While Gerrard was still reeling from the first volley, Renzo Uzumaki was already moving for the second.
The ball rose again. This time, Ren didn't use the flat of his instep. He tilted his ankle, striking the ball with the "outside" of his boot—the trivela.
Gerrard's eyes nearly left his head. An outside-of-the-boot pass is notoriously difficult to control; the contact patch is smaller, and the spin is erratic. But in Ren's hands, the ball traced a vicious, screaming arc through the damp air. It looked like it was heading for the corner flag before it suddenly snapped inward, as if pulled by a magnet.
CLANG.
The crossbar groaned under the impact.
A genius, Gerrard thought, his heart thumping. An absolute, pure-blood maestro. How is this kid not starting for the first team?
"I want to try something a bit more difficult," Ren said, his voice calm, almost detached. "I might botch this one, so don't laugh."
More difficult? Gerrard's mind jammed. What's left?
Ren flicked the third ball up. He didn't just hit it; he deadened the spin. It was a "knuckle-pass." The ball flew straight and true, struck the crossbar with a dull thud, and instead of flying off into the stands, it bounced directly back toward Ren.
Ren didn't let it touch the ground. He cushioned it on his chest, let it drop to his thigh, and without a moment's hesitation, lashed it back at the bar.
CLANG.
Again, the ball returned to him like a loyal dog. He caught it on his foot, balancing it effortlessly. He could have kept going all night.
Gerrard felt a wave of profound melancholy wash over him. He was jealous. He was deeply, painfully jealous of Tottenham Hotspur. Between Harry Kane upfront and this boy in the middle, Spurs weren't just looking at a "good run"—they were looking at a decade of dominance.
"Why did I come here today?" Gerrard muttered, his chest tightening. "I came to drown my sorrows, and now I've found a reason to lose sleep."
"There you are! You little psycho!"
The roar shattered the moment. Bill Vance stormed onto the pitch, his face a purple, swollen mess of bruises and indignation. He looked like he'd lost a fight with a moving train.
Vance stopped short when he saw the Liverpool legend. "Steven Gerrard? What are you doing out here?"
"Passing through, Bill," Gerrard said, his voice turning cold. He glanced at Vance's ruined face, then back at Ren. He was beginning to put the pieces together.
"Stay away from him, Steven!" Vance spat, pointing a shaking finger at Ren. "The boy is a maniac! A liability! Just because I didn't put him on the first-team invite list, he attacked me! He's finished!"
Gerrard's brow furrowed. First-team invite list? This boy shouldn't be an "invitee"—he should be the centerpiece of the entire club. He looked at Vance's swollen eyes and realized the man was a fool. A lucky fool who was sitting on a gold mine he was too blind to see.
Vance, misinterpreting Gerrard's silence as agreement, sneered at Ren. "Did you think you could go over my head? Latch onto a legend like Stevie G to get a trial? Forget it!"
Vance pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, waving it like a trophy. "I've already called the board. The termination notice is being filed as we speak. You're not just off the list, Renzo Uzumaki—you're out of the club! Your contract is null and void for gross misconduct! You're a free agent!"
Gerrard froze. He leaned in, his voice low and dangerous. "You're saying... the club is terminating his contract? Right now?"
Vance laughed, a shrill, arrogant sound. "One word from me, and he's gone. Dealing with these upstarts is easy when you have the power. Why are you looking at me like that, Steven?"
Gerrard's lips twitched. He tried to maintain his "concerned veteran" persona, but the sheer, ridiculous luck of the situation was overwhelming.
"Nothing, Bill," Gerrard said, his voice trembling with suppressed glee. "You've done... a very thorough job. A spectacular job."
He turned to Ren, his eyes shining with a sudden, predatory hunger.
"I just remembered something very happy."
[Ding! System Task: Impress a Legend (Completed!)]
[Reward: Influence of a Legend (Passive) - Your name will now be mentioned in elite circles.]