Ethan Cole sprinted across Leicester City's training pitch, the late afternoon sun of July 27, 2011, casting a golden glow over the grass. The air buzzed with anticipation for his first senior team friendly match—a pre-season clash against Nottingham Forest's reserves, a chance to prove he belonged among Leicester's stars. The Football System hummed in his mind, its interface packed with stats and a sarcastic quip to keep him sharp:
**Football System: SSS-Class Striker Template (Cristiano Ronaldo, Sporting Lisbon 2002–03 Stage)**
- **Template Stages**:
- **Stage 1: Sporting Lisbon (2002–03)** – Focus: Raw Athleticism (*Teenage Ronaldo's pace and tricks, all flair, no finesse.*)
- Speed: 95/100 (Lisbon Lightning Unlocked)
- Dribbling: 94/100 (Trickster Flair: 85%)
- Finishing: 80/100 (Galactic Strike: 10%)
- Milestones: Trickster Flair (Dribbling +5), Lisbon Dynamo (Stamina +5)
- **Stage 2: Manchester United (2006–09)** – Locked (*Grind harder, mate, or you're stuck with baby Ronaldo's skinny legs.*)
- **Stage 3: Real Madrid (2011 Peak)** – Locked (*Dream on, hotshot. You're light-years from this.*)
- **Stats**:
- Stamina: 86/100 (*You can run, but don't expect to outlast a greyhound.*)
- Mental Focus: 79/100 (*Pink Hair's got you all mushy. Focus, loverboy.*)
- Team Synergy: 83/100 (*The seniors tolerate you. Don't push it.*)
- Passing Accuracy: 89/100 (*Not bad, but you're not pinging balls like Beckham yet.*)
- Heading: 78/100 (*Jump higher, or you'll be losing aerial duels to midgets.*)
- **Assimilation Progress**: 10% (*You're barely Ronaldo's shadow. Train like you mean it.*)
- **Task**: Shine in the friendly match with goals or assists to cement senior team role.
- **Reward**: Unlock Trickster Flair milestone (Dribbling +5).
- **Advisory**: Use Lisbon's pace and flair to dazzle. Impress Eriksson, or you'll be signing autographs for the youth team.
- **Penalty Protocol**: Attribute deductions only for match losses or slacking in training (*No pressure, but lose or skip drills, and you'll be slower than a Sunday jogger.*).
- **New Metric Unlocked**: Match Impact (0/100 – *How much you sway the game, genius. Make waves, or you're just another sub.*).
Ethan chuckled at the system's sass. "Cheers for the pep talk, mate," he muttered, adjusting his shin pads. The system's new penalty rule—no deductions for missed shots, only for losses or laziness—gave him breathing room to take risks. Its stage-based Ronaldo template, starting with Sporting Lisbon's raw athleticism, felt like wielding a rocket-powered engine, but he'd need to grind to unlock Manchester United's dynamism or Real Madrid's lethal finishing. The detailed stats and milestones made every step feel like a game level-up, and the system's humor kept him hooked.
Leicester's 2011–12 Championship season was looming, with Sven-Göran Eriksson molding a squad around Kasper Schmeichel, David Nugent, and Paul Gallagher. Ethan's senior team spot had sparked a butterfly effect, drawing Premier League scouts to Leicester's youth setup and boosting their reputation. A strong performance today could lock in his matchday squad spot, maybe even nudge Leicester toward an earlier rise than their 2015–16 miracle. But Jake Turner's scheme—hinted at by his threatening text and sly grins—hung like a storm cloud, and the system's warning (*He's cooking something nasty*) kept Ethan on edge.
---
The friendly match was held at Leicester's training ground, a small crowd of fans, scouts, and families filling the stands. Ethan, in Leicester's blue number 19, warmed up with Nugent and Danny Drinkwater, the Ronaldo template's Lisbon stage making his movements explosive. Across the pitch, Jake Turner, inexplicably named as a guest striker for Nottingham Forest's reserves, smirked at Ethan, his eyes glinting with malice. The system quipped: **Your stalker's back, and he's got that villain smirk again. Bet he's got a dirty play ready. Don't let him ruin your Ronaldo glow-up.**
"Bring it," Ethan growled, jogging into position.
The whistle blew, and the match erupted. Ethan's Lisbon Lightning made him a blur, outpacing Forest's defenders. In the 10th minute, Drinkwater played a through ball. Ethan darted past Jake, controlled it with a flashy flick, and fired a shot that the keeper parried. The crowd gasped, and Ethan shook his head—no penalty, just a nudge from the system: *Nice try, but aim better next time, showboat.*
In the 18th minute, Ethan's chance came. Nugent crossed from the left, and Ethan, using Ronaldo's raw athleticism, outjumped a defender to head the ball. It sailed wide, but the system stayed supportive: **Heading Progress +2%. Match Impact +5 (*Close, but you're not nodding in headers like prime Ronaldo yet.*).**
Jake struck in the 25th minute, capitalizing on a defensive error to slot past Leicester's backup keeper. He celebrated with a taunting point at Ethan, shouting, "Still better, Cole!" The system snarked: **Oh, your fanboy's got one. Time to shut him up, or I'll start selling his jerseys instead.**
Ethan's blood boiled. He doubled down, pressing Forest's backline. In the 35th minute, he intercepted a pass, weaved through two defenders with Ronaldo's Trickster Flair—stepovers flashing like a young Ronaldo—and laid off a pinpoint assist to Drinkwater, who buried it. The crowd roared, and Nugent clapped Ethan's back.
**Assist! Trickster Flair Progress: 50%. Team Synergy +4. Match Impact +10% (*Look at you, setting up goals like a good boy. Keep it up, superstar.*).**
Halftime came with the score 1–1. In the locker room, Eriksson's assistant, Nigel Pearson, nodded at Ethan. "Good assist, Cole. More of that, and you're in the season opener squad." The system chimed: **Task Progress: 60%. Keep dazzling, or you'll be warming the bench.**
Then Jake's scheme hit. During the second half, in the 55th minute, Jake slid into Ethan during a 50-50 ball, his studs deliberately catching Ethan's ankle. The ref missed it, but Ethan limped, pain flaring. Jake smirked, whispering, "Told you to watch your back." The system snapped: **Dirty play alert! Your soap opera villain's at it again. Shake it off, or he'll be gloating all season.**
Ethan gritted his teeth, channeling the pain into focus. In the 70th minute, he latched onto a long ball, outran Forest's defense, and faced the keeper. The Ronaldo template surged, and Ethan unleashed a curling shot that found the top corner. The net rippled, and the stands erupted, chanting "Cole! Cole!"
**Goal! Trickster Flair Unlocked. Dribbling: 99/100. Match Impact +15% (*That's the Ronaldo spark! You've got the crowd eating out of your hand, mate.*).**
Ethan's goal shifted the game's tide, Leicester dominating. Scouts scribbled furiously, one whispering about "Champions League potential." His performance was a butterfly effect, boosting Leicester's youth-to-senior pipeline and drawing bigger clubs' eyes. The ripple could accelerate their scouting, maybe unearthing Jamie Vardy or Riyad Mahrez years early.
The match ended 2–1, Leicester victorious. Ethan's goal and assist sealed his spot in the season opener squad, per Pearson's post-match nod: "You're in, Cole. Don't slack off." The system glowed: **Task Complete: Shine in friendly match. Reward: Trickster Flair Unlocked. New Task: Start in Championship season opener (August 6, 2025). Reward: Lisbon Dynamo milestone (Stamina +5) (*Nice work, but don't start posing for statues yet.*).**
Jake, outshone, stormed off, but Ethan caught him lingering near a scout, his grin too smug. The system warned: **Your nemesis is up to something shadier than a used car salesman. Bet it's tied to the opener.**
---
That evening, Ethan headed to a local park for a late-night stroll with Mia Hart, her text earlier a siren call: *You killed it today! Meet me at the park, just us.* The system chimed, its sarcasm dripping: **Advisory: Have fun with Pink Hair, but don't skip training. You're one step from Ronaldo's swagger, not a rom-com lead.**
Mia was waiting by the old oak tree, her pink hair glowing under moonlight, a hoodie over her dress to ward off the chill. "My goal-scoring hero," she teased, pulling him into a kiss that sparked like a live wire. They sat on a bench, her hand in his, the night air soft and quiet.
"Your clips are everywhere," she said, showing him her phone—his goal against Forest had thousands of views. "You're gonna be a dad someday, Ethan, with kids chanting your name in the stands." Her words stirred something in Ethan—a vision of a family, a legacy, maybe in his mid-20s when he's a global star. The Chapter 300s loomed in his mind, a future where his first child would cheer his triumphs.
The system snarked: **Aw, planning for tiny Coles already? Cute, but you're not ready for dad bods yet. Keep scoring, loverboy.**
Mia leaned closer, her eyes glinting. "You're gonna break hearts worldwide," she whispered, kissing him again. The heat built, her hands sliding under his jacket, his gripping her waist as they pressed against the tree. The kiss was electric, her breath hot against his neck, their bodies tangled in a rhythm that echoed the night's pulse. Ethan felt the rush of his playboy dreams—glamour, passion, maybe Taylor Swift or Shakira next—but kept it grounded, savoring the fire without losing focus.
Mia pulled back, her cheeks flushed, a playful smirk on her lips. "You're dangerous, Ethan Cole. I'm your biggest fan, but don't forget me when you're famous."
Ethan grinned, brushing her hair back. "You're not going anywhere."
The system quipped: **Mental Focus -1, but that was *spicy*. Don't skip training, or I'll make you run laps to sad love songs.**
---
The next morning, Ethan hit the park, the system's new drill pushing his Ronaldo template:
**Lisbon Dynamo Drill: Complete 200 sprints with 90% intensity. Reward: Stamina +3 (*Because Ronaldo didn't tire out, and you're not allowed to either.*).**
He blazed through, the Lisbon stage's athleticism making him relentless. By the 180th sprint, he was unstoppable, the system updating: **Drill Progress: 90%. Stamina: 89/100 (*You're a machine, but don't start thinking you're the Terminator.*).**
At training, Nugent warned Ethan: "Turner's been chatting up a Coventry scout, saying you're all hype. He's pushing for a guest spot in the opener." The system snarked: **Told you! Your stalker's playing dirty. Bet he's got a big move coming. Don't let him steal your shine.**
Ethan's jaw tightened. The Championship opener was days away, the Ronaldo template his weapon, and Mia his spark. But Jake's scheme was a gathering storm, and the season's stakes were sky-high. Would Ethan start with a bang, or would Jake's plot derail him? And that vision of a kid in the stands—his legacy—was it closer than he thought?