"Three goals, a clean sheet, and we're sitting in 7th! Montella, you madman, you actually pulled it off!"
In the manager's office, Daniel Pradè—Fiorentina's Sporting Director—was pacing like a man who had just won the lottery. The financial reports were in: 100% attendance. Ticket revenue was at an all-time high. The "Renzo Effect" wasn't just winning games; it was balancing the books.
Montella leaned back in his chair, a smug grin on his face. "Remember when you told me I was insane for making a sixteen-year-old our tactical engine? You looked like you wanted to fire me on the spot."
Pradè laughed, clapping Montella on the shoulder. "That's why you get paid the big bucks, Vincenzo! You're the pro. I just sign the checks."
Montella looked down at the stat sheet. It was staggering.
Pass Completion: 98%
Key Passes: 9
Distance Covered: 11.2km
Renzo Uzumaki hadn't just played; he had conducted a symphony. Even when Verona tried to suffocate him with man-marking, he had evolved, using his gravity to pull defenders away and letting Aquilani take the lead. He was a coach's dream—a player who understood the game better than men twice his age.
The Reward and the "Scrap"
The locker room was a riot of noise. Cuadrado was already planning a victory dinner, shouting "Long live the Gaffer!" after Montella announced a full day off.
"Enjoy yourselves," Montella warned Captain Pasqual. "But keep them away from the wine. We fly to Liverpool in four days. Everton isn't going to roll over like Verona did."
By 1:30 AM, after a massive team meal (where Cuadrado spent the whole time bragging about his goal), Pasqual dropped Renzo off at the player dorms. Exhausted but buzzing with adrenaline, Renzo hopped into the shower.
Steam filled the small bathroom as he called up the System Interface.
[Mission Complete: The Home Debut]
Objective 1: Win the match (✓)
Objective 2: Record an assist (✓)
[Rewards Distributed]
1x Blue Elite Treasure Chest
2x Free Attribute Points
Feature Unlocked: [Scrap Reforging Mode]
Scrap Reforging? Renzo frowned, the soap suds stinging his eyes. That's a bit rude, isn't it?
He tapped the screen to activate the new mode.
[Detecting Host Attributes...]
Attributes below 75: Found.
Attributes below 65: Multiple found.
Status: "Scrap" confirmed.
[Initiating Scrap Reforging...]
"Hey, wait a minute—" Renzo started to complain, but the bathroom lights flickered and died.
The roar of the shower vanished. The tiles under his feet turned into a cold, endless white floor. Renzo blinked, wiping water from his eyes, only to realize he was standing completely naked in a vast, glowing white void.
The showerhead was gone. The dorm was gone. There was nothing but him and a massive floating holographic screen.
"What the hell?!" Renzo yelled, his voice echoing in the infinite space. "Is this part of the training?! I'm literally mid-shower!"
The system's cold text scrolled across the air:
[Welcome to the Reforging Chamber. You have 2 Attribute Points. Warning: Your physical strength (62) and tackling (45) are currently classified as "Total Trash." Everton's midfielders will break you in half. Shall we begin?]
Renzo looked at his naked reflection in the holographic screen. He looked at the looming "Everton" fixture on his mental calendar.
"Fine," he muttered, shivering in the void. "But if I catch a cold in here, I'm suing this system."
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