Chapter 10: To See Like a Legend
The sun had dipped below the horizon by the time Lucas and Juliana stepped off the bus. The streets of the favela were coming alive with the usual evening rhythm — laughter from alleyways, the sizzle of frying food from corner stalls, music thumping faintly from a distant radio. But Lucas barely noticed.
He walked in silence, his legs heavy and sore, but his heart still pounding from the day's success. Every touch, every shot, every cheer still echoed in his mind like a dream he hadn't yet woken from.
Juliana smiled beside him, her grip on his shoulder gentle but proud. "You were incredible today," she whispered as they turned into their narrow lane. "Coach Silva... he saw it too."
Lucas offered a tired smile but said nothing. His mind was already elsewhere, not just on the field, but deeper.
The moment they stepped inside their small home, Carla peeked out from the kitchen.
"Well? You still alive?" Carla teased, leaning against the doorway with her arms crossed and a sly grin on her face.
Lucas let out a weak chuckle as he kicked off his shoes. "Barely," he muttered, his voice tired but amused.
Carla looked him up and down, then shook her head. "I figured. You look completely exhausted like someone squeezed all your energy out and left you hanging to dry."
Lucas laughed quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. "That bad, huh?"
Lucas managed a tired smile and shrugged. "Yeah, it's brutal now, but I guess it's all part of getting better. If I can push through this, I'll not only be ready for anything. I'll get stronger and better too."
Juliana waved them off with a chuckle. "Go wash up, Lucas. I'll make dinner."
Lucas nodded, dragging himself to his room. The moment the door clicked shut behind him, his body sank onto the bed, and the familiar DING of the system rang softly in his mind.
The interface glowed, vibrant and pulsing, and the System Shop reappeared like a treasure chest opening.
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[System Shop: Temporary Access – 22 Hours Left]
Balance: 544 Legacy Points
Available Items:
C-rank Recovery Tonic (90 LP) – Restores stamina after training.C-rank Focus Boost Potion (100 LP) – Enhances mental clarity for matches or study.
Available Skills:
B-rank Kaká's Acceleration (200 LP) – Boosts sprint speed and quick burst agility.A-rank Ronaldinho's Vision (400 LP) – Enhances playmaking, awareness, and creative passing.
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Lucas sat up straighter, eyes narrowing as he read through each item carefully.
"Recovery Tonic…" he mumbled. "Useful. Especially if training gets more intense…"
His eyes flicked to the Focus Boost Potion. "Maybe for school haha.... or big matches."
Then his gaze settled on Kaká's Acceleration. His pulse quickened. "Speed is deadly. That kind of burst? I'd destroy defenders." But then he paused.
He thought of his current build. His physique was only slightly above average. His knees had already taken a pounding in street games. Adding that kind of explosive movement regularly… it was tempting. too tempting.
"But what if it backfires?" he muttered. "What if I get injured... slow down my growth?"
Finally, his eyes locked on the most expensive item on the list.
[Ronaldinho's Vision - A-rank
Creative passing. Field awareness. Playmaking at a legendary level]
He stared at it for a long moment.
He wouldn't be able to afford anything else if he bought it. No healing tonic. No focus potion. He just had 544 Legacy points right now.
But deep down, something clicked.
Vision wasn't just about seeing the field. It was foresight, the art of knowing where the ball needed to be before anyone else did.
He clenched his fists slowly.
"I'll find other ways to recover. I'll rest when I can. Eat better. Push through. But this... this will make me the kind of player who reads the game before it's even written."
His finger hovered over the interface.
Then—
He clicked in Ronaldinho's Vision.
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[Purchase Confirmed: A-rank Skill - Ronaldinho's Vision]
-400 Legacy Points deducted.
Balance: 144 LP
Skill Acquired: Ronaldinho's Vision (A-rank) – Mastery 0%
Effect: Enhances peripheral awareness, passing accuracy, and creative playmaking.
Note: Skill takes time to develop. Mastery increases through match vision, assists, and strategic play.
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Lucas exhaled, his body sinking into the mattress.
The system pinged one more time:
"Wise choice. Patience defines legacy."
The days began to blur together.
Each morning started the same long before the sun rose, Lucas would drag himself out of bed, the sound of roosters outside barely louder than the creaking of his joints.
He would dress in silence, sometimes scarfing down toast and tea made by Juliana, other times grabbing fruit as he ran for the bus. When Juliana couldn't come with him, she stood at the doorway, waving with that same proud-but-worried look in her eyes.
The ride was long. Sometimes two hours with all the stops, and he had to stand the entire way, shoulder-to-shoulder with workers, street vendors, and sleepy children on their way to school.
At the academy, the world shifted.
There were fresh uniforms. Trainers with clipboards. Clean pitches and structured drills. Coaches barking commands. Weights. Ice baths.
Lucas pushed himself harder than anyone else because he had to. He wasn't from one of the rich neighborhoods. He didn't have private trainers or expensive cleats. He had the system. He had the passion.
And now… he also had Ronaldinho's Vision.
Slowly, match by match, it started to awaken. He could see angles he didn't before. His passes began to curve with elegance. He spotted teammates earlier. Reacted faster. One of the assistant coaches even muttered once, "That kid sees the pitch like a grown-up."
But the price of greatness was steep.
By the time he returned home each evening, he was barely standing. His legs ached. His head pounded. His hands trembled from the cold evening breeze that swept through the hills of the favela.
Dinner was quiet.
Homework was slower.
Even the system updates sometimes went unread until morning.
One night, Carla walked past the small wooden table in their living room. She stopped.
Lucas was there, hunched over his school notebook, pen dangling from his fingers.
He was asleep drool all over the page.
Carla blinked, stepped closer, and gently shook his shoulder. "Oi… Lucas?"
He stirred, eyes barely opening. "Huh…? Just… five minutes…"
"You're asleep, genius."
He blinked again and straightened slowly. "Just tired…"
She raised a brow but didn't tease him this time. "Get to bed."
As Lucas stumbled toward his room, the system flashed silently in his mind.
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[Warning: Stamina Decrease Detected]
Current Fatigue Level: Moderate
- Training recovery slowed
- Concentration may be affected in prolonged sessions
Recommendation: Rest or Recovery Tonic suggested.
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Lucas glanced at the notification, too drained to even sigh.
Tomorrow was another training day.
Another bus ride. Another training session.
But he wouldn't stop and he couldn't stop.
Not now.
Not after Ronaldinho's Vision.
Not after everything he'd sacrificed.
He collapsed onto his bed, the system fading quietly as sleep took him.