MR. BUNNY:
"WELCOME TO NOVA BLOCK TRAINING — STAGE ONE!!!"
A massive chamber opened before them.
A giant staircase stretched out for over 20 meters, covered in jagged, uneven stones. Towering robots lined both sides, and the room itself looked like a high-tech stadium — grand, cold, and intimidating.
Daniel (confused):
"Huh? Stage ONE? …Just how many stages are there?"
Eric (gulping):
"This already looks impossible…"
Suddenly, Coach Noah stepped forward. His voice echoed through the room as the players turned toward him.
Coach Noah:
"Let me ask you this… When has anything ever been easy in this world?"
Everyone fell silent.
Noah:
"Welcome to Stage One. You have exactly 1 hour to complete the mission inside this chamber. Fail to do so… and you'll receive a punishment."
All players:
"EHHHHH!?"
Noah (smirking):
"Looks simple, right? Heh… It is simple. But 'simple' doesn't mean easy."
He pointed toward the top of the rocky staircase.
Noah:
"Once you reach the top, you'll meet an AI robot named MINNIE. She'll explain your next task."
Renji (blinking in awe):
"Wow… Looks like our country is getting serious about football."
Yuuto:
"Yeah, no kidding."
Then Coach Adrian stepped up, clapping his hands once.
Adrian:
"Alright kids—let the madness begin. START NOW!"
Ren — one of the five new players — didn't waste a second. He sprinted forward with a wild grin on his face.
Ren:
"WOOOO! First one to the top wins! Losers can cry later!"
Daniel:
"Wait—did he just call us losers?!"
Mika (fired up):
"We can't let that slide! Let's go, Captain Raphael!"
Raphael (calmly nods):
"Right. Let's move."
As everyone dashed toward the stairs, Armin stood frozen for a second, staring at the endless field of jagged stones ahead.
Ash (whining):
"Yo, aren't we supposed to be playing football?! What's with this painful-looking obstacle course?! This is abuse!"
Armin grabbed his friend's wrist.
Armin:
"No time to complain. Let's go!"
Ash:
"OUCHHHHHHH!"
The players began their climb.
The five new recruits were already ahead—laughing, shouting, daring the others to keep up.
Asahi (laughing):
"My legs are burning but this is FUN!"
Zhang Hao (sipping boba as he runs):
"Yo, don't spill my tea!"
Ali (focused):
"Maintain form. Don't lose pace."
Miles (grinning):
"Come on, old players! We're setting the pace now!"
The rest of the Kelena Warriors charged up behind them, their lungs burning, muscles straining, but spirits unbroken.
Every step on those stones felt like stepping on fire. Legs trembled. Sweat dripped. But no one dared to stop.
This wasn't just training.
This was survival.
To be continue