"Let's play a no-rules match. You can use the surroundings however you want. The only rule is that if the ball goes out of the field, possession switches to the other player. Got it? Then let's begin."
Alex stood on the opposite side of the pitch with one hand tucked into his pocket. Winston couldn't help but wonder what kind of player could be this relaxed. Winston nudged the ball toward Alex before bursting forward, attempting an elastico to slip past him.
Alex merely smirked over his shoulder. Winston accelerated alongside him, only to suddenly lose his footing and crash face-first onto the ground. Startled, he turned around.
Alex's foot was calmly resting on top of the ball that had tripped him. Instead of taking an easy shot on goal, Alex casually dribbled into Winston's half and waited for him to get back up.
A strange sense of déjà vu washed over Winston. He lunged at Alex. With one effortless movement, Alex glided past him.
"I'm right here," Alex said casually. "So, how long have you been playing professional football?"
He flicked the ball beyond Winston before sprinting to the opposite side of the pitch, keeping the ball glued to his feet.
"I started playing football when I was little," Winston replied as he chased after him. "I've been playing professionally for about three years. What about you?"
Alex performed a few smooth tricks around the ball before answering. "I'm not a professional footballer."
"Why not? You're incredible."
Alex stopped for a brief moment, as though considering how much to reveal. "Nah. There's another kind of football that pays a lot more... and it plays by the same rules we're using right now."
He shrugged. "In professional football, you don't really earn serious money until you sign for a senior club."
Winston frowned—he couldn't understand what Alex meant. As far as he knew, youth football led to senior football, and senior football was the pinnacle of the sport. Alex anticipated Winston's next challenge. With a powerful strike, he blasted the ball against the fence.
The ball ricocheted back behind Winston. In one fluid motion, Alex dove like a breakdancer, planting both hands on the ground. Using the momentum, he trapped the spinning ball with his heel, rolling it smoothly onto the sole of his foot.
Winston stared in disbelief. He had expected Alex to possess overwhelming physical strength like Maximilian, but he sensed no intimidating aura from him at all. Pushing himself upright with one hand, Alex launched into a bicycle kick. The ball whistled over Winston's shoulder.
Thwack!
Winston looked from Alex to the ball, wondering if this was the 'other football' Alex had mentioned—the one with no rules. This was the second time Winston had witnessed this strange style of play.
Jogging back to the ball, Winston glanced around the field. Unlike Alex, he hadn't even considered using the surroundings to his advantage. One thing was certain, though: Alex was no amateur. His control, creativity, and acrobatic ability were on an entirely different level.
Winston inhaled deeply before bursting forward.
For a brief moment, it felt as though his feet were gliding across the beautifully trimmed grass. His footwork became light and rapid, his dribbling smooth and controlled. He shifted the ball from one foot to the other in quick succession, accelerating with every touch.
Alex's eyebrows lifted slightly. Even he hadn't expected Winston's sudden burst of technique. Before Alex could fully react, Winston had already slipped past him and unleashed a powerful shot.
Thwack!
Unlike the previous times, when these strange occurrences always came with pain, Winston felt... nothing. He quickly looked down at his feet. They looked completely normal.
"Wow," Alex said, stretching his shoulders. "I didn't know you were that skilled." A grin spread across his face. "Alright... now I have to get serious."
With a quick flick, Alex rolled the ball between his legs before weaving into a series of intricate dribbles. He closed in on Winston, feinted a powerful shot, then effortlessly scooped the ball over Winston's head with a rainbow flick.
Winston spun and chased after him. In one fluid motion, Alex blasted the ball against the green fence. The ball ricocheted sharply. Alex sprinted to the right while the rebounding ball flew to his left, completely wrong-footing Winston and leaving him stumbling toward his own half.
Alex slowed the play, casually dribbling as he watched Winston recover. His interest had been piqued. Winston's footwork and acceleration were far better than he had expected, and now Alex wanted to see what else the young striker could do.
The one-on-one continued for another thirty minutes. Alex constantly toyed with Winston, using the fence, the goalposts, and every inch of the surroundings to manipulate the ball. Yet, as the minutes passed, he noticed Winston beginning to adapt.
Whenever Alex fired the ball off the green fence, Winston started reading the angle of the rebound and intercepted it before it reached him.
Of course, Alex simply stole it back again. Finally, Alex stopped. He rested one foot on top of the ball just as his phone began ringing.
"Yo... what's up?" He answered the call. "It's time? Alright, I'm on my way." He ended the call, flicked the ball into his hand, and smiled. "Looks like we have to end it here. You've got some serious skills."
He pointed at Winston. "What team did you say you play for again?"
"Westminster F.C. Under Twenty-One."
"Got it."
Alex casually tossed the ball high into the air. He leapt after it, twisted his body in mid-air, and unleashed a spinning hook kick.
Thud
The ball spiraled toward Winston like a missile.
"Urgh!"
The impact slammed into Winston's chest and arms, forcing him to stagger backward. By the time he looked up… Alex had vanished. Not a trace of him remained. Winston scanned the empty training ground, wondering where on earth he had disappeared to.
[Nethen Essence: 89%]
[Voltage Core: 89%]
Once Winston had fully recovered from the strain caused by the Nethen Essence, he washed his face and began climbing the long staircase back toward the city. He made his way to where the team bus had been parked.
As he walked through the narrow streets, he noticed groups of tourists lingering outside bars. Some were laughing loudly, while others had clearly drunk too much. Winston guessed this part of the city was known for its nightlife.
Not wanting to get caught up in the crowds, he crossed the road and cut through an alley. A few people were vomiting against the walls, while another group was arguing so loudly it sounded like a fight was about to break out.
Winston immediately picked up his pace. Leaving the alley behind, he jogged through the quieter streets lined with closed shops. After climbing another flight of steps and walking a few more blocks, he finally spotted the Westminster team bus parked in a nearby parking area.
The moment he arrived, the assistant coach stormed over. "Where the heck were you?" he barked. "We searched everywhere for you. Why can't you follow simple instructions?"
Winston lowered his head. "I'm sorry, Coach. I got lost while sightseeing."
"Then why didn't you call one of your teammates?"
"My phone died."
Nearby, a police car was parked beside the bus. After thanking the officers for helping search for Winston, the head coach dismissed them before turning back to him.
"Get on the bus."
"Yes, Coach."
As soon as Winston stepped inside, dozens of eyes turned toward him. His teammates stared as he walked down the aisle to his seat. Oswin, however, barely looked up. He was busy typing on his phone. Apparently, he had been scolded as well, although not nearly as badly as Winston.
"How was the sightseeing?" Oswin asked without looking away from his screen.
Winston dropped into his seat and let out a long sigh. "Brutal, bro. I met this guy who was ridiculously skilled. We ended up playing a one-on-one match."
That got Oswin's attention. He slipped his phone into his pocket and turned toward Winston. "Did you win? Do we know him?"
Winston leaned back against the seat. "Nope. He was way too good. The scary part is... I think he was just playing with me."
"Damn." Oswin whistled. "Here I thought I had a better day."
"You came back late too?"
"Yeah." Oswin scratched the back of his head. "I met this cute girl while walking through the park. Man... she was gorgeous." He paused dramatically. "...Turns out she had a crazy boyfriend."
Winston burst out laughing. "I'm serious!" Oswin protested. "The dude chased me halfway around the block."
"What happened?"
"Bro, if you'd seen his eyes, you'd have run too." Oswin shuddered theatrically. "He even pulled out a pocket knife."
"And?"
Oswin puffed out his chest with a smug grin. "Thanks to my speed, I left that bum eating dust." Winston couldn't help laughing even harder.