training under Boris while wearing ankle weights, moving with extra weight no longer felt foreign to him. As he trained, the Nethen essence continuously flowed through his body, while the Voltage Core relentlessly stimulated his muscles, increasing their strength, responsiveness, and explosive power.
The awakenings made every movement feel lighter and sharper. However, they had their limits. The Voltage core only enhanced his muscles—it did nothing to reinforce his bones or joints. As the hours dragged on, the repeated strain began catching up to him. A dull ache spread throughout his body. His muscles still wanted to move, but his skeleton protested with every explosive sprint, sharp turn, and sudden stop. Gradually, Winston's movements became heavier. The sharpness he had displayed at the start of training slowly faded as fatigue began to overwhelm him.
Winston circulated more Nethen essence throughout his body. Thin wisps of steam rose from his skin as the essence coursed through his muscles, soothing the accumulated strain from the previous drills. On the far side of the field, the bald, short instructor stood beside the football launching machine.
Unlike before, the machine wasn't set to its maximum power. He motioned for the youth players to form a single line. Once everyone was in position, he blew his whistle.
Thump!
A football shot out from the launcher, arcing toward the first player. Their objective was simple—head the ball into one of the small goalposts positioned several meters away. After several launches, the youths quickly realized something. The balls weren't being fired at the terrifying speeds they had experienced during the previous heading exercise. This time, the pace was manageable. Before long, laughter and friendly banter replaced the groans that had filled the dome earlier.
Most of the players were surprised by how enjoyable the exercise was. Even Winston and Oswin turned it into a competition. "First to score twenty goals wins!" Oswin shouted.
"You're on," Winston replied with a grin.
The two kept count as each of them headed ball after ball into the miniature goals, refusing to let the other take the lead. The lighthearted rivalry spread to the rest of the players, and soon the entire dome was filled with friendly competitions. The drills continued for several more hours before the bald instructor finally blew the whistle, bringing the day's training to an end.
When the training finally ended, Winston lay flat on the grass inside the dome, stretching out his arms and legs. He could feel his Nethen essence running dangerously low. The signs had become familiar. His muscles were growing stiff, his vision was beginning to blur, and a wave of dizziness slowly crept over him.
Closing his eyes, Winston steadied his breathing. With each slow inhale and exhale, cool currents of Nethen essence circulated through his body, easing the strain little by little. Oswin dropped onto the grass beside him, leaning back on his hands. A smug grin spread across his face. "Twenty." He chuckled. "That's how many you scored."
He pointed at himself. "I scored thirty. Looks like I win."
Winston let out a laugh as his vision gradually returned to normal. The dizziness also began to fade. "You've got it backwards."
He turned his head toward Oswin. "I scored thirty. You only managed twenty."
Oswin clicked his tongue. "Keep dreaming."
The two laughed before Winston spoke again. "By the way... if someone challenges you to a one-on-one match, have you thought about who you'd recruit?"
Oswin rubbed his chin. After thinking for a moment, he nodded. "I'll probably keep most of the team we used yesterday." He shrugged. "I might bring in a few players from Group C, though. Those guys who came to me this morning have been begging me to recruit them."
He looked at Winston curiously. "Why do you ask?"
Winston stared up at the ceiling of the dome. "I'm thinking of offering my help whenever someone gets challenged. And I want to make space for when someone challenges you" He smiled faintly. "Yesterday's match made me realize how much I enjoy these one-on-one challenges."
Oswin nodded immediately. A grin spread across his face. "Me too, Wis."
Ding!
[User Daily Challenge]
[Innate Terra: 00/05]
[Spatial Zenith: 00/05]
[Absolute: 00/05]
As the notification appeared on the small translucent screen, Winston sat upright and leaned back on his hands. His body had almost fully recovered, save for a few lingering aches. Turning to Oswin, he asked, "Do you think there'll be another one-on-one challenge today?"
Oswin stretched out his legs and leaned back on his elbows, absentmindedly plucking thin blades of grass. "I doubt anyone from our attacking dome will challenge today," he replied. "Look at us—we're exhausted. Besides, yesterday's match caught everyone by surprise. From what I overheard, most players are planning to start issuing challenges tomorrow."
Winston let out a disappointed sigh. "I was hoping someone would be challenged today."
Before Oswin could respond, a sharp electronic chime echoed throughout the attacking dome.
A calm male voice followed. >> One-on-One Challenge Initiated. Adrian, Group C, has challenged Daemon, Group B. Daemon is to report to his instructor within ten minutes. I repeat, Daemon is to report to his instructor within ten minutes. <<
Both Winston and Oswin instinctively raised their heads. The rest of the players did the same, scanning the dome to see if either challenger was among them. When no one stood up, the youths relaxed once more, many wondering who Adrian and Daemon would recruit for their teams.
Oswin chuckled. "Well... I was wrong. Looks like your match really inspired someone."
Winston looked at him curiously. "Do you know Adrian or Daemon?"
Oswin shook his head. "Nope." A mischievous grin spread across his face. "But let me guess... you're already thinking about asking one of them if you can join their team."
Winston smiled awkwardly, unable to deny it. Before he could answer, both their wristwatches beeped simultaneously. The rest of the players' watches chimed as well.
Oswin glanced at his screen. His eyebrows rose. "Huh... I just got an invitation from Daemon."
He stood up, dusted the grass off his shorts, and stretched. "If you want, I can tell him to replace me with you."
Winston immediately shook his head. "No. Don't do that. I'll wait for the next challenge and ask around myself."
Oswin nodded. "Suit yourself."
The two left the attacking dome together before going their separate ways. Winston returned to Building C, dropped onto his bed, and slept for a few minutes. After waking, he headed toward the training ground near Building D. As he approached, he couldn't help but smile. Bongani was already there, diligently repeating the exact same drills Winston had taught him a few days earlier.
"Trap the ball with the inside of your foot, then drag it back," Winston instructed as he walked onto the football field.
Taking his advice, Bongani cushioned the ball with the inside of his foot before dragging it back. He accelerated toward the cones and weaved through them with the ball glued to his feet. Winston watched with pleasant surprise. Bongani's ball control had improved considerably. Back when they had first met, every touch had been heavy, whether he was trapping the ball or dribbling. Now, the ball stayed much closer to his feet. After finishing the obstacle course, Bongani stopped at the end and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Thanks for the advice," he said. "I always had trouble keeping the ball close to my feet."
"No problem," Winston replied. "Good ball control starts with mastering the basics. Let's work on a simple dribbling drill."
He arranged several cones in a straight line before placing the ball at his feet. Without using the Voltage Core's turbo Sprint, Winston demonstrated the drill, weaving smoothly through the cones while keeping every touch controlled. He repeated it several times, making sure each movement was slow enough for Bongani to study.
After the fifth run, he passed the ball over. "Your turn."
As Bongani prepared to dribble, Winston casually asked, "So... when's your one-on-one challenge?"
Bongani's first touch was too heavy. The ball rolled well past the cones and stopped at Winston's feet. Bongani froze—his head dropped, and his fists tightened. Noticing his frustration, Winston decided not to press the question.
Instead, he pointed toward the cones. "Alternate between the inside and outside of your foot as you dribble. Relax your shoulders, and focus on protecting the ball instead of rushing through the course."
Bongani nodded. He started again. The first attempt was clumsy. The second was only slightly better. Each time Winston tapped his own boot against the ball to demonstrate exactly where each touch should be made. After several attempts—and plenty of trial and error—Bongani's rhythm began to improve. By the end of the drill, his touches had become noticeably smoother and more controlled.
Breathing heavily, Bongani looked around. "Where's Oswin?" he asked. "I thought he'd be here by now."
Winston gently rolled the ball between his feet. "He was recruited by Daemon for a one-on-one challenge."
Bongani's eyes widened. "Wait... Daemon recruited Oswin? Man, this is going to be an interesting match."
Stopping the ball beneath his foot, Winston looked at him curiously. "You know Daemon and Adrian?"
Bongani nodded before taking a long drink from his water bottle. "Yeah. They used to be close friends, but apparently something happened between them. After that, they stopped talking to each other."
Winston folded his arms. "What positions do they play?"
Bongani thought for a moment. "Adrian plays mainly as a left-back, though he can also play as a center-back. Daemon is a midfielder."