The national team camp was supposed to feel like a dream.
Instead, it felt like a warzone.
Not of violence—but of pressure.
---
Welcome to the Top
The Portugal U17 training facility in Oeiras was pristine. Fresh grass. Flawless kits. Nutritionists, analysts, even a sports psychologist.
But the real difference?
The players.
They were faster. Stronger. Smarter.
And they didn't care who Tobi was.
"You're that Sporting midfielder, right?" a striker from Porto asked during warmups.
"Yeah," Tobi replied, tying his laces.
"You looked taller on YouTube."
The jab wasn't even subtle.
> [SYSTEM WARNING]
"You have entered a higher competition tier. Stat recalibration in progress..."
Previous Stats: Youth Tier
Adjusted Stats: National/Elite Youth Tier
Dribbling: 78 → 72
Passing: 82 → 75
Vision: 85 → 78
First Touch: 80 → 73
Stamina: 75 → 69
Strength: 69 → 66
Composure: 85 → 74
Trait Penalty:
— "Calm Core" downgraded due to increased pressure
You're no longer the best by default. You'll have to fight again.
Tobi stared at the message, jaw tight.
"Good," he muttered. "Then I'll train harder."
---
Grinding in Silence
While others left early, Tobi stayed late.
While some laughed during drills, he was dead silent—focused on every pass, every angle.
Coach João Barros noticed.
"Hardworking one, aren't you?" he asked during a recovery session.
"Yes, sir."
"You're not the most talented here. But... sometimes the game rewards the ones who bleed for it."
That stuck with him.
---
Match Day: Portugal U17 vs Italy U17 (Friendly)
Tobi wasn't in the starting XI.
He sat on the bench, boots tapping the floor nervously. Around him, his teammates looked calm. They were used to this.
He wasn't.
When he was subbed on in the 63rd minute, Portugal were losing 2–0.
He felt the difference instantly.
The Italian midfielders didn't give him space. They pressed him hard, rattled his balance, and tackled without hesitation.
He misplaced a pass in the 68th minute.
Tried a long ball in the 72nd—it got intercepted.
Then, in the 80th, he was dispossessed and Italy almost scored from the counter.
> [SYSTEM UPDATE]
— Confidence: -6
— Coach Impression: Neutral
— Trait "Snap Vision" cooldown increased due to misjudgments
"You are struggling in this tier. Keep grinding."
By the final whistle, the scoreboard read:
Portugal 1 – 3 Italy
No magic. No heroic comeback. Just failure.
Tobi sat in the dressing room, staring at his boots.
No one blamed him.
But no one praised him either.
---
Post-Match Call
Back in the dorms, his phone buzzed.
His mother.
He almost didn't answer.
"Hey," he said quietly.
"You lost."
"Yeah."
"And you didn't play great."
He closed his eyes. "Yeah."
"You still breathing?"
He blinked. "What?"
"You're still breathing," she repeated. "Good. That means you can run again tomorrow."
Tobi chuckled bitterly. "You're brutal."
"No," she said gently. "I just know what it takes. Fall seven times, stand up eight."
Leonor popped up behind her, waving. "Did you get Ronaldo's autograph?"
Tobi laughed for real this time. "No. I'm not there yet."
---
New System Mission
> [NEW OBJECTIVE UNLOCKED]
— Start a match for the U17s and contribute to a goal
— Reward: +3 Trait Points, "Pro Readiness" stat buff
— Sub-objective: Train for 50 extra hours over the next 3 weeks
Tobi accepted it instantly.
If the world wanted him to break, they'd have to drag him down screaming.
Because this time, he wasn't giving up.
---
Coach Barros' Office
"Oliveira," the coach said two days later. "You've had a rough start. But I like your work ethic. I'm starting you next match."
Tobi looked up, eyes wide.
"You'll have 60 minutes. Prove something."
"I will."
Coach smiled. "I don't want magic. I want sweat."
"You'll get blood too if I have to," Tobi said quietly.
---