Leon pulled out his phone, opening a sports app that listed Inter Milan's current squad.
He wanted to get to know his new teammates, to understand their strengths and weaknesses, to see how his 'sight' and new 'Analyze Player Stats' feature would work on them.
He scrolled through the list, his 'sight' immediately activating, bringing up the 'Current' and 'Potential' ratings, along with the detailed attributes he now knew how to access.
[PLAYER: JOSEP MARTÍNEZ] (Goalkeeper)
[PLAYER: ALESSANDRO BASTONI] (Centre-Back)
(Excellent 'Passing' from the back, strong in 'Tackling', good 'Composure'.)
[PLAYER: BENJAMIN PAVARD] (Centre-Back)
[PLAYER: STEFAN DE VRIJ] (Centre-Back)
[PLAYER: FEDERICO DIMARCO] (Left-Back)
(Excellent 'Crossing', good 'Pace', can score free-kicks.)
[PLAYER: DENZEL DUMFRIES] (Right-Back)
(Very 'Physical', strong 'Pace', good 'Crossing', loves to attack.)
[PLAYER: HAKAN ÇALHANOĞLU] (Defensive Midfield)
(Masterful 'Passing', excellent 'Vision', good 'Long Shots', great set-piece taker.)
[PLAYER: NICOLÒ BARELLA] (Central Midfield)
(Box-to-box midfielder, incredible 'Stamina', good 'Dribbling', fierce 'Tackling', high 'Work Rate'.)
[PLAYER: LAUTARO MARTÍNEZ] (Centre-Forward)
(Clinical 'Finishing', good 'Movement', aggressive 'Pressing', strong 'Physicality'.)
[PLAYER: MARCUS THURAM] (Centre-Forward)
(Fast, powerful 'Dribbling', good 'Finishing', strong 'Physicality'.)
Leon scrolled through the list, absorbing every detail. This was a strong squad.
Bastoni, Pavard, Dimarco, Dumfries – a solid defense. Çalhanoğlu, Barella, Frattesi – a dynamic midfield. And up front, the established Lautaro Martínez, the powerful Thuram, and his new wonderkid teammates, Julián Álvarez (Current: 87) and Cole Palmer (Current: 85).
He spent the entire day immersed in Inter Milan. He watched every video he could find of each player: highlight reels, full match replays, tactical analyses. He saw Bastoni's elegant passes from the back, Dimarco's curling crosses, Barella's relentless energy, Lautaro's clinical finishing. He analyzed their 'Current' ratings, their strengths, their weaknesses, and how they would all fit into Chivu's new 4-4-2 formation.
He pictured himself on the left wing, cutting inside, linking up with Álvarez and Lautaro. He imagined his 'Vision' at 95, finding the runs of Barella from midfield, or the overlapping runs of Dimarco. He saw himself combining with Cole Palmer on the other wing, creating a dynamic, unpredictable attack.
This is going to be fun, he thought, a wide grin spreading across his face. A lot of fun.
The next morning, Leon headed to the villa's private gym, a state-of-the-art facility complete with weights, cardio machines, and even a small indoor pitch.
He wanted to start his pre-season training early, to be in peak condition when the official training began. He also wanted to test out his own 'Analyze Player Stats' feature in a practical setting.
He started with a cardio session, then moved to weights. He focused on strengthening his 'Physicality' (Current: 66), his lowest attribute, knowing that a winger needed to be strong to hold off defenders and win aerial duels. He visualized his 'Physicality' rating slowly climbing, point by point.
He then moved to the indoor pitch, practicing his dribbling, his shooting, and his passing. He focused on cutting inside from the left wing, unleashing powerful shots with his right foot. He practiced curling crosses with his left foot, aiming for imaginary strikers.
He tried to perform "unique actions," hoping to earn Skill Points. He pulled off a series of audacious nutmegs on imaginary defenders, a 'sombrero flick' over an invisible opponent, a 'rabona' cross.
Very hard to unlock one skill point, the System's note echoed in his mind. Guess it has to be in a real match, under pressure, against real opponents.
He spent hours in the gym, pushing himself, sweat dripping down his face.
As he finished his session, exhausted but satisfied, his phone buzzed. A notification. He looked at it.
[REMINDER: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LEON!]
[YOU ARE NOW 17 YEARS OLD!]
Leon stared at the screen, a surprised smile spreading across his face. His birthday! He'd completely forgotten in the whirlwind of transfers and Champions League finals. He was seventeen. A year older, a year wiser, a year closer to becoming the best in the world.
He quickly texted his mom. "Mom! It's my birthday! I forgot!"
Her reply was instantaneous, followed by a string of celebratory emojis. "I know, dear! And I didn't forget! I've been planning something! Come downstairs! We're celebrating!"
Leon chuckled. Trust his mom to remember. He felt a warmth spread through him. He was in Milan, living in a beautiful villa, playing for Inter, surrounded by his family, and on the cusp of a new, thrilling season. And he was seventeen. He couldn't wait to see what this new year, and this new club, would bring.