[System Quest: "Impress the Iron General"]
Objective: Deliver a standout performance in your first official match vs Bayer Leverkusen U15.
Requirements: 1 goal involvement (goal or assist), 3 key passes, 1 successful tackle, and high match rating.
Rewards: +150 System Points, +Trait: Field Scanner, +3 Stat Points, +Coach Müller's Trust.
Time Limit: One Match.
Vihaan stood on the edge of the pitch, his heart hammering like a war drum. The air buzzed with anticipation. Schalke's U15 squad huddled tight, the blue kits gleaming under the afternoon sun. On the opposite end, Bayer's players looked sharp, drilled—used to winning.
Trainer Müller's voice cut through the hum. "This isn't about winning or losing today. This is about showing who deserves to wear this shirt. Prove something."
Vihaan's eyes lifted to the stands, empty except for a few parents and scouts. Yet to him, it felt like the world was watching. His world. His future.
He had to stand out.
The whistle blew.
From the first touch, Bayer pressed high and hard. Every pass from Schalke was rushed, forced. Vihaan, playing on the left as an inverted winger, barely had time to breathe before a defender was closing him down.
Focus. Control.
His foot met the ball, and First Touch Mastery activated. It was subtle—but real. The ball clung to him, softened like it obeyed. His first touch pulled it away from pressure, and he escaped two pressing players with a neat turn.
"Good touch, Vihaan!" Leon shouted from the middle.
Vihaan spotted a run and immediately slotted a sharp, low pass into space. Leon got there, but Bayer's centre-back intercepted it just in time.
"Unlucky," Leon muttered, jogging back. "Keep feeding them."
10 minutes in.Schalke was already down 0-1—a rocket from Bayer's number 9, unstoppable from the edge of the box.
But Vihaan didn't flinch. If anything, it sharpened him.
Another ball came to his feet. He beat his man with a shoulder drop and cut inside. A flick to his right boot. A low through ball. This time, the striker latched onto it and fired.
Off the post. Gasps from the sidelines.
[Key Pass Completed – 1/3]
Vihaan gritted his teeth. Almost.
25th minute.A switch of play. Vihaan darted forward on the break. His pace—now hitting 61—surged as he burst past his marker. A perfect long ball from midfield. He took it down with a velvet touch.
Crowd reaction. Even Coach Müller stepped forward.
He cut inside. Defender in front. Vihaan didn't wait.
He slipped a reverse pass into Leon's path. A one-time shot.
GOAL! 1-1.
The team rushed Leon—but Leon pointed straight to Vihaan.
"That assist's all you, man!"
[Assist Completed][Key Pass Completed – 2/3]
Bayer responded like sharks smelling blood.
By halftime, it was 1-2. Schalke's midfield broke down, and Vihaan had to drop deeper and deeper to help. He even made a sliding tackle in midfield to halt a counter.
[Successful Tackle – Complete]
Exhaustion crept in. Stamina was better now—56—but this was another level of intensity.
Müller gathered them at the break.
"We're not going to win unless someone steps up and leads. So who's it going to be?"
Vihaan didn't speak—but he didn't need to. His eyes burned with fire.
Second half.He raised his game again. Ball at feet. Feints. Dribbles. Turns. His dribbling now danced at 57, and it showed. He split two defenders and sent a curling cross into the box.
Blocked. Barely.
Another key pass chalked up.
[Key Pass Completed – 3/3]
But football is cruel.
Bayer struck again in the 62nd minute. A defensive error. 1-3.
Frustration started leaking into Schalke's play. Shouts. Bad touches. Misplaced passes.
Then it happened.
Jonas, the center-back Vihaan had embarrassed in the game with a feint, barked at him: "You think you're hot shit now?"
Vihaan ignored him.
But Jonas shoved him in transition. Vihaan stumbled—kept the ball—but when the play stopped, he turned.
"I'm here to win," Vihaan said, calm. Cold.
Jonas sneered. "And still losing."
"Better lose fighting than hide and hope."
It was quiet. Coach Müller was watching.
And Vihaan didn't back down.
Final minutes.Bayer scored a fourth. 1-4. But Vihaan? He never stopped running. Never stopped demanding the ball. He tracked back, created one final chance—a lofted ball to the far post that grazed the striker's head wide.
The whistle blew.
Crushing. But Vihaan didn't hang his head.
He knew what he'd done. He knew what he'd shown.
As they trudged off the field, Coach Müller stopped him.
"Singh."
Vihaan turned, chest still rising and falling with heavy breaths.
"You earned it," Müller said simply. "You're in the squad for next week's match. First team."
Vihaan's lungs caught. He nodded. "Thank you, sir."
"No need for thanks," Müller replied. "Just keep playing like that. That… was football."
[System Quest Complete: Impress the Iron General]+150 SP Earned+Trait Unlocked: Field Scanner – Enhances spatial awareness and passing options under pressure.+3 Stat Points
Overall Rating: 48
Pace- 61
Stamina- 56
Strength- 46
Jumping- 47
Dribbling- 57
Passing- 51
Shooting- 46
Defending- 39
Vision- 46
Composure- 47
Awareness- 45
Work Rate- 58
Available Stat Points: 3
Available SP: 150 SP
Skills:
First Touch Mastery (Lv.1)
Field Scanner (Lv.1)
As he walked toward the locker room, sweat plastering his shirt to his back, Vihaan smiled.
They lost the match.
But he had won something far more important.
Respect.