From Arsenal, Forge the Path to Football God

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"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The sound of Maël's feet making contact with the Soccer Ball echoed again. Filled with energy, he continued practicing, waiting for his proficiency to change.

This was a turning point, one that could very well alter his Soccer Ball career! He had to cherish it and put in even more effort.

After dozens of training sessions, Maël called up the panel again.

[Skill: Long Shot Level 1]

[Proficiency: (38/100)]

[Effect: You gradually feel]

"Indeed, there's been an improvement."

Maël's eyes lit up. At this rate, he might be able to upgrade Long Shot to Level 2 in just two or three days.

What would it be like then? It would probably have some power and accuracy, right?

Excitement welled up inside him, but it was quickly followed by a question: "I wonder how to acquire other skills?"

Long Shot was certainly an important shooting technique, more than enough to satisfy him in the early stages.

But in the long run, he couldn't keep practicing just this one, could he?

"Do I have to keep practicing repeatedly like today, until I finally understand?"

Maël had a hunch, but he didn't waste too much time thinking about it. He picked up the Soccer Ball and started his shooting practice again.

No matter what, he had to upgrade Long Shot first!

Time was running out, and he needed to have a standout feature to catch the eye of the Coaching Staff!

"Bang!"

Maël swung his leg and took another shot. Overwhelmed by excitement, he kicked too hard and sent the ball soaring into the sky.

He wasn't discouraged at all; instead, he let out a joyful howl, as if everything was looking up.

If the Team Equipment Room hadn't already closed, he would have borrowed a few more Soccer Balls to kick and retrieve.

No, if he had the money, he would have hired a few ball boys to fetch the balls for him!

But once he got better at Soccer Ball, he wouldn't have to worry about money anymore.

Maël dreamed of the future. He wanted to buy a house full of soccer shoes, a few villas, and a few luxury cars.

He never wanted to wear cracked shoes again. He wanted a pair of custom-made super shoes.

Time ticked by, and the sky gradually grew dark.

Maël didn't know how long he had been practicing or how many shots he had taken.

When his field of vision started to shrink, he finally stopped, dragging his leaden right leg and carrying the Soccer Ball back to the Dormitory.

He called up the panel and glanced at it. As expected, his proficiency had increased significantly again!

[Skill: Long Shot Level 1]

[Proficiency: (61/100)]

[Effect: You gradually feel]

"Tomorrow, I'll take more Soccer Balls to improve efficiency. I'll definitely reach Level 2!"

Even though he was drenched and exhausted, Maël felt refreshed. He hummed a tune as he walked back to the Dormitory.

Not long after his shower, the phone rang. It was Uncle calling.

"How have things been these past few days?" Uncle's voice came from the other end.

"Not bad, I've made a lot of progress, but I'm not sure if I can stay."

Maël answered honestly. He remembered that Uncle had been good to the original owner, even though he didn't fully support his soccer career, he certainly didn't oppose it.

But due to financial pressure and Aunt's pressure, it had become increasingly difficult to support him.

If he had really been worried about wasting money, he wouldn't have let the original owner choose this path when he was young.

"It's best if you can stay, but if not, come back here. I'll help you find an apprenticeship and work your way up. Do you have enough money?"

"Enough." Maël nodded. They usually slept in the Dormitory and ate at the Training Base's Canteen, so there wasn't much to spend on.

Especially after Coach Hans lent him a pair of soccer shoes, he had nothing to worry about.

"Younger Sister has been looking for you. I'll let her take the phone, Eva!"

The sound of footsteps approached, followed by a sweet, excited voice: "When will big brother come back?"

"That depends on whether big brother can stay here."

Maël smiled. Uncle's youngest sister, Eva, was seven years old and had the best relationship with the original owner, being the most adorable.

"Can I see big brother play on TV?"

The voice on the other end was innocent and cheerful. "I'm about to have summer vacation, so I can go out every day. I want big brother to take me to eat pizza."

"I'll take you if I have time."

Maël replied. Chatting with a well-behaved child always made him feel warm. He thought for a moment and added with a smile, "I hope by the time summer vacation comes, big brother will be playing on TV."

"Okay." The other side didn't realize that big brother was making a promise, nor did they understand the significance of his second sentence.

After a few more casual words with Uncle, Maël hung up the phone, feeling a wave of drowsiness.

He turned off his phone and prepared to sleep, but it buzzed a few times.

He opened it to see a bank transfer notification. 300 euros had been transferred to his account, bringing his balance to 529.5 euros.

Another message followed, from Uncle's phone number: "It's been a long time since you bought new soccer shoes. Buy a pair tomorrow. Uncle can't give you much, but I hope you can achieve your dreams at Arsenal."

Maël was stunned for a long time, feeling a mix of emotions.

A surge of motivation burst from his heart, spreading through his body. It was as if he wasn't alone.

Whether from exhaustion or a change in mood, he slept soundly that night.

The next day.

The sun was bright, and the breeze was gentle.

Maël woke up feeling sore all over, probably due to the intense training the day before.

There was no way around it; proficiency and muscle memory were built through such gradual practice.

After breakfast in the Canteen, Maël went to the equipment room and borrowed 10 Soccer Balls, then headed to the field to start his shooting practice.

It was Sunday, the team's only Rest Day without a training schedule.

This suited Maël perfectly, as he wanted to focus entirely on practicing Long Shot.

Usually, the Arsenal Youth Academy had two training sessions a day: Morning Training and Afternoon Training.

In the morning, they either practiced basic skills or strength and fitness. Afternoon Training was always Technical and Tactical Training, focusing on team coordination.

In addition, they had two Cultural Studies classes each week.

After a brief warm-up, Maël placed all the Soccer Balls in front of the Penalty Arc and fired off two shots, both hitting the target with good quality.

It seemed that the proficiency increase from yesterday was already showing its effects.

This made him even more eager to upgrade and look forward to the future.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

One after another, the Soccer Balls hit the Goal Net, causing it to shake violently and indent.

With more Soccer Balls this time, the efficiency was higher.

The speed at which his proficiency increased was also faster than the day before.

Seeing the numbers on the panel rise, Maël's motivation never waned, and he didn't stop for a moment.

By nearly eleven, he finally had to stop due to exhaustion.

A wave of nausea hit him. Despite the significant exertion, he had no appetite.

This was a reaction to overexertion, usually only occurring after intense physical training.

"The more this happens, the more I need to replenish my energy."

Maël drank some water and rested for a while before forcing himself to finish lunch in the Canteen.

After a nap in the Dormitory, at three in the afternoon, he dragged his tired body back to the training field for another round of practice.

The sense of torment gradually intensified. After the initial excitement and novelty, the monotony and pain finally set in.

But Maël didn't give up or reduce his training intensity.

"Bang! Bang!"

He kicked shot after shot, even as sweat poured down and the world spun. He continued to kick mechanically.

Finally, after one shot, Maël felt a surge of strength in his legs and ankles, and his muscle memory for shooting rapidly improved.

[Skill: Powerful Shot Level 2]

[Proficiency: (1/300)]

[Effect: After long practice, your Long Shot ability has begun to show its potential. When you have sufficient preparation time and full power, you can occasionally produce an excellent Long Shot!]

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