THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

"System," Zachary mumbled, trying to keep his emotions in check after reading the system notifications. "Please show me the rest of my data."

"DING"

"Command received," the system AI replied right away. "User data coming up on the interface."

****

SOCCER G.O.A.T SYSTEM

SYSTEM LEVEL: 3 (7253/10000 Juju-points to level-up)

USER: Zachary Bemba

AGE: 18 years

TALENT ASSESSMENT: Grade-A

JUJU-POINTS: 7253

(Evaluation: A promising and sensational young professional player)

USER MENU

*USER STATS

*G.O.A.T MISSIONS

*SYSTEM SHOP

*SYSTEM LOTTERY

*SNOOPING TOOL

NB: Please level up the system to unlock more functions.

****

Zachary didn't linger on the home page for more than a couple of seconds. With a quick glance over the interface, he'd already noticed that there weren't any recent marked changes in the contents of the home menu. Only his stock of Juju-points had increased significantly since the last time he checked the menu.

So, without wasting time, he clicked on the User-Stats tab before navigating to the Physical-Fitness sub-menu.

****

*USER STATS

->Physical Fitness (Av. Rating: A+)

Balance and Coordination: A+

Agility: A+

Strength: A+

Stamina: S-

Endurance Points: 4943/18,000 (S-)

****

Zachary felt exhilarated after perusing through his physical fitness stats. Over the past couple of months, he'd started getting anxious since he'd taken long without making any marked improvements. But after two of his core attributes making a breakthrough to the S-grading, he'd finally put all the worries to rest.

At least, he could be sure he was still on the right track. He was still making improvements, and that thought brought a smile to his face.

However, he was still confused about one detail.

"System," he mumbled after settling down on his bed. "I've been getting faster and faster over the previous few months. I'm pretty sure my speed has risen by a large margin. How come my endurance and stamina attributes have made breakthroughs to the S-grading first? Why didn't my agility improve instead?"

"The stamina and endurance attributes were the user's highest-graded stats prior to obtaining the system," the AI replied, its voice sounding directly within Zachary's mind. "That implies that the user was originally talented in those two attributes. So, the user will always find it easy to upgrade those two attributes compared to the others. Besides, the physical-conditioning-elixir that the user has been consuming for over two years has helped him advance the two stats faster than expected."

"The user must also understand that upgrading the stamina and endurance stats to the S-grading first is a good thing," the AI continued in its apathetic voice. "Otherwise, the user would lack the necessary stamina reserves to support the high rate of consumption while using the S-graded agility or skills."

"Oh," Zachary said, a light bulb going on in his head after hearing the AI's explanation.

He'd not considered that the higher the grading of his attributes or skills, the more stamina they would need as fuel. So, for instance, if he'd upgraded his agility to the S-grading first, he would, of course, get faster with the ball. But he would also find it hard to sustain his top speed for extended periods of time since he would be burning through his endurance faster.

"I understand," he mumbled, letting out a breath and closing the system interface. He decided to consider using the A-graded physical-conditioning-elixir only after using up his current dosage of the B-graded one.

His mind was at ease as he headed to the bathroom. He quickly washed up and donned a fresh tracksuit. A few minutes later, he finished eating his breakfast and said his goodbyes to his grandma. Without dilly-dallying, he got into his Audi Q7 and drove to the Planet Hollybum Hotel to check on Kristin.

"Long time no see, Zachary," Kristin said as soon as he'd settled into a chair opposite hers in the Planet Hollybum Hotel's restaurant. She was in the middle of taking her breakfast and seemed to be in a good mood — basing on the smile that was framing her face. "How have you been?" She asked, placing her cup on the table.

"I'm fine, Kristin," Zachary replied, flashing her a smile. "You seem quite happy. What have you been up to these past few days that has lightened your mood?"

Kristin's mouth curved upwards into a genuine smile at the corners. "I've visited the Lubumbashi zoo, the TP Mazembe stadium, and even traveled to the outskirts of Katanga to look at the wildlife."

"You even moved to the outskirts of Katanga!"

"Yes. I hired a reputable tour company recommended by my grandpa to take me around the place. So, I've already hiked in the wild on several occasions. I've also done some mountain climbing and experienced a lot more fun things. But my trip here would have been a tad bit more enjoyable if my travel companion had taken the time to check on me — maybe once or twice over the past couple of weeks."

Zachary sighed, shaking his head on hearing her indirect verbal jab. "Sorry, Kristin," he said. "I had quite a lot on my plate back at home. I didn't even get enough time to complete the entire training schedule that I'd planned for this vacation."

"Oh," Kristin said, creasing a brow. She looked genuinely concerned. "What happened? Is everything okay at home?"

"A week ago, my mind wasn't in the right place," Zachary replied. "But I'm now well and ready to head back to Trondheim and play football."

"Then, that's good, Zachary," she replied, leaning back into her seat and holding his gaze. "I'm glad you're now okay."

"You know," she continued, "Many of my friends have assured me I'm quite a good listener. So, if you have anything that you want to unburden from your mind, you can talk to me, and I'll listen."

"Thanks, Kristin," Zachary replied, smiling at her. "That means a lot. But I've already managed to handle what was bugging me. I'm fine now."

"That puts my heart at ease, Zachary," she said. "So, is the plan still the same? Are we traveling back to Trondheim tomorrow? Or should we stay here in Lubumbashi for a few more days?"

"You seem to be enjoying yourself here," Zachary remarked.

"As I said, I'm not complaining. The sights around here are quite spectacular. I would love to spend some more time here."