NOVEL WEB Chapter 4: New Skill: Tactics
Seeing Marcus ignore him, Ian grew angrier, his expression darkening. "Doesn't seem like the latest model. How about this: you wash my boots for two months, and I'll give you a pair of the latest ones?"
"Hahaha..." The group behind Ian burst into laughter. Some grinned widely, while a few had somber expressions, seemingly disapproving of Ian's behavior.
"Oh." Feigning a sudden realization, Ian smirked. "You're not even an official United player yet. Your contract with the team is only six months."
"Counting the days, it's almost up. So maybe you don't need to bother washing them. I wouldn't want you to miss out on the pay by not completing the term."
Another round of laughter echoed, and Ian laughed heartily, shaking his head as he continued to provoke, "It's a pity, though. A kid like you with no family—once you leave, you'll never come back here again."
After his taunts, Ian and his group strolled past Marcus, their steps light and joyous.
"Thud!" Just then, a loud, dull sound rang out. Marcus suddenly drew his calf and shot the ball hard toward the goal, but its trajectory happened to intersect with Ian's path.
At this distance, hitting someone wasn't difficult. With his current level, Marcus could do it easily.
"Oof!" Ian turned instinctively at the sound, only to have the ball slam into his stomach. The force caused his abdomen to cave in, leaving him clutching his belly and kneeling on the ground in agony. He let out groans of pain, his face filled with fury.
"What are you doing?!" A teammate close to Ian supported him while pointing an accusing finger at Marcus. "This Frenchie! You must've done it on purpose!"
Two others with hostile expressions moved aggressively toward Marcus, seemingly ready to start a fight. The scene instantly grew chaotic. Players from other parts of the field gathered to watch, some sighing while others secretly enjoyed the spectacle.
"Shooting. Are football players afraid of being hit by a football?" Marcus shrugged, a faint smile curling on his lips. "That would make them cowards."
With that, he turned and walked off the field. The experiment's results were satisfactory, and it was time to head back to rest. Behind him, the others hesitated but didn't pursue. Starting a fight at the club was definitely unwise. If the coaches found out, they could face suspension, expulsion, or worse.
Marcus's shot was clearly intentional, but his control over the situation was just right, leaving no grounds for further pursuit.
"Damn it!" After some deliberation, two local players, still seething, grabbed footballs and tried to mimic Marcus by aiming shots at him. But their aim was so far off that the balls didn't come within a meter of Marcus. The pair exchanged embarrassed looks, their faces turning red as they resorted to shouting, "You just wait!"
The next morning, at 9 AM, Training Facility Gym.
The entire United U17 squad was sitting in a high-class room with benches arranged in a semi-circle manner.
"In the English football system, with the Premier League as the benchmark, technical confrontation is always the main theme," head coach Hans said as he paced, scratching his bald head.
"Therefore, today we will focus on main tactics, fast-paced attacking approaches, and switching between defence and attack during the games!"
"I don't want United's youth academy to churn out technically skilled but tactically weak players. My players must have strong, calculating minds to compete."
"Many of you already possess footballing skills at the level of League One or even the Championship. But no team will loan you because they fear you can't handle the tactics or frequent switches in-game!"
Hearing the coach's evaluation of their skills, many players' eyes lit up with excitement as a match between Barcelona and United began rolling out on the projector. To them, the Championship and League One weren't mere lower-tier leagues—they were ideal stepping stones to hone skills, gain exposure, and increase their value!
"Damn Frenchie, I'll skin you alive someday." Unlike others who were dreaming of a professional career, Ian was still stewing in yesterday's humiliation, muttering incessantly as he glared at Marcus.
That name was clearly destined for obscurity—one of those half-baked players who never made it big. He was different. He had a bright future ahead of him and just needed to focus on improving his skills. Such a person wasn't even worth considering an opponent. A bit more effort, and he'd leave Ian far behind.
Marcus noticed Ian's hostility but didn't pay him any attention.
"Okay, today we will capture the wonderful play of our united and tactical approach of Sir Alex Ferguson. Be sure to pay attention to how the players move the ball too! Let's begin!"
As Coach Hans played the footage and began explaining issues of the opponent and various stuff, most of the players, as he expected, ignored the session. However, he noticed a few trainees attending diligently. Among them all, he was very surprised and satisfied to see one person.
'Marcus, I hope you take this class to heart.' He watched Marcus as he scribbled notes on his pad and thought to himself.
On the other side, Marcus was displayed with a pleasant surprise. Abruptly, a few lines of text suddenly appeared before Marcus's eyes, grabbing his attention.
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[Skill: Tactics Lv1]
[Edit Experience points: 129/300]
[Attributes: Game Awareness [E], Decision-Making [F]]
[Effect: You've started to grasp the importance of understanding how football works and enhancing mental confrontations, but you're still too weak. You crave the moment of your next upgrade.]
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A new skill? Marcus's eyes lit up. Tactics Lv1… was it triggered by the ongoing video analysis? It seemed his hypothesis was correct—specific training sessions could unlock corresponding skills. But why was the proficiency for Tactical Lv1 the same as Long-Range Shooting Lv2?
"Interesting," he murmured to himself, a faint smile playing on his lips. Marcus's motivation surged, and he continued jotting notes while eagerly planning his next steps.