System Versions

Chapter 8: The Big Game

Mohamed stood in the locker room, his heart racing with excitement and nerves. He had been waiting for this moment for weeks – the championship football game against their arch-rivals, the Eagles heart.

As he put on his uniform and tied his cleats, Mohamed felt a sense of pride and responsibility. He was the new kid on the team, but he had quickly become an integral part of the offense. His teammates were counting on him to make big plays and help them win the championship.

Mohamed took a deep breath, visualizing the game ahead. He could hear the roar of the crowd, the crash of the pads, and the whistle of the referee. He was ready.

As Mohamed walked out of the locker room, he was greeted by the bright sunlight and the electric atmosphere of the packed stadium. The smell of hot dogs and popcorn wafted through the air, mingling with the chants and cheers of the fans.

Mohamed's eyes scanned the stands, searching for a familiar face. That's when he saw her – Angel, sitting in the front row, wearing a big smile and a homemade sign that read "Go Mohamed!".

Mohamed's heart skipped a beat as he caught Angel's eye. He flashed her a quick smile and a thumbs-up, feeling a surge of adrenaline and motivation. With Angel cheering him on, Mohamed felt like he could take on anything.

As Mohamed jogged onto the field, he was greeted by his teammates, including the captain and quarterback, Tyler. Tyler was a tall, dark-skinned guy with a charming smile and an effortless confidence that commanded respect. Mohamed had only known Tyler for a couple of days, but they had quickly become friends during practice.

Tyler clapped Mohamed on the back. "Hey, man, you ready for this?" he asked, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Mohamed grinned. "Born ready," he replied.

Mohamed's reverie was shattered by the referee's whistle, which pierced the air, signaling the start of the game and snapping him back to attention.

The crowd erupted into cheers as the game began, and Mohamed felt his focus narrow to the task at hand. He was ready to give it his all and make this a game to remember.

...

As the second half kicked off, Mohamed and his teammates took to the field with renewed determination, but the Eagles proved to be a formidable foe, pushing them to their limits. They were leading 28-21 at halftime, and Mohamed's team was struggling to gain momentum.

Mohamed noticed that Brad was getting increasingly agitated. Brad was usually the star of the team, but today, he was being shut down by the Eagles' defense. Mohamed, on the other hand, was having a great game, catching several passes and making some crucial plays.

The crowd began to chant Mohamed's name, and Brad's anger boiled over.

"What's going on, Tyler?" Brad demanded, his face red with rage. "Why aren't you throwing me the ball?"

Tyler kept his cool. "I'm throwing to the open man, Brad. You're being double-covered."

But Brad was having none of it. "I'm the best player on this team," he snarled. "You need to get me the ball."

Mohamed tried to stay focused on the game, but he could feel the tension building. The Eagles were still leading, and time was running out.

With only a few minute left on the clock, Mohamed's team was trailing 35-28. But Mohamed was not ready to give up. He activated his athletic skills, boosting his agility and speed.

[Athlete's Blessing Skill has been activated - Skill Increases speed and agility of Host by 10% during athletic activities. Skills can be use twice before 30min cool down.]

Mohamed's incredible display of speed and agility left the crowd breathless, their collective gasp echoing through the stadium as they struggled to comprehend what they'd just witnessed, dodging defenders and making impossible catches. He leapt over one defender, doing a backflip in mid-air, and landed with the ball in his hands.

The crowd erupted into cheers as Mohamed sprinted down the field, the Eagles' defenders hot on his heels. He dodged and weaved, using every trick he knows to evade his pursuers.

Mohamed crossed the goal line, scoring a touchdown and tying the game.

The crowd was on its feet, cheering and chanting Mohamed's name. The game was tied 35-35, and the momentum had shifted in Mohamed's team favor.

The Eagles' team was stunned, unable to believe that Mohamed had single-handedly tied the game. They were reeling, trying to regroup and come up with a new strategy.

But Mohamed's team was on fire. They were energized and motivated, feeding off the crowd's energy. They drove down the field, determined to score the winning touchdown.

Tyler, the quarterback, called the signals, and Mohamed sprinted down the field, dodging defenders and making impossible catches. The crowd was on its feet, cheering and chanting his name.

Finally, with only seconds left on the clock, Tyler threw a perfect spiral to Mohamed, who caught the ball in the end zone, scoring the winning touchdown.

The crowd erupted into cheers, and Mohamed's teammates lifted him onto their shoulders, cheering and congratulating him on his incredible play. Mohamed's team had won the game 35-42!

Brad, however, looked like he had just sucked on a lemon. His face was twisted in a scowl, and his eyes were blazing with anger and resentment.

As the team celebrated their victory, Mohamed made his way back to the locker room, still riding the adrenaline high from the game. But his euphoria was short-lived, as he was confronted by Brad and his friends, their eyes blazing with anger and resentment.

"You think you're a hero, don't you?" Brad sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "Stealing the spotlight, thinking you're better than us."

Mohamed recognized the three guys with Brad - they had been bullying him for years. But this time, something was different. This time, Mohamed wasn't afraid.

As Brad and his friends closed in, Mohamed quickly activated his hand-to-hand combat skill. Suddenly, his body felt light and agile, his movements swift and precise.

"Bring it on," Mohamed thought to himself, a fierce grin spreading across his face. "I'm not the same kid you used to bully."

With a swift kick, Mohamed sent one of Brad's friends crashing to the floor. The other two charged at him, but Mohamed was ready. He dodged and weaved, his fists flying as he took down the other two bullies.

Brad was the only one left standing, his eyes wide with fear and anger. Mohamed's fists kept flying, pummeling Brad with blow after blow.

["Stop, Mohamed!"] the system voice echoed in his head. ["You're going to kill him!"]

Mohamed paused, his fist hovering in mid-air. He looked at Brad, who was curled up on the floor, bleeding and whimpering.

"What's wrong, System?" Mohamed thought back. "I'm just teaching him a lesson."

["Teaching him a lesson?"] the System replied, its voice dripping with sarcasm. ["You're going to kill him, you idiot! Do you want to draw Attention to yourself"]

Mohamed hesitated, his anger slowly giving way to reason. He took a step back, his chest heaving with exertion.

"Fine," Mohamed thought back. "I'll stop. But can I at least give him a few more punches?"

["huh... NO, Mohamed. You cannot give him a few more punches. You need to stop now, before things get any worse."

Mohamed grumbled, but he knew the System was right. He took a deep breath, calming himself down, and walked away from Brad's battered body.

As he walked out of the locker room, Mohamed couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. He had finally stood up for himself, and it felt amazing.

But as he looked back at Brad and his friends, Mohamed knew that this wasn't the end. Mohamed would have to be ready.

the System's voice echoed in his head, "Congratulations, Mohamed! You've completed the quest 'Become Popular in School'! You've earned 10,000 credits, and your popularity has increased significantly."

The System displayed the completed quest in Mohamed's interface:

[QUEST]

[Current Quest: Become Popular in School]

[Objective: Increase your popularity in school by 50% within 1 week]

[Status: Completed]

[Progress: 100%/50%]

["Rewards 5 credit"]

["Credit can be converted to currency. 5 credit equals to $10,000"]

Mohamed's eyes widened as he saw the credits. He quickly navigated to the attributes tab to see his current stats:

[Attributes:]

[Strength: 10]

[Agility: 13]

[Intelligence: 10]

[Charisma: 11]

[Endurance: 13]

[Luck: 6]

The System's voice echoed in his head again, "Not bad, Mohamed. Not bad. But let's be real, you're still weak. You need to keep working on those attributes if you want to survive in this world."

Mohamed chuckled, "Hey, I'm not weak. I just took down three guys in a locker room."

The System laughed, ["Oh, please. That was just a fluke. You got lucky. Don't get too cocky, Mohamed."]

Mohamed smiled, "Whatever. I'm just happy I completed the quest. Now, how do I cash out my credits?"

The System replied, ["Ah, you want to cash out, huh? Alright]

[$10 000, has been added to Inventory]

Mohamed's eyes lit up as he stared at the zeros, That is a lot of money. As he walked out to meet up with Angel, Mohamed couldn't help but think about the upcoming Awakening Test. He had heard that Mrs. Silver would take the students who passed the affinity test to a secret location where the awakening would take place.

Mohamed felt a mix of excitement and nerves. He had no idea what to expect, but he was determined to pass the test and unlock an Ability.

--------

In The Locker room

Brad slowly opened his eyes, groggily taking in his surroundings. He was lying on the cold, hard floor of the locker room. His head was pounding, and his face felt like it was on fire.

As he sat up, he realized that his face was swollen and bruised. He touched his cheek, and a wave of pain shot through his head. He let out a loud groan, and his eyes scanned the room, searching for Mohamed.

That little coward! Brad thought to himself, his anger and fury boiling over. How could Mohamed do this to him? He was Supposed To be weak! How... How can he be that strong!

Brad slowly got to his feet, his eyes scanning the room for any sign of Mohamed. But Mohamed was nowhere to be found. Brad let out a loud roar of anger, slamming his fist into the locker room wall.

"You're going to pay for this, Mohamed!" Brad screamed at the top of his lungs. "You're going to regret the day you ever laid a hand on me!"

Brad paced back and forth in the locker room, his anger and fury building with every step. He couldn't believe that Mohamed had done this to him. He was the one who was supposed to be the strong one, the one who was supposed to be in control.

Brad stopped pacing and stood still, his eyes fixed on the door. He was going to make Mohamed pay for what he'd done to him. He was going to make Mohamed regret the day he ever crossed him.

"You're going down, Mohamed," Brad whispered to himself, his eyes blazing with anger and fury. "Am going to become Stronger, Stronger than you."