System!
Only now did Lance finally remember—on the night of the Super Bowl championship, the system had probably, maybe, sort of triggered some kind of notification. But everything had been too chaotic, too exhausting. He was completely burned out and hadn't paid attention. Then came the whirlwind of celebrations, and the thought disappeared altogether.
Thankfully, it had only been temporarily forgotten—not permanently.
Now was the perfect time to check things over.
He summoned the system interface and gave it a quick scan—just as he suspected, his hunch was right:
Extra reward for winning the Super Bowl was waiting to be claimed.
Three reward draws!
This was the first extra reward he had earned since activating the system's initial beginner's pack. Though the concept was basic, it was significant for a pure training system like this—enough to make anticipation skyrocket.
In addition, from the fierce playoff battles and nail-biting reversals, he'd already accumulated two draw chances.
In total—five draws in a row!
With a leap, Lance headed to the bathroom to freshen up and clear his foggy head. Once refreshed and centered, he queued up an energizing track—Beethoven's "Symphony of Fate"—and got ready.
Time to roll.
A deep breath. No hesitation. He executed the five-draw pull in one go.
A ripple of blue light shimmered across the interface as five cards hovered in the air, revealing themselves:
Card: Training Effect Multiplier (3x)
Card: Recovery Effect Multiplier (3x)
Card: Training Time Booster (2x)
Template: Le'Veon Bell (Grade A)
Card: Injury Risk Reduction (40%)
Huh. Not exactly hitting the jackpot.
The Training and Recovery multipliers were familiar cards. The Training Time Booster was new, but it didn't immediately jump out as a game-changer.
The player template was also a familiar name—
Le'Veon Bell, running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Grade A.
So yeah, pulling Adrian Peterson (S-grade) on his first ever draw? That had been a miracle—one that might not happen again.
Wait, hold on—
Was that… a gem in disguise?
The Injury Risk Reduction Card, at 40%?
That wasn't new, but that percentage—40%—was a big deal.
After surviving a full NFL season, Lance had seen firsthand just how critical injuries were—not just for Eric Berry, but for many teammates.
J.J. Watt had exited the game against the Chiefs due to injury, ending his season prematurely for a second straight year. In interviews, Watt admitted that the NFL's intensity was on another level. In college, he'd missed only one game in his entire career. Now, things were different. It was frustrating.
Even Coach Houston had told Lance privately: in this league, almost everyone plays hurt. If you're not injured, you're a rarity.
Especially at running back. Even someone as tough as Peterson couldn't escape it.
But if Lance could avoid major injuries—those that end seasons or drastically reduce performance—it would be a huge win.
A 40% injury reduction card was priceless.
No hesitation—Lance immediately equipped it, replacing his old one with the higher-value version. Then he scanned the other two slots.
Training Effect Multiplier and Recovery Effect Multiplier.
Today's draw yielded a 3x Recovery card, but he already had a 5x equipped—no reason to downgrade.
But the Training Effect card? That was an upgrade—from 2x to 3x.
Then he looked at the new card—Training Time Booster.
Reading the fine print revealed a subtle but important detail:
The "2x Training Time Booster" didn't mean that every minute of training was literally doubled. Rather, each minute counted twice in terms of the system's progress bar.
So it wouldn't directly impact Lance's personal gains. It simply accelerated system progress, which meant more draw chances.
An unexpected twist.
Over nearly two years, Lance had come to know the system as a pure training simulator—no bells, no whistles, even with national titles and Super Bowl wins. Everything boiled down to your own talent and grind.
No shortcuts.
But now, this card introduced a new path—not cheating, exactly, but definitely an efficiency hack.
Yes, draw cards still only helped training, and wouldn't make him Superman overnight. But more draws meant more cards, which meant more tools to optimize.
It was a subtle evolution. A pleasant surprise.
However—
This system was smart about balance.
There were only three card slots:
Training Effect Multiplier
Injury Risk Reduction
Recovery Effect Multiplier
Each one vital.
So if Lance wanted to use the Training Time Booster, he had to give something up.
A trade-off.
Nothing in the universe is free.
So—should he risk it?
He gave it serious thought—and then noticed a loophole the system had likely left on purpose:
The offseason.
During this time, few players maintained full training regimens. Even those dedicated to prep wouldn't match in-season intensity. Smart, sustainable training was the priority.
That meant lower risk of injury, and less wear on the body.
So if Lance wanted to test the new card, he could probably temporarily swap out the Recovery Effect Multiplier—it was the least essential during the offseason.
Who knows?
With accelerated progress, he might earn more draw chances and pull even better cards before the new season began.
Lance believed this was the system's way of incentivizing hard training during the offseason.
After all, most players ease off. Even the workaholics explore new hobbies when the grind ends.
Life extends beyond the football field—but unless you're willing to step outside your comfort zone, your world stays small.
But Lance thought differently.
He made his decision.
He replaced the Recovery Effect card with the Training Time Booster.
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Powerstones?
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