Soccer System: All the Skills, One Player!

The second half brought a clear change in the dynamic between Lucas and Willian. Both were now playing more in tune with each other, constantly switching positions, which left Wolverhampton's defenders completely bewildered. Every time one of them moved, the other would fill the space left, creating a cycle of confusion and uncertainty in the opposing defense.

Lucas always seemed to be one step ahead of his markers. At one point, he dropped back to pick up the ball in midfield, drawing the central defender away from his area. The next moment, Willian would appear like an arrow, taking advantage of the space created to advance deep.

Lucas was using his <Spatial Control> and <Predator's Instinct> skills to do this, because he was able to know his real position according to the standoff line formed by the opposing defenders and also when they were close or not.

The Wolverhampton defenders, Paul and Richard, were visibly annoyed by the incessant movement of the two. Paul, the more experienced, tried to organize the defensive line, but even with his leadership, it was hard to keep up.

"Get closer to him!" shouted Paul to Richard, pointing at Lucas.

"I'm trying, but he's too fast!" replied Richard, panting, after running to cover another advance by Willian.

"You can't mark them both at the same time! They're alternating too much!"
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Lucas took advantage of these gaps, moving with a calm that masked his explosive speed. He knew exactly when to accelerate and when to decelerate, while Willian seemed to have finally found the balance between deciding alone and playing collectively.

In the 63rd minute, Brighton created another great opportunity. Felix dispossessed a Wolverhampton player and made a pass between the lines to Lucas, who stepped back to take the ball with his back to goal. Paul immediately advanced to press him, but Lucas, with a quick touch, laid the ball off to Willian, who was racing down the left.

"Now it's going to get complicated!" thought Richard as he tried to close down the space. But Willian, instead of heading the ball, gave it back to Lucas, who had already turned towards goal.

"Damn, he won't stop moving!" Richard growled, trying to keep up, but it was too late.

Lucas received the ball again, feinted to his right and fired a shot into the corner. The Wolverhampton goalkeeper made a spectacular save, deflecting it for a corner.

"Those two are toying with our defense," muttered Paul to Richard as they caught their breath.

The defenders' thoughts were of exhaustion and confusion:

"That Brighton number 7... It's impossible to predict what he's going to do! He seems to be everywhere."

"And 19 isn't far behind... At first he seemed selfish, but now he's playing like he's got eyes in his back. I don't know what to expect from these two anymore!"

Then came another moment of brilliance from the duo. After another ball was won back from Felix in midfield, the move was built up quickly.

Loki passed to Javier, who launched a deep pass to Willian on the right. The striker ran with the ball, dribbling past the opposing full-back, and crossed low to Lucas, who was well positioned on the edge of the box.

This time, Lucas didn't need more than a touch. He fired a first-time shot into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal. The goalkeeper stretched, but couldn't reach it.

"GOOOOOOOLLLLLL! LUCAS TANAKA scores again!" shouted narrator Henry.

Paul fell to his knees, holding his head. "I told you not to let him free!"

"How can we? They're destroying us with these quick passes!" replied Richard, defeated.

Lucas ran to the crowd, raising his arms in celebration. Willian arrived soon after, pointing at Lucas with a proud smile.

The two hugged, and Lucas commented: "That's how we play, partner."

Willian laughed, out of breath. "And there's still time for more."

For the rest of the second half, the chemistry between the two kept Wolverhampton pinned back, unable to create any effective counter-attacks.

Brighton played with confidence and absolute control, and the crowd, even though they were mostly Wolverhampton fans, couldn't help but admire the spectacle.

The final score was 3-0 to Brighton, with Lucas' two goals and Willian's early strike. However, that scoreline didn't reflect the game itself. The difference should have been greater if it hadn't been for small chemistry errors.

This had Arthur, the starting center forward, biting his nails in the dressing room. And not just him. Miguel and Raphael were also worried that Jimenez might start to feel that an attacking duo with Willian and Lucas was more fruitful than the starting trio.

Miguel and Raphael, who were standing further away, exchanged worried glances. Raphael, always more direct, commented quietly to Miguel:

"That game on the bench to rest will definitely make me sleep badly for a while." Raphael said.

Miguel sighed: "If we don't show something special, Jimenez might end up betting more on them."

Meanwhile, Eddie and Jimenez were talking outside the dressing room, analyzing the team's performance.

"They played well, but this formation is still new. Lucas and Willian are improvising a lot. It can work against defences that don't adapt quickly, but against more organized teams, we could have problems."

Eddie nodded. "You're right. Their interplay needs to be refined. I also want to see how Arthur reacts to it. He's our first-choice center-forward and has experience, but he'll need to show that he can offer something beyond what we saw today."

In the corner of the dressing room, Lucas felt the atmosphere around him, but his mind was focused on the next challenge.

The "Top Scorer" mission had been successfully completed, and he now had new rewards to explore in the <Champions System>.

As the team began to prepare to leave the locker room, Jimenez entered, clapping his hands to get everyone's attention.

"Guys, it was a great win today. I'm proud of you, but this is just the beginning. We still have a lot of work to do, and the next game will be even more challenging. Chelsea are our big opponents in this league."

"Yes, sir!" replied the players in unison.

As the group made their way to the bus, Lucas noticed Arthur quieter than usual. He approached, lightly tapping his teammate on the shoulder.

"Hey, Arthur, what's up? You look worried," asked Lucas in a friendly tone.

Arthur forced a smile. "I'm fine, just thinking about a few things. Congratulations on the goals, Lucas. You deserve it."

Lucas noticed the hesitation in Arthur's words, but decided not to press him. He knew that competing for positions in soccer was natural and that, for Arthur, this situation was also an opportunity to show his strength.

*

When Lucas got home, he was exhausted, but the adrenaline of victory and curiosity about the new rewards kept him awake. He threw himself on the bed and opened the system panel.

The familiar windows appeared before his eyes, and the mission completed notification glowed brightly at the top of the interface.

[Rewards Received:

+5 Mysterious Common Cards

+1 Mysterious Rare Card

+1 Lucky Box].

Lucas clicked on the notification, and the rewards were transferred to his inventory. He smiled at the sight of the newly added items.

"Looks like it's card opening day again."

He opened his inventory and selected the five common cards first. "Let's start with the basics."

The cards floated in front of him, glowing with the same gray radiance as the ones he had opened the other time.

[Congratulations, you have obtained the Common Skill: Trivela Pass.]

[You'll see the curve the ball can make].

Lucas gave a satisfied smile. "It's like an upgrade for the skill <Risk Analysis>."

[Congratulations, you've obtained the Common Skill: Holy Patience].

[Holy Patience: Decreases the stress debuff].

"Not very good, but I can think of a few uses."

[Congratulations! You've obtained the Common Skill: No Hunger].

[No Hunger: You develop a greater resistance to feeling hungry].

"Okay, back to useless skills! I like to eat!"

[Congratulations! You have obtained the Common Skill: Base Resistance].

[Base Endurance: Passively improves your breath].

Lucas shrugged. "Not the most exciting, but useful. Titan's Resilience already covers a lot of that."

[Congratulations! You have obtained the Common Skill: Volley Blocking.

[Safe Block: Keep your arms steady as they are lifted upwards. They'll be like walls.]

"I'll put that one on the list of cards to destroy to try and get a better one."

With the common cards open, he moved on to the only rare card. Anticipation grew as he watched the green card float in front of him.

[Congratulations, you have obtained the Rare Skill: Spherical Mastery.]

[Spherical Mastery: Using any part of your body and also any ball from any sport, you'll be able to master it easily].

Lucas smiled, satisfied. "That's it! This could give me a huge advantage in counter-attacks and turnovers."

Finally, he opened the Lucky Box, eager to see what it contained. The box glowed in a rainbow of colors before revealing its contents.

[You received:

+5 Extra Attribute Points.

+1 Special Training Token.

Lucas's eyes widened. "Special Training Token? What the hell is that?"