The Football Legends System

Chapter 8 - LEEDS VS BURNLEY

Elland Road was a living, breathing beast.

The walls vibrated. The stands shook. Thunderous chants poured down like a waterfall, crashing into the players lined up in the tunnel.

"Marching on together...!"

"We're gonna see you win!"

Nathan stood among the senior players, the Leeds badge heavy on his chest.

He tried to look steady, arms loose at his sides, but his hands were trembling. Tiny, uncontrollable shivers.

His boots felt heavier than lead. His heartbeat roared louder than the crowd.

Is this what it feels like... to really start?

The sharp scent of grass and sweat filled his lungs. He could feel the cold concrete under his boots. Every sense was alive, firing at once.

Then—

[Ding!]

A translucent window popped open in front of him, invisible to anyone else.

[50 Legend Points Available – Unlock Random Skill?]

[Confirm?]

Nathan's throat tightened.

If ever there was a time for a miracle... it was now.

He clenched his jaw, barely breathing, and pressed Confirm.

The wheel spun.

Colors flashed—names blurred.

Ronaldo – Finishing...

Rooney – Heading...

Henry – Dribbling...

Please... please...

The spinning slowed—then clicked into place.

[Congratulations! You have unlocked: Darwin Núñez's Finishing – Lv.1 (Permanent)]

Nathan blinked. Once. Twice.

...Darwin Núñez?

A pause. A dangerous silence in his mind.

And then, almost involuntarily, he choked back a laugh.

Images assaulted him—Darwin skying shots into orbit, fans gasping and burying their faces in their hands.

Dear God... am I about to start my career by launching balls into the stands?

But almost immediately, a calm washed over him.

He wasn't Darwin. He was Nathan Perry.

This was his shot—wild, raw, or not.

He sucked in a deep breath.

No doubts. No regrets.

Marching on together.

The referee's whistle pierced the air—

Pweeeeet!—

and the players burst onto the pitch.

The stands erupted.

"LEEDS! LEEDS! LEEDS!"

Burnley didn't wait to test him.

Boom!

A shoulder charge sent Nathan stumbling sideways within the first minute.

"Tch..." he hissed, steadying himself.

The Burnley defenders weren't just big. They were merciless. Grizzled veterans who knew every dirty trick—pulling shirts, digging elbows, leaving a boot in just a second longer.

Nathan fought to breathe, fought to stay sharp.

Every touch on the ball felt like a battlefield.

Every decision was a war of inches.

He didn't try to do too much. Didn't panic.

Instead—tap, shift, release.

Sharp passing. Quick movement.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Move.

Whish! A neat one-two off the touchline.

Shift inside.

Release.

And each time—

[+1 Legend Point]

[+2 Legend Points – Smart Pass]

Small wins. Building rhythm.

Staying alive.

The minutes dragged and flew all at once.

Until—

The 32nd minute.

It happened like lightning.

Midfield interception—Burnley scrambling.

A sudden gap between their lumbering center-backs.

Nathan's teammate, veteran midfielder Cal Roberts, spotted it first—eyes flashing.

Zap!

A perfectly weighted through ball ripped the line apart.

Nathan exploded forward.

Boots hammering the turf.

Space opening before him like a door kicked off its hinges.

The ball bounced once. Twice.

Now.

He surged into the penalty area.

The Burnley keeper roared, rushing out—massive and furious.

Nathan raised his foot—Darwin Núñez's instincts flashing through his muscles.

No hesitation. No fear.

WHAM!!

He struck it clean—and wild.

The ball launched off his boot like a cannonball.

Fwooooosh—!

For a split second, pure terror.

It's going over!

The fans gasped—some half-rising from their seats in horror.

But at the last instant, the ball dipped—

Clang!! off the inside of the post—

—and ricocheted clean into the net.

GOOOOOOAL!!

Elland Road detonated.

"YEEEEEAAAAAAH!!"

The noise crushed him, swallowed him whole.

Nathan stood frozen for a second, blinking, barely processing it.

Then—teammates swarmed him.

Laughter.

Claps on the back.

Roberts ruffling his hair like a proud big brother.

Even a few of the skeptical veterans were grinning, shaking their heads like they couldn't believe it.

Nathan lifted his arms slightly, a wide grin stretching across his face—half disbelief, half pure, wild joy.

Even Darwin Núñez would be proud of me now!

The System gleamed in front of his eyes:

[+20 Legend Points – Goal Scored!]

[Quest Completed – Debut Match]

Somewhere over the stadium speakers, the commentator's voice cracked with amazement:

"And here's young Nathan Perry... it looked like he was about to blast it into the heavens, but somehow—somehow!—it's in the back of the net! A wonderfully chaotic goal!"

The match wasn't over yet.

Burnley roared back like wounded beasts—tackles grew harsher, passes sharper.

Nathan took a few more bruises for his trouble—Thud! Crack!—but he didn't care.

He fought.

He ran.

He wore the shirt like it was armor.

By the final whistle, Leeds clung onto a gritty 1–0 victory.

The final roar shook the night sky.

Nathan staggered off the pitch, exhausted to his bones, grinning like an idiot.

His teammates slapped him on the back harder this time—real, genuine approval.

Even Liam Hart, who'd sneered at him just days ago, bumped his fist lightly against Nathan's shoulder as they walked into the tunnel.

"Not bad, rookie," Liam said, a small, grudging smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Not bad at all."