My Football Legends Chat Group-Chapter 62: Remember the space

Without waiting any longer, Rio brought up his new stats in the System and stared at them with glee as he hopped around the physio room.

USER STATS:

Physical Fitness: S-

Shooting: S

Passing: B

Game Intelligence: S-

Mental: S-

Skills: 15

PHYSICAL FITNESS: (Avg. S-)

Balance and Coordination: S

Agility: S

Strength: A

Stamina: S

’It looks like my passing has finally reached the B grade,’ Rio commented inwardly, flexing his fingers.

Since he had always focused on dribbling and shooting in the past month, his passing was actually one of the areas that had fallen behind. However, he was not disheartened at all.

With his High Football IQ from the legends and the Image Training provided by the System, it would only be a matter of time before his passing was upgraded to create chances like De Bruyne.

"Rio! It’s almost time to leave!" His father’s voice snapped him out of his train of thought from the waiting area.

"Coming!"

As Rio stepped out of the medical room, Carlos performed a double-take, dropping his car keys.

"Rio?" He asked curiously, almost not even recognizing his own son.

Rio’s jaw seemed sharper, and his eyes more determined. The frame which used to be slight and wiry now seemed dense and explosive, boasting a calculated strength within that radiated power.

Carlos could only look at him dumbfounded for a few moments, trying to match up the athlete in front of him with the skinny boy he had been raising all of these years.

"Sorry Dad, I’ll be ready in five seconds," Rio said apologetically, grabbing his hoodie and hurrying to the exit.

Rio’s father just stood and watched him stride towards the door in a daze, still not understanding what was happening.

"What’s wrong, Mr. Lance?" Rob, the physio, saw Carlos staring off into the distance and approached him with concern.

Instead of answering, he asked a question softly.

"When did my son grow up so much?"

Rob didn’t respond for a while. Since he had seen hundreds of athletes develop, he was usually unfazed.

"I don’t know," He answered simply, shaking his head. "Puberty hits late sometimes. But this... this is different."

Ever since this time last month, Carlos had noticed a tremendous change in the way Rio acted. It was as if the impulsive and insecure teenager had been replaced overnight by a professional.

Since he had been enjoying being close to his son once again after the Mateo drama, Carlos had overlooked the situation and just lived in the moment. However, now that the physio had mentioned something, his mind began to pour over their interactions in the past month.

Rio was no longer rash; his maturity levels having increased by leaps and bounds. He was disciplined, never missing a meal or a gym session for even a single day apart from today when he had the "fever."

Carlos had even noticed that it felt like talking to another adult whenever they discussed tactics or contracts.

Yet he shook his head in the next moment before responding. "He’s just turned nineteen not long ago; growth spurts are a mysterious thing. One moment they’re still kids and the next moment they’re men like us."

He placed his hand on the door handle, comforting himself. It seemed as if these words had done the trick as he felt himself calm down considerably.

"Yeah, you’re right," Rob replied, turning around and heading back to his office.

A smile formed on Carlos’s face, showing just how proud he was.

Still smiling, he saw Rio walk back towards him from the car, startling him greatly.

With one swift movement, he dropped his bag and took a defensive stance.

"Who are you!?" His voice was deep and menacing, unknowingly speaking out in rapid Spanish.

"Huh!?" Rio looked at his father who was now in front of him, looking as if he wanted to tackle him.

"Dad, what are you doing?" Rio’s voice came out deeper than usual, causing him to stop for a moment.

"Rio?" Carlos paused, moving closer a little to inspect the person.

Now that he was out of the shadow of the hallway, he could finally see his son’s features up close, causing him to let out a sigh of relief. Yet even though the anxiety had disappeared, he was inwardly shocked at just how different his son looked.

"What happened to you? Why do you look so... solid?" Carlos said after a while, inspecting his son from top to bottom.

"See, this is what I was talking about!" Leo, who had just arrived to pick them up, finally felt vindicated after seeing his father’s reaction. He too had a hard time believing the changes in Rio this morning.

"W-What?" Rio started to feel nervous for some reason.

’Could it be that the Titan’s Core skill actually changed my bone structure?’ His mind raced and he quickly ran to the side mirror of the car in order to use the reflection.

Since it was raining, the mirror was covered in droplets. So only after a few moments was he able to see the reflection staring back at him.

His eyes widened, seeing the visage staring back at him from the mirror. While he still held some youthful charm, his neck muscles and shoulders made him look like a gladiator.

His body, which had not changed too much over the past month of intensive training, suddenly looked to have filled out completely. He was no longer scrawny, showing clear and powerful definition that would make most gym rats jealous.

While it would not be too noticeable to fans in the stadium, his family who saw him every day would easily be able to notice the difference.

’Is this because I reached S grade in Stamina and Strength?’ Rio thought for a moment, thinking it was the most likely scenario.

He never knew that reaching S grade would cause such dramatic physical alterations.

Rio walked away from the car and was at a loss for words. He stared at his father and brother, wearing a confused expression.

"Ah, there’s my ugly brother," Leo said, seeing the silly look on his face and letting out a laugh to break the tension.

"HAHAHA, I see it now," Carlos joined in on the laughter and smacked Rio’s back with joy—and realized his hand stung from the impact.

Rio stood awkwardly for a few moments, not exactly enjoying the poking and prodding he was receiving from his family. However, there was a smile on his face.

Thankfully they didn’t ask too many questions since he did not have a good explanation for the sudden evolution of his body.

After a while, Carlos said that it was time to go.

"Where are we going? Home?" Rio asked, hopping into the passenger seat.

Carlos shook his head.

"We’re going to Elland Road. Farke wants to see you before the Hull game. He heard you were sick and wants to check if you can handle the intensity."

Rio’s eyes widened, feeling his heart beat in excitement.

A few hours later, Rio was standing in the manager’s office at Elland Road, staring at the tactical board. Since everything was now out in the open regarding his health, he felt relieved, like a pressure had been taken off his chest.

He could tell how much Farke cared for him just by his reaction. Another byproduct of his recovery was that Farke no longer seemed to blame himself for pushing Rio too hard, chalking it up to a random virus.

He had also earned himself a spot in the starting XI for tomorrow. This timing was brilliant as his Lone Wolf mission would be cleared by then, meaning he could focus on dominating.

Rio breathed out a sigh of relief.

’I need to stop worrying about being benched. I’m too good for that now,’ He thought inwardly.

He didn’t really feel like entering the image training tonight, especially since it had been a long enough day with the physical changes. With his clean bill of health in the books and his mission finishing tomorrow, it was a good time to let his body and mind rest.

He felt a little energetic despite the late hour, probably from the Iron Lungs skill. With that, Rio walked out of the office and headed towards the car park.

Despite being in a good mood, his mind was filled with anticipation. It was as if he was reliving the excitement of his debut, but with ten times the confidence.

He saw Archie Gray waiting by the players’ entrance, kicking a stone.

"Rio!" Archie shouted, waving. "You look... huge!"

"Shut up," Rio laughed. "I just ate a lot of pasta."

"Liar," Archie grinned. "You evolved. Admit it."

"Maybe," Rio winked. "Come on, I’ll give you a lift home. Dad is waiting."

They got into the car. Carlos drove silently, a smile on his face as he listened to the boys talk about tactics and FIFA.

"So," Archie said, turning to Rio. "Tomorrow. Hull. One goal left."

"Yeah," Rio nodded, looking out the window at the stadium lights. "One goal."

"And then you get the prize?"

"And then I become the Captain," Rio whispered.

"Does that mean I have to call you ’Skip’?" Archie asked, half-serious.

"Only if you want me to pass to you," Rio smirked.

Archie groaned. "Fine. Skip."

[Chat Room Active]

Hand_Of_King: You are ready. The body is strong. The mind is sharp. Tomorrow, you do not play. You perform.

Total_Football_14: Remember the space, Rio. Hull will press high. Use your new strength to hold them off, then spin.