Chapter four: saving a child

<First of all, you should check your stats window.>

[Okay, show it to me]- I said with a little hesitation.

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FOOTBALL SYSTEM

SYSTEM LEVEL: 1 (required for evolution: ???)

USER: Alex Webara

AGE: 8 years and 3 months

POTENTIAL: Grade E

EXP: 0

SKILL POINTS: 0

STATISTICS (click for more info)

MISSIONS (click for more info)

SHOP (click for more info)

(Update the system to unlock more functions)

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Statistics

Overall condition: E (58.8)

Physical condition: H (3) (click for more info)

Technique: G (17) (click for more info)

Intelligence: B (115) (click for more info)

Mentality: A (139+20) >>>> S (159) (click for more info)

Innate ability: Calm Thinker (click for more info)

Skills: none

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[I think I understand everything, but what does potential indicate?]

<Potential is the limit to which a person can take each of their statistics and the maximum range of skills. If you use a skill of higher rank than your potential, it will be restricted, but don't worry, you can improve it in the shop.>

[So why do I have stats beyond grade E?]

<All people have a statistic that they can take beyond their talent, usually related to their innate ability. This is the case with your mentality, but there are also cases where someone is born with two abilities above their potential, as is the case with your intelligence. All of this, combined with the effort and suffering you have gone through, has resulted in these two statistics being far above your potential> -the system said with a hint of sadness in its voice.

Then, I checked my innate ability, that is, the ability I have had since birth.

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Calm Thinker (passive): grants the ability to think calmly in almost any situation.

Extra effect (passive): +20 to mindset

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[Hmm... not bad]I thought. I was sure there were much better abilities out there, but mine was also very good and with my system, I had nothing to fear.

After inspecting the system, I began to reflect on what to do with my new life and I was pretty clear about it: I wanted to be the best in the world, no, in history. I wanted that if you asked any passerby who the best footballer was, they wouldn't hesitate to say "Webara".I wanted that even my parents to be proud of my achievements from heaven.

[But first, I should take a nap]- I thought as I lay down on my cardboard bed.

-5 hours later-

I woke up with the sound of a muffled scream near me. When I turned my head to see what was happening, I found myself staring into the eyes of a five-year-old boy. He was no more than 85 cm tall, had hair so short it looked bald and what surprised me the most were his eyes, so black they seemed to absorb all the light around them. Even in the lowest areas of Malawi, they were full of ambition and a hunger to conquer the world. His skin color was brown and on top of his head was a red dot.

When I tried to look past him, I met another gaze, but this one was more penetrating and ruthless. Instantly, I knew it was the guard's gaze. It didn't take much intelligence to figure out what was going on. He probably tried to kidnap the child, but the child resisted and managed to let out his previous scream.

All of this was quite strange because "the guard" was impeccable in doing his job and I don't remember anything like this happening in my previous life. But I decided to leave my thoughts for later because having seen this scene implies that "the guard" will try to silence me.

Knowing this, I immediately came up with a plan in my mind to save this child. Strangely, I was very calm, perhaps due to my ability. I took one of the cardboard boxes I was using to keep warm and the last memory I had of my parents: a football ball.

First, I threw the cardboard box at the guard's face, who was no more than 170 cm tall and quite fat. When the cardboard box was about to hit the guard's face, he put his hand in the middle, releasing the child from most of the force he was exerting on him. Knowing who the child was, I decided to go all in. I took my ball and threw it with a rather bad shot at the man's head. This forced him to completely release the child to cover himself, but what he probably didn't expect was for the same child to suddenly jump, tilting his back and with his legs pointing towards the sky, hitting the ball with a rather poor and unskilled bicycle kick, but enough to deflect the ball enough to hit the fat man's head. Taking advantage of his dizziness, I took my ball and shouted at the child in English: "Run!"

I started running hoping that the child would follow me. I ran with all my strength until I managed to reach what seemed to be a beach that extended into the sea. But if you looked at the horizon, you could see another beach. All of this, combined with the fact that Malawi does not have a sea, made me realize that I was on one of the shores of Lake Malawi.

I turned around to meet that same gaze full of ambition that I had seen in the alley and deciding that it was time to confirm my theory, I asked in the softest voice I could gather: "What's your name?" The child was scared by the suddenness of the question, but after a few seconds of hesitation, he replied in a poor English: "My name is Kylian, Kylian Mbappé."

On the outside, my face showed no signs of change, but in my head, I was celebrating. This indicated that in missions, the system would give me some help, in this case, the red marker over Kylian's head. But all my euphoria changed to disappointment when I heard in my head:

<You're wrong. In this case, you have been helped because completing this mission was something that benefited the system as well> -the system responded in a strangely cold voice.

Quickly, I began to think about the implications of his words and realized that the system had a goal and was using me to accomplish it. [If the system wants to use me for it´s objectives, I will use it for mine`s]- I thought to myself.

<You can rest assured, host. I will never force you to do anything> -said the system in its usual tone of voice once again.

I decided not to waste any more time with the system and focused on Kylian. He was an amazing child, with an innate ability for football despite his young age. I wondered how long he had been on the streets of Malawi. But I didn't have time to ask him, we needed to move.