Elian stared at the screen in front of him. "These are quite basic skills…"
Meta sighed. "Be realistic here, man. What were you expecting? Something that'd make you fly?"
Elian shrugged. "I guess you're right."
Elian closed the message. "So…coach. Which one are we going for first?"
Meta spoke. "Hmm…let's see… It's quite a difficult task for me to select which one of these you would need most. But for now, Set piece expertise would be the best for you. Since you're not yet a striker, it would be the best skill to develop first. Then eventually, you'll be given a chance to play as a striker."
Elian cracked his knuckles in excitement. "Alright, set piece expertise it is then."
*Ding!*
System: "Mission accepted. Score hundred free kicks within two hours to increase your mastery with set piece expertiseand level up the skill. Click to start."
Elian knew what was happening though, this skill wasn't something that he'd just gain by doing nothing. If he managed to actually score hundred free kicks within two hours, then it meant he was becoming better at free kicks. That was the system's aim, it was going to train him this way. But it had its own bonuses, and Elian never counted on the amazing thing that occurred next.
"Alright, here we go." Elian clicked accept and he was surprised by what happened next. It really confirmed to him that this system was real. Elian's environment changed and he suddenly saw himself in a big stadium, a wall made of five average players whose faces were unseen. A standard post was a few yards away from him with a faceless goal keeper in front of him. The GK was very well positioned as he directed the wall. He gave them instructions and they followed. Elian looked at his feet and a ball appeared, it all appeared so real to Elian.
Woah! Elian gasped in awe. "Hey, Meta, what's happening? How is the Awakening System transforming my environment? What if someone sees this?"
Meta chuckled slightly at the boyish joy Elian showed. "This isn't real, the system has taken you to an imaginary place inside your head, a training ground."
Elian was even more surprised. "Since when was my imagination this good and real? I can feel the grass beneath me!"
"That's because it's partially real. The experience you'll get from this place is quite real." This isn't your brain working now, it's borrowing power from the Awakening System, and or rather The Awakening System is doing this. It's connected to your brain, so it's quite easy for it to simulate something like this.
"Woah, that's quite the AI this is. Where is my body now?"
"It's still in the field, where else would it go? Except that, for you to fully capitalize on the Awakening System and truly improve in this spatial training ground, you have to be completely detached from the real world to avoid distractions. That is why your brain has shut off every sense in its body, channeling them all into this place. Right now, you've passed out. That's the right way to put it. But even at that, The Awakening System has perfectly simulated your body structure in this place, so you can also consider it as you being in this place. You'll also get tired as you do in the real world, the only difference is that you won't be able to become mentally exhausted and your physical body won't be tired. So if you're actually able to control it perfectly, then it becomes a good asset for you, considering the fact that you can also study in this place." Meta answered patiently.
Elian nodded slowly. He was understanding it now. Looking around again, he saw that the stadium was completely filled up, the weather was smooth and the crowd was staring at him, waiting for him to release a shot. This was where he saw himself yesterday, this was what Meta had shown him. But he had thought it was a vision. So that was actually him scoring all those goals? He thought he was an onlooker.
"Who came up with this idea? This system, who built it?" Elian asked, suddenly getting a very strong urge to worship that person.
Meta sighed. "That's one information I'm not I'm not privy to. But this mode is known as the Awakening System's Training Zone. It helps you to train always and anytime, even when you're asleep, without consuming your physical energy."
"So I can enter the system's Training Zone whenever I want?" Elian asked, excited at the prospect of doing so.
"Yes." Meta replied. "You can do so, when you get to level 10. As of now, this mode's only available to you when you are taking on training sessions and missions held by the system."
"The system holds training sessions?"
"Yes."
Elian took a deep breath as he stared at the ball, he was ready to start.
Thud!
The first free kick attempt Elian tried went high and wide, missing the goal post by a large margin. Elian was wowed by how wide the attempt went and he glanced up at the timer in front of him. Beside was the number 0/100.
The crowd all around him in the spectator's seats booed at him. A loud number of them sighed in disappointment, it was all too real.
Elian was a bit hurt. "Why do this people have to be here? And why are they booing at me? It's a bit distracting, they are so loud."
Meta replied him with a perfect answer. "This is exactly how it'll be on the grandest football stage, the boos and insults of the enemy fans would be the loudest, so you'll have to get used to it, and remain composed at all times."
Elian tried another shot and the ball went completely wide too. He was now frustrated, he had tried six times and they were all poor attempts, even though some were better than the others. He wondered if it was just the System making it hard for him.
"Is it the system doing this?" Elian asked, a bit confused. "Is this some sort of difficulty stage?"
"No." Meta replied. "The difficulty stage would be unlocked when you get to level three. That's when you'll see stuff like gravity level. It would make gravity in the training zone much heavier, causing you to have a little trouble lifting the ball or even moving your legs properly. But for now, this is all on you!"
"So what's the problem?" Elian asked, feeling helpless.
"You're getting it all wrong! I'm so tired of watching this."Meta said in a bit of annoyance, watching Elian miss over and over again.
Elian was panting slightly. "What do you recommend I do? What am I doing wrong?" Elian didn't like the idea of submitting so easily to the rude bot, but he had no choice. More than ten minutes had passed and he had only managed to score once against the goal keeper.
Meta paused for a moment. Then he started explaining the techniques of shooting and taking set pieces to Elian.
"The best method to score in such a situation is to spin the ball, curl it around the defenders and away from the GK's reach, then make sure it serves back into the goal post." Meta ended his speech, then as if remembering something, it added quickly. "Let me generate a video on that."
As Meta finished, a message popped up saying:
Click to Watch Live Tutorial.
Elian wasted no time in clicking and someone appeared in front of him, it was really alive video in every sense. And it was no doubt that it was he who had appeared, it seemed the Awakening System had memorized his face perfectly. Elian watched closely as he executed the free kick perfectly, scoring a magnificent goal. He replayed the live tutorial, analyzing and watching closely as played the free kick over and over again.
"Now, try again." Meta said, his voice authoritative.
"Ay ay coach."