The Greatest of all Time

"Those are five goals for you in three matches," Olav Brusveen, the TV2 Sporten correspondent, chipped in to continue the post-match interview. "You seem to be flying. It's quite surprising, especially since it has just been only a week since you made your debut. Zachary, how do you do it?"

"Well, I train a lot," Zachary replied in a flat voice. "I also feel good while I'm on the pitch. So, it's easy for me to convert chances when they come to me during the game."

"Not because you eat well?" Olav probed jokingly.

Zachary smiled on hearing that. "Of course there's that," he said. "Eating well is one of the most important requirements for a professional footballer." He added, his facial expression turning solemn.

"Oh, that's good to know," Olav said, still smiling. "Tonight, Rosenborg took another step towards returning to the top of the table and probably the title. Your team has accumulated 16 points, the same as Strmsgodset Toppfotball. Rosenborg is only in second place because of Strmsgodset's superior goal difference. Are you confident with regards to winning the Trophy this season?"

"The team's atmosphere at the moment feels great," Zachary replied right away. "We're the strongest team in Norway. There's no doubt about that. So, we're confident that we can continue gaining victories until we win both the Cupen and the Tippeligaen this season. Of course, that is if we continue putting up our best."

"Best team in Norway, you say!" Olav said, his eyes glittering as if he'd finally caught something newsworthy. "Not Molde, not Strmsgodset! The Tippeligaen fans may not agree. One team is the champion for last season, while the other has been one of the table leaders ever since the season began."

"Of course, we are the best," Zachary replied, his voice oozing with confidence. "We'll soon surpass Strmsgodset and return to the top of the table. And there's no need to mention Molde. If I recall correctly, they should still be at the bottom of the table with two points from seven matches this season. Isn't that right?"

"Yes, you're right," Olav replied, a Cheshire cat's grin lighting up his face. "They've not won any game ever since the season started. Their two points are from two draws."

"Then, there's no need for comparison," Zachary said seriously, wishing to bring the matter to a close. He'd already felt that the reporter was focusing on non-issues instead of asking about the just-concluded match.

Olav nodded, still beaming. "Thank you, Zachary, for your time," he said, extending his hand. "It was great having you here once again. I hope to see you once again next week."

"Thank you, too, for having me," Zachary replied, taking his hand and concluding the post-match interview. He then exchanged handshakes and a few words with a few other media people before heading to the dressing room.

Since it was long past nine in the night, Zachary quickly cleaned up, had the team dinner, and said his goodbyes to the rest of his teammates before leaving Lerkendal with haste. He took the late bus back to Stjrdalsveien, and by 10:15 PM, he'd already returned to his apartment.

All that was on his mind was getting on with his post-match recovery routine and going to bed. He couldn't allow himself to give in to the exhaustion before he completed his post-match physical conditioning to quicken his recovery. He needed to be ready for the away game against Hönefoss Ballklubb the following Monday.

But no sooner had he entered his living room than a system sounded within his mind.

"DING"

"Congratulations," the AI's apathetic voice soon followed.

"The user has completed a hidden system mission—by remaining consistent and managing to score in three consecutive matches by relying on set pieces. The user has earned 100 Juju points and unlocked a new passive skill: Dead-Ball Specialist Juju, effective immediately."

"The user can view the skill details in the system interface. Does the user wish to view the details right now?"

Zachary paused mid-step for a moment, trying to process the new information. "Dead-Ball Specialist!" He mumbled, mulling over the name of the new skill. "Isn't that similar to the Bend-it like-Beckham Juju?"

"Not at all," the AI replied. "The Dead-Ball Specialist Juju is purely a passive mental skill. On the other hand, the Bend-it like-Beckham Juju is an active skill concerned with accurately controlling the body to initiate postures for taking perfect free-kicks. The two skills are different."

"Oh!" Zachary said, caressing his chin. "I need to see this for myself. Bring up the skill info right away." He added, throwing his gym bag to the side before settling into a sofa.

"DING"

"The skill details have been brought up on the interface."

Zachary nodded to himself before perusing through the skill details on the translucent blue screen that appeared before him.

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#1 new message.

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New Skill (Passive): Dead-Ball Specialist Juju (100% mastery)

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Skill Details

->The user will possess nerves of steel before taking any set piece, whether a penalty, corner-kick, or free-kick. The user will enter a state of extreme focus, undisturbed by any outside interference at that juncture.

->When the user activates the skill, he will gain a brief boost in the spatial-awareness and risk analysis core attributes before taking a set-piece. The two stats will rise to the next small-grading after the user has activated the Dead-Ball Specialist Juju.

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NB:

->The user can only use the skill just before set-pieces.

->The skill will always cost the user ten Juju-points to activate for 10 seconds before taking the set-piece.

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Hope bloomed inside Zachary after reading through the details of the skill. One of the most challenging requirements for any professional footballer was remaining calm in the midst of game-changing opportunities on the pitch. The pressure, born from intense periods, could easily affect a player and hamper his ability to perform in such moments. For instance, a top-notch player could miss a penalty or a free-kick due to pressure, even when he had been converting every set piece on the training ground. The Dead-Ball Specialist Juju was simply the ideal cheat to help any footballer bypass that kind of pressure.

Zachary was sure he could remain consistent and continue performing at his best on set pieces with such a cheat. His conversion rate of free kicks would significantly increase since he wouldn't face any pressure with such a cheat in his repertoire. Moreover, two of his game-intelligence stats would rise to the S- grade as long as he activated the skill. Zachary looked forward to that, as being in that state even for only ten seconds would give him a glimpse of how top athletes usually viewed the game. That way, he would be able to adjust accordingly and grow his skills to the next level.

Zachary's heart leaped up for joy as he thought about the various advantages of the skill. Nonetheless, he still had one concern.

"System," Zachary mumbled, starting to take off his sneakers. "Will activating the skill have any impact on the development of my other stats or attributes?"

"Negative," the AI replied right away. "Rather than slowing down the user's rate of progress, activating the skill will enable the user to develop the attributes leaning on the mental side much faster than before. The user shouldn't worry."

"That's great then." Zachary smiled after hearing the AI's response. As long as the skill had no adverse side effects, he would gladly use it to win games. He was looking forward to using the Dead-Ball Specialist Juju.

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