CHAPTER 104: THE WARM-UP (SU)

"I have no idea why TT would make me watch this. It was fun to watch, sure, but it’s not like watching Henry and Kaká run for hours will somehow make me able to run like them," he thought to himself away from the prying ears of the system.

[Special Training: Speed and Endurance Completed]

The system window appeared in front of Lukas while he was still contemplating what TT had just made him watch for the past 8 hours.

"At least it’s finally done."

"TT, open player profile."

[ PROFILE – LUKAS BRANDT – FOOTBALLER

DATE OF BIRTH: 30/12/2008 (16)

HEIGHT: 178 cm

WEIGHT: 62 kg

CAREER STATUS: EINTRACHT FRANKFURT FIRST TEAM

POSITION: ATTACKING MIDFIELDER

CURRENT LIMIT: 85

RATING: 82

PLAYER STATS

ATTACK:

Off. Awareness: 82

Ball Control: 81

Dribbling: 81

Tight Possession: 80

Low Pass: 82

Lofted Pass: 81

Finishing: 80

Header: 80

Set-Piece: 81

Curl: 81

DEFENCE:

Def. Awareness: 76

Tackling: 74

Aggression: 71

Def. Engagement: 70

STRENGTH:

Speed: 85 (↑4)

Acceleration: 84 (↑4)

Kicking Power: 83

Jump: 80

Physical Contact: 80

Balance: 80

Stamina: 85 (↑5) ]

A wide smile spread through his lips as he looked at his stats.

"After almost three months of training till near-death, the results are well worth it."

[*The pain is always gonna be proportional to the gain.*]

Lukas didn’t respond as he knew TT was right. He could already see how fast he was a week ago against Bayern Munich. He could tell he had gotten even faster in the week since then.

"Well for others it might be a week. For me, it’s a whole month already."

He had already been listed on the matchday squad of players to face the reigning Bundesliga champions later that evening, and already couldn’t wait for kick off.

* * *

The packed crowd cheered as Lukas jogged out of the tunnel with Götze and Larsson to either side of him.They had on their training bibs and ran onto one side of the pitch for warm-ups.

"It seems with every game the crowd has no option but to love you more and more," Larsson said as he stretched beside Lukas.

"Can anyone blame them? I have literally left them with no other choice."

"You and your smart mouth. You’re lucky I just don’t like the spotlight. I like being low-key. If not, you won’t even have a chance to shine."

"Of course I know that. And I am eternally grateful for your humility, Sir Larsson," Lukas said as he jumped out of the way while Larsson tried to kick him.

The players around them were all laughing, and even the fans were appreciative of the air surrounding their players.They looked like a team who were together and ready to face whatever Leverkusen were willing to throw at them.

"Lukas!" Trapp called out from inside the penalty box. "Come help me warm-up," he said as he gestured for Lukas to come over.

"Are you sure you want me to?"

"Are you saying I cannot catch your shots?"

"How many are you able to catch during training?"

"That’s only ’cause I go easy on you when we train."

"Is that so? Do not go easy on me this time, then."

"Alright then! I won’t. Show me what you got," Trapp said as he stepped back towards his goal while Lukas trapped a ball Ekitike had rolled to him just outside the penalty arc.

"Ready when you are!" Trapp screamed as he slapped his gloves together and crouched slightly, his eyes glued to Lukas.

Lukas eyed his goalkeeper for a brief second as the crowd in the stadium quieted down to watch the show he was about to put on for them.

He took a couple steps back from where the ball was lying, and without taking another glance at goal, ran up and struck the ball cleanly with his left foot.

His usual style. Not much power. It always seemed like he was caressing the ball.

Trapp dived at full stretch towards his right as the ball headed for the top corner. He could already tell, however, that his dive was getting nowhere near the ball as this had happened countless times in training and despite his earlier bluff, he always gave 100% in training.

Just as he accepted his seemingly inevitable fate,

BANG!

The ball crashed against the woodwork. Right at the intersection between the crossbar and the right post.

"OOOOHH!" The crowd sighed simultaneously as the ball deflected back to the outside of the box. It looked like it was definitely heading in, only off by inches. Any more to the left and it would have rustled the goalpost before nestling in the back of the net.

Even Lukas’s teammates were a little surprised. During training, from just outside the box, his shots were rarely ever off target. It was either a goal or he forced whoever is between the sticks to pull off an amazing save. Under no pressure and no actual wall between him and the goal, the amount of times he had managed to hit a dead ball off target could be counted on one hand.

"I guess you are human after all," Trapp said as he laughed after Lukas’s miss.

Lukas did not say a word to him, he just flashed a wry smile as he walked over to where the ball had deflected to and moved it back to the same position he took the first shot from.

Same routine — a glance at the goal, two steps back, a run-up, and a curled shot with his left foot.

BANG!

The routine was the same, and so was the outcome as the ball crashed into the woodwork at the same spot it did previously.

Now a lot more teammates and even Eintracht coaching staff were surprised. This was basically unheard of.

Lukas did not say a word, though. That faint smile still on his face as he walked to the ball and repeated the same thing.

Again, and again, and again.

The woodwork kept on rattling right at the same spot.

By the fourth time, the players and staff already caught on to what he was doing.

"There is no way Lukas would take four shots from that position and miss all four of them. He is doing this on purpose. Just look at that cheeky smile. I’m getting pissed off," Trapp thought as he shook his head while Lukas ran up and hit the ball.

He stopped even attempting to make the save. He was getting nowhere near them and he had already figured out they were all part of Lukas’s crossbar challenge with himself.

The other players had gone from surprise and concern at Lukas missing multiple shots, to awe at his ability to hit the ball with such accuracy on such a consistent basis.

The crowd, meanwhile, were going crazy every time the ball struck the crossbar. They had now understood what was actually going on. Even some of the Leverkusen players at the opposite half of the pitch were watching with hands on their waists as Lukas hit the crossbar over and over again.

It took until the tenth trial for his shot to be misplaced. The ball still hit the bar, this time however, instead of deflecting back into the pitch, it rattled the back of the net.

Lukas walked into the dugout with the fans applauding him for his showpiece. He had just put on a pre-match show for the fans to watch, and they were now ready for the main event.

* * *

"The sheer brilliance of this young man. Lukas Brandt keeping the fans entertained. He is, undoubtedly, one of the reasons why this stadium is currently packed to the brim with supporters. Eintracht Frankfurt host the reigning Bundesliga champions. I am Wolf Fuss, and I am joined here by Didi Hamann."

"Thank you Wolf, it’s a pleasure to be here. Lukas Brandt, what a pleasure to watch. The accuracy, the composure, to put on such a show in the presence of some 60,000 fans at such a tender age. This is something I have never seen before. Eintracht Frankfurt have a generational player on their hands. It is not crazy to say his relationship with the club might prove to be what propels them to heights they couldn’t even begin to imagine just this time last year."

"You’re right, Didi. But how long do you think they can keep him for? There’s already news coming out from Bavaria that Bayern Munich is interested. With Muller’s contract set to expire this season, and the future of players like Sané and Coman in doubt, he would definitely be one of their prime targets for the summer window."

"That’s right. But it’s not just gonna be Bayern Munich keeping tabs, with the way he’s playing, he could make the list for almost any super club on the continent."

"Even if he ends up leaving, which I highly doubt Eintracht Frankfurt would allow so early into his career, he is gonna fetch them a hefty transfer fee. He has another chance this evening to increase what that fee could end up being.

Leverkusen might not have been able to replicate their sizzling form last season across the board, but they are still yet to lose an away fixture this season. This will prove to be a tough one!"

A/N: Soooooooo Demya_The_Healer has decided to bless us with 4 extra Chapters with his Magic Castle. I really appreciate. The Chapters are gonna be released over the week together with the normal daily Chapters. I better shut up and get to writing.

I love y’all

-Writ