American Football: Domination

Travis Kelce swore he didn't mean to dampen the mood. He just wanted to make sure the team didn't pile all the pressure onto Lance alone.

After all, the league was already crazy enough about him. They were teammates, brothers-in-arms. At the very least, the team should shoulder the pressure together.

Of course, Kelce delivered this with his usual playful style.

Amid the flood of jests and mock attacks, Kelce turned to Lance, raising his hands in a mock surrender, his lips curling into an amused grin.

Then, he silently mouthed the words, "Sorry."

Lance noticed.

He waved dismissively toward the rest of the locker room, a grin tugging at his lips. "Don't worry about him—he's just jealous."

Turning back to Kelce, Lance spread his arms wide in a mock embrace. "Don't worry, Travis. I'll take you along for the ride."

Roar!

The locker room erupted. Lance's confident, almost messianic posture sent the team into a frenzy. Cheers, whistles, and the pounding of lockers created an orchestra of celebratory chaos. The victory party was just getting started.

Finally, Lance managed to carve out a little personal space.

Facing his locker, he began organizing his things, using the task as a cover to summon the system in his mind.

Sure enough—

The moment had arrived.

Time to draw a card!

Lance had predicted this. As time passed, and more importantly, as his abilities improved, it became harder to fill the progress bar. But the escalating intensity of training and the heightened demands of professional games had slightly increased the rate of progress.

There seemed to be a balance, ensuring a consistent pace of growth.

After all, at its core, this was a training system.

And the pattern held true.

Since his last card draw, the progress bar had slowed significantly. Regular training no longer yielded much progress. However, the grueling intensity of two NFL games had accelerated the bar's advancement—so much so that it reached full capacity during the game.

100%.

The progress bar was maxed out, and now Lance had earned another chance to draw a card.

He took a deep breath, steadying himself.

There was no need to wait.

Now was the perfect time.

As Mahomes had jokingly pointed out, Lance's undefeated streak in official games had everyone calling him "Lady Luck."

And today, that luck felt especially strong.

Without hesitation, Lance activated the card draw.

Jackpot!

A glowing blue card materialized before him, its soft light shimmering in the air.

"Card: Injury Negative Impact Reduction (50%)"

A jackpot indeed!

Lance's initial reaction was to punch the air in triumph, but he quickly restrained himself, opting for subtlety instead.

It truly was his lucky day.

Back when he first activated the training system, the S-tier Adrian Peterson training template had understandably been the highlight. It laid the foundation for Lance's success on the field. But as time went on, Lance realized the true gem in that starter pack was the Injury Negative Impact Reduction Card.

As a running back—a position built on collisions and constant contact—every game and every practice subjected Lance to relentless punishment. Even without major injuries, the wear and tear on his body was inevitable.

Injury was an occupational hazard.

Adrian Peterson, widely considered one of the greatest running backs of the modern era, owed much of his success to his durability. Even when injuries occurred, they rarely derailed his career—a rarity for someone in his position. For running backs, this kind of resilience was invaluable.

This was why, during the 2017 draft, Leonard Fournette was praised for his build and durability, while questions lingered around Lance and Christian McCaffrey's ability to withstand physical punishment.

Lance himself had noticed the difference.

Two NFL games in, and while he hadn't been injured or felt unwell, his body could sense the increased intensity. Compared to NCAA play, the NFL was a whole different beast—perhaps two levels above.

Every recovery session—whether it was cooling down, massages, or warm-ups—had become critical in minimizing the toll on his body.

That was where the Injury Negative Impact Reduction Card shone.

Even in the absence of injuries, the card reduced the strain on his body, mitigating the effects of repeated collisions.

When combined with the Recovery Enhancement Card, the effects were exponential. These cards didn't just help Lance maintain his mid-season form; they were the keys to a longer, more successful career.

The only downside?

The card from the starter pack had just a 10% effect.

Lance had often wondered about the maximum potential of these cards. Over a year later, he was finally holding a card with a 50% effect.

Without hesitation, Lance summoned the system.

He wanted to test something. Could two cards with the same effect stack? If they could, combining the 10% and 50% cards would yield a 60% reduction—a potential game-changer.

Lance removed his Training Effectiveness Boost Card and attempted to equip the new Injury Reduction Card alongside the old one.

Denied.

"Cards with identical effects cannot be equipped simultaneously."

A message popped up.

It was a minor disappointment, but Lance wasn't upset.

After all, 50% was a massive improvement.

He swapped out the old 10% card for the new one, then re-equipped the Training Effectiveness Boost Card. Breathing deeply, he felt the weight of anticipation.

Regardless, this second game had exceeded all expectations. The Injury Reduction Card alone made it an unqualified success.

Lance couldn't wait for the upcoming matches.

Who knew? Maybe the system's next card draw would bring even greater surprises.

As he prepared to close his locker, Lance's phone buzzed.

He glanced at the screen—it was an unfamiliar number.

Normally, he wouldn't bother answering, assuming it to be spam or an overzealous fan. But buoyed by his good mood, Lance decided to take a chance.

He pressed answer.

"Hey, this is Lance. Who's calling?"

A warm, confident voice responded, "Yo, man, this is LeBron."

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Powerstones?

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