Chapter 75 74 - Felix

Invisible lines, almost like translucent nylon threads, began to manifest themselves in the field. They cut across the pitch in various directions, outlining possible trajectories, paths, and passing options that Lucas would never have considered otherwise. Some of these lines seemed obvious, such as direct passes to teammates who were relatively free.But others were incredibly subtle, appearing only if certain conditions were met — a slight movement by an opponent, a repositioning by a teammate, a momentary distraction that created a temporary gap. It was as if he was seeing the game through an enhanced tactical lens.

'That's extraordinary. Lucas thought, absorbing the avalanche of information without discomfort.

He could see the weaknesses in the field, the holes in the defenses that, at first glance, weren't noticeable to anyone. Now, with <Risk Analysis>, he had a clear vision of how to exploit each of these points.

Felix continued to block his advance from the back, arms ready to physically thwart any dribbling attempt. He had no idea that Lucas had entered a new level of perception, but he noticed that something had changed in his opponent when a smile crossed Lucas' face.

Lucas's body moved naturally, following the path of one of the passing lines that only he could see. He pretended to move to the right again, but this time, instead of trying to cut to the left, he moved the ball back slightly, enough for Felix to take a step forward, taking the bait.

In the next second, Lucas turned his body in one fluid movement, moving to the opposite side and cutting the line Felix had created.

Felix, for all his intelligence, took an extra second to realize the trick. Before he knew it, Lucas had already passed him, leaving the sturdy defender behind. The shock on Felix's face was clear. He tried to run after Lucas, but although he was stronger, he was no faster.

Now free on the wing, Lucas raised his head and saw a new series of lines forming. The next decision was crucial: cross the ball into the box or attempt a direct advance on the goal? The A-Team's defense was beginning to reorganize, and he needed to act fast.

One of the strands that stood out shone brighter, a clear indication that this was the best option available. It was an arcing cross for William, the small striker from Team B who had managed that absurd finish for the first goal. William didn't raise his hand or shout to signal that he was ready, yet somehow Lucas knew that William would be able to finish, anyway.

He was about to pass, when suddenly something else caught his eye. Sёarch* The NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Another line appeared, almost imperceptibly. It didn't go directly to William, but to defender Luiz Fernando, who was moving quickly towards the edge of the box. Team A's defense was completely focused on William, waiting for an immediate cross. No one was paying attention to a defender coming from behind, like a predator waiting for the right moment to strike.

Lucas smiled internally. It was a risky move, but with the <Risk Analysis> skill, he knew it was the most effective option. It was one of those opportunities that only come along once in the whole game.

With a light touch, he crossed a little harder than he should have if he was crossing this ball to William. So, when the ball flew past the defenders in an unreachable way, they thought Lucas had missed the pass when, in fact, Luiz Fernando, as if following a script, advanced quickly near the second post, received the ball on his chest and played it onto his right foot.

Coach Jimenez, who was watching the scene from the sidelines, opened his eyes wide. "These boys... They really understand the game."

Luiz Fernando, now in possession of the ball, had the goal at his mercy. Every Team A player was out of position, running desperately to try and cover the space left, but Luiz Fernando, in those moments, lifted his right foot and sent the ball towards the bottom right corner of the goal.

The goalkeeper, who had been poorly positioned due to the previous confusion, desperately tried to throw himself to one side, but it was too late. The ball was in the net. The sound of the ball hitting the back of the net was followed by a chorus of celebration from Lucas' teammates. Experience new tales on empire

Lucas, still catching his breath, smiled. Not only had he beaten Felix, but he had led the decisive move that took his team to victory.

On the other side of the pitch, Otto watched in silence. Defeat was visible in his eyes, but now he understood something, something that many of those players on the pitch were also beginning to understand. Lucas was no ordinary player.

He had something special, something that Otto still couldn't understand because, from one second to the next, he seemed to find the answer he was looking for to get out from under Felix's strong marking.

Felix approached Lucas with a serious expression. He stopped in front of Lucas, his eyes fixed on his for a long moment. Felix held out his hand.

"You play good soccer." said Felix.

Lucas was surprised and shook Felix's hand. "So do you. That marking over there was hard to get a shot away from. Fortunately, someone came forward to receive it."

"I know. That kind of tackle is my specialty. Still, you managed to get out in the very first clash. Ah~ So scary." Felix commented as they walked towards midfield. Lucas needed to get back to his team's part of the pitch.

Lucas laughed at Felix's last comment. He never imagined that a defender with such a solid concept would call him scary.

"But, Tanaka, if I were you, I'd be more worried about that last assist than happy." Felix returned to his serious tone and harsh voice.

Lucas looked out of the corner of his eye. "Is that so? Why do you say that?"

"Do you know the lantern fish? It's a fish that lives in the deepest regions of the sea, in the abyss. It's the one from that animated movie that has a light hanging from an antenna on its head. To ordinary fish, it's a voracious predator. But do you know what his problem is?

He's not the only abyssal predator in that region and, shining so brightly, the others are obviously going to see him as the most obvious prey."

When Lucas returned to his side of the pitch, he understood what Felix meant. The eyes of all the opponents were fixed on him. It wasn't just a quick analysis of a player who had just made a brilliant assist. It was more than that. They were long, voracious stares. Lucas could feel the hostility like a silent tide rising up and engulfing him.

His heart raced a little, not out of fear, but out of a slow, uncomfortable realization of what was happening.

What's more, Lucas could also feel the stares in the back of his head, as if the whole field was now focused on him in a different way. Before, it was a positive highlight, an admiration for having provided an assist. Now, it was as if he was a target. Every player, opponent or teammate seemed to be assessing their own chances of overshadowing Lucas in some way.

That's what tryouts did to players: they forced them to compete not only with their opponents, but with their own teammates. It was a game within a game.

The defender, with that enigmatic smile and the lantern fish metaphor, had already given a clear warning.

"You're shining, Lucas. And now everyone's going to want to extinguish that glow."

On the other side of the pitch, Jimenez's main assistant coach, a middle-aged man with hair already starting to frizz on the sides, was watching the pitch. He had seen it so many times before. Every year, it was the same. When a player stood out too much at the start of a decisive game, it was as if the whole field turned against him.

No matter how brilliant, the other players—both from the opposing team and from his own team — began to act like predators circling their prey.

The assistant, called Rodrigo, crossed his arms, letting out a sigh of mild frustration. He knew what would happen next. It was a repetitive cycle. The defenders would leave gaps on purpose, only to recover the ball in dramatic fashion. The goalkeeper would position himself badly on purpose, just to make a spectacular save and attract attention.

And worst of all: the passes to the player who stood out most at the start, in this case Lucas, would simply cease. Each player on the pitch would start acting for their own benefit, trying to stand out individually, and it wouldn't matter what was best for the team.

"These boys... always the same story," thought Rodrigo aloud.

He knew that this was detrimental to the team's performance, but it was something that happened in almost every try-out. The players wanted to prove that they were worthy of a place in the first team, and often did so at the expense of their own teammates.