THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
Talent Enhancement
After being sacked by Coach Damata, Zachary exited the stadium and walked north towards downtown Lubumbashi.
The road in front of him glittered under the scorching afternoon sun. The oppressive heat hit his head like he was meat under the grill.
Suddenly, the effects after the race swept over him. He's feeling dizzy. His knee began to hurt, threatening to suffocate. He felt his brain was using a five percent battery. All he wanted was to rest and soak in the tranquil peace of nature.
He decided to rent a motorcycle back to his motel. It further pressured his dwindling finances. However, his poor state did not ruin his mood. Fates changed. If all goes as planned, he will swim in dollars in just a few years.
A few minutes later, Zachary casually walked into the public bathroom of his motel. He felt that just a cold shower could calm his soft muscles.
The dirty bathroom and cold water were the best he could get with his meager funds. The pipes screeched like ghosts in horror movies before spitting out cold water. Zachary braced himself to prevent himself from reflexively jumping out of the river before he finished soaping and rinsing his body.
The water spilled and dripped onto the floor. As his mind faded into dullness, everything became a misty illusion. He felt like he was standing under an eternal waterfall. The sensation of cold water calmed him down, making him relive the events of his past life.
[What can he do now?]
The shadow of the beautiful girl who was about to become his wife flooded his mind. She has been dating Anita for over two years. He would propose to her when her life was turned upside down. When her contract with TP Mazembe was terminated, the girl stood up and disappeared. He failed to trace his whereabouts even during his final years.
[I need to take my time and go to Kinshasha to see her.] Zachary decides. He needed to look at her one last time before returning his attention to his career.
Zachary came out of the bathroom and went back to his motel room. He felt refreshed and had a light lunch before going to bed from his exhaustion to the night.
He felt refreshed after waking up. He was physically ready to take the elixir. So, he opened the system user interface.
A card with a fresh onion image appeared on the transparent blue screen when he clicked on the temporarily unlocked system inventory tab.
As soon as he chose it, a small onion emerged from the screen. He wasted no time putting it in his mouth.
This time, the grade-B potion did not cause his body any pain. He only felt a slightly amused sensation, like being under the guidance of a massage therapist. But soon, the feeling passed as if it had never existed.
[Is that everything?]
His experience with the vitality-enhancing elixir was much different from that of agility. The first brings tremendous pain while the second only causes a slightly amused sensation.
Zachary doubted whether the potion was effective.
He clenched and clenched his hands to see if anything had changed. However, there seems to be no way to check. He did not know how increasing his agility would affect him. So, he opened the system user interface to read its attributes.
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GOAT FOOTBALL SYSTEM
SYSTEM LEVEL: 1 (17/100 juju points to level up)
USER: Zachary Bemba
AGE: 15 years
TALENT ASSESSMENT: Grade-B
JUJU POINTS: 17
(Evaluation: A poor, slightly talented boy dreamed about playing on the professional football scene)
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USER MENU
*USER STATUS
*GOat MISSION
* SYSTEM STORE (temporarily unlocked)
*LOTTER SYSTEM (locked)
*INFO TOOL (locked)
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NB: Please upgrade the system to open more functions.
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"Yes," cried Zachary excitedly after perusing through the courtyard of the house. His talent assessment finally broke through to B rank after more than a month of hard work. He tapped the user statistics tab to see details of his attribute changes.
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*USER STATUS
->Physical Fitness: B +
-> Soccer Techniques: A -
-> Intelligence Game: A +
->Mental Capabilities and Mindset: C -
-> Factor-X: F
-> GOAT Skills: 1
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Zachary's physical fitness stats and football technique all improved by one level. He clicked on the next football technique tab.
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USER STATUS
->Engineering-Soccer (Average Rating: A -)
Ball Control: A +
Ball dribbling skills: B -
Passing accuracy: A -
Control body: B +
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Feet options: (Left and Right)
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He expected such an outcome. A player who improves his agility will also improve his dribbling skills and control of his body. Both attributes had increased by one level after the consumption of the agility-enhancing potion. However, he could not understand why his physical fitness had not soared to A-grade. The herb was B-class but only caused minor changes to his physical fitness. So, he tapped on the physical fitness tab to gain a better understanding of the changes in his body.
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->Physical Fitness (Average Rating: B +)
Balance and Coordination: B -
Agility: B +
Strength: B -
Stamina: B +
Durability Points: 3500/5500 (A -)
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"My stamina's down!" exclaim Zakaria. He noticed that his stamina had dropped from A-rank to B+.
She's confused.
[Perhaps increased agility directly reduces stamina.]
His agility surged from D+ rating to B+. Consuming elixir also improves balance and coordination from C+ to B-grading.
He is now confident he will excel during tomorrow's test match.
"Is this a side effect of the elixir?" He muttered while patting his tammy. He glanced at his Asahi watch; time still showed at six in the afternoon.
Zachary cleans up and runs out of his room to fill his stomach. He was severely short of money and decided to go to a nearby roadside food stall. He had already chosen a meal consisting only of pancakes and fried cassava.
But when he steps out of the motel, he meets Paul Kasongo, a strange boy who has also been selected for the trial that takes place the next day.
"You're Zachary Bemba? Don't you?" tanya Kasongo while grinning.
"Yes, it's me" Zachary replied as he furrowed his brows. "Do you live in a nearby motel? Why are you here?"
Paul Kasongo is destined to be killed by a prostitute by the end of that week. According to the memories of his previous life, the unfortunate incident will occur in the room of the Lubumbashi motel.
"Hahaha," Kasongo laughed out loud. "I'm here to visit a friend who works around here. Why do I have to live in a dumpster like that?"
"You aren't?" Zachary breathed a sigh of relief. He just needs to make sure that Kasongo stays outside the motel in downtown Lubumbashi to prevent his murder.
"I stayed at the Hollybum Planet Hotel on Kilele Avenue" Kasongo replied with a smile.
"What the fuck!" exclaim Zakaria. "You're that rich?"
Hollybum Planet is a hotel for wealthy Congolese and tourists from first world countries like France. He had heard that the cost of a one-night stay was over 150 US Dollars.
To his surprise, a boy his age lived comfortably in it. Zachary sighed at the injustice of the world. Inevitably he stares back at his shabby motel.
"What can I say? I was born blessed." Kasongo spread his arms like he was hugging the sky.
"I am glad to meet you" he said, extending his hand.
Zachary shook it before nodding.
He observed the would-be murder victims more closely.
Kasongo was almost half a foot shorter than himself. He looked only about five-two. He vaguely resembles the younger Raheem Sterling, a famous player who will join Manchester City in the future. She has cute brown eyes, round cheeks, long face, and dark skin color.
"I feel like fate has brought us here" said Kasongo, his voice soft. "Come on. I'll buy you dinner today." He added, patting Zachary on the back.
"I've eaten," Zachary lied. He did not want to start relying on rich children for his food. It would be contrary to the teachings of his grandmother. He hates charity from strangers.
However, his honest stomach betrayed him. Suddenly growling and howling. A pain tone that is not too subtle follows. It came in waves, making him feel like the inside of him was digesting themselves.
Zachary clutched his stomach, pulling him to and fro in an attempt to silence him. All his efforts have not yielded results. The voices grew louder, making him get some curious gazes from Kasongo and the people passing by.
"Man," Kasongo furrowed his brows. "When was the last time you had a good meal?" She asked.
"At lunch" Zachary answered honestly. He was sure the hunger and pain were side effects of the agility-enhancing herb. It seemed to have burned all of its stored energy reserves. He desperately needed to fill them.
"Don't be a sissy, man," Kasongo said. "Come on and eat. You'll ruin the exam tomorrow if it continues like this."
Zachary agreed reluctantly.
**** ****
Half an hour later, Zachary and Kasongo sat at a table filled with many delicious dishes.
They have traveled to Lubumbashi Food Plaza, a classy restaurant serving exotic cuisine. It had large curtained windows, long embroidered curtains, a tile stone tile floor, and a dark walnut table, each with a vase of flowers as its centerpiece. Soothing Lingala's music was playing live.
It was the kind of place that required a reservation a week in advance. It is almost impossible to get a table on demand. However, Kasongo managed to book a table in no time.
Moments after Zachary sat in his chair and made his order, a beautiful waitress brought him a large plate of food. Eggs, all kinds of meat, and crispy fries spread out before him. A tureen fruit has been placed in the ice to keep it cool next to them. The breadbasket they brought in as an afterthought could keep his family afloat for a week. He also drank a glass of fruit juice cocktail.
[Even with my experience of two lives, I cannot accept the existence of this DR Congo side.]
He breathed out at the injustice of the world.
Many were starving in downtown Lubumbashi while the rich filled themselves with delicious food. However, he was not depressed because he had understood the way of society.
[A man has to work hard and succeed or die trying.]
He continued to fill himself with food like there was no tomorrow. The elixir has made a number on him. It takes a lot to satisfy his hunger. Zachary only stopped eating after his second favor. Kasongo gave her enough time to finish the meal before starting the conversation.
"So, you're from Bukavu?" ask Kasongo.
"Yes" Zachary answered, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Before I forget, thank you for the banquet" he added.
"Little problem, small problem." Kasongo grinned.
"So where are you from?" Zachary asked. "I've never seen you in a Lubumbashi youth football competition."
"Hehehe," Kasongo laughed. "I am the son of Kinshasha. I've been a teammate of your competitor Stephen Mangala."
"You really took us to drive in that race" he added. "You and Mangala are monsters. How do you train your stamina?" He asked, looking at Zachary with curiosity.
"Well, I run five miles every day" he replied. "You should try it too. That could help."
"Why are you in this ordeal?" Zachary quickly asked. He seeks some clues as to what caused Kasongo's murder in his previous life.
"What do you mean?"
"I know your financial situation pretty well. You stay in a four star hotel. You're even wearing jungle boots that may cost more than my school fees. Why didn't you tell your parents to sign you up? football academies abroad? It will be much easier to develop yourself there. Why join the Lubumbashi trial?"
Kasongo frowned before replying.
"My father doesn't want me to play football" he said. "He said it was a waste of time. He always talks about how the majority of Congolese football players in the local league waste time after retirement."
"Oh, but it's true" replied Zachary. "So, you came here without his permission? Where did you get the money to spend in Lubumbashi?"
"My stepbrother sponsored my trip here. He's the only one who knows I'm taking part in the trial."
"He's much older and has joined my father's mining company. At the very least, he understood that one should only do what they like."
[What a naive child. Perhaps, it was his half-brother who triggered his murder.] Zachary contemplates.
It was not unusual for siblings from wealthy families to kill each other in cold blood for the sake of inheritance. Zachary finds it hard to believe that a local prostitute has killed a wealthy patron like Kasongo. There seemed to be many facts that remained unknown to the public in his previous life.
"Did your brother know that you attended the Kibassa-Maliba trial specifically?"
"No," Kasongo replied with a smile.
"She just booked my hotel and left me to my own device. He was never a football fan. He doesn't even know any team in Lubumbashi."
"What if your father pressured him to reveal where you are? He can pull you out of the trial then. Are you sure he'll keep his mouth shut even after your father finds out you're gone?" Zachary asked, locking his gaze with Kasongo. He intended to coax her away from a location that her killer knew.
"What if he pulls you out of the trial before it's over? You'll be blacklisted by all coaches and miss out on opportunities on other trials in DR Congo." She added.
"You're right. What can I do?" Kasongo. He looks panicked.
"You have to leave the hotel your brother booked and move somewhere else or go back to Kinshasha immediately" Zachary said. He intends to place Kasongo outside the tentacles of his would-be assassins.
Kasongo shook his head sadly.
"I can't go" he whispered. "I heard that an international scout is going to show up tomorrow."
"Do you want to stay at your hotel?"
"No," she smiled. "I see what you mean. I will soon move to another hotel" Kasono said. He stood up to leave.
"That's great" Zachary replied. He breathed a sigh of relief.
"Make sure it's a hotel where you can't be easily tracked. I don't like to see the career of a talented player like you end prematurely."
"I understand," Kasongo smiled.
"I've paid the bill. You have to reduce how much you eat. It'll be hard for you to perform if you have heartburn tomorrow." She added.
Zachary nodded but continued to stuff the salad into his mouth.
"It's nice to meet you. See you tomorrow at the trial." Kasongo added after a long time of not hearing the answer from Zachary.
"See you." Zakaria. He would have plenty of time to talk to Kasongo the next day. Now that Paul's case is almost settled, he can refocus his attention on what matters most, food.
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