Inside the changing room, the Westminster youths sang victory songs to celebrate the win. Although the result didn't change their position in the league table—they remained in third place—they were relieved that the season had finally come to an end. The back-to-back matches had taken a toll on everyone.
Winston and Oswin sat on a bench while the rest of their teammates danced around the room. Oswin casually scrolled through his phone.
"Oswin... am I still second?" Winston asked anxiously, glancing at his teammate.
Oswin refreshed the league standings and grinned.
"You're lucky, Wis. You're still second. Sebastian pulled even further ahead, though. He's on twenty goals now."
Winston let out a quiet sigh of relief. While he had dreamed of finishing first, he knew missing several matches had cost him that opportunity. Even so, he hoped finishing second would be enough to catch the attention of a senior club.
"Good for him," Winston said.
"Not me," Oswin scoffed. "That son of a bitch would've been left in the dust if he had to play against me and you."
He stood up, hands on his hips, before climbing onto the bench and raising his voice.
"My friends, this calls for a celebration!"
The room instantly quieted. The head coach stepped forward with a smile. "Gather up, boys."
The players formed a loose huddle around him. "We may not have finished first or second, but I'm proud of every one of you. You fought until the very end. If any of you get scouted by a bigger club, congratulations—you've earned it. And if you don't, don't let it discourage you. You'll always have a place here to keep improving."
He smiled. "Now, like Oswin said... it's time to celebrate. Wash up first—we've got a little surprise waiting for you afterward."
The changing room exploded with cheers. Locker doors rattled as players banged on them like drums, and chants echoed through the room. Smiling to himself, Winston headed for the showers.
As the warm water cascaded over his head, the tension he'd been carrying all season slowly melted away. For every youth player, the end of the season brought a new kind of pressure, Scouting.
Once the season concluded, clubs submitted formal requests to the Federation Football Association for the players they wished to evaluate. Scouts compiled shortlists, reviewed player reports, and gathered performance data before deciding who would receive trials or contracts. The system existed to ensure transparency, maintain competitive balance, and prevent clubs from secretly recruiting players. Teams that ignored the regulations often faced heavy fines from the Federation.
Now all Winston could do was wait. He hoped Westminster's senior team would give him another chance. Yet something deep inside told him otherwise. The last time he had seen senior scouts was during his second week of training.
After turning off the shower, Winston quickly changed into his club tracksuit. He was one of the first players to leave the changing room, receiving congratulations from the coaches and club staff as he walked toward the team bus.
Once seated, he slouched against the window and quietly summoned the Core System. Truthfully, he wasn't expecting much. He hadn't pushed himself nearly as hard in this match as he had in the previous ones.
Ding!
[Nethen Essence: 95%]
[Voltage Core: 95%]
Winston stood up and glanced around the bus. His eyes widened, and he leaned against the seat in front of him.
Five percent...
He still needed to awaken the remaining five percent. For several moments, he remained there, thinking of different ways to push himself over that final hurdle. His thoughts drifted back to what the head coach had said about the team celebration.
"Wis?" Oswin's voice snapped him back to reality. Standing in the bus aisle with a puzzled expression, Oswin furrowed his brows. "You okay? You've been zoning out."
He rubbed his chin dramatically before grinning. "Don't tell me you're thinking about that girl from the hotel."
Winston laughed and shook his head before stepping aside to let Oswin reach his seat. "No," he said. "I'm thinking about something else."
He sat back down and looked at his teammate. "You seem pretty relaxed. Aren't you nervous about the end-of-season scouts?"
"Not really." Oswin shrugged. "Right now, I just want to relax. After that, I'm taking Atlas's advice and focusing on my training. Besides..." He smiled confidently. "I'm sure some team will scout me."
He pointed at Winston. "And Wis... the senior team will definitely scout you."
Winston raised an eyebrow. "Wait... do you know someone at the Federation Football Association?"
Oswin burst into laughter. "No." He scratched the back of his head. "You might laugh at this, but I'm usually right about these things."
Winston studied his expression. Oswin wasn't joking. A smile slowly spread across Winston's face. "I'll hold you to that, bro."
"You should."
As the bus pulled away from the stadium, the two continued talking. Their conversation drifted from football to childhood memories, embarrassing stories, and some of the most dangerous situations they had ever found themselves in. Before long, Oswin's voice grew quieter until it was replaced by soft snores.
Winston leaned back against the window and gazed outside. His thoughts wandered back to the Core System. If he could somehow push that final five percent... perhaps there would be another awakening.
He wondered whether the place they were heading to had a football ground where he could train alone and finally break through.
The bus pulled into a beautiful resort hotel along the coast of Hartford City. By the time they arrived, it was around noon. After everyone gathered their belongings, the head coach reminded them to enjoy the buffet and explore downtown.
"Tomorrow, the celebration ends. We'll head back to Westminster City, so make the most of today."
"Shit, we're finally here," Oswin said, stretching his arms.
"Yeah. What are you planning to do? The coach mentioned the buffet, and I saw a carnival when we arrived."
"Oh yeah. I might hit the buffet first, then check out the carnival later. How about you?" Oswin asked as they stepped off the bus.
"I'm thinking of sleeping. I'm exhausted."
The head coach handed everyone electronic wristbands before dismissing the team. They were staying at the Celestial Bridge Hotel, a moderately rated seaside hotel overlooking the coast of Hartford City.
After confirming his reservation at the reception desk, Winston asked about the rooftop football pitch. The receptionist explained that the private pitch on the roof was reserved exclusively for guests staying in the elite suites above the fiftieth floor. Since Winston's room was on a lower level, he wasn't allowed access.
"How much does one of those suites cost?" Winston asked.
"One hundred and fifty thousand," the receptionist replied casually.
Her indifferent tone left Winston speechless. After thanking her and accepting his keycard, Winston headed toward the elevators, still wondering if there was another way to reach the rooftop pitch.
As he waited, two men in tailored suits walked over, chatting. "Thank God we finally finalized the merger. My wife hasn't stopped calling."
"Right, she's close to giving birth, isn't she? Shouldn't your mother or sister be with her?"
"They are, but she's almost due. We agreed I'd be there when she goes into labor."
"Damn. Congratulations."
"Thanks. How are things with you and Jennifer?"
"We're taking it slow. She only recently broke up with her ex, so she wants to ease into things. When we get back, I'm planning to take her out for dinner."
"Nice. Take her to that restaurant on Heatherwood Lane. Just make sure you book in advance—the food there is top-tier."
"I've heard about it. I'll reserve a table." He pulled out his phone before adding, "Oh, when I was at reception, I noticed no one was using the rooftop football pitch. Want to play a few matches later?"
The other man smiled. "Sure."
The elevator doors opened, and the three of them stepped inside. After pressing the button for the rooftop floor, one of the suited men turned around and noticed Winston standing quietly behind them.
"Oh, looks like we've got one of the hotel staff with us. He can carry our bags."
The other man glanced at Winston. "Hey."
Winston simply nodded in return. Looking down, he realized why they had mistaken him for hotel staff—his Westminster club tracksuit shared almost the same colors as the hotel's uniform.
As the elevator began its ascent, the two businessmen continued their conversation. Leaning against the polished steel wall, Winston couldn't help but smile.
So that's my way onto the rooftop pitch.
Now he just needed to figure out how to push himself beyond his limits and complete the remaining five percent of the Nethen Essence and Voltage Core.
The elevator continued climbing until—
Ding.
The doors slid open.