NOVEL WEB Chapter 98: 98
The match wasn't over yet.
Gu Ran calmly adjusted his socks before slowly pushing himself up from the turf.
This indirect free kick was his to take—as soon as he kicked the ball, the game would be officially over!
Limping slightly, he made his way to the ball.
Not far ahead, Belward stood expressionless, watching him.
Without hesitation, Gu Ran swung his foot and launched a powerful clearance deep into the opposition's half.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
The referee blew the final whistle—
The match was over!
"WE WON!"
"HAHAHA! WE WON!"
"HELL YEAH! WE'RE THE BUCKS STEEL HORNS!"
"Screw those aristocratic brats! They're only fit to bow before us!"
The entire Bucks Steel Horns squad went absolutely wild!
Substitutes, Coach Carter, and even Maria, who was holding her medical kit, all stormed onto the field!
Ding~
Gu Ran heard a crisp system notification in his mind.
A blue skill bubble formed beneath Belward's feet.
Gu Ran focused his thoughts on it—
[High-Speed Dribbling +1]
Oh hell yeah!
Finally! He had been waiting for this!
He immediately absorbed the skill bubble.
High-Speed Dribbling +2!
Today's collection progress: 10/10!
This was pure bliss!
With the adrenaline and dopamine flooding his system, Gu Ran felt like he was floating.
Ding~
Just then, another system notification popped up.
"Congratulations, Host! Due to successfully integrating over 100 hours of training into an official match, corresponding attributes have been improved."
[Physical Stamina] → Increased from 63 to 64. [Explosiveness] → Increased from 65 to 66. [Dribbling] → Increased from 68 to 69.
"Note: Attribute growth from gameplay does not count towards talent point upgrades."
Holy crap!
This was amazing!
So as long as he trained for over 100 hours and applied it in a real match, his attributes would grow naturally?!
Today's match wasn't just a victory—he leveled up and picked up new skills along the way!
But most importantly—
His dribbling attribute had started at 68?!
That meant technical skills from his past life as a street footballer were carrying over!
If that was the case, then his passing and shooting skills should be decent too…
"Gu—"
Just as Gu Ran was basking in his excitement, Maria came sprinting over in high heels, her chest bouncing dangerously.
But before she could reach him, Coach Carter rushed in first, blocking her path.
Gu Ran: …
Coach, move aside, please.
Before he could protest, Carter grabbed him in a tight hug and tackled him to the ground!
"GU! YOUR FOOT! IS YOUR FOOT OKAY?!"
Right now, Carter didn't care about anything else—only Gu Ran's injury.
He hadn't officially declared Gu Ran the team's core, but in his heart, he already was.
Especially after this match!
Gu Ran had completely revitalized the Bucks Steel Horns!
If he was injured and couldn't play in the next game, Carter would probably lose his mind.
Gu Ran quickly reassured him, "Coach, I'm fine!"
Rusty, standing nearby, interjected, "Coach, I'M not fine!"
Maria finally arrived, panting, and shoved Carter aside.
Without hesitation, she yanked off Gu Ran's cleats.
"Maria, I swear, I'm fine—"
"Off!" Maria snapped, tearing off his socks in one swift motion.
Whoa!
That was fast!
Did she specialize in undressing techniques or something?!
Gu Ran couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity.
His foot wasn't badly injured—there was just some redness and swelling from where Belward's cleats had stomped on it.
Maria gently pressed on his foot.
"Does it hurt?"
Gu Ran shook his head. "Bones are fine. Just a bit sore."
Maria adjusted her glasses, leaning in for a closer look.
Right at the center of his foot, there was a tiny abrasion—but no bleeding.
Maria frowned. "Good thing I caught this in time! Stay still, I'll apply some medicine."
Gu Ran covered his face, sighing internally—
"Yeah, great timing! If you waited any longer, it would've healed on its own!"
Rusty hesitantly spoke up, "Uh, Maria? My forehead is bleeding. Can you—"
Maria, without looking up, "Just slap a band-aid on it. You're fine."
Rusty: ???
Gu Ran: …
Carter breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that Gu Ran was genuinely okay.
He glanced up at the VIP section—but Old Lais' seat was already empty.
Carter clapped his hands. "Alright, everyone back to the locker room!"
"YES, COACH!"
The team exited the field triumphantly.
Gu Ran started putting his cleats back on, but Maria stopped him.
"I just applied medicine. Let it absorb first. Come on, lean on me."
Wait…
Was this really appropriate?
Gu Ran hesitated for a moment—then immediately threw his arm around Maria's soft shoulders.
With a bashful smile, he said, "I feel bad troubling you, Maria. Thank you."
—His young body was just too honest.
Maria held onto his firm back, eyes sparkling.
"You promised to win for me… and you really did.
Gu, you're amazing~"
Whoa—Maria, don't praise me like that!
His young body couldn't handle this kind of flattery!
Gu Ran focused on keeping his heartbeat under control.
Back in the locker room,
Carter entered last, holding a stack of post-match reports.
"Alright, listen up!
"That was an INCREDIBLE match!"
"Honestly, I was only expecting a draw. But you guys went above and beyond!"
"We took three points off those entitled noble brats!"
"Here's the latest group ranking update—"
Golden Fleece: 2 Wins, 6 Points (1st Place). Bucks Steel Horns: 1 Win, 1 Draw, 4 Points (2nd Place). Pirate Ship: 1 Draw, 1 Loss, 1 Point (3rd Place). Wild Boar Jazz: 2 Losses, 0 Points (4th Place).
"We're holding onto 2nd place! Our chances of advancing are looking really good!"
"YEAH!!"
The team erupted in cheers!
Before this match, making it past the group stage felt impossible.
Now? It was within reach!
Carter raised his hand for silence.
"Next, we're up against Golden Fleece. We need to keep this momentum. No slacking! Are you ready?"
"YES, COACH!"
"BUCKS STEEL HORNS! UNSTOPPABLE!"
Carter smiled proudly.
"Now, let's announce the Man of the Match—"
He paused dramatically, then grinned at Gu Ran.
"With a post-match rating of… 8.5! Our MVP is—GU RAN!"
Thunderous applause filled the locker room!
Even Gu Ran was a little stunned.
An 8.5 rating?!
That was good enough for professional-level play!
But before he could dwell on it—
After returning to Southampton by train, the players went their separate ways.
As Gu Ran was about to hail a taxi, Maria approached him.
"Gu, do you have plans tonight?"
She adjusted her glasses, exuding that dominant older-woman aura.
"Want to… come over to my place?"
…
(End of Chapter.)
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