The roar of the Bernabéu faded. The lights dimmed. Cristiano Ronaldo took one final breath as the
curtain of his legendary career fell.
And then darkness.
He woke up to the sharp sting of a chilly Lisbon morning, lying in a narrow bunk bed. Posters of Luís
Figo and Rui Costa hung above him. His feet were small again. His legs slim, undeveloped. He was
in his old dormitory at the Sporting CP academy.
A mirror confirmed it. Twelve years old.
This wasn't a dream.
[FOOTBALL SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
Welcome, Cristiano Ronaldo.
You have triggered: Rebirth Protocol
Current Status:
- Ball Control: C (63/100)
- Dribbling: C+ (71/100)
- Shooting Accuracy: C (60/100)
- Reputation: Youth Academy Prospect
Daily Mission: Complete 500 stepovers Reward: +2 Dribbling | +1 Agility
Ronaldo stood there in silence. A second chance had arrived.
This time, he would be greater than ever.
The training pitch smelled of damp grass and ambition.
Ronaldo, now a boy in body but titan in mind, breezed past cones with supernatural control. The
coaches noticed.
"What's gotten into Cristiano?" one asked.
"Is he possessed?"
The system pinged in his mind as he executed his hundredth stepover in a row.
[SYSTEM UPDATE]
Skill: Stepover Mastery I - Unlocked
Dribbling +2
Agility +1
He smiled. He wasn't just a prospect anymore. He was a silent king in the making.
Sporting CP's annual Youth Talent Match was more than tradition it was a career-maker.
Ronaldo already knew what would happen. He had played in this match in his past life, scored once,
and faded into memory.
Not this time.
He danced through three defenders, chipped the keeper, and scored a brace. Scouts from Porto
and Benfica wrote furiously in their notebooks.
[SYSTEM REPORT]
Match Rating: A
Goals: 2 | Assists: 1
Acceleration: +2
Reputation: +10
At 12, Ronaldo already ruled the game like a general. And the world had started to notice.
Late that evening, as Ronaldo cleaned his boots, the system flashed an optional challenge:
[Secret Challenge: Future Vision]
Win a trial with a top-five European club before age 15.
Reward: Unlock Elite Finishing Tree'
His eyes burned with fire. He knew what had to be done.
A coach approached quietly. "Cristiano, a scout from England will visit next month. From
Manchester."
Ronaldo grinned.
Then let the future begin.'
Among Sporting's youth elite was one other golden boy: Tiago Freitas. Tall, technical, and favored
by the coaches.
He hated Ronaldo's rise.
In training, Tiago shoulder-checked him, muttered insults, even accused him of cheating.
Ronaldo didn't retaliate. He dominated.
In a 7v7 match, he stole the ball from Tiago and nutmegged him before curling it into the net.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
You have established Rivalry: Tiago Freitas
Reputation among peers: +5
While teammates relaxed in the dorms, Ronaldo sprinted laps under the moonlight.
Every push-up, every header against the wall, every juggling drill it all mattered.
[SYSTEM BOOST]
Solo Training Activated
Stat Growth Rate +10% (48 hrs.)
Discipline Score: A+
Sweat dripped like sacrifice. He wasn't just training. He was building a monument to himself.
The scout from Manchester United arrived with a quiet notebook and sharp eyes.
The coaches assembled a scrimmage. Ronaldo waited.
Thirty minutes in, he turned a cross into a bicycle kick goal.
The scout put down his pen. "That boy... he's different."
[SYSTEM UPDATE]
Scouted by: Manchester United (Youth Development Tier - Active)
Unlocked: International Recognition I
A letter arrived sealed with a red crest.
Ronaldo opened it, heart pounding.
"You are invited for a summer trial with Manchester United Youth Team."
He didn't show the letter to anyone not even Tiago.
He simply whispered, "I'm coming, Old Trafford."
[SYSTEM UNLOCKED]
Quest Line: Rise of a Red Devil
Phase 1 Objective: Earn starter spot during trial
Bonus: Skill Tree Explosive Finishing'
The Sporting dorm hallway echoed with quiet goodbyes.
Coach Silveira pulled Ronaldo aside. "Cristiano... no matter what happens out there remember who you are. I will," Ronaldo replied. "I'm the best. I just haven't shown the world yet."
He left his boots at the end of the hallway, a personal tradition.
The next chapter would be written in England.