The rain in Yorkshire was back. After the humid heat of Seoul the cold water falling from the grey sky felt like a shock. But for the players of Barnsley Football Club it was just normal weather.

Michael Sterling sat in his office at the training ground. The window was wet with raindrops. He was not looking at the weather. He was looking at the past.

On his laptop screen the System was displaying the final data from the previous season.

[SEASON ANALYSIS: 2025 TO 2026]

[FINAL POSITION: 7TH]

[TOTAL GOALS SCORED: 68]

[TOTAL GOALS CONCEDED: 45]

Michael scrolled down. The individual stats were the most interesting part. It showed him exactly how far his Misfits had come.

TOP SCORER: DANNY FLETCHER

GOALS: 18

STATUS: THE PRINCE BECAME THE KING

Note: Danny outperformed his expected goals by 4.5. His finishing inside the box is elite.

TOP ASSISTER: KAI SORA

ASSISTS: 15

STATUS: THE ARCHITECT

Note: Kai created more chances than any other midfielder outside the top four teams. His vision is rated 92.

BEST DEFENDER: DIEGO NUNEZ

TACKLES: 145

INTERCEPTIONS: 80

RED CARDS: 1

Note: The Bull is the most feared defender in the league. Attackers actively avoid his side of the pitch.

Michael smiled. These numbers were beautiful. They were the proof that his methods worked. They proved that you did not need to spend one billion pounds to build a good team. You just needed heart and a bit of magic.

Arthur Milton walked into the office. He was wearing a raincoat that was bright yellow. He looked like a giant banana.

"Boss," Arthur said shaking his umbrella. "The players are wet. Diego is trying to catch raindrops in his mouth. He says it is free hydration."

"Let him drink," Michael said closing the laptop. "Is everyone ready?"

"They are ready," Arthur said. "But Jamie Vardy is vibrating. I think he had four energy drinks today. He is running circles around the cones."

"Good," Michael stood up. "Because today is important. Today we see who is ready for the next level."

They walked down to the pitch. The grass was slick and fast.

The squad was gathered in the center circle.

There were the old faces. Danny. Diego. Kai. Isaiah.

And there were the new faces. Enzo Silva the Pitbull. Jan Visser the Giant. And the wonderkid Leo Stone.

Michael looked at them through the eyes of the System.

Usually the System showed him numbers. Speed. Strength. Shooting.

But today it showed him something else.

[SEASON PREDICTION ACTIVATED]

[DETECTING PLAYER PEAKS...]

Michael watched as a faint light appeared around certain players.

A silver light surrounded Isaiah King. It meant he would have a good season. Solid.

A blue light surrounded Diego Nunez. It meant he would be consistent. A rock.

But then Michael looked at Erik Olsen.

The Norwegian winger was standing near the touchline. He was stretching his legs.

Around Erik there was a blinding golden aura. It pulsed like a heartbeat.

[ALERT: PEAK PERFORMANCE DETECTED]

[PLAYER: ERIK OLSEN]

[PREDICTION: THE VIKING RAGE]

[STATUS: UNSTOPPABLE]

Michael blinked. Erik Olsen? The quiet winger? He had been good last season. He scored eight goals. But the System was saying he was about to explode.

"Arthur," Michael whispered. "Look at Erik."

"I am looking," Arthur said. "He has a new haircut. It is very short. Very Viking."

"Not the hair Arthur," Michael said. "The energy. Watch him today."

Michael blew his whistle.

"Okay everyone!" Michael shouted. "Three days until Wolves. Three days until the war starts. Today we play a full match. 11 against 11. I want to see blood. Metaphorically."

"I can give you real blood!" Diego shouted happily.

"No real blood Diego," Michael sighed. "Just sweat."

THE TRAINING MATCH

The game started.

It was intense. The wet pitch made the ball move incredibly fast.

Enzo Silva was everywhere. The Pitbull was chasing Kai Sora. Kai was calm. He just passed the ball one second before Enzo arrived.

"You are too slow little dog," Kai said adjusting his wet sunglasses.

"I will catch you!" Enzo barked. "I never stop!"

But Michael was watching the left wing.

Erik Olsen received the ball from Jan Visser.

Erik was facing Tom the young defender.

Usually Erik would pass back or look for a cross.

Not today.

The golden aura flared up in Michael vision.

Erik dropped his shoulder. He exploded.

His speed was terrifying. He left Tom standing still. It looked like Tom was frozen in time.

Erik drove into the box. Diego Nunez came across. The Bull. The Wall.

Diego slid in. It was a perfect tackle.

Or it should have been.

Erik did not stop. He touched the ball past Diego sliding legs. Then he jumped over the giant defender.

He was one on one with Sam Jones.

Erik smashed the ball.

BANG.

The ball hit the top corner so hard the net made a snapping sound.

"Whoa," Arthur said dropping his clipboard. "Did you see that speed? He looked like a jet plane."

"I saw it," Michael said.

MINUTE 20

Erik got the ball again.

This time he was thirty yards out.

"Shoot!" Jamie Vardy screamed from the other side. "Hit it!"

Erik hit it.

It was a knuckleball. It swerved left. It swerved right.

Sam Jones tried to save it but the ball moved in the air like a ghost.

GOAL.

The players stopped. They looked at Erik.

The Norwegian just stood there. He did not smile. He did not celebrate. He just wiped the rain from his face.

"He is scary," Isaiah King whispered to Leo Stone. "He looks like he wants to kill the ball."

MINUTE 40

The session ended with one final moment of magic.

Erik Olsen chased a loose ball. He was fighting with Enzo Silva.

Enzo was strong. He pulled Erik shirt.

Erik did not fall. He shrugged Enzo off like he was a fly.

He crossed the ball.

It was perfect. It landed right on the head of Danny Fletcher.

GOAL.

Michael blew the whistle.

"Training over!"

The players walked off the pitch. They were soaked and tired.

Diego Nunez walked over to Erik Olsen.

Diego looked at the winger. He poked Erik chest with a massive finger.

"You are strong Viking," Diego grunted. "You jumped over me. Nobody jumps over me. I usually eat people who try that."

"I am ready Diego," Erik said calmly. His voice was deep. "I am tired of being the second option. This season I eat."

Diego grinned. A wide scary grin.

"Good. We hunt together."

Michael waited for Erik by the tunnel.

"Erik," Michael said.

Erik stopped. "Yes Boss?"

"You were on fire today," Michael said. "I have never seen you play like that."

Erik looked at his boots.

"I stayed in Norway for the summer Boss," Erik said. "I went to the mountains. My grandfather told me stories. He told me about the Berserkers. The warriors who felt no pain."

"And?"

"And I realized," Erik looked up. His blue eyes were intense. "I have been too nice. I pass too much. I wait for Danny. I wait for Isaiah. I do not want to wait anymore."

Michael put a hand on his shoulder. He could feel the golden aura humming.

"Then do not wait," Michael said. "The team needs a monster on the wing. Be the monster."

"I will Boss," Erik promised. "I will score twenty goals."

"Twenty?" Michael raised an eyebrow.

"Minimum," Erik said. Then he walked into the changing room.

Arthur Milton walked up to Michael. He was eating a wet biscuit.

"He is serious Boss," Arthur said. "Twenty goals? From the wing? That is Salah numbers."

"The System says he is peaking Arthur," Michael said. "It says he is unstoppable. If Erik explodes and we have Danny scoring and we have the Phantom on the bench..."

"We are going to score a lot of goals," Arthur finished.

"Yes," Michael agreed. "We are."

Later in the office Michael updated his tactical board.

He looked at the formation.

GK: Jan Visser

DEF: Diego, Pavard, Tom, Enzo (CDM)

MID: Kai, Isaiah, ERIK (Key Player)

ATT: Danny

He circled the name ERIK in red marker.

He then looked at the stats from last season one more time.

Danny had 18 goals. That was the benchmark.

If Erik Olsen could match that Barnsley would not just be fighting for Europe. They would be fighting for something much bigger.

The phone on his desk buzzed.

It was a message from Julian Thorne the owner.

Julian: I saw the training report. The Norwegian looks sharp. Also the Wolves manager called me. He asked if Diego is suspended. I told him no. I think he started crying.

Michael laughed.

He walked to the window. The rain was stopping. A small slice of blue sky was appearing over the stadium.

The stats from last year were history. They were just numbers on a page.

But the feeling in his gut? The golden light he saw around Erik? The hunger in Diego eyes?

That was real.

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