24 Beginning of a Rivalry
{You have executed an unknown Football Skill: ???}
{Congratulations! Unity recognizes your talent as the creator!}
{You have been rewarded with 5,000 Experience Points!}
{Give your football skill a name!}
This notification lit up only for Endrick.
To all the other 7 players, they watched in shock.
GOAL!!!
'Endrick scored!' This thought filled their minds.
Enigma turned to glare at Endrick as he celebrated his goal. This time, Endrick no longer averted his gaze, he glared back at this killer.
'You may be a killer in the real world, but in here, it means nothing'.
'In here, I am the killer'.
As he glared at the maverick, feeling his competitive spirit kick in, Endrick made a provocative sign as using his right hand, he drew a cutting sign across his neck, indicating that he would obliterate him.
Enigma's eyes narrowed. "I will kill you!"
Endrick grinned. "I'll like to see you try".
Enigma was not the only one affected by this goal, the others were even more affected, most prominently Legion.
Standing silently, this assassin sank into his own thoughts.
'Endrick has exceeded me'. He came to the painful realization.
'His football skills are actually so good, all he needed was my combat training to wrap up his skills, now he is fully unleashed'.
'What of me?' He raised his hand and looked at it. 'Do I have what it takes to become a professional footballer?'
'Can my assassin instincts translate into instincts for goal?'
He clenched his fist. 'It doesn't matter, I must make it translate!'
'I can't let these 2 geniuses dictate the game!'
'I must also pitch in'.
'I can't be an assassin'.
'I must succeed as a footballer!'
Legion felt his blood burn hot, he looked at the time.
'I still have 52 minutes to make a difference'.
Legion was not the only one who came to a conviction to win and shine, all the other players in this group came to similar convictions.
Drip-Lord clenched his fists. 'Drip is my way of life'.
'I feel that football is the best way to express my drip, I came to flaunt it, I won't let anyone take the spotlight when I'm here'.
'I must drip the best!'
His eyes gleamed. 'I must win!'
FWEEEE!
When the whistle blew again, a galactic war started!
The battle in the midfield was lethal, this time, led by Legion and Enigma as they put their incredible killing instincts to use.
{+24 Damage!}
{CRITICAL HIT!}
{+38 Damage!}
{+22 Damage!}
Damage notifications continued lighting up as the fierce midfield battle continued, none of the players was ready to let off.
FWEEE!
The first yellow card of the game was finally given at the 11th minute.
{Player Apeman has received a Yellow Card!}
"Pathetic…" Apeman growled in annoyance.
When the game restarted, Enigma finally regained his groove and it's manifestation appeared on the 14th minute of the first half.
More serious about the game now, after a fierce tussle for the ball in the midfield, Enigma won the duel as he charged towards goal like a bull.
This was when Apeman came charging in for a fierce shoulder tussle.
He hit Enigma but shockingly, this warrior stood his ground.
"Get off!" He roared.
Enigma shoved Apeman off as he charged towards goal, then close enough after beating Turtle909 with a neat flick, he shot at goal.
Not this time though, this time, someone was determined.
'Against these elites, I must shine!'
'My journey will not end in the 2nd phase of the elite team trials!'
Robertson22 gave his all.
"Special Skill: Acrobatic Dive!"
Whoosh!
The next moment, this goalkeeper seemed to turn into a rocket.
Stretching his body to the limits, he did an acrobatic jump as he floated towards the top right corner of the pitch where the ball flew towards.
BAM!
Robertson22 punched the ball away with his right hand.
The ball floated up above the reach of the players close to the goal but this was where a certain player's talent shone.
"I must win in drip style!" Drip-Lord roared.
Leaping up high above all the other players like a basketball player, he soon inclined his body mid-air, placing his body horizontally for a shot.
He was about to imitate a certain player.
"No one is allowed to drip more than me!"
Bam!
His leg hit the ball but due to his lack of familiarity with the scissor kick, not much power was added behind the shot.
Having used his Special Skill to save the first shot though, this time, Robertson22 was pushed to his limits as he tried to sprint back, he could not reach on time. But just before the ball entered goal though, someone intervened.
"Football is a game of life and death". Legion's eyes were fiery.
"You either cut deep or someone will cut you deep".
Bam!
His leg touched the ball at the last moment before it entered goal.
GOAL!!!
It was a goal from Legion.
He turned to look at Drip-Lord who was stunned. "A good assassin should always made the most of each opportunity, I simply did the same".
"I could sense from miles away that a vain player like you would do something foolish, I simply took the opportunity presented by your foolishness".
"You…!" Drip-Lord was fuming.
The game waited for no one.
FWEEE!
This time, the battle for the ball was even more fierce.
{Player Turtle101 has received a Yellow Card!}
{A Freekick has been awarded to Player Endrick!}
After a marauding run down the right flanks using his incredible ball control and game experience, Endrick was able to cut through them like a hot knife through butter until Turtle decided to say 'f*ck it' and go in for a foul.
This defender glared at Endrick. "You'll no longer score".
Endrick grinned. "Are you sure?"
After placing the ball down, he spread his legs and his hands the Ronaldo style, then he took a deep breath. 'This is my chance to exceed Enigma'.
He did a short side run then he hit the ball with power, executing the iconic Knuckle ball technique that was perfected by young Ronaldo.
BAM!
The ball zoomed over the wall of 2 players with power.
Robertson22 dived but he stood no chance, it homed into the top right corner.
GOAL!!!
At the 20th minute of the game, Endrick got his 2nd goal.
This was a twist that no one expected. When the game started, the other players respected Endrick but they definitely didn't see him as a big threat.
They saw players like Turtle909 and Enigma as the real threats, it was during the game that Endrick got the opportunity to teach them football.
'We can't let him win!' They thought.
'I've never lost, it won't start now!' Enigma thought.
For the final 10 minutes of the first half, the war intensity increased.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Shots were launched at goal like the canon shots unleashed by enemies in WW2, Robertson entered beast mode in those final seconds, becoming a literal force of nature as he saved balls left and right but it didn't last long.
Enigma…, was inevitable.
At the 27th minute, this maverick burst through his markers like a tank as he went on a straight collision course for goal.
As Robertson charged out, Enigma's maverick brain ticked as instead of shooting, he lobbed the ball perfectly over the outstretched arms of the goalkeeper, the net shook the next moment.
GOAL!!!
At the 30th minute, a player could no longer take the insult.
"I cannot be caged!"
Apeman gave a highlight performance at the last minute.
Winning the ball at the midfield line, all his sights were on goal. Despite all the other players including Turtle909 trying to win the ball from him, he brute forced his way through them like a Lion King charging towards his target.
His incredible power forced 3 players down who tried to win the ball off him, and this time, he refused to let Enigma overpower him.
After obliterating Turtle909 which was the last line of defense, with all the power that his modified body granted him, he launched a shot at goal.
It was a power shot!
It sounded like it came right out of a Battleship's main cannon!
BOOM!
Robertson22 could not even dive, he was rooted to the spot.
It literally almost ripped the net apart.
GOAL!!!
FWEEEE!
The first half of the game finally came to an end.
