The sun glared down on the rusting iron goalposts of Westbridge Academy's training ground. Dust hung in the air like memory, and Leon Vale stood at the center circle, ignored, unnoticed, and utterly ordinary.
"Oi, Vale! You forgot your boots again?"A voice from the sidelines cut into the silence. Laughter followed.
Leon's cheeks flushed. His boots were fine — it was just his game that wasn't.
At seventeen, Leon had already become a footnote on the team sheet. No goals, no assists, and no presence. He moved like a ghost among lions. Coach barely glanced his way. Teammates passed around him — both the ball and attention. His only consistent contribution to the game was his silence.
But that night, everything changed.
It began with the dream.
Leon woke up in a cold sweat. His body was still, but his mind buzzed with numbers, visions, flashing images, as if someone had installed a match analysis software in his head. Player positions, movement patterns, passing lanes, all calculated in real time.
Floating above his vision was a blue-tinted HUD (Heads-Up Display):
System Booting…
Welcome, Leon Vale.
Initializing Vision Protocol v1.0
PlaySight Activated.
Current Level: 1 – Novice
EXP: 0 / 100
Skill Slots Unlocked: 0
Stat Tracking Enabled.
Leon blinked, staggered to his feet. When he looked toward the wall, glowing numbers hovered next to his reflection:
Player Stat Profile – Leon Vale
Attribute Value (out of 100)
Shooting 41
Passing 48
Dribbling 44
Speed 45
Stamina 42
Vision 10
Mental 39
PlaySight Uses per Match: 1 (7-second foresight)
Skill Slots: Locked
Next Level: 0/100 EXP → Level 2 (Street Player)
Earn EXP by improving, making key plays, or overcoming emotional pressure.
Leon's first instinct was panic. Was he hallucinating? Going insane?
But when he closed his eyes, the interface followed. When he whispered "Player stats," it reappeared. It was real. Or something close enough.
The next morning at practice, he kept to the shadows — but now, shadows looked different.
A subtle blue line traced across the field when a winger moved. The ball shimmered when it reached midfield — like it was pulsing with options only Leon could now see.
And then it happened.
A loose ball fell to him near the edge of the box. Time slowed. A soft ding echoed in his mind.
PlaySight Activated. 1 Use Remaining.
Simulating optimal decision… 7-second foresight deployed.
In his mind's eye, Leon saw two outcomes:
1) Pass back: Safe, resets the play. Minimal impact.
2) Chip left and shoot: Defender slides in 1.2 seconds late. Clear lane. Shot goes top right corner.
He followed the second path. Instinctively.
One feint. A cut. A curling strike.
GOAL.
Gasps. Silence. Even the coach stood up.
+50 EXP: Clutch Goal!+20 EXP: First PlaySight UseTotal EXP: 70/100
System Unlocks (Preview)
After the match, as Leon sat under the bleachers, catching his breath, the HUD displayed a new tab:
Upcoming Unlocks:
Level 2 – Street Player
• PlaySight Uses: +1 per half
• Minor stat boost
• Unlock Tactical Awareness UI
Level 3 – Spark Player
• Skill Unlock: Agile Step – +5 Dribbling in confined space
Skill System Preview: Skills can be Passive (always-on) or Active (triggered). Earn skills through:
Leveling up
Situational mastery
Emotional/strategic breakthroughs
Leon stared at the screen.
He wasn't dreaming. This was something else — a second chance, a system meant to sharpen him. A hidden advantage to a boy everyone had counted out.
Behind the Curtains
Far across town, someone else watched Leon's match on a grainy screen. A boy with black hair slicked back like armor and an arrogant smirk that cut deeper than words.
Kael Rivas.
Leon didn't know him yet, but their rivalry would shape everything.
Elsewhere, a coach scribbled something in a leather notebook. And across the street, a girl leaned against the school fence, earbuds in, watching Leon with an unreadable expression.
The game had just begun.
End-of-Chapter HUD Log
Leon Vale – Player Log
• Level: 1 → Still Novice
• EXP: 70 / 100
• Goal Scored: Yes (+50 EXP)
• PlaySight Used: Yes (Effective, +20 EXP)
• New Ability Previewed: "Agile Step" at Level 3
• Next Goal: Level Up & Secure a spot on the starting XI
• Unlocked Insight: "Even a ghost can score if he sees the future."