When they were on their way down, Mystic had told them they were about to see an underground training pitch, but now that they were standing in front of it, they felt If this was what he considered a training pitch then other street rank clubs should be ashamed to call their stadium field a real match day pitch, they could barely believe their eyes.
Because to them it was more than worthy to be the main field of any top-tier street-rank club.
Everything about it looked advanced, far beyond what any of them had expected, just as they stood there, lost in awe, their coach's voice snapped them back to focus.
"Now if you all would just follow me to the next location, we can get the session started," Mystic said, ascending the stairs on the side that led to the VR pod room connected to the Stimulation Field.
Once they stepped into the spacious chamber housing rows of VR pods, similar to those used in high-end virtual reality games, Mystic walked up to a 3D display screen suspended in mid-air, as he began to tap in a few commands, and the players watched as a system prompt appeared: Load Saved Team — Difficulty: Serious.
"Pick a pod, put on the gaming helmet, and lie back to enter the simulation," Mystic instructed.
With around twenty-five Pods around, there was no chaos, as each of them quickly chose a pod, placed the VR headset over their faces, and lay back. Moments later, as a system prompt appeared in front of them, asking if they were ready to enter the simulation, one by one, they selected "Yes."
And then darkness.
–
Moments later, as their consciousness reformed, the players found themselves materializing particle by particle within the simulation field, gone were their training vests, replaced by the sleek black jerseys with red side stripes of the Dark Elites.
They stood on a lush, well-lit pitch, when they looked across to the other side, disbelief spread across their faces.
It was the Bariga Young Boyz FC—the very team that had thrashed them in a friendly just a month ago, the surprise on the players' faces was unmistakable, just a minute ago, they'd been in a room with their coach, now, they were face-to-face with their greatest challenge yet.
Each and every one of them felt as if they were in some kind of dream, until their coach's voice echoed through the stadium speakers.
--
A Few Minutes Earlier
When Mystic's players placed on their VR pods and their consciousness was drawn into the simulation machine, it didn't mean they were instantly transported into the field, far from it.
Mystic still had work to do.
From the VR control room above the underground stadium, he continued calibrating the settings, once ready, he tapped on Activate Simulation Mode, and instantly, a dome-like energy field lit up, forming a shimmering shield around the stadium.
From behind the observation glass, Mystic watched as the training pitch below transformed.
Next, he loaded the recorded data of the Bariga Young Boyz FC that had been captured and saved by the system during their previous match, one by one, the players of Bariga Young Boyz materialized on the field, life-like in every detail.
Mystic couldn't help but marvel at the realism, even though he knew they were merely data constructs, the precision with which the system mimicked their movements and presence was startling.
Only after that did he authorize the transfer of his players' consciousness into the simulation.
He didn't know everything about the dome, but from what he had learned during his week of exploration underground, it was designed to protect the mental integrity of his players while inside the Stimulation Field.
--
Back to the Present
"Whatever surprises you're feeling or hallucinations you think you're having, trash those thoughts immediately, because this is as real as it gets," Mystic's voice rang through the speakers, more like a commentator than a coach.
The players started glancing around, trying to locate him. But the stadium was empty.
"Look up."
They did, and there he was, waving at them through the wide glass window above, in the VR Pod control room, standing with his AI companion X beside him.
"See, it's really hard to explain, but let's just say I've got some cool gadgets that let you all relive the match you dread, only this time, inside the Stimulation Field, with just your consciousness, not your physical bodies. So give it your all, because no one's getting injured or leaving until we win."
"That's number one. Number two, good luck proving how much you've improved. Game starts now."
The moment Mystic said game starts now, a loud whistle echoed through the stadium, signalling kick-off, but it wasn't the Dark Elites with the ball, it was the Bariga Young Boyz.
As they advanced into Dark Elites' half, the Bariga players spread wide, launching long passes and using their wingbacks to stretch the field, despite starting a little sluggish as they were still shaken by the surreal environment, the Dark Elites players quickly recovered and shook off their hesitation.
Then they noticed something: the Bariga Young Boyz were playing far better than in the previous match, their intensity was higher, the passes sharper, and the pressure relentless, with fast one-twos cut into the Dark Elites' formation as they tried to break through.
But something else stood out, it wasn't nearly as difficult to deal with as before.
This time, the Dark Elites were able to track, mark, and intercept without much struggle, that alone was a sign of how far they'd come.
The system was simulating Bariga's play at optimal levels based on recorded data, but the Dark Elites were keeping up, that was progress, then, in the fifth minute, came the breakthrough. Idris tried slipping a through ball to Alaba, who was making a cutting run down the left flank, but before the ball could reach its target, Jezzy Vingz stepped in and intercepted it cleanly.
It had been a moment of inspiration for Vingz.
In their last match, he'd noticed how much Idris relied on the wing backs to deliver final balls, since his own passes were often too long or imprecise.
Vingz had anticipated this, positioning himself smartly because he knew Alaba loved sprinting forward, waiting for the ball to roll perfectly into his stride.
So, the moment Vingz read the incoming pass, he intercepted it cleanly—shocking most of the Dark Elites.
But Tasty wasn't about to waste the chance, he immediately dashed forward, raising his hand to signal Vingz for a pass.
However, Vingz had no intention of forcing it to Tasty, he could already see Alaba adjusting, attempting to recover possession. Instead, Vingz played a quick through ball to Bhola, who was positioned just ahead of him.
That single pass cut out the entire Bariga midfield, as the three central defenders of Bariga Young Boyz began falling back, with the wingbacks trying to cover the flanks, but the counterattack was already in full swing.
Bhola just sent a one-touch pass to Mojo, who had sprinted down the left flank like a bullet once he caught up to the ball without any fancy skills, just direct ball.
As the ball rolled smoothly in Mojo's path, one of Bariga's central defenders lunged for a sliding tackle, trying to take out both Mojo and the ball, especially since Idris had Tasty locked down.
But that was exactly the opportunity Mojo had anticipated, he reached the ball just in time and executed a cheeky Ronaldo chop, watching the defender slide away with just one move, before flicking it forward—straight into Tasty's path.