Chapter 26: The First Training
The ink was barely dry on the contract when the reality of professional football hit. Signing for Abahani Limited wasn't just about a jersey; it was about the sudden, crushing weight of expectations.
The next morning, Rimon didn't wake up to an alarm. He woke up to the System.
[Sync Rate: 14.8%]
[New Status: Professional Athlete (Registered).]
[Active Buff: Home-Grown Pride (Slightly increases stamina when playing for a local club).]
By 6:00 AM, Rimon was already on a public bus heading toward Dhanmondi. He could afford a rickshaw now with the signing bonus sitting in his mother's account, but he needed the hum of the city to keep his head clear. He spent the ride staring at a printout of Keats's Ode on a Grecian Urn, trying to memorize the stanzas before the 10:00 AM Romantic Poetry lecture.
When he arrived at the grounds, the atmosphere had shifted. He wasn't the "trialist" anymore. He was the "Sensation."
Hassan was already there, looking sharp in the sky-blue training kit. "Rimon-bhai! Look at this!" he shouted, pointing to his locker. "The medical team actually checked my ankle this morning. They gave me real physiotherapy! Because of you, we aren't just khep players anymore."
Rimon nodded, pulling on his sky-blue jersey. It felt heavier than the cotton t-shirts he wore in the mud.
[Sync Rate: 15.0%]
[Calibration: Official Kit Weight Adjusted.]
[New Skill Unlocked: Field Command (Level 1) - Teammates within 10 meters receive a 5% boost to positioning awareness.]
As they stepped onto the pitch, the seasoned Abahani veterans were waiting. These weren't the academy kids he'd schooled earlier. These were grown men—senior national team players who had seen "viral wonders" come and go.
"So this is the kid," a tall defender with a scarred eyebrow muttered. He was the captain, a man known in the league as 'The Wall' Jewel. "Listen, boy. I don't care about your YouTube clips or your 'Barefoot' title. On this pitch, you're just a rookie. If you can't handle a tackle from me, you won't last a minute against the Kings."
Coach Farhan blew his whistle. "Match simulation! First-team vs. Reserves. Shoaib, you're playing the '8' role for the reserves. Let's see if that vision works when Jewel is trying to take your legs off."
Rimon stood in the center circle. The world was a hazy blur of sky-blue and grass-green. He closed his eyes for a second, letting the System take over.
[Tactical Overlay Active.]
[Enemy Level: Elite (BPL Standard).]
[Warning: Jewel is utilizing a 'Hard Press' strategy.]
The whistle blew. Jewel didn't wait. He charged at Rimon like a bull, his eyes fixed on the ball. But Rimon didn't panic. He saw the "line of force" Jewel was generating. He waited until the last possible millisecond, then executed a simple, elegant drag-back that left Jewel sliding into the grass.
Without looking, Rimon chipped the ball over the midfield line.
"Hassan! Now!"
Hassan didn't even have to think. The ball landed on his chest, and he was through on goal.
Farhan watched from the sideline, his arms crossed. He looked at his watch. Five seconds. Rimon had neutralized the league's toughest defender in five seconds.
But the System suddenly flickered red.
[Warning: High-Intensity Physicality Detected.]
[Status: Your physical stats are 40% below BPL average. Technique cannot compensate for raw power forever.]
A second defender, much faster than Jewel, slammed into Rimon's shoulder. Rimon went down hard, the wind knocked out of him. The veteran stood over him, grinning. "Welcome to the real league, kid. We don't play poetry here."
Rimon looked up, his glasses-less eyes squinting at the sun. He felt a surge of adrenaline. He wasn't angry. He was analyzing.
He stood up, brushing the dirt off his sky-blue jersey.
"Section 1 of the match simulation," Rimon whispered to himself, a small, dangerous smile playing on his lips. "The introduction is over. Let's get to the climax."
Author Note:
Rimon vs. 'The Wall' Jewel! 🧱⚽ The veterans are definitely not making it easy for him. It's one thing to dominate a neighborhood game, but the BPL is a different beast entirely. They play rough, and they play to win.
I love how the System is calling out his physical stats. 📉 Rimon might have the brain of a god, but he's still got the body of a guy who spends 8 hours a day in a library! He's going to need more than just "Odes" to survive these tackles.
And Hassan finally getting real medical care? 🏥 That's the heart of our story right there. Rimon isn't just playing for himself; he's lifting everyone up.
Next chapter: The training continues, and maybe we see how Rimon handles his first "Professional" locker room drama? Stay tuned! 🔥💪