Lucas walked through the streets of Paris, his mind racing. The system. The stats. His father, innocent?
[Tutorial available. Would you like to activate it?]
The golden letters floated in his field of vision. He glanced around. Passersby continued on their way, oblivious to the phenomenon. He really was the only one who could see this.
"Yes," he murmured.
[TENNIS PROGRESSION SYSTEM TUTORIAL]
[1. Base Stats]Each stat can increase up to 100. Your current level determines the progression cap:- Level 1-10: Maximum 30 points per stat- Level 11-20: Maximum 50 points per stat- Level 21-30: Maximum 70 points per stat- Level 31+: Maximum 100 points
Lucas grimaced. With his current stats, he was literally at rock bottom.
[2. Experience Gain]- Hitting balls: 1 XP per correctly hit ball- Winning rallies: 10-50 XP depending on difficulty- Winning matches: 100-10000 XP depending on opponent's level- Special missions: Variable rewards
[3. Skill Points]Each level grants 3 points to distribute freely.Special missions grant bonus points.
[4. Special Skills]Unlocked at certain milestones. First skill at level 5.
[Mission Reminder: "Rebirth"][Time remaining: 23h42min][Progress: 0/100 balls]
Lucas quickened his pace. Where to find a racket? All clubs were off-limits to him. Sports stores? He only had 350 euros, and a decent racket cost at least...
His phone vibrated.
"Mom"
He answered, trying to mask his anxiety.
"Lucas? Are you coming home soon? I made pasta."
His mother's gentle voice tugged at his heart. Since his father's death, she barely survived, juggling small jobs, always smiling despite everything.
"I'm coming, Mom. In... an hour?"
"Alright. Don't stay out too late. Oh, and I have good news! I found an additional job. Cleaning lady at a sports club. It's only three evenings a week, but..."
"A sports club?" Lucas's heart raced. "Which one?"
"Tennis Club Montmartre. Why?"
Lucas almost shouted. Fate? The system? It didn't matter.
"No reason, Mom. See you soon!"
He hung up and started running. Tennis Club Montmartre was twenty minutes away. His mother was working tonight. Clubs usually closed around 10 PM. If he could sneak in...
9:47 PM. Lucas watched the club entrance from across the street. His mother was inside; he'd glimpsed her silhouette through a window, vacuuming the hall.
The parking lot was gradually emptying. The last players were leaving. The guard was making his rounds.
Lucas waited. 10:15 PM. The exterior lights went out. Only those in the hall where his mother worked remained.
He circled the building. Three-meter fence. Cameras at the main entrances. But there, behind the back courts... A hole in the fence, probably made by local kids.
Lucas slipped through. His heart was beating so hard he was sure it could be heard for miles. He hugged the walls, avoiding lit areas.
Court number 7. The furthest. The darkest. Perfect.
He searched around the court. Players sometimes forgot... There! Under a bench, an old racket. Loose strings, worn grip, slightly warped frame. But it was a racket.
Lucas grabbed it. A shiver ran through him.
[Equipment detected: Tennis Racket (Quality: Poor)][Penalty: -10% accuracy, -5% power][Mission "Rebirth" activated]
A basket of training balls sat near the net. Lucas took one, bounced it. Three years. Three years without touching a ball.
He positioned himself at the baseline. Threw the ball up. His arm rose, muscle memory intact despite the years.
PLOP
The ball hit the fence behind the opposite court. Completely missed serve.
[Ball hit: 1/100][+1 XP][Analysis: Timing off, incorrect body position]
Lucas gritted his teeth. A second ball.
PLOP
Into the net this time.
[Ball hit: 2/100][+1 XP][Tip: Toss the ball higher]
The system was giving advice? Interesting.
Third ball. Higher this time.
PLOP
The ball went over! Not in the service box, but it went over!
[Ball hit: 3/100][+1 XP][Progress detected!]
Lucas smiled. He continued. Ball after ball. Serve after serve. His muscles screamed, unaccustomed to the effort. His hand developed blisters. But he kept going.
[Ball hit: 50/100][Milestone reached! +1 bonus point in Stamina][Stamina: 20/100 → 21/100]
He immediately felt the difference. Subtle, but real. As if his lungs opened up a little more.
He was so focused he didn't hear the footsteps behind him.
"Lucas?"
He froze. Turned slowly. His mother stood there, bucket and mop in hand, eyes wide.
"Mom, I can explain..."
"You're... playing?" Her voice trembled. "But you're not allowed..."
"I know. I know, but..." How to explain? The system? Dad's innocence? "I just needed to..."
She dropped her equipment and ran to him. He expected reproaches, anger. Instead, she hugged him.
"My god, Lucas. You look so... alive."
He realized she was crying.
"It's been three years since I've seen you smile like that," she murmured. "Not since..."
"Dad was innocent, Mom."
The words came out on their own. She stiffened.
"Lucas..."
"I know it. I can't explain it, but I know it. And I'm going to prove it."
She pulled back, looking into his eyes. Saw something there. A determination she'd only seen in one person before.
"You look so much like your father when you say that." She wiped her tears. "He always said that one day, the truth would come out."
"Help me, Mom. I need to finish. 50 more balls."
She looked around. The deserted club. The cameras off on this side.
"I'm taking my break," she said finally. "Officially, I never saw you. Hurry up."
Lucas kissed her cheek and returned to the baseline. The last 50 balls. Each hit was better than the previous one. The system continued its advice. His muscles memorized.
[Ball hit: 90/100]
He was really starting to feel the racket. The sweet spot. The timing. It had come back, buried but not forgotten.
[Ball hit: 99/100]
One last one. Lucas took his time. Visualized the perfect movement. Tossed the ball.
PLOP
Virtual ace. The ball hit exactly where he aimed.
[Ball hit: 100/100][Mission "Rebirth" completed!][Rewards: +5 stat points to distribute][+100 bonus XP]
[LEVEL UP!][Level 1 → Level 2][+3 additional stat points]
Lucas felt a wave of energy pass through him. Eight points to distribute. He opened his interface.
[Current Stats:]
Serve: 3/100Forehand: 5/100Backhand: 4/100Volley: 2/100Mental: 15/100Stamina: 21/100
[Available points: 8]
He thought. Put everything into serve? No, too predictable. He needed to be balanced.
[Distribution:]
Serve: 3 → 7 (+4)Forehand: 5 → 7 (+2)Backhand: 4 → 6 (+2)
[Changes applied]
Immediately, he felt the difference. His muscles seemed to remember movements they had never really forgotten. As if a veil was lifting.
"Lucas, we need to go," his mother called. "The guard will be back."
He quickly put away the balls, kept the racket. No one would look for it.
As they left the club, his mother by his side, a new notification appeared.
[New mission unlocked: "First Match"][Objective: Win an official tennis match][Reward: First special skill unlock][Deadline: 7 days]
An official match? When he was banned from all clubs?
"Mom," he said as they walked through the night. "Do you know about any... unofficial tournaments?"
She looked at him, surprised.
"Why are you asking?"
"Just curious."
She hesitated, then:
"There are... matches. In the projects. Paris underground. Your father hated them, said they were dangerous. But..."
"But?"
"That's where some banned players go to keep playing. Cash only. No questions. No federation."
The underground. Of course.
"Do you know where?"
"Lucas, no. It's dangerous. The betting, the..."
"Mom. Trust me."
She sighed. Knew she couldn't stop him. Not with that look.
"Porte de la Chapelle. Friday nights. But Lucas..."
"I'll be careful. Promise."
Friday. In four days. Four days to transform his pathetic stats into something playable.
Arriving at their small two-room apartment in the 19th arrondissement, Lucas looked at his stats one last time.
[Lucas Moreau - Level 2][Progress to level 3: 15/200 XP]
He smiled. Tom Beaumont was probably strutting around his villa, certain he had definitively crushed the "cheater's son."
If only he knew.
"Dad," Lucas murmured, looking out the window. "The game has only just begun."
[Time until "First Match": 6 days, 23 hours, 47 minutes]
The countdown had begun.