My Ultimate Gacha System-Chapter 271 - 261: Four Weeks

Monday, April 3, 2023

Centro Bortolotti Training Complex

9:47 AM

Four weeks passed after the Udinese match.

March bled into April under the pressure of fixtures, recovery sessions, and travel, and the season didn’t slow—it compressed into a rhythm where matchdays arrived every three or four days and training filled the spaces between them while bodies recovered and tactics were refined in preparation for the next opponent.

Atalanta navigated the league with efficiency rather than spectacle during that stretch, and four matches were played across those weeks with results that kept their position firm in the top four without creating drama that demanded headlines.

The Four-Week Run:

Away to Sassuolo—won 2-1. Demien started and completed seventy-eight minutes before being substituted late, and his assist for Lookman’s opening goal came from a simple pass into space that the winger converted after beating his marker.

Home to Empoli—won 3-0. Demien started and played the full ninety minutes while operating in the pocket between Empoli’s midfield and defensive lines, and though he didn’t score or assist his positioning created problems that allowed Koopmeiners to dominate possession centrally.

Away to Lecce—drew 1-1. Demien started and was substituted in the seventy-second minute when Gasperini shifted to a more defensive shape to protect a point, and the draw felt frustrating rather than disastrous because Atalanta had controlled most of the match without finding the decisive second goal.

Home to Salernitana—won 4-1. Demien started and completed eighty-five minutes while scoring once from a penalty and assisting Højlund’s opener, and the match was professional rather than spectacular because Salernitana offered minimal resistance after conceding early.

Three wins and one draw.

Eleven points from twelve available.

The results kept Atalanta fourth in Serie A with their Champions League position secure enough that the pressure wasn’t suffocating but tight enough that complacency would be punished immediately by Milan and Roma who remained within striking distance.

Demien’s name appeared regularly in match reports during those four weeks—not always the headline but never absent—and analysts noted his consistency, his ability to find space between the lines, and how his return had stabilized Atalanta’s tempo during the run-in without needing to manufacture narratives about breakthrough performances or sudden elevation to world-class status.

The media narrative stayed measured because the performances warranted it, and pundits discussed Atalanta’s midfield balance and defensive solidity more than they discussed individual brilliance because that’s what had defined the four-week period.

Training continued uninterrupted through those weeks with recovery sessions following every matchday and tactical work filling the spaces in between, and Demien completed every scheduled session without missed days or modified workload because his hamstring responded properly to the competitive demands and the medical staff cleared him for full participation consistently.

By the time April arrived the calendar had flipped again and the fixture list showed new pressure points ahead.

Monday, April 3, 2023

The training complex felt different when Atalanta’s squad arrived Monday morning because Coppa Italia week carried its own weight, and the atmosphere was quieter and sharper than regular league preparation with music staying off in the dressing room and conversations staying focused rather than casual.

Demien changed into his training kit while teammates moved through their pre-session routines around him, and when he walked onto the main pitch at nine-fifty the tactical setup was already visible—cones positioned closer together than usual, marking out tight spaces designed to simulate Bologna’s compact defensive block.

Inside the analysis room that overlooked the pitch, Bologna footage played on a loop across three screens showing their recent matches against Fiorentina, Inter, and Napoli, and the coaching staff had already broken down their defensive shape, their pressing triggers, and their counter-attacking patterns in preparation for Wednesday’s tactical session.

Gasperini gathered the squad briefly near the center circle before training began, and his voice carried across the pitch without needing to be loud. "Semifinals aren’t won in one night. They’re managed. We control the first leg, we defend properly, we don’t give away stupid goals. Second leg at home gives us the advantage if we’re smart on Wednesday."

Nobody responded because the message didn’t require acknowledgment, and when Gasperini gestured toward the training setup players moved into their designated positions without needing detailed instructions.

The session emphasized spacing, second balls, and defensive transitions rather than attacking creativity, and the drills were designed to prepare for Bologna’s specific threats—their physicality in midfield, their ability to win aerial duels, their willingness to sit deep and counter quickly through wide areas.

Demien trained with the team throughout the ninety-minute session and was positioned centrally in the attacking midfield role, and the emphasis was on control rather than risk because Gasperini wanted patient circulation that stretched Bologna’s defensive block without forcing passes into congested areas that could be intercepted and turned into counter-attacks.

During one eleven-versus-eleven sequence the second team was organized to replicate Bologna’s 4-4-2 shape, and when Demien received the ball between the lines two defenders closed immediately to prevent the turn, and rather than trying to force something spectacular he laid it off to Koopmeiners and moved to a new position where he could receive again in a better angle.

"Good," one of the assistant coaches called from the sideline. "That’s the right choice. Don’t force it."

The session continued with similar patterns—receive, circulate, move, support—and the repetition was designed to make the decision-making automatic during the match rather than requiring conscious thought under pressure.

When training ended at eleven-fifteen players walked toward the dressing room while groundskeepers began preparing the pitch for the afternoon session, and Demien moved with the group while his breathing was controlled and his legs felt the accumulated fatigue of four weeks of competitive football without feeling broken.

The system activated as he reached the tunnel entrance, and the blue interface materialized in his peripheral vision while text appeared in clean lines.

「MATCH MISSION UPDATE」

「Previous Match Mission: COMPLETED」

「Reward: +40 TP」

A second panel followed immediately without pause.

「TRAINING SESSION COMPLETED」

「Quality: Tactical」

「+10 TP」

The numbers held for three seconds before the system recalculated his complete balance, and the accumulated work from the four-week stretch was reflected in the totals that appeared.

「CURRENCY BALANCE UPDATE」

「Training Points Earned:」

「22 Training Sessions × 10 TP = +220 TP」

「4 Match Missions × 40 TP (avg) = +160 TP」

「Previous Balance: 40 TP」

「Total Training Points: 420 TP」

「Match Points:」

「Previous Balance: 59 MP」

「4 Matches Played: +120 MP」

「Total Match Points: 179 MP」

「Special Points:」

「No Change」

「Total Special Points: 3 SP」

「CURRENT BALANCE」

「420 TP | 3 SP | 179 MP」

The window faded and Demien continued walking into the tunnel while the numbers settled into his awareness without requiring celebration or analysis because they represented work completed rather than achievements celebrated.

Inside the dressing room players were changing and showering while conversations stayed low, and the atmosphere remained focused because everyone understood that the cup semifinal mattered differently than league fixtures even if the preparation followed similar patterns.

Koopmeiners sat on the bench nearby and said, "Bologna’s gonna sit deep. Gonna be one of those nights where we need patience."

"Yeah," Demien replied while unlacing his boots. "Just gotta stay calm, keep circulating."

"Exactly. No forcing it."

The television mounted on the wall showed Serie A highlights from the weekend—Napoli winning again, Milan dropping points, Roma maintaining pressure—and the ticker along the bottom confirmed Atalanta’s position in fourth with twelve matches remaining and Champions League qualification still requiring consistent results through the run-in.

Gasperini appeared briefly in the doorway and addressed the room without entering. "Recovery session tomorrow morning, then tactical work in the afternoon. Wednesday we travel to Bologna. Questions?"

Nobody spoke.

"Good. Rest properly tonight. See you tomorrow."

He left and the room returned to its previous rhythm, and players continued their post-training routines while the afternoon stretched ahead with recovery protocols and meal plans and the quiet understanding that the league run had been handled professionally and the cup came next.

Demien finished changing and grabbed his bag before walking toward the exit, and when he passed the analysis room the Bologna footage was still playing silently on the screens while coaching staff made notes on tactical boards, and the preparation was methodical rather than frantic because semifinals demanded control rather than chaos.

His phone buzzed as he reached the parking area and the screen showed a message from Sophia asking about dinner plans, and he typed back "Yeah, your place or mine?" before pocketing the phone and heading toward where his driver was waiting.

The league stretch was done. Bologna waited on Wednesday. The work continued.

A/N

Hi everyone, as we approach the end of the first arc, I just want to say a huge thank you to all of you for the support, patience, and time you’ve spent following this novel. It genuinely means a lot to me. I also want to apologize for the late uploads recently. I know consistency matters, and I’ll be fixing the upload schedule going forward to make sure this doesn’t keep happening. Thank you for sticking with the story and believing in it. Your comments, reads, and encouragement keep me motivated to do better.