Bologna. The Team Bus.Wednesday. 00:30 AM (Post-Match).
The bus was quiet, humming softly as it navigated the highway back to Bologna. Most players were asleep, exhausted from the physical and mental battle against Milan. Rio sat in the back row, staring at the holographic interface that only he could see. Adrian sat next to him, his laptop screen dimmed to minimum brightness.
"You have to choose," Adrian whispered, checking his watch. "The window closes in 10 minutes. If you don't pick, the essence dissipates."
Rio looked at the three options floating in the air. They were glowing shards of light, stolen from Silas's "Chaos" system.
First was [Skill: The Joga Bonito (Passive)]. Its effect was to turn dribbling into an art form, with the success rate increasing based on crowd noise and style points. Rio dismissed it immediately. "I am not a showman. I don't need to dance. I need to execute."
Second was [Skill: The Knuckleball (Active)]. This offered a chaotic long-range shot with an unpredictable trajectory. Rio considered it briefly. "Tempting. But I have the Golden Arc and The Cannon. I don't need another gun. I need the strength to carry the gun."
Third was [Body Upgrade: Elastic Hips (S-Grade)]. The description promised increased Agility and Balance to S-Grade, unlocking pelvic rotation range to allow 180-degree turns without speed loss, and preventing ligament injury during sharp movements.
Rio thought about his weakness. "My body is my limitation. My E+ stats. My stiffness. If I want to use La Pausa or Ghost effectively against world-class defenders, I need to move like water, not ice."
Rio looked at his trembling legs. They were bruised purple. His hips ached from the rigid stops he made during the game to trigger La Pausa. Silas moved like liquid because his anatomy was elite. Rio moved like a machine because he was forcing it.
"I choose survival," Rio whispered.
He reached out and touched the third shard.
[SELECTION CONFIRMED][Acquiring: Elastic Hips (S-Grade)][Integration starting in 3... 2... 1...]
The Transformation.
Rio gasped, grabbing the seat in front of him. It didn't feel like a muscle cramp. It felt like his pelvis was being disassembled and put back together by invisible hands. A hot, liquid sensation flooded his lower back, his groin, and his glutes. The stiff, grinding feeling that had plagued him since the beginning of his career vanished instantly.
He stretched his leg in the cramped bus seat. His hip joint rotated smoothly, like a ball bearing floating in oil. He twisted his torso. No resistance. No click. He felt... loose.
"Status," Rio muttered.
[System Update][Agility: C- ➔ S (MAX)][Balance: E+ ➔ A][New Trait: Fluidity (Movement consumes 20% less Stamina)]
Rio clenched his fist. He hadn't just gained a fancy trick. He had upgraded his engine chassis. With S-Grade Agility, his Ghost movements would be instantaneous. His La Pausa stops would be sharper. He was no longer a rusty robot. He was a precision instrument.
Casteldebole Training Centre.Friday Morning.
The training session was different. Usually, Rio struggled in the agility drills like ladder runs and cone weaving. He was fast in a straight line, but clunky in turns. Today, he flowed.
He ran through the cones. Zip. Zip. Zip.
His hips swivelled effortlessly. He didn't lose speed when he turned 180 degrees. He looked like a snake slithering through grass. Kenjiro watched him, leaning on a goalpost.
"You look different," Kenjiro noted, narrowing his eyes. "Less... square. You move like a Brazilian now."
"I did some yoga," Rio lied, smiling.
On the balcony, Tyler Stone was watching. He checked his tablet data. "His biometric efficiency just went up by 15%," Stone noted, his face darkening. "He is wasting zero kinetic energy on turns. That is physiologically impossible to achieve in two days."
Stone's assistant looked worried. "Sir?"
"Test him," Stone ordered coldly.
"Test him for what?"
"Doping," Stone said. "Steroids. EPO. Everything. Nobody improves that fast naturally. If he is cheating, I need to know before I sell him."
The Semi-Final Draw.
The squad gathered in the cafeteria to watch the draw on TV. Four teams remained in the Coppa Italia: Bologna, Inter Milan, Juventus, and Fiorentina.
"Anyone but Inter," Beukema prayed. "They are angry about the league draw."
The host on TV reached into the bowl. "The first Semi-Final is... Juventus."
The room groaned. They had beaten Juventus earlier in the season—a shock victory that silenced Turin. But that was a league game. A surprise ambush. Now, the Old Lady would be awake and out for revenge. And this was a Cup tie, meaning two legs to decide the winner.
"And their opponent is... Bologna."
"It's a two-legged tie," Adrian said, calculating. "Home and Away. We play in Turin first."
Adrian looked at Rio seriously. "Dusan Vlahovic will be waiting. And Federico Chiesa. They won't underestimate us this time. They will treat us like a Champions League final."
Rio's Phone.Friday Night.
Rio received a message. Unknown Number. Country Code: +55 (Brazil).
[Message:]"You took it, didn't you?""I can feel it. My hips feel... lighter. Like someone is sharing the load.""Keep it. You will need it against Juventus.""But remember, Rio. You copied the hardware. You didn't copy the software.""You have the hips. But you don't have the Soul (Ginga).""- S"
Rio stared at the screen. So, the "Copy" skill didn't just clone the data. It created a resonance link. Silas knew.
Rio typed back. "I don't need a Soul. I have a Contract."
He deleted the draft. It sounded too robotic. He typed simply: "Watch me."
Breaking News.Saturday.
Rio turned on the TV in his apartment. A Breaking News banner flashed across Sky Sports Italia.
[TRANSFER RUMOR][Manchester City preparing €60 Million bid for Serie A Revelation.][Pep Guardiola spotted in Italy.]
Rio ignored it. Probably Osimhen or Leão. €60 Million was a lot of money. But then, Adrian called him. "Rio, turn to Channel 4."
Rio switched channels. There was a paparazzi photo of Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City Coach. He wasn't in Milan. He wasn't in Naples. He was sitting at a restaurant in Bologna, eating a plate of Tortellini in Brodo.
"Why is Guardiola here?" Rio asked. "Is he on vacation?"
"Pep doesn't take vacations in the middle of the season," Adrian said, his voice trembling. "He likes midfielders who can pass like computers. And he likes attackers who can jump like salmon." Adrian paused. "He is here for Us. You and Kenjiro."
Rio looked at his Lifespan. 315 Days.
If Man City bought him... he would go to the Premier League. The hardest, fastest, most physical league in the world. Would he survive? Or would the intensity burn his remaining days in a month?
"Stone won't sell," Rio said. "He promised to keep us if we beat the algorithm."
"Stone is a capitalist," Adrian reminded him grimly. "He bought you for pennies. If Pep offers €60 Million... promises disappear. That is a 5000% Return on Investment."
Rio looked at the TV. Pep Guardiola was wiping his mouth with a napkin, looking satisfied. The Final Boss was watching.