He instantly entered a state of deep concentration. At this moment, his eyes didn't see the view before him as silent and inanimate, instead he was in that match, at the left side of the pitch, facing a perfectly setup defensive line.
His breathing became silent, his whole being pursuing that particular feeling he experienced that night.
The first attempt was good, 9.5/10 execution, but it was not what he wanted.
Second, third, fourth, fifth attempts followed. He neared that state of perfect execution with each completed attempt.
He breathed in deeply, focused entirely on replicating that moment. Not just physical execution, but also that mental state.
Then it happened the next instant.
The reality... shifted.
Time didn't slow down. That's a misconception.
Instead, his mind accelerated.
Suddenly he could see it. Not imagine, not predict. SEE.
It's as if the whole field shifted into an entire new dimension. But on the second glance everything was the same as before. He felt like he could directly see the future. The feeling of time moving in an entirely new dimension in a constant steady flow instantly elevated his ability to anticipate plays before they could even happen.
He nudged the ball with a very silky touch, keeping it glued to his feet as if he fitted a magnet on his boot. The ball's trajectory if he touched it 24 degrees left—he could see the arc it would make, precisely where it would land on his foot.
This was a very different type of sensation. He was seeing with the same eyes as before but was perceiving things he didn't even know existed.
He could see-the acceleration burst, done at an angle of 47 degrees would open up the space, the exact path through. The shot angle of 11 degrees far post, dippin trajectory with a curve. He could see the ball's flight path to the net as if he'd already kicked it.
Previously he could have only achieved one of these visions with a very high concentration, but it never came to him as of now.
From the first touch to the shot he felt like five full seconds. But the reality: 0.4 seconds.
His body was executed with zero delay. Zero conscious thought. The cut-inside move flowed like water.
Touch. Feint. Acceleration. Shot.
The whole sequence of action was smooth and aesthetically pleasing. It was not that he consciously pursued aesthetics.
It's the mix of sheer efficiency, timing and unpredictability.
There is a hidden relationship between aesthetics and skill level of a player. The movements of most top players are very aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Some moves are so brilliant that there were even instances when even the rival fans would appload for it.
Simple, efficient and straightforward moves are not aesthetically brilliant.
Chaotic, frenzied and rushed moves are also not very beutiful.
It is when a player blends both of these finds a unique balance between them that would give the viewer a visual thrill.
Marco's cut in move has already reached this realm.
Moreover with the perfected cut-in move as pedestal, he has touched upon something else.
Something greater.
The ball curved into the top corner of the empty net. And then the feeling faded.
Marco stood there, breathing hard. Not physically tired. But his mind felt...different. Like he'd just sprinted mentally.
What the hell was that?
He looked around. No one had seen it. Just him alone on the training pitch.
But something had definitely happened. For those few seconds, his mind had worked... differently. He couldn't quite articulate it into words. He felt it was faster, cleaner but also with an increased control?
Since no one has witnessed this scene and couldn't quite give an opinion, he decided to ask the only other witness to this scene.
'System, what was that just now? It was not the cut-in move right. I definitely felt something different. Is this perhaps the milestone you said I would achieve after reaching any of the skills to perfection?'
The system previously indicated that, if he could bring any of his skills to 10/10, then there would be a significant change. He has never forgotten about it.
Then a system notification appeared in his vision:
[ANALYZING...]
[IDENTIFICATION COMPLETE]
[You have experienced "FLOW STATE" – Peak human performance condition, also known as "THE ZONE"]
[What occurred:
Mental processing speed: 4.1x normal cognitive rate
Pattern recognition: Enhanced dramatically
Time perception: Subjective dilation
Physical response: Optimized, zero delay between thought and action
Duration: 6.3 seconds
Mental stamina cost: LOW
]
[SPECIAL NOTE:
This is not a system granted ability. This is not supernatural or artificial. This is a natural human phenomenon.
Elite athletes access flow state instinctively during peak performance. Some call it the 'zone'. Others describe it as slowing down. Scientists call it flow state.
]
[There are several ways to enter into the zone, varying from person to person. Most people try to associate it with a personal ritual. You can only enter it willingly if you have linked the state with certain triggers through practice.
You have just linked this state in you with a perfected skill move. You have to further solidify this trigger over time and try to enter at this state willingly.]
[Currently you are not able to sustain this state for extended duration. You have a safe usage limit of 15 minutes. Mental fatigue will begin to accumulate after the safe usage time.]
Marco read the explanation twice. Then a third time.
A state where his mind worked four times faster than normal. Where he could SEE plays before they happened. Where patterns emerged from chaos with perfect clarity.
And it was REAL. Not system magic. Not artificial enhancement. His own brain's natural capability.
Just... most people never learned to access it deliberately. It happened by accident, in moments of peak performance, then disappeared.
But the system could help him LEARN it. Understand it. Control it.
He looked at the ball, then the goal. Then back at his hands.
"Okay," he whispered to himself. "Let's try again."