Hours before the match

Saturday, October 29, 2022

Demien's Apartment, Bergamo

11:52 PM

The apartment was quiet except for the soft sound of Sophia's breathing from the bedroom, and Demien sat alone on the edge of the bed with a towel still draped around his neck while his damp hair dried slowly from the shower he'd taken fifteen minutes earlier.

His phone sat face-down on the nightstand where he'd left it after scrolling through the social media noise one final time—the gossip, the praise, the jokes about his life—and he'd seen enough to understand the narrative without needing to engage with it further.

The room was dark except for the faint glow from the street outside filtering through the curtains, and beside him Sophia slept curled comfortably beneath the blanket while completely unaware of the commentary still circulating online about Friday night's club photos.

Demien exhaled slowly while his mind shifted away from the noise and toward what actually mattered, and tomorrow was Inter Milan at GEWISS STADIUM, and that meant midfield pressure and physical battles with Bolu Marino hunting him relentlessly because he is pretty sure he would go head to head with him.

He needed to be ready.

Not lucky. Ready.

He took another breath and spoke quietly into the darkness.

"System."

The response came immediately, and the familiar blue interface materialized in his peripheral vision with text appearing in clean lines against the quiet room.

「Hello, Demien. Welcome back.」

A brief pause followed before the next line appeared with that same calm efficiency the system always carried.

「What pack will you be opening first?」

The interface expanded smoothly, and his current resources displayed in precise numerical form while the options became clear.

「CURRENT BALANCE」

「540 TP | 12 SP | 379 MP」

The Pack Selection Interface initialized beneath the balance, and each option appeared with its cost structure laid out simply.

「AVAILABLE PACKS」

「Bronze Pack: 50 TP or 50 MP」

「Silver Pack: 200 TP or 100 MP」

「Gold Pack: 500 TP or 200 MP」

「Black Pack: 10 SP」

「Diamond Pack: 50 SP」

Demien studied the screen carefully while his mind calculated what he needed versus what he wanted, and there was no excitement in the evaluation—no impulsive pull toward the highest tier just because it existed—only practical assessment of what would help tomorrow.

Five hundred forty training points meant one Gold Pack with forty TP remaining, or two Silver Packs with change left over, or multiple Bronze Packs that would give incremental gains without meaningful impact.

Tomorrow was Inter Milan.

Physical battle. Midfield pressure. Bolu Marino's relentless pressing.

He didn't need luck—he needed stability.

Composure under pressure. Stamina for ninety minutes. Physical presence to win duels.

Gold Pack made sense.

"Gold Pack," Demien said clearly, and his voice stayed level in the quiet room. "Use five hundred TP."

「GOLD PACK SELECTED」

「Cost: 500 TP」

「500 TP CONSUMED」

「REMAINING BALANCE: 40 TP | 12 SP | 379 MP」

The gold lever materialized in front of him—heavier than bronze or silver, glowing with that particular intensity that marked premium pulls—and when his hand closed around it the weight felt substantial despite being pure interface.

He pulled.

The lever descended smoothly through its arc, and the mechanical click echoed in his mind before the Gold Pack appeared and tore open with that familiar sound of foil ripping, and seven cards flew out in sequence before settling into their arc.

The first card flipped.

Orange light exploded outward, but the glow was deeper and richer than normal uncommon boosts, and when the text appeared Demien's eyes widened slightly.

JUMPING +9

EPIC

The boost settled into his body immediately, and his legs tingled while muscle memory adjusted to the new ceiling of how high he could rise for headers, and suddenly attacking crosses and defending set pieces would feel different because nine points was massive for a single attribute.

Second card flipped.

Grey text appeared.

NOTHING… BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME!

The whiff registered without emotional reaction because that's how gacha worked—some cards delivered, some didn't—and he'd opened enough packs to accept variance without complaint.

Third card.

Orange glow.

STAMINA +3

UNCOMMON

His lungs expanded slightly and his cardiovascular system adjusted, and ninety minutes would feel marginally easier now because three points meant better recovery between sprints and more consistent output in the final twenty minutes when fatigue usually hit hardest.

Fourth card flipped.

Orange again.

COMPOSURE +2

UNCOMMON

His chest settled and his breathing steadied, and decision-making under pressure would sharpen fractionally because composure determined how clearly you thought when defenders closed down and time compressed.

Fifth card.

White shimmer instead of stat glow.

TRAIT SHARD [SPONSOR DEAL SLOT]

Collect 4 to craft: Sponsor Deal Slot

Additional text appeared beneath.

「Sponsor Deal Slot: Unlocks additional endorsement capacity. Allows negotiation of supplementary brand partnerships without conflicting with primary sponsor agreements. Commercial value +15%.」

「Current Progress: 2/4 Shards Collected」

Two out of four now, and the trait was purely commercial rather than performance-based, but having more endorsement flexibility would matter eventually as his profile grew.

Sixth card flipped.

Blue glow—skill shard, not full technique.

RARE SKILL SHARD [STEP-OVER COMBO]

Collect 5 to craft: Step-Over Combo

White text scrolled below.

「Step-Over Combo: Deceptive footwork sequence combining multiple step-overs to create separation from defenders. Particularly effective in one-versus-one situations on the wing or in tight spaces.」

「Current Progress: 1/5 Shards Collected」

Useful for beating defenders in wide areas, and one-fifth of the way toward unlocking something that would add another dimension to his dribbling arsenal.

Seventh card—final card.

Blue glow again.

RARE SKILL SHARD [DRAG-BACK EXIT]

Collect 5 to craft: Drag-Back Exit

More text appeared.

「Drag-Back Exit: Sharp directional change using drag-back motion to create space and escape pressure. Effective when receiving with back to goal or when tightly marked in midfield.」

「Current Progress: 1/5 Shards Collected」

Another shard toward a technique that would help under pressure, and combined with the composure boosts his ability to handle tight situations was improving incrementally.

「RESULTS APPLIED」

The panel updated while his body registered the permanent changes.

Demien nodded quietly while processing the pull's value—solid gains across useful attributes, no game-changers but meaningful improvements that would compound over time—and no complaints formed because this was exactly what he'd needed.

He had twelve special points remaining.

Enough for one Black Pack.

Tomorrow was Inter, and Black Packs guaranteed full skills rather than just shards, and the decision made itself before conscious thought finished processing.

"Black Pack," Demien said.

「BLACK PACK SELECTED」

「Cost: 10 SP」

「10 SP CONSUMED」

「REMAINING BALANCE: 40 TP | 2 SP | 379 MP」

The darker interface pulsed as the black lever appeared—heavier still than gold, almost menacing in its weight—and when he gripped it the resistance felt substantial before he pulled hard.

The Black Pack materialized with more dramatic flair than lower tiers, and when it tore open the sound was deeper and more resonant, and eight cards flew out and settled into their formation.

First card flipped.

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