**Chapter 13 – The Return of the Architect**
*October 20th, 2007 – Bundesliga Matchday 8*
The buzz returned before the whistle.
Borussia Dortmund vs. VfL Wolfsburg.
Signal Iduna Park was ablaze with yellow and black. Over 80,000 fans hummed with energy as the teams warmed up. The South Stand—the legendary **Südtribüne**—beat with synchronized chants and stomps that shook the steel bones of the stadium.
Nico Valen stood near the tunnel, eyes closed, breathing in the noise.
His return.
Two weeks ago, he limped off the training ground with a twisted ankle. Two weeks of frustration. Two weeks of watching from the bench. But the doctors had cleared him, and Coach Doll had announced it in front of the squad.
"Nico starts. Advanced playmaker role. Let's wake the league up."
> **System Notification:**
> *Status: Fit to Play (Stamina Cap 91%)*
> *Mental State: Eager (Focus Boost +3)*
> *Tactical Role: Attacking Midfielder / Free Roam*
And just before stepping onto the pitch—
> **System Quest Activated: "Crown of Creation"**
> **Objective 1:** Lead the league in assists by Matchday 17 – *(Reward: 50% Thierry Henry Template Unlocked)*
> **Objective 2:** Finish as Bundesliga top scorer – *(Reward: Full Thierry Henry Template)*
> **Bonus Quest – "Chase for Glory"**: Win a major trophy this season (League/Cup/Europe) – *(Reward: ??? \[Broken Ability])*
Nico exhaled sharply.
This wasn't just a comeback.
It was a new chapter.
---
**Starting XI (Borussia Dortmund):**
* GK: Roman Weidenfeller
* RB: Philipp Degen
* CBs: Mats Hummels, Robert Kovac
* LB: Dede
* CDMs: Sebastian Kehl, Tinga
* RM: Jakub Blaszczykowski
* LM: Giovanni Federico
* CAM: **Nico Valen**
* ST: Alexander Frei
**Wolfsburg XI:**
* GK: Simon Jentzsch
* CBs: Ricardo Costa, Barzagli
* FBs: Marcel Schäfer, Andrea Raggi
* Midfield trio: Josué, Hasebe, Misimović
* Wingers: Ashkan Dejagah, Christian Gentner
* ST: Grafite
The referee's whistle echoed—and the game began.
---
**Minute 1 – 10: Settling the Tempo**
Wolfsburg opened aggressively.
They pressed high, trying to choke Dortmund's passing lanes. Josué, the Brazilian ball-winner, hounded Kehl and Tinga relentlessly. But Nico drifted. Always drifting. Never in one zone long enough to be marked.
Minute 6: Kehl found Nico in the half-space with a threaded ball.
Touch.
Turn.
He ghosted past Hasebe with a body feint and swept the ball wide to Kuba.
Cross in. Frei rose—header wide.
"Lovely from the youngster," the commentator noted on Sky Germany. "You can see the Zizou elegance in his movement."
> **System: Playmaker Trigger – Passing Vision +3 (5 minutes)**
Minute 10: Wolfsburg replied. Dejagah cut inside and unleashed a shot that Weidenfeller punched away. Nico tracked back and cleared the rebound—earning a brief applause from the South Stand.
---
**Minute 11 – 25: Control and Dissect**
Coach Doll barked from the sidelines: "Play quicker! Nico, drop between lines!"
Nico adjusted. He stopped waiting for the ball and started shaping the tempo.
Minute 14: He received the ball from Tinga, instantly turned, and split Wolfsburg's midfield with a slide-rule pass.
Federico latched on, pulled it back across goal—Frei tapped in!
**GOAL! Dortmund 1 – 0 Wolfsburg**
Signal Iduna erupted.
> **System Notification:**
> *Assist Registered – League Total: 5*
> *Match Rating: 7.9*
He jogged back without celebration, pointing at Federico and Frei.
Minute 19: Hummels won the ball high. Two passes later, it was at Nico's feet again.
He played a quick one-two with Kehl, surged forward into the box, and let loose—
Saved by Jentzsch.
The rebound fell to Kuba. Off the post.
Dortmund were slicing Wolfsburg open.
---
**Minute 26 – 45: Friction and Fire**
Wolfsburg changed tactics. They dropped deeper and switched Misimović to man-mark Nico.
It didn't work.
Minute 33: With his back to goal, Nico dragged Misimović wide, then pivoted sharply, splitting the press with a pass to Dede overlapping.
Dede crossed early—Frei again!
Saved!
Minute 36: Wolfsburg countered. Grafite muscled past Hummels and fired.
GOAL! Dortmund 1 – 1 Wolfsburg.
The home fans groaned. Nico punched the ground in frustration.
> **System: Morale Dip – Focus -2 (10 minutes)**
But he didn't fade.
Minute 42: He picked up the ball at midfield and danced through three—Josué, Hasebe, and Misimović—with ridiculous control.
The crowd gasped.
Commentator: "He's possessed tonight. You'd think he'd never been injured."
Minute 45+1: Federico fed Nico outside the box.
He faked the shot. Barzagli bit.
Nico chipped it into the box—Frei met it on the half-volley.
GOAL! Dortmund 2 – 1 Wolfsburg.
> **System Notification:**
> *Second Assist Registered – League Total: 6*
> *Match Rating: 8.5*
Halftime whistle blew with the roar of a cauldron.
---
**Halftime – Dortmund Locker Room**
Coach Doll grinned. "Keep feeding the engine. Nico, they can't contain you."
Kuba patted him on the back. "Bro, you're seeing three steps ahead."
Nico only drank water quietly. In his mind, he saw Thierry Henry—not the striker—but the intelligent ghost that used movement as a weapon.
> **System Flash Message:**
> *Crown of Creation Quest Progress: 6 Assists / 17 Needed (Midseason Target)*
> *You are currently Bundes
liga's assist leader.*
Nico allowed himself a rare smirk.
But the second half was coming.
And he wasn't done yet.
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*To be continued in Chapter 14 — The Second Surge.*