The Football Legends System

The tunnel was dim, almost sacred in its silence—except it wasn't silent.

Not really.

Behind the thick concrete walls.

Tens of thousands of voices rose in waves—songs, chants, the pounding of drums, the piercing shrill of vuvuzelas.

The sound pressed in like air too thick to breathe.

Nathan Berry walked steadily, every step echoing faintly off the ground. Ahead, the tunnel opened up like the mouth of a beast—spitting them into history.

He could hear Foden breathing beside him. Quick.

Saka, on the other side, was mumbling something under his breath, lips moving to a beat only he could hear.

Nathan's gaze lifted. Bright light spilled in from the pitch, flickering against the walls. Just a few more steps now.

He let out a slow breath.

Haaah…

And then, just before his foot touched the turf, he whispered:

"Let's take a look at them… now I've got an edge no one else has."

Ping!

A translucent screen flashed into existence, hovering just before his eyes. Smooth, seamless. Visible only to him.

He blinked. The screen responded to his thoughts.

And just like that—above the heads of players, numbers and ratings began to appear.

Clack! Clack!

Cleats on concrete.

The Argentina players emerged on the opposite side of the tunnel, blue and white kits gleaming under the lights.

Boom! The crowd exploded again.

Cameras flashed.

Flags waved in madness.

Nathan's eyes locked in.

One by one...

Ángel Di María – Ability: A | Potential: B

Julián Álvarez – Ability: S | Potential: S

Rodrigo De Paul – Ability: A | Potential: A

Enzo Fernández – Ability: S | Potential: SS

Then—

Lionel Messi – Ability: SSS | Potential: SSS

Nathan's breath hitched.

"…SSS on both… Of course. It's Messi. He is the standard."

He felt his throat tighten slightly—but he didn't look away.

No fear. Not today.

"They're stacked… but no one's invincible," he murmured. "Every legend has a crack in their armor."

The screen shifted again.

[World Cup System Activated]

[Special Perk for International Matches: Temporary Skill Fusion – Only available before kickoff]

Choose three legendary skills to fuse temporarily (balancing rules apply)

Three empty golden slots appeared, pulsing with potential.

Nathan's heart skipped.

"This is… like using cheat codes!!!!!!!"

His mind raced.

"Ronaldo's shooting… Messi's dribbling… Bellingham's passing…"

[Rejected – Fusion deemed unfair]

"Tch… heeey! What's unfair about that?!"

The system responded again.

[You may request one random legendary skill in the style of a football icon]

[Do you wish to activate it?]

He nodded, lips curling into a grin. "Alright. Let's do it… give me something special."

[Random Skill Activated: Spirit of Falcao]

Haaaah…

Nathan closed his eyes and let it wash over him.

The moment the screen faded, he felt it.

Not like a stat boost. Not like a game buff.

It was instinct.

His muscles seemed to hum with electricity.

His awareness sharpened—suddenly, he could feel the spaces between defenders. He didn't need to see passing angles. He knew where they'd be before the ball even moved.

He opened his eyes.

"I got it," he whispered. "Let the match begin."

Pitchside – Moments Later

The anthem ended.

Flashbulbs popped like fireworks.

Then—BEEEEEP!!

The whistle.And the spell broke.

"Here we go!" The commentator's voice cracked with excitement. "The long-awaited opener: England vs. Argentina! Lionel Messi… versus the rising star, Nathan Berry!"

Nathan barely heard it.Everything had narrowed.Noise faded. The air grew denser.

Boom!

The ball rolled Argentina's way first. De Paul and Enzo snapped into motion—short passes, fast feet. The ball danced between them like it knew the rhythm by heart.

Then—Whump!—Enzo sliced a long diagonal toward Di María on the far flank.

Luke Shaw read it.

Thud!A hard interception. No nonsense.

"Go!" Jude barked.

Bruno caught the loose ball and zipped it forward.Nathan stepped into space, hand raised—

Zip!

Bruno fed it to him. First touch.

Tap.It stuck to his foot like glue.

Acuna approached. Nathan didn't slow.

A faint shift of weight.Left, then right.

The defender bit.

Tch!

Nathan spun off with a short burst and fed Saka with a disguised pass wide.

Boom!

Saka struck it.

Just over.

The net rippled—but from behind.

"AAAH—!" the England fans gasped in unison.

Nathan exhaled sharply. "Haaah…"

That was the first warning.

6th Minute

The ball rolled back toward midfield.

Messi received it in stride—chested it down.

The stadium hushed.Thousands leaned forward.

Even time seemed to hesitate.

Messi jogged forward, casual. Disguised intent.A faint drop of the shoulder—he skipped past Declan Rice.

Then another shimmy—he glided around Jude.

Nathan froze. This man is different.

Then—

Threaded through ball!Sharp. Perfectly weighted.

Lautaro Martínez burst through.

Crack!

Low shot.

Onana dove—

Thwack!

Saved!

The rebound spilled out, but Stones cleared it with a desperate boot.

"YEEEEEAAHHH!" The crowd ignited again, hearts pounding.

"Keep your heads!" Jude shouted. "We stay in it!"

9th Minute

A breath, then another wave.

Nathan sprinted to the right, signaling.Foden looked up.

Whish!

The ball came. But so did Romero.

Big, fast, aggressive.

Nathan didn't flinch.

He used his body—Thud!—absorbing the contact, back to goal.

Then—

Tap.A blind backheel flick to Foden, who circled around.

Cheers erupted.

A simple moment. But brilliant.

Nathan jogged back into space.

"Nice flick," Foden muttered with a smirk. "Cheeky."

Nathan grinned. "Had to give the cameras something."

11th Minute

Argentina pressed high. This time, Enzo launched a lofted ball toward Álvarez.

He chased it like a hound.

Kyle Walker kept pace but the striker nudged ahead.

Boom!

Álvarez struck from the edge of the box—

Hissssss—!

Just wide.

Nathan turned, watching it roll past the post.

Too close…

The match felt like a pendulum—back and forth, never resting.

But that was fine.That was where he thrived.

13th Minute

England rebuilt.

Jude Bellingham, calm and precise, carried it past midfield.

Nathan drifted left, dragging Romero with him.

"Now," he whispered. "Give it."

Jude delivered. Clean.

Nathan turned with it in stride.

Full sprint.

Romero pressed—Nathan didn't slow.

The goal grew in his vision. The moment swelling inside him.

Then—The "Spirit of Falcao" surged to life.

[Skill Active – Aggressive Striker Instinct][Elite Movement in the Box – Triggered]

He didn't even need to look.

He cut between Romero and Acuña with a perfectly timed diagonal run.

Foden saw it.

Floated cross!

Nathan rose early.

Body torqued. Neck coiled.

Crack!

A powerful header—downward, bouncing toward the near corner.

But Martínez moved.

Thwack!

Fingertips pushed it wide.

The net almost billowed.

Nathan landed, stumbled forward, hands on knees.

"Tch… unbelievable."

The fans roared in appreciation. Both sides.