The electronic scoreboard beamed a cruel reality in bright red LEDs. INDONESIA [0] - [3] SOUTH KOREATime: 70:00
The atmosphere in the stadium was suffocating. Although it was just a friendly match, the gap in skill was embarrassing. The South Korean U-19 team moved like a pack of wolves—organized, relentless, and terrifyingly fast.
Rio sat on the bench, his jaw clenched. Every time an Indonesian player got the ball, two Korean players would swarm him instantly. It was the famous "Tiger Pressing"—a high-pressure tactic that suffocated the opponent until they made a mistake.
"They are slaughtering you," Specter commented, floating casually above the bench. "Your teammates are exhausted. Their lungs are burning. But look at the Koreans... they aren't even sweating."
Rio looked at his own system interface. [LIFESPAN: 79 Days, 12 Hours]
He was losing time just by sitting here.
"Coach!" Rio yelled, turning to Coach Bima. "Put me in! We need a goal!"
Coach Bima wiped sweat from his forehead. He looked at the decimated squad on the field, then at Rio. "Remember the deal, Valdes. You play the last fifteen minutes. Not a minute sooner."
"If we wait five more minutes, it will be 4-0!" Rio argued.
"Sit down!" Bima snapped. But his eyes betrayed his desperation. He signaled to the fourth official. "Valdes, warm up. You're going in."
Minute 75.
Rio stood on the sideline, the substitute board raised high. The number #7 flashed green.
The crowd gave a polite, lukewarm applause. They didn't expect much. To them, Rio was just the sickly kid who collapsed during tryouts.
As Rio stepped onto the pitch, a Korean defender—a giant named Park—jogged past him. Park glanced at Rio's pale skin and thin frame, then smirked. He muttered something in Korean to his teammate.
"He said you look like a breeze could blow you over," Specter translated helpfully. "Show him what a hurricane looks like."
The whistle blew. Game on.
Rio took his position as a Shadow Striker, lurking behind Kevin. But the ball rarely reached him. The Indonesian midfielders were too busy panicking under the Korean pressure.
Finally, in the 78th minute, a loose ball rolled toward Rio.
Here it is.
Rio trapped the ball. Immediately, he felt a heavy presence behind him.
Park, the giant defender, was already there. He didn't just tackle; he slammed his body into Rio.
Thud!
Rio was thrown off balance. His weak physical stats (Strength: F-) meant he was like a sheet of paper against a boulder. He lost possession instantly. Rio felt a jarring thud run up his spine.
Park stole the ball and launched a counter-attack.
"Too slow!" Park shouted in broken English, laughing as he ran past Rio.
Rio lay on the grass, gasping for air. His chest tightened. Just one physical clash, and his heart was already pounding an alarm.
"Get up!" Specter barked. "You can't beat them with muscle, you idiot! Look at your stats! Strength F! Speed F! Use your brain!"
Rio scrambled to his feet. He watched the Koreans pass the ball with machine-like precision.
Specter is right. If I try to fight them physically, I'm dead. I have one weapon. Flash Step. But it has a 5-minute cooldown. I can only use it maybe twice before the game ends.
He had to time it perfectly. He had to wait for the moment the Tiger opened its mouth.
Minute 85.
The score was still 0-3. The Indonesian team had given up. They were just waiting for the whistle.
But Rio was watching. His eyes, sharpened by desperation, scanned the field. He noticed something. The Korean defensive line was pushing up high, arrogant, thinking the game was won.
There was a gap. A massive space behind Park.
"Kevin!" Rio shouted, pointing to the empty space. "Through pass! Now!"
Kevin, exhausted and frustrated, looked up. He saw Rio pointing. He didn't like Rio, but he hated losing more.
Kevin swung his leg and launched a long, high ball over the Korean defense.
It wasn't a perfect pass. It was slightly too far.
Park saw it. The Korean giant turned and started sprinting. He was fast. He was closer to the ball. He was 100% sure he would reach it first.
"He's going to get there first," Specter warned. "Unless..."
Rio took a deep breath. The world seemed to slow down.
The pain in his chest faded into the background. All he saw was the ball dropping from the night sky, and the back of Park's jersey.
Cost: 5 Minute Cooldown. Reward: Survival.
[ACTIVATE SKILL: FLASH STEP]
ZWOOSH!
It happened in a blink.
One moment, Rio was five meters behind Park. The next moment, a blur of red and black tore through the grass. The air cracked as Rio accelerated from 0 to 100 in a heartbeat.
Park widened his eyes. He felt a gust of wind, and then—
Rio was in front of him.
"Nani?!" Park shouted in confusion (wrong language, but the sentiment was universal shock).
Rio trapped the ball perfectly with his chest, killing its momentum. He was now one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
The stadium erupted.
But the goalkeeper, the Korean captain, was rushing out like a mad bull. He was big, intimidating, and closing the angle fast.
Rio's legs were screaming. The Flash Step duration was over. His speed plummeted back to normal. The "crash" hit him—his muscles seized up.
He didn't have the energy to dribble past the keeper.
"Shoot!" Specter yelled. "Use the last of your strength!"
Rio planted his left foot. His vision blurred. The goal looked miles away. He didn't have a shooting skill. He only had his instinct.
If I miss, I lose 30 days. If I miss, I die.
Rio swung his right leg, putting every ounce of his dwindling life force into the strike—a desperate prayer launched toward the net.