671 The System Upgrade is Complete

The day after the World Cup trophy parade passed quietly in Abidjan. The bustling city seemed to have taken a collective breath after savoring Ivory Coast’s recent World Cup victory.

Zachary, the man of the moment, remained holed up in his house on the city outskirts, immersing himself in his mangas while waiting for the system to complete its 72-hour upgrade.

He did spare some time to talk to Kristin during meals, and as usual, their conversations were light and filled with a shared sense of companionship. But most of his time was spent with his beloved mangas, a simple pleasure that provided him solace amidst the storm of his rising fame and the demanding requirements of the football profession.

On the morning of his second day in Abidjan, Zachary woke up late to the familiar sound of the system’s notification. His heart quickened as he realized the system had finally completed its upgrade.

He sat up in bed and readily summoned the translucent system interface. It flickered before him like a hologram from a sci-fi movie, a blend of the futuristic and the fantastical that had become an integral part of his life.

As he scanned the home menu, he was relieved and surprised to see that the system had reached its maximum level, upgrading from Level 5 to Level 6.

Complicated feelings welled up within him. This system had been his constant companion since his rebirth, guiding him from a mediocre player to the world-class athlete he had become.

The realization that the system had reached its final level made him feel like their journey together was moving into its closing stages. He sighed, a mix of nostalgia and determination in his breath, and turned his attention to the other contents on the system interface.

This time, there were not many changes after the upgrade. The interface was cleaner and more intuitive, but the core functionalities remained unchanged.

The most significant change he noticed was that he could now access his rewards for the World Cup mission. His eyes lit up as he saw the rewards: three SSS-grade elixirs and the Random Technique Upgrade totem.

These were incredibly valuable, capable of raising his attributes and making his skills even more lethal just before his transfer. They would be crucial to the next stage of his career if his move to Liverpool worked out as planned.

As Zachary continued navigating the system interface, he finally noticed a new benefit on the system interface. He could now purchase any skills he wanted from the System Shop, provided he had the required Juju points. However, this option wasn’t particularly beneficial at the moment.

He had already mastered various skills, such as the Step-Over and Feint Kingly Magic of Ronaldinho, making him a formidable threat to any defender on the field. These techniques were already seamlessly integrated into his unique playing style, so he wasn’t keen on acquiring more from the system, at least for the moment.

Yet, he wouldn’t shun this new benefit, especially since the future was always uncertain. There might come a time when he would need a completely different skill set to overcome a tricky situation. At that time, the system shop and his Juju points would be his saviors.

Pushing these distracting thoughts aside, Zachary turned his attention to the SSS-grade elixirs. These were the rewards from the system for his outstanding performance at the World Cup. He couldn’t wait to see how they would boost his abilities once he consumed them.

Zachary felt optimistic as he still had over two weeks left until the 2018-19 English Premier League season-opening games. Even better, he wouldn’t need to join Liverpool’s pre-season tour since he had just played in the World Cup finals.

This meant he had ample time to consume and digest all the rewards from the system before training arduously and allowing his body to acclimatize to its improvements over the next two to three weeks. There was really nothing stopping him from consuming the elixirs.

But first, he needed to settle his affairs before consuming the elixirs. The last thing he wanted was to make Kristin worry in case something unexpected happened.

With his mind made up, he dismissed the system interface with a mental command and took a deep breath before stepping into the shower. As the warm water washed away the remnants of sleep and tension, he geared up mentally for the crucial day ahead. Today would be another pivotal day on his journey to reach the peak of greatness.

After his shower, he slipped into his favorite pair of jeans and a cozy T-shirt. Stepping out of his bedroom, he was greeted by the warm embrace of the morning sun flooding the house with light.

As he entered the living room, he found Kristin seated on one of the sofas, engrossed in a book. Her presence brought a sense of normalcy and calm to the house.

Seeing him, Kristin greeted warmly, “Good morning, Zachary. How did you sleep?”

He smiled, feeling the familiar comfort of her voice. “I slept well, just like a baby.”

Kristin closed her book, her eyes sparkling with warmth. “That’s good to hear. Would you like some breakfast?”

Zachary sighed inwardly, feeling a pang of guilt. “Kristin, you don’t have to cook for me. You’re my PA, not my chef. I asked you to hire a chef when we arrived, remember?”

Kristin waved away his concern with a gentle smile. “Zachary, it’s no trouble at all. We’re only here for a short time, and I enjoy cooking. Plus, hiring someone new could compromise your security. I’d rather handle it myself.”

08:17

Zachary knew she was saying this to ease his guilt, but he appreciated her dedication. “Thank you, Kristin.”

As she made her way to the kitchen, Zachary settled himself at the dining table. He didn’t have to wait long. In just fifteen minutes, Kristin reappeared, carrying a tray with fried eggs, slices of bread, a banana, and a cup of hot milk. She placed it before him, and he thanked her once more before digging in.

Kristin sat across from him, a soft smile playing on her lips. “Yesterday was quite eventful,” she began. “A lot of local journalists wanted to come in and interview you. I had to refuse them, and the military escort helped chase them away. Otherwise, they might have forced their way in.”

Zachary nodded, chewing thoughtfully. “You’ve worked hard, Kristin. Continue refusing any interviews. I don’t want media attention while enjoying my only vacation of the year.”

Kristin promised with a nod. “I will. You deserve the rest.”

A comfortable silence settled between them as Zachary continued his breakfast. Then, Kristin broke it with a hint of excitement in her voice. “Speaking of plans, Lorenzo has already traveled ahead to Bukavu. He’s preparing for our arrival, ensuring the place is secure.”

Zachary nodded, already aware of Lorenzo’s meticulous preparations. “That’s good. We should prepare as well. We’ll be traveling to Bukavu tomorrow morning.”

Kristin smiled and replied, “Understood. I’ll make sure everything is ready.”

Zachary quickly finished his breakfast and looked up at Kristin with a grateful smile. “Thank you for the food, Kristin.”

Kristin chuckled. “Glad you enjoyed it. How was it?”

“Tasty enough that I might just have to change your job from PA to personal chef,” Zachary teased, a playful glint in his eyes.

Kristin laughed, her eyes alight with the compliment hidden behind his words. “I wouldn’t want to take Inger’s place,” she said, picking up the dishes. She headed towards the kitchen, but Zachary quickly stopped her.

“I’m feeling a bit fatigued,” he said. “I’m going to continue resting for a few hours. Please make sure I’m not disturbed.”

Kristin looked at him, a flicker of concern crossing her face. She probably wondered why he was breaking his routine to sleep during the day, but she didn’t voice her doubts. Instead, she smiled warmly. “Of course, Zachary. I’ll make sure you’re not disturbed.”

“Thank you,” he replied, giving her a reassuring smile before heading back to his room. Now that he had given an excuse to Kristin, he was ready to consume the SSS-grade elixirs and see how they would improve his abilities.

Zachary locked the bedroom door behind him to ensure privacy and settled on his bed. He summoned the system interface, the ethereal screen flickering into existence before him. 𝔣𝖗𝔴𝔟𝔬𝖛𝖑.𝔠𝔬𝔪

After a few more taps, he navigated to the system inventory, where the life-like icons of the SSS-grade mental conditioning elixir, the SSS-grade vitality-enhancing elixir, the SSS-grade Spatial Awareness Conditioning elixir, and the Random Technique Upgrade Token filled the slots.

Suppressing his excitement, Zachary began by tapping on the icon of the vitality-enhancing elixir, which appeared in the shape of a tiny banana.

As his finger left the interface, the small banana popped out of the screen, and he caught it deftly in his hand. Without wasting a second, he swallowed it, knowing he had to consume it within five seconds of its appearance.