Legendary Football Superstar

"Thirty pull-ups, but the system only counted six? What the heck?"

"Seven?" Luke hollered, looking for answers. "What's up with this? Is the system busted? No way, I just got it two days ago, and now it's broken? Did I get a lemon?"

"Only the standard moves count; otherwise, the system won't log them," Seven said coolly, brushing off Luke's "fake product" jab.

Luke got the gist but needed more clarity. "Standard? What's standard? So, out of the thirty I did, only six were legit? What's the deal?"

Seven didn't bother talking this time. Instead, he played a video in Luke's head. In the clip, a digital version of Luke was doing pull-ups: legs crossed, hands on the bar, pulling up with the chin over the bar, holding for three seconds, then easing back down until the arms were fully extended.

Basically, from start to finish, no shortcuts; and you gotta hold the upward motion for three seconds, not a second less.

Out of the thirty pull-ups he just did, only six were up to snuff; the rest had minor flaws, so the system didn't count them. This is a good thing, right?

If it were college or gym training, even with a coach watching, they aren't machines and can't catch every little mistake. But with the system, any tiny slip-up gets flagged. No room for slacking, and Luke's gonna get the most hardcore training.

Over the years, Luke had never had formal training, just winging it on his own. Not even the basics were right. Still, he managed to teach himself bit by bit. Now, with the system's help, he can fix his form, especially the fundamentals.

Calming down, Luke noticed a video icon next to each training task. He played the one for the forty-yard dash. In the video, his digital avatar ran back and forth, explaining the muscle groups and key techniques.

Luke let out a breath, finally getting it. His earlier efforts were kinda wasted, which sucked, but looking at it another way, this was the best shot to rebuild his skills. So, he got his mojo back.

Luke grabbed the pull-up bar again and started fresh.

He didn't rush the reps but focused on nailing each one, making sure every move met the system's standards. Without the rush, the burn in his muscles became real. After thirty, he felt the tightness in his muscles, something he didn't feel after the previous thirty.

Checking the system again, the pull-up task was dimmed, showing today's task was done.

"The Superstar System isn't fake, and it doesn't malfunction," Seven's voice cut in. Luke was taken aback before realizing Seven was responding to his earlier gripe. This was the first time Seven showed a different side. Was that anger? "No, I'm not angry. Just correcting your statement, clearing up some misunderstandings."

Seven's defense came through again, all haughty and stubborn.

Luke couldn't help but grin, nodding seriously, "Alright, not angry." This time, Seven went silent. Luke's grin widened. "Seven, how do I get back now? If I run back, can I knock out tomorrow's 33,000 feet task early?"

"No," Seven's answer was firm.

Luke, unfazed, said, "Alright. But I'm still running back." If he felt tired, he'd call Logan for a ride. But feeling pumped, he decided to run back. Starting tomorrow, he should set a fixed point, a round trip of exactly ten kilometers, giving him more time for other training.

Next, it was another regular day. Morning, classes; noon, group project discussion; afternoon, team training. But after training, Luke didn't rush off. He stayed behind and called out to his practice partner, "John?"

John, the teammate who had called Luke out for "training too seriously" yesterday. He was also on the practice squad. But he and Luke weren't on the same level, or rather, not the same type.

John's dad was a big deal in the NCAA back in the day. In the seventies, he was a star wide receiver at UCLA, killing it on the field. But in American sports, folks always say high school ain't college, and college ain't the pros. After college, John's dad made it to the pros but didn't do much, retiring after just three years 'cause of injuries.

Still, that's something to be proud of.

John got his dad's talent. In high school, he was a beast. He could play wide receiver, quarterback, linebacker, and even kicker. Offense, defense, special teams- you name it, he did it. Everyone thought he was the next big thing.

Before hitting the pros, it's normal for players to switch positions in high school and college 'cause their style isn't set yet. Even in the pros, players change positions for the team's sake. But someone as versatile as John? That's rare.

But sports are full of geniuses, and football's no different.

Once he hit college, John's shine faded fast. Whether catching or defending, he couldn't handle the physical stuff and lost his spot easily. As a quarterback, just being strong wasn't enough; he needed precision, tactics, and teamwork. Soon, he lost his starting spot, became a benchwarmer, and eventually got stuck on the practice squad.

Having been at the top, John's fall was brutal. Many of the starters were his friends, some even looked up to him. No one could imagine the pain and torment he felt, except John himself.

Usually, John was a quiet guy, not very social, kinda out of place. When Luke joined the practice squad, others were sizing him up, wondering if they should accept this "newbie." John was the first to approach Luke.

John not only explained some practice tips but also shared ways to avoid injuries. Compared to the main players, practice squad guys didn't get the same treatment and had to take care of themselves to handle the daily grind.

In a way, John was the closest thing Luke had to a friend on the practice squad. Friends? Maybe not, 'cause John was always a loner, not getting too close to anyone, and his talks with Luke were mostly about training. But at least they were teammates. Hearing Luke call out, John stopped, turned around with a scowl, and said, "What?" Luke shouted, "I wanna do some training. Can you join me?"

Quarterback training needs a partner, usually done in pairs. Luke thought about asking Logan, but Logan wasn't the best choice. As a first-team player, Logan's training was already intense, and extra training would be too much. Plus, main players had specialized training and tactics to study, leaving little time.

Luke's best bet was to find a partner on the practice squad. John was his pick. "Are you nuts?" John's eyebrows shot up. "Yeah, you're nuts! Totally bonkers!"

Since senior year started, John had been on edge, losing his patience. Luke figured John was also feeling lost. For practice squad guys, graduation meant the end of their sports dreams, no shot at the pros, just back to regular life. John was like that, and so was Luke, if not for the Superstar System.

"Do you even know what you're doing? Are you out of your mind?" John said, pointing to his head. "Have you been hit too many times by those main players? You're a nobody. On the school's football team roster, you're a nobody. No one even knows you were ever on this team. So, what are you doing? You look like a brain-damaged idiot."

"If you hate it so much, why don't you leave?" Luke wasn't mad but stepped up, firing back.

John's face went blank. "I can't." This answer caught Luke off guard. "If I quit, my dad won't pay my tuition."

Luke was stunned, hesitating for a moment. "Is that the only reason you're here?"

John, with his back to Luke, was ready to walk away but couldn't move. "I guess, deepnoveldrama

down, I'm still hoping that one day, I can get back on the field."

"Then why not join me? Train with me?" Luke pushed further.