Chapter 220: [220] "UPGRADE COMPLETE 2"

If a winger beat his fullback and launched a cross, the Côte d’Azur defenders would inevitably grab Luc’s jersey, pull his shoulders, and try to anchor him to the grass. The Cannon Header consumable was necessary. Even if he could only generate a fraction of a leap, the 300% amplification in rotational force meant he could turn a glancing header into a bullet.

It was an executioner’s tool for a congested penalty box.

"Purchase one," Luc stated.

[TRANSACTION COMPLETE. CANNON HEADER (X1) ADDED TO INVENTORY.]

[REMAINING BALANCE: 75 GP, 50 SP.]

The wind picked up, rustling the bare branches of the oak tree overhead. Zara shifted on the far end of the bench, letting out a quiet groan as the chill bit through her hoodie. Rose remained motionless against his shoulder, her breathing steady.

Luc focused back on the glowing blue text.

He had fifty Skill Points and seventy-five General Points remaining. He needed something to help him navigate the tight spaces inside the box. Nantaise had proven that low blocks could suffocate even the most technical dribblers. Gabriel had struggled endlessly against the touchline, and Max Caster had been denied by a wall of bodies.

[PHANTOM STEP]

[COST: 10 SP, 10 GP.]

[DESCRIPTION: ERASES MOMENTUM PENALTY DURING A SINGLE CHANGE OF DIRECTION. ALLOWS INSTANTANEOUS PIVOT AT FULL SPRINT SPEED WITHOUT LOSS OR GRASS FRICTION INTERFERENCE.]

This was exactly what he needed for the isolation battles. The central defenders in Ligue Alpha were highly trained to read a striker’s hips. They watched the center of gravity. If Luc drove toward the near post at full speed, the defender would commit their momentum to cut off the angle.

Normally, planting a foot to rapidly change direction and cut back toward the penalty spot required close to a second to decelerate, absorb the kinetic energy into the knee joint, and push off in the opposite direction. That second was all a veteran center-back needed to recover or stick a leg out.

The Phantom Step defied physics. It allowed a full-speed sprint to pivot on a dime without the mandatory deceleration phase. It was a guaranteed broken ankle for whoever was marking him.

"Purchase one," Luc confirmed.

[TRANSACTION COMPLETE. PHANTOM STEP (X1) ADDED TO INVENTORY.]

[REMAINING BALANCE: 65 GP, 40 SP.]

He had spent sixty Skill Points and thirty-five General Points. He had equipped himself with a flawless transition touch, an unstoppable aerial strike, and a physics-breaking directional pivot. He was ready for Côte d’Azur.

But as he scrolled further down the catalog, the blue interface darkened slightly, highlighting a specific tier of consumables that he rarely accessed due to their exorbitant cost.

These were the match-breakers. The nuclear options.

His eyes locked onto a specific entry.

[ABSOLUTE STRIKE]

[COST: 35 SP, 60 GP.]

[DESCRIPTION: 100% GUARANTEED GOAL. CONDITIONS: BALL MUST BE STRUCK LEGALLY WITHIN THE EIGHTEEN-YARD BOX. THE SYSTEM WILL MANIPULATE PROBABILITY, DEFENSIVE POSITIONING, TURF CONDITIONS, AND GOALKEEPER REFLEXES TO ENSURE THE BALL CROSSES THE GOAL LINE.]

Luc stared at the glowing text.

100% guaranteed goal. He had gotten it once before, the system upgrade probably gave it a different name. But this one happened to be inside the 18 yard.

He wrestled with the ethics of the item. His entire mindset had evolved over the course of the season. He wasn’t just hunting personal stats anymore. He was the captain of SC Valois. He prided himself on breaking opposition defenses through spatial manipulation, dominance, and sheer tactical superiority.

Buying a guaranteed goal felt hollow. It felt like a betrayal of the sweat equity the squad had invested.

But then, the pragmatic side of his brain engaged.

"Who fucking cares!"

Luc looked at the cost. 35 SP. 60 GP. It would almost entirely drain his remaining balance. It was an astronomical price for a single touch of the football.

He calculated the math. He currently had 40 SP and 65 GP. If he purchased the Absolute Strike, he would be left with exactly 5 SP and 5 GP.

He scrolled back to the top of the catalog, checking the lowest-priced items. The cheapest consumable in the store was the Adrenaline Spike, which cost 10 SP to clear lactic acid buildup for ten seconds.

Purchasing the Absolute Strike would lock him out of the store completely for the time being. He would be reduced to a minimum balance that couldn’t buy a single additional consumable until he earned more points on the pitch.

It was a total liquidation of his assets.

Luc stared out at the gray sky. He felt the cold wind biting against his cheeks. He felt the solid, reassuring weight of Rose resting against his shoulder. He was fully healed. He was returning to the starting eleven. He had the tactical blueprint to dismantle Côte d’Azur, and he now held the tools to ensure his body executed the commands perfectly.

The Golden Boot was his. The league title was theirs to lose.

He would not let a chaotic bounce of the ball or a desperate defender’s face block cost his team the championship.

"Purchase the Absolute Strike," Luc ordered, his internal voice hard and resolute.

The system processed the command instantly.

[TRANSACTION COMPLETE. ABSOLUTE STRIKE (X1) ADDED TO INVENTORY.]

[REMAINING BALANCE: 5 GP, 5 SP.]

[INSUFFICIENT FUNDS FOR FURTHER PURCHASES. STORE LOCKED.]

The glowing catalog vanished. The blue text confirming his drained balance lingered in his vision for two seconds before the entire interface dissolved, fading back into the muted colors of the park clearing.

The transition back to reality was seamless.

The ambient noise of the distant traffic swelled. The wind rustled the dead leaves gathered around the legs of the wooden bench.

Rose shifted slightly against him. She lifted her head from his shoulder, blinking the morning chill from her eyes. She sat up straight, pulling the collar of her windbreaker tighter around her neck to block the wind.

She turned her head, looking at him with a mild, curious expression.

"Did you say something?" Rose asked, her voice slightly raspy from the quiet rest.

Luc turned his head to meet her gaze. He felt the terrifying arsenal of weapons currently locked inside his inventory. He felt the certainty of his physical recovery.

"Just talking to myself," Luc replied, a wide and dangerous grin breaking across his face.