He clicked to the next slide showing the week's training schedule.

"This week's focus is clear," Gasperini said. "We stick to our four-two-three-one. We play our game. But we need to be sharper in our movement, faster in our decision-making, more clinical when chances come. Inter will give us limited opportunities. We need to take them."

The training plan appeared on screen:

Wednesday PM: Sharper transitions, quick combinations

Thursday AM: Physical duels, pressing resistance

Thursday PM: Set piece preparation

Friday AM: Light tactical walkthrough

"Questions?" Gasperini asked, and silence answered him. "Good. Wednesday session starts in thirty minutes. Get changed."

The squad filed out of the tactical room, and conversations began in low voices about Inter's setup and the challenges waiting at San Siro, and Demien walked alongside Koopmeiners while processing everything he'd seen in the footage.

"Marino's the real deal," Koopmeiners said quietly. "Played against him last season. Doesn't give you a second to think."

"Yeah," Demien replied, his mind already working through how to operate in tight spaces against that kind of pressure. "I noticed."

The system logged the session when they reached the locker room.

「TACTICAL SESSION COMPLETE」

「REWARD: +10 TP」

«Current Balance: 530 TP | 12 SP | 379 MP»

Thursday, October 27, 2022

Centro Bortolotti Training Complex

10:00 AM

Thursday's training reflected Gasperini's message immediately.

Duels were harder as players paired off for one-versus-one challenges where the defender's objective was to prevent the attacker from turning and playing forward, and the physical contact was encouraged within reason while the coaching staff watched closely for technique rather than just effort.

Demien faced Pasalic in one sequence, and the Croatian midfielder's strength made turning with the ball nearly impossible, and when Demien tried to shield possession Pasalic's shoulder pressure forced him backward, and the message was clear—against Marino, time and space wouldn't exist.

Pressing drills followed with shorter duration but more intense execution as teams of five pressed against seven for thirty-second intervals, and the objective was to force turnovers through coordinated pressure rather than individual chasing, and by the third repetition legs were burning and lungs were working hard.

Midfielders were forced to play under immediate pressure with touch limits—two touches maximum during possession sequences—and the restriction eliminated hesitation because there wasn't time to scan twice or wait for perfect options.

Demien felt it in his legs and lungs as the session progressed, but also in his awareness because less time meant fewer options meant faster decisions, and the adjustment wasn't comfortable but it was necessary.

The Fiorentina headlines were still there in the background—sports websites still featured clips, social media accounts still posted tactical breakdowns—but they were starting to fade as Inter Milan took over the conversation in Italian football circles.

When the session ended, the system registered the work without additional commentary.

「TRAINING SESSION COMPLETE」

「Quality: Intense」

「REWARD: +10 TP」

「Current Balance: 540 TP | 12 SP | 379 MP」

Friday, October 28, 2022

Centro Bortolotti Training Complex

10:00 AM

Friday arrived quietly.

Training wrapped earlier than usual with lighter intensity and sharper focus as Gasperini walked the squad through final tactical adjustments for Saturday's match at San Siro, and the session lasted only sixty minutes before players were dismissed to rest properly.

By noon the training complex had emptied, and Demien drove home through Bergamo's streets while his mind was already replaying Bolu Marino's clips—the positioning, the timing, the relentless pressure that didn't allow opponents to settle.

Saturday would be different from Fiorentina.

Different from Napoli.

Different from anything he'd faced so far.

He reached his apartment building just after one PM, and he parked in his usual spot before grabbing his training bag from the backseat and walking toward the entrance with his keys already in hand.

The building was quiet on a Friday afternoon as most residents were still at work, and Demien climbed the stairs to the second floor while his legs felt the accumulated fatigue from the week's training, and when he reached his door something felt off.

The door was slightly open.

Not wide—just a few centimeters—but enough that the latch hadn't caught properly, and the gap showed darkness inside rather than the afternoon light that should have been filtering through his living room windows.

Demien froze.

His heart rate spiked immediately, and adrenaline flooded his system while his mind processed possibilities—did he forget to close it properly this morning, did someone break in, was someone still inside—and he dropped his training bag quietly before looking around for something to grab.

An umbrella leaned against the wall near the neighbor's door, and he picked it up while his hand tightened around the handle, and he stepped toward his apartment door with his pulse hammering in his ears.

He pushed the door open slowly with his free hand, and it swung inward without sound because the hinges were well-maintained, and the darkness inside was broken only by shapes of furniture he recognized but couldn't see clearly.

"Who's there?" Demien called out, and his voice came low and cautious. "I'm calling the police if someone doesn't answer."

Nothing.

Silence answered him while his eyes adjusted to the dim interior, and he took one step inside while keeping the umbrella raised defensively, and his breathing was controlled but his muscles were coiled tight.

Then suddenly—someone jumped out from behind the door.

"BOO!"

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

Demien's scream was high-pitched and piercing—completely undignified and unmistakably like a startled girl—and the sound echoed off the apartment walls while he stumbled backward, and the umbrella clattered to the floor as his free hand went to his chest where his heart was trying to escape through his ribs.

Standing there laughing was Sophia.

Her laughter was genuine and uncontrolled as she doubled over slightly with both hands covering her mouth, and her eyes were bright with amusement while Demien stood frozen in the doorway trying to process what had just happened.

"Your face!" Sophia managed between laughs. "Oh my god, your face!"

Demien's initial shock transformed into something between relief and annoyance, and his breathing was still unsteady while he bent down to pick up the umbrella he'd dropped.

"What the hell, Sophia?" he said, and his voice cracked slightly on her name. "I thought someone broke in!"

"I know!" She was still laughing. "That was the point!"

"How did you even—" He paused and looked at the door, then back at her. "How did you get in?"

Sophia held up a key between her thumb and forefinger, and her smile shifted from pure amusement to something more knowing. "You gave me a spare, remember? Last month when I helped you move furniture?"

Demien did remember, vaguely, and he ran his hand through his hair while his heart rate was finally starting to slow down.

"That doesn't explain why you're here," he said.

"Wanted to surprise you," Sophia replied, and she walked past him into the living room where she turned on a lamp that made the space less ominous. "Figured you'd be tired after training all week. Thought I'd bring lunch."

She gestured toward his small dining table where a bag from a local restaurant sat beside two wrapped packages, and the smell of food finally registered over his fading adrenaline.

"You could have just knocked like a normal person," Demien said, though the annoyance in his voice was already fading.

"Where's the fun in that?"

She was smiling again, and despite the scare and the elevated heart rate and the undignified scream that he'd never admit happened, Demien found himself smiling too.

A/N

Merry Christmas guys!!!!

Yeah the bonus chapter for the golden ticket..

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.