Ayodeji froze.
The words hung in the air, translucent, like something out of a sci-fi movie. He blinked hard, once...twice, expecting the hallucination to fade, but it didn't.
"What… the fuck?" he whispered.
He sat up immediately. His heart rate monitor quickened, the beeps rising in tempo. Instinctively, he rubbed his eyes, but the screen was still there when he opened them again.
[Become a Legend System Activated.]
[Loading Player Data…]
[Loading...]
He glanced around the room, expecting someone to jump out and yell prank. The nurse's station down the hall was quiet. The only sound was his own breathing and the constant hum of hospital machines.
"This has to be a dream," he muttered. "I'm still dreaming."
The screen flickered as it presented new information.
[Welcome to Football Evolution Interface — where growth and development push you to the very top. Your prayer has been answered by the heavens. do you choose to be a legendary footballer?]
[Yes/No]
Ayodeji couldn't help but blink as he read the message. He tried to wrap his mind around it all, trying to be logical, but he couldn't — concluding internally that it was a dream.
He remembered webnovels that he read in his spare time, most about a person getting a system that elevated every aspect of their life.
"The fact that I can see a system screen really means I'm dreaming," he smiled bitterly. "Then that means I had a dream in a dream."
He sighed as he touched the [Yes] button. Even though he was conscious of this dream, he would try to enjoy it before he woke up. The screen glowed as it presented new information:
[Registering Player....]
[Thank you for registering. You would be moulded from nothing to becoming a legend in football.]
[Your journey wouldn't be all smooth and easy but with determination, you'll be ahead of most in no time.]
'Yeah, right,' Ayodeji replied internally. 'This dream is so weird; last night's match really caused this.'
[But before your journey begins, you need to be fit and ready. No great player starts injured.]
[Player's Health: Healed. Physical Restrictions: Lifted]
Ayodeji's stomach dropped. He stared at the message, then slowly shifted his legs over the side of the bed. Normally, even that much movement made his chest tighten and his breath shorten, but this time… nothing.
He placed one foot on the tile floor. Then the other.
The beeping from the heart monitor steadied, as if mocking his disbelief. He stood shaky at first, waiting for the usual weakness to hit. But it didn't; his body felt… unusually light. Strong.
A laugh escaped him — quiet, almost disbelieving. "No way."
He took a step forward. Then another. Then, almost instinctively, he sprinted — a short dash across the small hospital room. His bare feet slapped against the floor. The monitor cables ripped free, but Ayodeji barely noticed.
For the first time in his life, he wasn't collapsing. He wasn't gasping for air; he was running.
He stopped, chest heaving, eyes wide with a mix of shock and wonder. The blue interface hovered before him again, glowing brighter now.
Ayodeji stared at the screen, speechless — a smile forming on his lips despite everything.
"What are you?" he murmured, eyes glinting. "And why does this feel… real?"
[I am the Football Evolution Interface or FEI for short. I am designed by the heavens to guide on your journey to being a legendary footballer.]
[And you have been awake for the past ten minutes. This is not a dream, Ayodeji; everything happening right now is real.]
Ayodeji laughed. "Ah, you're really joking with me. If this wasn't a dream, aren't I supposed to feel pain from this–oww"
He winced as he pinched his arm; his eyes slightly widened as the realisation settled in. Taking a step back, he couldn't help but say; "What the fuck is happening to me?" His tone mixed with both shock and joy. "I can actually walk and run around?"
[Yes, Ayodeji. You have been fully healed and have no physical restrictions. It's the first step for you to become a legendary footballer.]
"Yeah about that" Ayodeji's eyebrow arched "You said something about being designed by the heavens to help me. What do you mean?"
[It means that I have been sent by the heavens to help you. Your words resonated beyond your world, the heavens simply answered your wish.]
"My words?" Ayodeji repeated "I don't recall saying anything worth–"
'If I could play….even once,'
'I'd make sure we never lose like this again.'
Ayodeji stopped as the words echoed in the back of his mind. Plopping on the bed, he couldn't help himself with a smile "What's happening? Has my life changed?"
[Your journey begins with your training, are you ready to be a legendary player?]
Ayodeji's smile widened further as he glanced at the screen, nodding almost immediately. "Yeah, I'm ready."
[Kindly lay on your bed and close your eyes. You will access the training ground.]
Ayodeji hesitated to lie on the bed, but the feeling in his chest reminded him to trust the system. Releasing a large exhale, he laid on his back and shut his eyes.
A gentle warmth spread through his body, a pulsing rhythm that matched his heartbeat. The sounds of the hospital faded away: the steady beeps, the hum of the air conditioner. Everything had dissolved into silence.
Then came the wind.
A cool breeze brushed against his skin. It carried the scent of fresh grass and sunlight, sharp and pure. His brows furrowed slightly.
Grass?
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
He was standing on a football pitch.
The hospital was gone, replaced by an endless stretch of green. The grass was smooth, vibrant, swaying gently in the wind. Overhead, the sky was a perfect blue, filled with slow moving clouds. In the distance, a single goalpost gleamed white beneath the sunlight.
Ayodeji blinked, trying to make sense of what he was seeing — then froze. He wasn't wearing the hospital gown anymore; he was in a training kit.
A fitted red top, black shorts, white socks pulled up to his knees — the fabric light and breathable, just like the ones professional players wore. Even his feet were in a pair of spotless Nike boots that felt snug and comfortable.
"Whoa" he whispered, staring down at himself.
The breeze tugged at his shirt, and his shadow stretched across the grass. Everything felt too real: the scent, the warmth, the texture beneath his boots.
Ayodeji's lips parted slightly. "...What is this place?"
He turned slowly in a full circle. There were no walls, no ceiling, no end — just sky and light and grass stretching forever. The only sound was the quiet rustle of the wind moving through the grass. Everything shimmered faintly, like a dream caught between real and unreal.
A faint chime echoed through the air, getting his attention.
[Welcome to the Training Ground.]
[This space is your personal arena — where time, stamina, and progress exist solely for your development.]
[Every legend begins with a single kick.]
His gaze drifted to a football resting neatly a few meters away. It gleamed slightly, like it had been waiting just for him.
Ayodeji walked toward it, still half in disbelief. His steps pressed small marks into the turf, and the sound, that soft thud-thud of studs on grass made his heart race.
"For someone who's never played before,"he murmured with a trembling laugh, "this feels so real." When he reached the ball, he hesitated. His body felt strong, healthier than ever but he had never actually played before.
Still, curiosity got the better of him.
Another chime rang out.
[Tutorial Objective: Kick the ball.]
Ayodeji looked at the ball, then at the empty goal."Kick it, huh? That's easy enough."
He stepped back awkwardly, trying to mimic the pros he'd watched a thousand times on TV. He inhaled, braced himself and swung.
Thwack!
His foot connected badly. The ball spun off his boot, rolling unevenly across the grass before flopping to a stop several meters away.
Ayodeji froze. Then blinked.
"…That was embarrassing."
He rubbed the back of his neck, laughing quietly at himself. "Even in a dream, I'm useless. Can't believe I couldn't score that."
[Evaluation: Poor technique. Player lacks fundamental form.]
Before he could even react, more text began to flicker across his vision.
[Profile Loading....]
Ayodeji blinked, confused. "Wait, what profile?" A faint hum filled the air. The glowing letters reassembled, cleaner, sharper.
[Profile Generated!]
Another box expanded, this time displaying a detailed chart:
....
[Profile]
[Name: Ayodeji Olaleke]
[Age: 16]
[Height: 5'9]
[Position: None {Unassigned}]
[Strong Foot: Right]
[Overall Rating: 32]
[Attacking Prowess: 28]
[Ball Control: 30]
[Dribbling: 26]
[Low Pass: 31]
[Lofted Pass: 29]
[Finishing: 24]
[Place Kicking: 25]
[Swerve: 27]
[Header: 22]
[Defensive Prowess: 26]
[Ball Winning: 25]
[Kicking Power: 30]
[Speed: 33]
[Explosive Power: 28]
[Body Balance: 32]
[Jump: 29]
[Weak Foot Usage: 1]
[Weak Foot Accuracy: 1]
[Stamina: 26]
....
Ayodeji stared at the screen, his expression blank for a moment. Then he slowly ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply.
"You're just rubbing salt in my wounds," he muttered, half amused, half defeated. "That kick was enough to know I'm trash."
The system gave no reply, only the faint hum of wind across the glowing field. Ayodeji glanced at the ball again, then at the stat sheet still hovering in front of him. A score of 32 overall. He couldn't help but laugh under his breath.
But then he looked out across the glowing field — the vast horizon, the endless sky — and something shifted inside him. For once, he wasn't just dreaming of football. He was in it.
He smiled faintly, rolling his shoulders. He stepped toward the ball again, this time with something different in his eyes — a flicker of determination that hadn't existed a few minutes ago.
"Alright then... let's try this again."
And for the first time in his life, Ayodeji Olaleke was starting to feel alive.
——
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• kindly push the story forward with your power stones.