THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
Prepare for Norway
"Please, Kasongo," pinta Zachary. He looked up at the sky, dyed orange by the sloping rays of the setting sun.
"Just ten more balls, and we'll get back to rest." He retreated and positioned himself just a few steps outside the 18-yard box arch.
"But it's better to be last" Kasongo replied. "This exercise is making me tired. I'm on the verge of collapse. How can you keep this up every night?"
Zachary ignored the comment and motioned to his friend to throw the ball.
Dusk has come down to Lubumbashi. However, the boy was still at the Kibassa-Maliba stadium. They do personal training.
Zachary was very motivated because he did most of the shooting. Kasongo just threw the ball at him.
"Ready," cried Kasongo. "Return, and go." He threw another ball with his hand towards the bow outside the 18-yard box.
Zachary focused on the incoming ball and swung his left foot, pulling the trigger. He catches the middle-bottom of the ball, sending it at a low angle to the empty back of the goal.
"Other!" Zachary shouted while running back to his original position.
Kasongo threw the ball again. Zachary hits him right and opens a carpet shot that also finds the target. Over the next few minutes, Kasongo threw the ball while Zachary unleashed a volley that found the target.
"GOL," Zachary cheered after hitting the final ball accurately. He feels like he has scored in a big competition.
Three weeks had passed since the day of the trial match attended by the scouts. After being selected for a sports academy in Norway, Zachary soon began working on his arrow shot. He believed he would develop it into a GOAT skill after training that day. So, he opened the system interface to see his progress.
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USER MENU
*USER STATUS
*GOat MISSION
* SYSTEM STORE (locked)
*LOTTER SYSTEM (locked)
*PEEKING TOOLS
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NB: Please upgrade the system to open more functions.
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After helping his team win a test match, the system rewards Zachary by unlocking the functionality of a surveillance device capable of spying on the talents of others. However, using the tool almost took him by surprise. The day after the trial, he learned that Stephen Mangala, Edo Kayembe, and Miche Mika were all A-class talents.
Zachary could not compete with the three of them in terms of talent alone. So, he improved his training routine after realizing that he accidentally unlocked another GOAT skill while scoring the first goal in a test match. If he could not defeat them in terms of talent, he decided he would defeat them through hard work and skill.
Zachary calmed his mind and clicked on the GOAT-skills tab in the User-Stats menu.
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-> GOAT Skills: 2
(i) ZINEDINE VISUAL JUJU
(First level: Progress: 10.001%)
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(ii) ZACHARY-ARROW-SHOT
(First level: Progress: 1%)
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Zachary's mood lifted. He raised a fist to celebrate after seeing his GOAT-Skills tab.
Zachary has realized that as long as he improves his individual skills beyond a certain threshold, they have the opportunity to be enrolled in the GOAT skills of the system. His arrow shot was one such skill.
It increased the power and accuracy of his shots from outside the box.
It was very little 0.0001% when he first discovered it. However, with daily shooting practice for three weeks, he managed to raise it to a 1% progress rate%.
Zachary realized that his GOAT skills, whether acquired from the system or self-trained, could only be improved by practice and playing real matches. Even Zinedine-Visual-Juju has risen 0.001% after he took part in a trial match and a backup training session of TP Mazembe. He fell in love with the system.
"What do you see?" Kasongo's voice sounded from behind him. "I often see you daydreaming, especially after practice. Are you all right?"
Zachary turned to face his friend before smiling and replying, "I repeat back the feeling of hitting the ball in the volley in my mind. Doing that helped me improve my shooting form." Zechariah lied.
He could not tell Kasongo that he was looking at the system interface. That carries the risk of problems later on. He made a mental note to stop opening the system around others.
"You've improved very quickly with your long-range shots." Kasongo smiled. "Three weeks ago, you could only hit 1 in 10 volleyballs accurately. But today, you can do it ten times in a row. I don't understand why the French team left you."
"Why do you keep raising the French team?" Zakaria frowned. He wanted to forget the failures of the day. However, Kasongo raised the topic regularly.
"Hahaha," Kasongo laughed. He used his sleeves to wipe the sweat on his forehead. Throwing more than 100 balls at Zachary made him tired.
"It's my luck, we'll go to the same academy. We make a great team." A smile as big as a crescent moon adorned Kasongo's face.
"Did your father finally sign your trip to Norway?" Zachary asked. Kasongo has complained over the past two weeks about his rigid father's refusal to sign the consent forms he needs to join a football academy in Europe.
"Yes." Yeah." Kasongo grinned. "Coach Damata helps by talking to him. He had to send a letter from Mr. Stein detailing how the sports scholarship would include a study scholarship. My parents only agreed after being convinced that I could continue school even in Europe."
"Cons." Zachary laughed, patting the short man on the back. "I've told you to get Coach Damata involved before. But you keep delaying. You can finish all these documents without any difficulty."
"Have all your documents been completed? I mean permits, visas, consent forms, and police letters?"
"Haha. The coach helped me get my visa over a week ago. He even flew to Bukavu to meet my grandmother to sign the consent form. I'm going to fly overseas next Tuesday." Zachary smiles. He was about to reach his first goal in his new life.
Zachary has discussed the responsibilities and advantages he will receive in Norway at length with Mr. Stein. He now knows he will have to train at the NF International academy, in Trondheim City, for six months before he can join Rosenborg's U-16 squad.
In addition to all his football training, Zachary had to take a senior secondary education, also sponsored by Rosenborg. He will receive a monthly allowance of 14,000 Norwegian Kroner, provided he performs well in the academy and does not fail in high school. It was an amount he had never obtained in his past life.
"eehh. That fast!" exclamation Kasongo. "You're not even gonna say goodbye to your grandmother?" Kasongo frowned.
"I'd be happy to see it. However, I don't want to risk traveling back to Bukavu." Zachary smiled miris.
"Why?" Kasongo looked at Zachary in confusion.
"There are many militia groups in the surrounding area" whispered Zachary as he looked around. "What if I get kidnapped when I almost achieve my dream? The risk would be even greater if the bastard at home heard that I was heading to Europe. They might even kidnap my grandmother for ransom if I succeed. as a professional."
"I'm just protecting my grandmother by not visiting." Zachary sighed, smiling sadly. In his past life, He had ignored the bastards thinking that they were just plain thugs. But he knows better in this life. Most were rebels preparing for the M23 uprising, an armed conflict destined to break out a year and a half later. Zachary doesn't want to be a hero by trying to stop a war from happening. He has no influence in Congo. He needs to evacuate his grandmother before the conflict begins.
He recalled that about a year and a half later, he died after being hit by a stray bullet while on a church mission to Goma.
[I had to move it before it happened.] Zachary decided in his heart.
"Do you need my help?" tanya Kasongo was worried. "I can move your grandmother to Kinshasa."
"No, thank you." Zakaria shook her head. "Capitalism has its own challenges. This is no better than a war-torn area especially if you are short on money. I'll move it to Lubumbashi as soon as I have something saved."
"If you need help, don't forget to approach me" Kasongo said seriously. "I'll help in any way I can."
Zachary nodded before shifting the topic.
"When are you planning to go to Norway?"
"Not sure."
"You need to speed up your documents. Mr. Stein and Miss Kristin will be with me on the same flight next Tuesday. We have to travel together." Zachary suggests.
"I'll try my best" Kasongo agreed.
"Let's collect guts and go to the hotel. It's late. Mr. Stein must have been waiting for us." The two have moved into a new hotel with a Norwegian scout after being selected for a scholarship. Zachary no longer needed to worry about the safety of his friend. His only hope is that the remaining six days will pass quickly so that he can continue his journey in Europe.
**** END OF VOLUME 1: FINDING FATE ****