The final whistle blew like a thunderclap across the Volkswagen Arena. 3-2. Fiorentina hadn't just won; they had conquered the fortress. They had handed Wolfsburg their first home defeat of the season and snapped their unbeaten Europa League streak. As the players embraced, the traveling Italian fans drowned out the stunned silence of the home crowd.
[Aye! I'm too wired to sleep now!]
[Six assists in two Europa League games? Renzo is literally speed-running the Assist Leaderboard!]
[He's already 4th. If he plays two more games, he's going to be the King of Europe while playing half the matches!]
As the celebrations cooled, a pale, red-haired figure walked through the crowd. Kevin De Bruyne didn't look angry; he looked intrigued.
"Renzo," the Belgian said, his voice steady despite the loss. "That was... impressive. Your vision, the way you weight the ball... it's special."
De Bruyne was famously introverted, a "football monk" who rarely sought out opponents. But today, he had felt a spark. "If we have the chance, I'd like to exchange ideas on passing. There aren't many people who see the game the way we do."
The Fiorentina players nearby eavesdropped and rolled their eyes. Two guys with five assists between them are "exchanging ideas"? What are we, then? Amateur's? Renzo smiled, shaking De Bruyne's hand. He knew the timeline—next year, they'd be neighbors in England. "I'd like that, Kevin. Maybe sooner than you think."
"The future of the midfield belongs to the two of you!"
A legendary voice cut through the air. Jürgen Klinsmann walked onto the pitch, first hugging his fellow countryman, Mario Gomez.
"Mario, you owe this boy a dinner," Klinsmann joked, gesturing to Renzo. "If I had a 'Ghost' feeding me cakes like that during my Inter Milan days, my goal tally would have doubled."
The surrounding players gasped. Klinsmann had played with icons—Matthäus, Effenberg, Häßler. To compare a 16-year-old to the "Superpowers" of the 1990s was the ultimate endorsement. Klinsmann wasn't just being polite; he was acknowledging that in terms of pure, clinical short-passing, Renzo Uzumaki was already entering the realm of the immortals.
While Renzo celebrated, the TV cameras cut to the stands, focusing on a young man in a baseball cap and civilian clothes. It was Kaito Tanakae, the other Japanese player at Wolfsburg.
The next morning, the headlines in Japan were brutal but hilarious:
"Renzo gets an Assist Hat-trick; Kaito Tanaka also wears a Hat!"
Fans cackled at the wordplay—one player was making history on the grass, the other was just "wearing a hat" as a spectator. It was a stark reminder of the gap between a "Commercial Transfer" and a "Generational Talent."
On the flight back to Florence, the mood in the front of the plane was somber. Manager Montella was staring at a tablet full of data.
"Renzo's running distance is dropping," Montella whispered to the Team Manager. "His heat map is shrinking. On the surface, he's winning us games, but underneath... he's hitting the wall. The kid is 16; he's playing high-intensity football every three days. He's burning out."
They sat in silence, knowing that if Renzo's form dipped, Fiorentina's "miracle season" would vanish instantly.
At the back of the plane, Renzo was oblivious to the coaches' worries. He was staring at a glowing interface only he could see.
[Task Objective: Defeat Wolfsburg Away – COMPLETED]
[Task Reward: Random Treasure Chest]
[ALERT: Epic Treasure Chest Trigger Card ACTIVATED!]
The box in his mind erupted in gold and violet light.
[Congratulations! You have obtained an EPIC PERMANENT ABILITY:]
[Ability: PEAK COMPETITIVE STATE MAINTENANCE]
[Description: You are now immune to "Form Fluctuations." In every match, every weather condition, and every stadium, you will always play at 100% of your current attributes. No fatigue-based stat decay. No 'off-days.']
Renzo felt a surge of clarity wash over him. The "Rookie Wall" that Montella was so afraid of had just been demolished by the System. From this moment on, Renzo Uzumaki wasn't just a genius—he was a machine that never stopped ticking.
30+ chapters are available now and daily updates! @patreon.com/Authorzero