When I next woke up, I was in the same bed, this time in a less hospital-like room, the sun shone through the cracks in the blinds and there was a cup of water and a full English at my bedside tray, I pulled the tray above me and tucked in, when I was finished, the system came back to me, as soon as I so much as thought of it, the tab flashed open in front of me.
_____________________World's Game_______________________
USER (RE-AWAKENED) PHYSICAL ATRRIBUTES INCREASE x2
USER STATUS (FULL, ORGANS FUNCTIONAL, SAD)
USER MUST SELECT TEMPLATE (SCROLL TO SELECT)
___________________________________________________________
I glanced at the tab and decided that since I've come this far, there's no harm in scrolling to see these, "templates," they mentioned, but I didn't know scrolling would start something unstoppable.
"User has scrolled, User name?"
I spoke in my mind to the voice, if I can't touch it but I can move it with my mind surely it reads my mind, "Alessandro."
"Collecting family history."
"Father (52 (deceased)) Ex-County Player."
"Mother (45 (alive)) Accountant."
I stared in disbelief at the tab in front of me, it was even accessing my parent's physical attributes and mine, the, "(deceased)," sent a pang of guilt through my heart, if I didn't exist, my dad wouldn't have been on that taxi.
"Family History Collected, Optimum Position (LW/CAM)"
I stared at it in even further disbelief, it had even accessed the positions I thrived in. It was starting to get all a bit too much for my ten year old brain.
"Select Template"
_______________________________World's Game____________________________
(0) Cristiano Ronaldo 2008 (Ballon D'or Season)
(0) Kaka 2007 (Ballon D'or Season)
(0) Neymar 2014-2015 Season
(0) Sadio Mane 2018-2019 Season
(0) Eden Hazard 2018-2019 Season
_________________________________________________________________________
If Eden Hazard hadn't gone to Madrid, he would've been better than Salah, unfortunately he lost his game and became wasted potential. I knew then that I had to pick that generational talent. If I could surpass his potential, surely, I could be the greatest.
I looked at the tab once more, trying hard to resist the allure of Cristiano, his ballon d'or season was something else, and the system was offering to become even better than that. Neymar could propel me to new hights, I know exactly what to avoid to not make the same mistakes as him, I could be the best ever. And Kaka, beating both Ronaldo and Messi, to win the Ballon d'or is no simple feat, his playmaking and creativity is good, but maybe not all I need if I am to play as a winger, I need more pace and aggressiveness.
Once I locked eyes with Ronaldo, I couldn't help myself and I clicked it.= and the system whirred into life.
___________________________World's Game______________________________
USER SELECTED RONALDO 2008 TEMPLATE
USER BODILY CHANGES IN 10, 9, 8, 7...
USER TRAINING REGIME IN 10, 9, 8, 7...
USER STAT SYSTEM CREATION IN 10, 9, 8, 7...
USER SECOND RE-AWAKENING in 10, 9, 8, 7...
________________________________________________________________________
... 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
I watched as the light grew sharper once again and the world around me went pitch black.