Soccer System: All the Skills, One Player!

The Special Training Token seemed like a good and rare item, because Lucas had never received one. He quickly clicked on the icon to get more information about it.

[Item: Special Training Token

Description: Allows you to access a personalized, intensive and unique training routine designed to maximize your physical and mental potential. For each session completed, you will receive +1 free attribute point.

Sessions remaining: 25.

Time limit: 7 days.]

"Twenty-five attribute points for training? Sounds good, because I only get attribute points when I go up to a star level. But what do they mean by 'intensive'?" Lucas frowned, analyzing the words carefully.

He knew that there was nothing in the system that came for free. The item would clearly require extreme effort. He closed the information window and threw himself back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. His body was still tired from the trip and the game, but he was full of mental energy from the rewards and progress he had been accumulating.

"Should I start now?" Lucas muttered to himself. He reflected for a moment, weighing up the pros and cons.

The pros of starting now were that he was motivated and full of mental energy. The attribute points could help him adjust weak areas, and the training would be a wonderful complement to his newly gained skills.

However, his body was tired, and starting training in a less than ideal state could hinder his performance. Training could require more time than he had available today, considering the accumulated fatigue.

Lucas let out a deep sigh and consulted the system again. "If I'm going to have to decide this now, I need to understand exactly what I'm up against."

He opened the panel and looked for the detailed description of the training sessions.

[Session 1: Total Physical Endurance

Description: A circuit of exercises designed to test and expand your endurance limits. It includes obstacle racing, high-intensity running and swimming.

Estimated duration: 2 hours.

Requirements: A swimming pool and adequate rest before starting.]

Lucas let out a nervous laugh, but he knew that this was the reality of someone who wanted to excel in professional soccer.

He glanced at the clock in the dashboard's corner. It was already past 10pm. Even though his adrenaline was still running high, he knew that pushing his body now wouldn't be the smartest decision.

"Okay, Lucas. Let's be smart about this. Tomorrow, when I have the day off because of yesterday's game, I'll start. I'll give it my all and hopefully wake up in one piece the next day for training at the club." He smiled, closing the panel and turning off the lights in his room.

The next day, after a morning of classes and a slow start to the afternoon, Lucas was finally free to start the special training. He made his way to the swimming building at the Seyek Institute with his backpack slung over one shoulder and a bottle of water in his hand. The place was modern, with vast glass windows that let the sunlight in, reflecting off the crystal-clear water of the Olympic-sized pool.

Lucas soon noticed some girls whispering and casting curious glances in his direction. Pretending not to notice, he went into the men's changing room, changed quickly and returned to the pool area, wearing a pair of swimming shorts.

On the other side of the pool, Lucy was already there, wearing a simple blue swimsuit with white details and a matching cap. She was part of the institute's swimming team and was doing some light training, so she was wet.

When Lucy noticed Lucas, she nodded with a shy smile, but when she saw the whispers of the other girls, her expression changed to something between nervousness and irritation.

"He's looking at her!" one girl whispered to her friend.

"Are they together?" another whispered, holding back giggles.

"Look at that belly! Have you seen it? Lucas Tanaka looks like he's straight out of a commercial."

Lucy tried to ignore the comments, but her face was already flushed. She knew that being seen next to Lucas generated speculation, but it was getting out of hand.

Lucas, who had heard nothing but murmurs, walked over to Lucy, scratching the back of his head. "Hi, Lucy. You really came."

"Yes, but I didn't know there were so many people swimming." He cast a disguised glance at the girls who were still whispering and also at the boys from the club who were in the water with angry expressions towards him.

Lucy crossed her arms. "Don't worry about them. It's just that when someone famous like you turns up, it becomes an event."

Before they could continue, a polite voice interrupted the conversation. "Lucy, aren't you going to introduce your friend?"

They both turned to see a middle-aged woman approaching. She had brown hair up in a bun and was wearing a black swimsuit with red details, as well as a pair of swimming goggles hanging around her neck. It was Lucy's swimming teacher, a woman known for being disciplined but highly respected by her students.

"Ah, teacher Hana!" Lucy exclaimed, still a little embarrassed. "This is Lucas Tanaka, a friend of mine. As I told you when he asked if he could come, he wants to train."

"Tanaka, you're from the soccer team, right?" Hana asked, holding out her hand to greet him. "I've heard a lot of good things about you. Your games have been impressive."

Lucas shook her hand, maintaining his polite posture. "Thank you very much, teacher Hana. I'm trying to improve every day."

"That's great. Determination makes talented athletes. I hope you enjoy the space. The pool is available, you can be a lane. But remember to respect the timetables, the other areas and no fooling around." She looked at Lucy with a smile. "And you don't get too distracted, understand?"

Lucy almost choked, her face completely red. "Yes, ma'am!"

Hana laughed lightly before turning away to supervise the other students.

Lucas tried to hold back his laughter as he watched Lucy, who was still visibly embarrassed. "Looks like you've got fans too, huh?" he joked.

"Don't even start. Let's get some practice in before it gets any worse."

The two of them walked together to the edge of the pool. As Lucy dived in to start her strokes, Lucas approached the edge and looked at the system panel.

[Special Training Token activated!]

[Session 1: Total Physical Endurance.

First Exercise: Swim 300 meters Crawl.

Second Exercise: Swim 200 meters Breaststroke.

Third Exercise: Swim 100 meters Backstroke.

Fourth Exercise: Swim 50 meters in the Butterfly.

Reward: 5 Attribute Points].

The number of meters to be swum was not small, but Lucas enjoyed swimming.

"300 meters of crawl..." Lucas muttered to himself, visualizing the course. "That means round trip and three times in the pool."

Lucas had been a swimmer during his childhood, but over time, the practice of swimming had fallen by the wayside, although his ability had never completely disappeared. He made a fluid movement and entered the water with the lightness he was used to.

His first stroke was quick and, with the help of his push against the wall, he attracted attention. The girls, who had been commenting on him earlier, observed how Lucas seemed in total control of his movements.

"Wow... he's fast!" One girl commented, impressed, while the others murmured amongst themselves, amazed at his agility.

What was most striking, however, was the swimming technique that Lucas displayed with rare perfection. He was swimming as if he wasn't an amateur, effortlessly.

Lucy couldn't help the smile that formed on her face. His speed and technique visibly surprised her.

"He's really good, isn't he?" commented one girl to Lucy, who was still watching Lucas with half-closed eyes.

Lucy blushed a little when she heard this and glanced away, but she couldn't help feeling a mixture of admiration and pride. "He's got skills in everything, it seems."
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Lucas completed the 300-meter crawl in fifteen minutes, with a few rests each time he reached the edge of the pool. He didn't even seem out of breath.

"Now, 200 meters of breaststroke..." Lucas thought, diving back into the water.

The strokes flowed with the same efficiency as the previous exercise, and he completed the stretch without difficulty. At the end, he rose from the water with an unusual lightness, as if he had only run a short distance.

"I... can't believe it. He's good at soccer and swimming? What chance have we got?" commented one boy, amazed at Lucas's ability.

When Lucas returned, he climbed out of the pool with a slightly red face, not from tiredness, but from the feeling of accumulated effort. The water dripped off his body as he approached Lucy, who was now in the next lane.

"I didn't know you were so good at swimming. I thought you were only good at soccer."

Lucas smiled back. "Surprise, huh? I used to swim a lot when I was younger, so... it's not that difficult. But... it certainly takes a bit more out of me than soccer. I think it's amazing that you manage to do it every day."

She blushed a little and, without replying, dived in to swim again.