The sun had barely risen above the rooftops of Barcelona when Luca stepped through the gates of La Masia.
Same fields. Same buildings.But everything felt different now.
The ball at his feet felt lighter, more alive. The air smelled sharper. His eyes caught every small movement—every shift of body weight from players warming up, every pass and touch, every sound. It was as if football had slowed down for him… while his mind had sped up.
[System Active – Training Mode ON]
He took a deep breath.
Let's do this.
The first part of training was standard. Cone dribbles, short passes, rondos.
But Luca wasn't the same.
Where yesterday he stumbled through drills, today his feet glided like they were made of silk and fire.His dribbling was tighter, smoother, faster—and always unpredictable. No wasted movement. No panic. Just calm, joyful rhythm.
Dribble Chain Success – Bonus XP: +15Flair Move Success – +3 Flair Points
"¡Oye!" one of the defenders called out, frustrated after getting megged in a tight space.
Coach Domínguez, who'd barely looked in Luca's direction the day before, now stood with arms crossed, watching him with narrowed eyes.
He turned to Coach Pablo, the assistant."You seeing this?" he muttered.Pablo nodded, whistling low. "That's not the same kid from yesterday."
When the group moved on to vision and passing drills, Luca was two steps ahead of everyone.
He could already see where his teammates would be before they moved.His passes didn't just go to the right place—they arrived perfectly, with weight and timing like a maestro guiding an orchestra.
Perfect Through Ball – +10 Vision XPOne-Touch Mastery: +2 Technique XP
A few teammates glanced over, whispering under their breath.
"Luca's cooking today.""Bro turned into Iniesta overnight.""Nah, he's got some witchcraft going on."
Luca kept his head down but couldn't hide the small smile on his lips.
He wasn't just playing well—he was flowing.
Then came the scrimmage.
"Alright, enough drills!" Coach Domínguez barked. "Time to see who's awake today."
He clapped his hands.
"Two teams. Full pitch. Twenty-five minutes. Let's go."
Luca was placed on the second team, mostly backups and those still fighting for notice. The first team included some of La Masia's golden boys—top prospects who were already being scouted for B-team promotions.
"Let's see what you've got, Herrera," one of them grinned, clearly not expecting much.
But Luca wasn't nervous.
The second the whistle blew, everything clicked.
He glided between defenders with the ball glued to his foot like it was tied by invisible threads.
Stepovers, feints, rolls, elasticos—
Every move flowed into the next like a choreographed dance.He wasn't forcing anything. He wasn't thinking. He was just playing.
Joga Bonito Flow: Activated.
When a midfielder tried to trap him near the sideline, Luca nutmegged him and kept running.When a defender charged in, he spun—ball tucked under his foot—and escaped like he was floating.
"¡¿Qué carajo fue eso?!""What the hell was that?!"
Coach Pablo leaned in toward Domínguez, stunned."He's dancing."
"He's possessed," Domínguez muttered, trying to act calm but clearly shocked.
Fifteen minutes into the match, Luca got the ball at the halfway line and charged.
He weaved past one player. Then two.He cut left, dragged the ball right, slipped past another defender with a scoop turn—pure Ronaldinho magic.
Then, just outside the box, he stopped.
The defenders halted too, confused.
And then—boom.
A curved shot flew off his foot like it had eyes.It spun past the diving keeper and kissed the top corner of the net.
Silence.Then the whistle blew.
"¡Golazo!"
Everyone froze. The players. The coaches.
Even the ball seemed stunned.
Coach Domínguez walked onto the field slowly, staring at Luca.
"…Where the hell did this come from?" he said, almost to himself.
Luca shrugged, trying not to smile too wide. "I guess I had a good night's sleep."
The final whistle blew shortly after.And as players jogged off the field, most of them glanced at Luca like they were seeing him for the first time.
One of the older boys clapped his back."You just bought yourself a seat at the big table, hermano."
Coach Pablo whispered something to Domínguez before they called the group together.
"Alright," Domínguez said. "Solid work today, especially… Herrera."
He paused there, letting the silence speak.
"Let's see if you can do that again tomorrow."
As Luca walked home later, sweaty and sore but buzzing with energy, the system chimed in again.
Training Bonus Achieved.Milestone Unlocked: "First Dominant Training Match"+2 Shooting, +1 Flair, +1 Vision
Coach Impression Level: Moderate → High
Luca smirked.
This was just the beginning.