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The morning after the match against Molde, Zachary woke up late, feeling tired. He opened his eyes and noticed that the golden rays of the morning sun had already flowed into his room through the drawn curtains. They illuminate the well-polished light green bedroom walls, reflect off the surface of expensive decorative furniture, and sometimes leave a bright glittering pattern on the chests ceiling.

Zachary stared at it all, his mind replaying some scenes from the match against Molde the previous day, including the moment he scored the winning goal. Although hours had passed since the end of the game, his mind remained locked on those moments. He couldn't help but think his life was beautiful. Very few things could make him feel as satisfied as he did that morning—after winning an important match.

A casual smile graced his face as he looked around his room until his gaze was fixed on the clock hanging on the opposite wall. When she realized that it was already 8:30am, she got out of bed with a relaxed pace. After washing his face, he did his usual morning yoga routine to speed up his post-match recovery. For the next thirty minutes, he concentrated on stretching his tired muscles through yoga poses until he broke into a sweat. She then took a shower before sitting on one of the comfortable couches in her living room to pass the time. Since it was the result of the match, the entire team had been given a day off from training. He could laze around and not think about anything all day. So, according to him, watching an entertaining TV show will be a hefty way to pass the time.

But as he sat down and picked up the TV remote, he recalled something that had bothered him during the game the night before.

"The system," he said, leaned against the sofa and crossed his legs on the table in front of him. "Yesterday, I felt my overall agility had increased to another level. However, according to the system interface, I am still stuck at A rank! Why so?"

"Users should understand that there is a considerable difference between A and S values" the AI system replies in an apathetic feminine voice. "Footballers in A class can have very different abilities from each other, despite being in the same class. For example, both players may have class A agility, but one is much faster than the other. So, what are you doing? your current feelings—whether your abilities are slowly developing as you approach the obstacles towards class S."

"Oh," said Zachary, frowning. "So, how far is my agility from S rank if we base it on my current level of improvement?" He investigates, turns on the TV with the remote.

"You're going to need about two years to get to an S, '" replied the AI. "But that's if we base it on your current rate of improvement."

"What!?" zachary exclaimed, almost jumping out of his chair. "Two years to S rank! It was more than the time spent on improving all my stats, from a lower grade to an A."

"Users should understand that upgrading any capability given to an S-class is an incredible task that is almost impossible to accomplish" the AI said. "One needs talent, dedication, hard work, and more than a little luck to achieve such a feat. That's the only reason the majority of footballers fail to develop their stats to S value throughout their careers."

"Is there a way to make my progress faster?" Zachary asked. He had already started to feel his speed was hampering his performance on the pitch. At Tippeligaen, he found it almost impossible to get past opponents in the same way he did during his academy days. So, he was eager to increase his agility and speed to S-class in no time. That way, he can gain the ability to perform the same deed on the professional stage.

"The only way to speed up your improvement is to rely on the system to some extent" the AI replied. "If you can get and consume agility-enhancing-elixir in S-grading, your agility will definitely break through to the next level. But you have to achieve some incredible feats to win such elixir from the system."

"I hope it's not something like winning the next Europa League with Rosenborg" Zachary commented. "That must be almost impossible."

"Good guess," replied the AI immediately. "This system rewards outstanding achievements that can help you strengthen your status as a GOAT in the future. That simple. So, if you can win the next Europa League, there is a possibility of winning such a panacea. Or even better: You might obtain an S-level vitality-enhancing herb, which can help you increase your two stats to S-value in no time."

Zakaria breathed. "I will need great luck to win the next Europa League" he said, shaking his head.

Many of the top teams from Europe's top leagues have already qualified for the next Europa League, most notably Sevilla FC, VfB Stuttgart, Tottenham Hotspur, ACF Fiorentina and Spartak Moscow. So, he hardly saw any hope of Rosenborg beating such a powerful opponent to emerge victorious at the end of the next Europa League tournament.

"A footballer who wants to be a GOAT should focus on achieving exploits deemed impossible by ordinary people" the AI said in its apathetic voice. "Otherwise, what's the difference between GOAT and the greatest player of any generation or era? Users have to start looking for a tough trophy. That way, the user will successfully establish himself as a great player in no time. ."

Zachary sighed once more. He understands the logic of the system because he is well aware of how difficult it is to rise to GOAT status, especially in team sports such as football. During his previous life, there was a lot of debate on the subject. The fans of Portugal, Manchester United and Real Madrid all thought that it was Cristiano Ronaldo without a doubt. Perhaps, all South Americans thought it was Messi, another Pele or Diego Maradona, or even Ronaldinho. And there are French people who believe wholeheartedly that it is Zinedine Zidane. But there has never been a complete public consensus on who the GOAT actually is— as happened with Usain Bolt in the sprint or Serena Williams in Tennis. But had Lionel Messi won the World Cup twice, it would have been another story because he was the closest to his GOAT status.

Bzzt Bzz! Bzzt Bzz!

His phone shook while his mind was still thinking about the requirements a player needed to rise to GOAT status. Without further ado, he picked it up from the table beside him and glanced at the screen. A smile graced her face as she realized it was Emily, her agent, who called. Her expectations soared because she knew that Emily usually called with good news.

"Hello Emily," she said, putting the phone next to her ear. "How was your morning?"

"It's one of my best mornings of the year" replied Emily, sounding excited. "Can you guess why?"

"Audi has raised my annual wage in the contract we just signed?" Zachary replied, deciding to cheer him up. "Or maybe, the other half has applied, and you called to tell me the news. Which one is between the two?"

"I can see that you've started learning a little bit of humor" Emily replied, sounding amused. "But that's not what you just mentioned. I have something better. I met with a Red Bull representative this morning—and my contacts at the energy drink giant have promised me that they are willing to offer a lucrative offer. They may also want to make you an old partner."

"Oh, the deal starts coming quickly!" exclaim Zakaria. "Have the Red Bull people hinted at how much they have to offer?" He investigates.

"Not yet" replied Emily. "But they were supposed to make an offer when I met them this morning. Do you want to attend? If you want, I can arrange for you to be there."

"Do they want to meet me as soon as this— as long as the negotiation process starts?" Zachary replied with his own question.

"To be honest, they asked to meet me alone," Emily said, her voice shrinking at the other end of the phone. "So, if you don't mind, I'll go ahead and see what they say. I'll tell you about the discussion afterwards. Do you agree?"

"It's okay" Zachary replied hurriedly. "I believe in you. So go ahead and try to negotiate another good deal for me. We'll talk afterwards."

"Thank you for your trust" said Emily, her voice relaxed. "And one more thing. Susanne, an Audi representative, called and told me they sent your money yesterday. So, the money should be able to arrive in your bank account within three days."

"Oh, that's very good news" Zachary said, his voice rising. "Thank you for negotiating this deal."

"That's my job" replied Emily. "And before I forget. Twitter has responded to my appeal about fake accounts using your name as their handle. They have agreed to give the handle with your full name back to you. They have also sent the verification code for the account to your email. So, please check your inbox and open that account today. I know you have a day off. So, don't give me a reason that you're busy."

"I'll open it soon" replied Zachary. "Don't worry."

"Great," said Emilia. "Then talk to you later. For now, I'm going to see a Red Bull representative." He added before ending the call.