Train like your life depends on it

{You have created an 11-man Team: Team Yellow!}

{You have triggered Estadio do Arruna Game Mode: Quick Play!}

{Opponent A.I team created: Team Black!}

{Please choose A.I difficulty!}

{Difficulty Ranking: Beginner; Amateur; Semi-Professional; Professional; World Class; Legendary}

{Warning! Choosing the Legendary level increases the difficulty of the game to a level bothering on the verge of extreme.}

"Legendary". Endrick spoke to the A.I.

{Choice Registered!}

Instantly after he made the decision, Paschal007 walked closer. "Are you sure about your choice? I played against it with my own team once, we were thrashed 11 goals to nil".

Endrick turned to look at him with a smile. "That's your team, this is ours".

"If we want to defeat Team Black, we have to defeat this".

{Wager Option triggered!}

{Winning grants each player in Team Yellow +2000 XP each!}

{Losing takes 1000 XP from each player in Team Yellow!}

"What? Why'd you do that?"

Endrick calmly turned to look at WarriorThug. "You said your goal is to overpower Apeman, he was once my opponent in the 2nd phase of the trials".

"Apeman would never hesitate to bet his whole experience points for a chance like this, just to stimulate himself to improve".

"That's stupid".

"Yeah, that's the point". Endrick smiled. "Sometimes, you have to make stupid decisions just to get yourself out of your comfort zone and improve".

"Let's play this game as if it is our last".

"Let's play to win".

{Start!}

Once the game interface indicated it, the game commenced.

Like expected, every single one of the opponent NPCs were worldclass. The defenders of Team Black were as sturdy as a rock, their midfield was smooth in transition and fluid, their attack was dangerous.

"Let's play one twos to cut through their defense". Endrick passed the ball to Paschal007 but as soon as it touched his leg, his instinct kicked in.

This player was already used to doing everything himself.

Shifting the ball to the right, he tried to find an angle to shoot to no avail until the ball was won off his legs, the counterattack from the enemies was swift.

The transition from defense to offense was instant.

In no time, the ball was with the striker, he unleashed a shot without hesitation and this was when Turtle909 finally jumped in.

"Special Skill: Turtle Defense- 1 Leg!"

Bam!

Turtle909 managed to block the shot but he could not control it.

The enemy right winger leaped after the ball, before the other center back of Team Yellow could react, the head of this player connected with the ball.

It zoomed towards goal but this was when GravityMan reacted.

"Special Skill: Gravity Pull!"

Affected by a strange power, the ball was attracted to his hand but before the goalkeeper could catch the ball, the enemy striker was on the ball again.

This time, his eyes literally became fire.

"Special Skill: Singularity Shot!"

BOOM!

It was a ferocious power shot drilled towards the bottom right corner of the post, GravityMan stood no chance, the net shook.

GOALLL!

1-0 to Team Black.

When the game restarted, Team Black dominated proceedings, they dominated the midfield duels, Maria202 and WarriorThud were outplayed.

After strings of marvelous saves, GravityMan finally let up again.

The net shook…, again.

2-0.

"Pass the ball!" Endrick roared at him.

Again, Paschal007 hesitated with the ball at his feet, no angle to shoot was open to him. At the last moment before losing the ball though, his incredible reaction speed kicked in as he hit the ball towards Endrick.

He passed it too late, one of the A.I center backs intercepted the ball.

Another counter was on and the effects were deadly.

3-0.

A few minutes later.

4-0.

At the last minute before halftime, perhaps to prove a point, Endrick finally decided to go on his first real solo run of the game.

Against these opponents, his real game experience for decades in his previous life really showed. Predicting their elite movements, he was able to drill his way through them like a hot knife through butter.

The same problem that plagued Paschal also plagued him, he was given no angle to shoot at goal but Endrick having expected this improvised.

When he was very close to the goal, he played a lobbed pass to the exposed part of the box 18 where a certain player lurked after all the NPCs charged at him.

Drip-Lord leaped and drilled a ferocious one touch header at goal.

The net shook the next moment.

"GOAL!!!" Drip-Lord celebrated wildly.

"That was a drip pass man!"

"Yeah". Endrick nodded.

{Half-Time!}

As soon as it was half-time, Endrick ended the game prematurely.

{1000 XP have been deducted from your profile!}

In the dressing room, Endrick stood at the middle of the room, completely silent as he let the solemnity of their resounding defeat settle into their heads.

He finally spoke. "We are not yet ready to win this game".

"This performance speaks volumes, we are miles away from our best".

"We have no chemistry, no telepathy on the pitch".

"And to win, this needs to change".

"I worked the only goal of this game and gave it on a silver platter to Drip-Lord, with that, I think I have the qualifications to improve us as a team".

"If you want to win this game, let's do it together".

"Everyday from now till Saturday, I want us to be gathered here at exactly 1:00pm for training sessions aimed at improving our chemistry on the pitch".

He glared at them in a challenging manner. "I don't know about you lots, but my life depends on the outcome of this game".

"So, train like your life also depend on it".

From that moment onwards, Endrick started a Spartan-like extreme training schedule where he spent 70% of his time daily training either in the game or in the personalized gym with Legion and Maria.

Another day in the gym…

{Engaging Extreme Reaction Speed Training!}

This time, all 3 of them were inside the training room when the round projectiles like balls started being shot out rapidly by the machine.

Unlike his first combat training session, Endrick performed like a pro this time. Like Maria and Legion, he floated like a leaf through and around all the obstacles. At this moment, he felt like an air bender from Avatar.

'Hehe…, training is sweet'.

They ended the training breaking their previous individual records.

After this last time on the gym, at exactly 1:00pm, Endrick and Maria found themselves in the game challenging the legendary A.I quick play mode again.

Unlike the previous games, the scoreline this time ended at 2-1.

The penalty this time was painful though.

{1000 XP have been deducted from your profile!}

Endrick did not lose hope. "We're improving, we can do this, keep training".

After this game, his system also lit up a notification.

~_______________~

[You have unlocked Game Chemistry with the Player- Drip-Lord!]

[Game Chemistry- Drip-Lord: C]

…

[You have unlocked Game Chemistry with the Player- Anthony!]

[Game Chemistry- Anthony: D]

…

[You have unlocked Game Chemistry with the Player- WarriorThug!]

[Game Chemistry- WarriorThug: D-]

…

[You have unlocked Game Chemistry with the Player- Paschal007!]

[Game Chemistry- Paschal007: D+]

~___________~

It took time and a suffocating amount of effort, but Endrick finally managed to unlock game chemistry with Paschal. Not just that, he developed it.

Seeing his current game chemistry with his co-striker, he grinned.

'Effort and hard work are the best path to victory!'

While they trained like maniacs, they kept on advertising the final game of the elite team trials, attracting more attention and hype to it.

The amount of people attracted to this game was already record-breaking.

While all these happened, father time was never still, it kept on ticking away.

In the blink of an eye, it was already Friday, 1:00pm.

It was time for Team Yellow's last game against the legendary A.I in quick play. Once the game started, compared to their first game against the legendary A.I, Team Yellow was like an entirely different team.

For the first 30 minutes, they got no shot-on target but they kept their game fluid and compact, this was until Paschal007 was released at the 32nd minute.

After a crazy drip dribble from Drip-Lord and a quick pass to Endrick, Endrick laid off a killer through ball to Paschal007 who was ruthless in front of goal.

A fake shot pushed the A.I goalkeeper to use his special skill ahead of time, this was when Paschal finally unleashed his shot.

"Special Skill: Hitman Shot!"

BAM!

He grinned. "I am James Bond!"

"GOAL!!!" Team Yellow celebrated the goal in a wild manner.

At the 45th +1-minute, Team Yellow pulled a comeback, leveling the score just before halftime. In halftime, Endrick gave a little motivational talk.

When the 2nd half commenced, they listened to Endrick and played like their lives truly depended on it, it paid at the 65th minute of the game.

After a lobbed pass from Endrick, Anthony volleyed it in.

2-1.

At the 80th minute of the game, the legendary A.Is leveled again.

2-2.

Then, at the 91st minute of the game, Endrick went on another marauding run down the flanks, the A.I defenders did a good job in confining him to the flanks.

Unable to penetrate, he improvised and changed his plan.

Endrick looked into the box 18 before throwing a pin-point accurate cross.

'Show your talent!' Endrick placed his hopes on him.

WarriorThug did not disappoint, overpowering all the A.I defenders, he leaped above them all and connected with the ball first, it went at goal.

The A.I goalkeeper dived in a despairing manner; it was a goal.

The game ended 3-2 in their favor.

Endrick's face glowed with joy. "We are ready".

…

That evening, Brazil felt different, they felt like they were about to witness the herald of an entirely new focus of future Brazil society.

The hype for the final game was already through the roof, and it also got to Ana Gustavo's home. Inside the sitting room, they watched the presenter talking about the game again even as this woman worried for her son.

"It's been days since Endrick last slept at home". She was worried.

"What has become of my boy?"

"Besides, his father is coming tomorrow, what should I tell him?" She felt worried and for once, Maria was also affected by her mom's emotions.

"Mom, is Endrick going to be ok?"

"Yeah, I hope". She sniffed.

The night was short, in the blink of an eye, it was Saturday.

*****

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