Date: March 2, 2025
Fixture: Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool – Premier League Matchday 27
Location: City Ground, Nottingham
The City Ground buzzed with tension. Nottingham Forest, fighting to escape the relegation zone, were desperate for a result. Liverpool, still locked in a fierce title race, couldn't afford to drop a single point. But for Diogo Jota, this wasn't just another league match. It was the next trial in his rewritten destiny.
And tonight, he would explode.
Pregame – The Fire Within
Inside the away dressing room, Arne Slot's voice echoed with calm clarity.
"Forest will sit deep, low block 5-4-1. Their wingbacks will try to counter, but most of their game is compact, aggressive, second-ball pressure. Our job is to stretch them. Move fast. Overload zones. Find gaps."
He looked at Jota.
"You're starting on the left, Diogo. But roam. Use that chaos you've been training for."
Jota nodded, mind clear.
SYSTEM ALERT
Main Quest Activated: Break the Chains (4/12)
Objective: Score a Hat-trick vs Nottingham Forest
Bonus Objective: Involve Yourself in All Goals
Reward: Path Tree Advancement – Phase II Unlock
Skill Active: Tempo Shift (Lv.3)
Increased Reaction Speed, Positioning Flow, Situational Awareness Surge during Off-Ball Runs and Transitions
He clenched his fists. Let's make this a masterpiece.
Kick-Off – 18:30 GMT
The first 10 minutes were intense. Forest came out with fire, snapping into tackles, compact in midfield. But Liverpool pressed just as hard.
Endo and Mac Allister controlled the center, shifting the ball side-to-side. Trent and Robertson hugged the flanks. Szoboszlai buzzed between the lines.
Then came the moment.
13th Minute – Goal 1
Trent swung a long diagonal to the left.
Jota, already in full Tempo Shift mode, read it seconds before anyone else. He ghosted behind the right wingback, took the ball on the bounce, cut inside onto his right foot—then unleashed a low drive into the near post.
1–0.
✅ Goal Registered
Tempo Shift Surge – Cooldown Reset
*Bonus Activated: Spatial Pacing +5%
He ran to the corner flag, heart thudding.
One down.
27th Minute – Goal 2
Forest pushed forward briefly, forcing a corner. Liverpool cleared, and suddenly it was chaos.
Darwin Núñez sprinted into open space, Jota keeping pace on the left. The counter was on.
Darwin drove toward the box but saw Jota peeling wide. He released the pass perfectly.
Jota didn't even look up. First touch, shift right, fire far post.
2–0.
✅ Brace Achieved
Confidence Surge – System Harmony: 81%
42nd Minute – Goal 3 (Hat-Trick)
Szoboszlai found him again in the half-space. Jota accelerated through two defenders, then chopped inside to freeze the center-back.
SYSTEM COMBO WINDOW OPEN
Activate: Reflex Surge + Tempo Shift
He tapped the ball forward and volleyed it across goal, low and deadly.
3–0.
His teammates mobbed him.
🎉 HAT-TRICK UNLOCKED!
🌟 Phase II Progression Triggered – "Instinct Tree: Predator" Path Now Available
🔓 +2 Finishing, +1 Off-Ball Movement, +1 Technique
Slot clapped slowly on the sideline.
"That's a killer."
55th Minute – Goal 4
By now, Forest were broken.
Liverpool toyed with them. Short passes, triangles, overloads. Trent played a disguised ball between the lines. Salah flicked it.
Jota ran onto it, now practically glowing with System Sync. He feinted, sent the defender flying—and dinked it over the keeper.
4–0.
⚠️ Overdrive Mode Engaged: Performance Exceeding Human Baseline
Unlock: Micro-Angle Mastery (Passive Lv. 1)
The away end sang louder than ever:
"Ohhh, Diogo Jota! Ohhh, he can't be stopped!"
He bowed to the crowd, then pointed skyward.
He knew this form wasn't just his.
Full-Time – Nottingham Forest 0–4 Liverpool
Man of the Match: Diogo Jota
Goals: 13', 27', 42', 55'
QUEST COMPLETE: Break the Chains (4/12)
Bonus Objective: SUCCESSFUL
Reward Claimed: Phase II Access – Predator Tree
New Trait Unlocked: "Instinctive Killzone – Critical Finishing Boost inside 18 Yards"
In the dressing room, the team celebrated wildly.
But Jota sat calmly, towel over his head, breathing deep. His eyes burned—not from effort, but from clarity.
He was becoming something more than he'd ever dreamed of.
Not just a striker.
A weapon.
And the season was far from over.