The field was silent, save for the sharp thud of cleats against turf and the rhythmic blasts of a whistle cutting the air. Coach Davor's voice echoed across the training ground:
"Full-pressure duels. One-on-one. No support. No resets. First to five wins."
Leon tightened his laces, eyes locked on the lineup. Kael was across from him, already smirking like he'd been waiting all morning for this.
They hadn't gone head-to-head like this in weeks — not directly. Not fully.
Davor pointed. "Kael. Leon. You're first."
Player: Leon Vale
Level: 2
EXP: 160 / 200
Agile Step Lv. 1 – 14%
Stats:
Dribbling: 48
Passing: 57
Shooting: 42
Vision: 16
Mental: 43
Speed: 50
Stamina: 48
Active Systems:
– Minimap (Basic Mode)
– Agile Step Lv.1
– ZANE-003 Echo: Passive | Sync stable
ZANE-003 Echo," Leon read aloud. "Residual data from a previous PlaySight user. Not active—just integrated. It mirrors decision patterns, movement instincts... like having a silent co-pilot trained by someone else's career.
Leon stepped forward, heartbeat steady. The minimap pinged softly — just Kael's presence, one bright red dot across from him in the virtual ring.
The ball was dropped at the center.
Whistle.
Kael moved first — fast, with the grace of a panther. Leon matched him, feet whispering against the turf. Their bodies clashed once, then again.
Kael tried a fake left and broke right — but Agile Step pulsed beneath Leon's heel. He turned sharper than expected, intercepting.
He didn't win the duel, not yet.
But Kael blinked — surprised.
Elsewhere – Sidelines
At the edge of the field, some of the academy's analysis assistants had gathered. Among them, the same girl Leon had noticed during his early training sessions.
She leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes locked on the duel.
"Who's the quiet one?" one of the assistants asked her.
She replied without looking away. "Leon Vale. Midfield. Second-year."
"You know him?"
She finally looked away from the pitch, then back.
"No," she said. "Not yet."
Back to the Drill,
By the fourth round, Leon was sweating hard. It was 2–2. Kael's pace hadn't dropped, but neither had his.
The fifth round began. Leon started with the ball.
Agile Step activated mid-motion — helping him shift low, fake left, and dart right. Kael bit, but adjusted too fast.
Leon pulled the ball back—delayed just half a second—and cut behind Kael's legs.
The ball rolled into the net.
3–2.
Kael laughed. "You little…"
Leon just smiled.
+10 EXP
+2% Agile Step Progress
+1 Dribbling
EXP: 170 / 200
Dribbling: 49
Agile Step Lv. 1 – 16%
Round six, Kael scored. 3–3.
Round seven, Leon forced a foul. 4–3.
In the final duel, Kael came in hard — shoulder to shoulder — and Leon felt something shift.
Not in the match.
In the system.
Warning: ZANE-003 ECHO
Signal disruption detected.
Overlay unstable.
Potential desynchronization event.
Leon blinked. His minimap blurred for half a second, then refocused.
Kael struck while Leon flinched. Ball netted.
4–4.
Leon staggered backward, breathing hard. Kael approached, brows narrowed.
"You alright?"
Leon nodded. "Yeah. Just… static."
Kael gave him a look but didn't press. "One more."
Final Round
The ball dropped.
Everything slowed.
Leon didn't use minimap.
He didn't use PlaySight.
Just his gut.
Kael pressed hard — no hesitation. Leon feinted forward, then pulled off a half-spin to the left. Agile Step kicked in, and this time it didn't guide him.
It simply moved with him.
He cleared space and tapped the ball into the corner of the net.
5–4.
Whistle.
Coach Davor clapped once. "Good. Both of you. Get water."
As Leon passed Kael, Kael bumped shoulders with him, almost playfully. "You're getting good."
Leon raised an eyebrow. "Scared?"
Kael grinned. "Not yet. But maybe soon."
Later – Recovery Room
Leon sat on the bench, shirt soaked, staring at the data overlay in his HUD. The Echo had glitched — for the first time. Not just static. It had nearly thrown him off his timing.
Player: Leon Vale
Level: 2
EXP: 170 / 200
Agile Step Lv. 1 – 16%
ZANE-003 Status:
Sync Drift: 3% – Minor Instability
Suggested Action:
System Scan (Manual)
Disable Echo (Warning: System downgrade)
Leon hovered over both options. Then closed the menu.
He didn't want to remove it.
Not yet.
Study Hall – Later That Day
Leon sat near the back again. Tactical diagrams filled the screen, but his eyes weren't on them.
They drifted left — toward the girl from the field.
She was seated a row ahead.
This time, she turned and caught him looking.
"Leon, right?" she asked.
He blinked. "Yeah."
"I'm Aria," she said. "Data track. Second-year."
He nodded, unsure what else to say.
She looked back at the diagrams. "Your positioning in drills… it's not just instinct, is it?"
Leon hesitated. "I watch a lot of footage."
"Sure," she said. Then smiled faintly. "So did Zane."
Leon froze.
She noticed, but didn't push.
Class resumed. But Aria had left a question in the air — one she hadn't asked out loud:
How far are you willing to go before it takes control?
That Night
Leon sat in bed, interface glowing faint blue.
Player: Leon Vale
Level: 2
EXP: 175 / 200
Agile Step Lv. 1 – 18%
Stats:
Dribbling: 49 (+1)
Passing: 57
Shooting: 42
Vision: 16
Mental: 43
Speed: 50
Stamina: 48
Minimap: Basic
Tactical Mode: Locked
ZANE-003 Echo: Active | Slight Drift
Only 25 EXP to go.
But he was no longer in a rush.
Because now he wasn't just trying to get stronger.
He was trying to understand the system before it outgrew him.