Second Chances: Indonesian Football Player
Chapter 49's
Right after leaving Coach Marcel's office, Nero looked for a secluded spot next to the administration building. He opened the system interface after observing his surroundings. He has confirmed that there is no soul close because all the players are on the pitch through various drills. The fall of two players from the team that morning apparently made all his teammates immeasurable.
"DING"
****
The Mastery QUEST
NEW MISSION: Five-month Speed Training from Your Coach.
*Task 1: Complete the following two sets of speed exercises, three times a week, at a distance of 50 meters. High Knees, Butt Kicks, B Skips, Bounds, Single Leg Diagonal Bounds, In and Out Leg exercise
Task 2: Complete twenty sets of sprints, covering 20 meters, three times a week.
*Task 3: Completed ten sets of Resistance-Band sprints, covering 20 meters, three times a week.
*Task 4: Complete four rounds of half a dozen Yoga poses, daily, for a week (Click here to watch the instructional video).
*Task 5: Complete four rounds of half-dozen Hip-Flexor exercises, daily, for a week (Click here to watch the instructional video).
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* Gift:
->600 exp points
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*Punishment if the mission is still not completed after the specified time.
->1200 exp points deducted from users.
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*description: When you live for a dream, hard work is not an option. This is a need.
****
Nero notices that the mission of the system is an exact copy of the training plan designed for him by Coach Marcel. He can now make sure that the trainers can start the mission of the system if they give him a task. It was like fishing for quests from NPCs in a video game.
However, he felt overwhelmed after taking a look at the practice. According to his estimation, he would need a minimum of two hours to complete the training every day. He will be busier than usual for the next few months.
She does not need to watch instructional videos for most exercises other than Hip-Flexor exercises. He clicked on the video to understand his routine. A black silhouette appeared at the interface of the translucent system through various poses stretching his legs.
For Nero, it was almost like watching a yoga video. The human shadow, on the screen, stretched its legs to different angles, some too blunt. He felt relaxed after watching the video because there was no exercise routine that he could not do at the time.
He just needs to readjust his schedule to fit in with Coach Marcel's training plan. With the physical conditioning potion from the system shop, he was confident he would complete the mission and earn six hundred Juju points.
"Ner! What are you doing?" A voice broke his daydream. He wanted the system screen to close and glanced sideways. Stefan stood to his left, the training shirt he was wearing was covered in sweat. "We're almost starting a tactical training session. Will you not attend?" The Norwegian asked, wiping his sweaty forehead with the back of his sleeves.
Nero gave her a smile. "I was perusing through the training plan Coach Marcel had designed for me. But, now I can join you for training."
"Coaches design personalized training plans for you?" stefan exclaimed as he placed his hand on Nero's shoulder. "You're lucky. What's the training plan for?"
A few minutes later, the team performed passing, shooting, and tackling— exercises under the coach's supervision. The goal is for the academy players to improve their overall gameplay. The coaches try to recreate the most effective key passes in the defensive game. The feed is routed back to box 18 repeatedly at an increased speed.
There are a dozen more coaches in the academy who help different players with personalized training. However, most only instruct students younger than 15. Coach Marcel, coach Sebastian, and other goalkeeping coaches are in charge of coaching Nero and his under-17 team-mates.
In the evening, Coach Marcel took them through a tactical theory session, analyzing recent matches played in Europe's top leagues. They reviewed videos of Barcelona, Chelsea, Real Madrid, unbeaten Arsenal, and AC Milan playing against various teams.
The coach lays out technique, formation and outstanding performances in the game. He is persistent, highlighting the style of play that Nero and his team-mates can learn. By the time he finished his studies, it was already 6 p.m
Nero felt too tired to go through his new speed workout routine after the hectic workouts of the day. He went back to his apartment with his flatmates and watched the Real Madrid game. Afterwards, she had a light dinner and returned to her room for the night.
After locking the door and drawing the curtains, he called the system interface and chose the Virtual Dungeon Training System. DVS training has turned into a habit before bedtime a few weeks before.
The system's virtual program allows him to practice in three modes as previously known. For the next hour, he tried his best to increase the speed of his kick swing in the Dungeon. He slightly deviated from Messi's shooting posture to add to his curling free-kick power. The process was not as troublesome as he had imagined before.
He didn't hit the target that night. However, the shot gets stronger and curves closer to the post after every attempt. He felt his technique improved during the hours spent in DVS.
However, he did not end his training after an hour had passed. He loaded up a training package for The Miracle Shoot of Lionel Messi and continued training in the simulator. Although he intends to modify Messi's technique he needs a starting point. Fully mastering Messi's setpiece skills in the dungeon is a good start. Knowledge will be the guiding lantern to usher him through the darkness. He spent another two hours practicing the setpiece before returning to the bed sheets to sleep.
**** ****
The weeks go by quickly and the days get colder and shorter. Before Nero knew it, September had arrived. His training kept him busy and made the passage of time almost invisible.
He had spent the previous weeks sticking to an exercise routine. He managed to incorporate a speed training routine into his schedule of three days each week. He underwent every training assigned to him by Coach Marcel without missing a single day. Step by step, he was on his way to complete the mission of the system.
However, her schoolwork becomes more demanding as the school period progresses. The high school lecturer gave him more assignments since he was in his final year.
Nero would have had a hard time dealing with it if not for the group discussion with Maria Leroy, his classmate. After months of hanging out, Nero has developed a strong friendship with the French girl. She doesn't make her feel as uncomfortable as other European girls. He helped her with some tasks. Its value remains above average due to its mentorship efforts.
He had no hope for anything other than friendship in their interactions. At the time, his only focus was football. He doesn't want any distractions. However, Maria kept bothering him to keep his promise (which he would rather forget) before every group discussion. It felt like he owed her money instead of a date.
He finally gave up and took her out to watch a movie at the beginning of the autumn holidays. Together, they watched the Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol movie, which premiered on Saturday through a cinema in one of the malls in Brussels.
Nero had a good time today. She felt her fatigue melt away after taking time off from her training routine for fun.
This is the first time he has taken time out of his routine for anything other than football or academia since his arrival in Belgium. He made mental notes to fit more relaxation time into his weekly schedule after the experience.
When they finished watching the movie, they took a bus to Brussels City and had dinner together at a small restaurant there. Nero was surprised by how expensive the food was. A simple pizza flavored in a restaurant costs 55 Euros, but he can buy it in a supermarket for only 2 Euros. Other main dishes range from 80 - 100 Euros.
"Do you want me to choose a dish?" Maria asked after realizing Nero's doubts. His French accent is very thick in his words. He sat across from Nero in a quiet restaurant.
"I hesitated because everything here was expensive" Nero replied honestly.
There was no point in lying and pretending he could afford such a fee while he was still saving half of his allowance to help his family settle better in Jakarta. "Let's just have some pizza, please" he suggested.
Maria gave him a bright smile. "Pizza's fine with me.”
His presence was so magnetic and sensual that it distracted him for a moment. However, after recalling the mission of the system, he mastered his will. He had to stay focused until he graduated from the academy.
After eating, they talked for an hour about happier things: food, gossip, academics, and goals. Although she reminded herself to focus until she graduated from the academy, part of her is enjoying a relaxing evening today with Maria.
