“Stoppage-Time Winner!
Liverpool Loanee Saves Fiorentina on the Road!”
“Two Assists Off the Bench!
Young Talent’s Stunning Debut!”
“Club History!
Ethan Cross’s Dream Debut Secures All Three Points!”
After the final whistle, the Florence Courier and every local outlet flooded their feeds with coverage of the dramatic away win.
Ethan Cross’s name and face led every headline.
The irony wasn’t lost on anyone.
Less than a week ago, when Fiorentina finalized the loan, the Courier had run the story with open contempt.
They were the ones who dug up Ethan’s total lack of match experience.
They lit the fuse on the fan outrage over the club’s transfer business.
They made sure every Viola supporter knew his name.
Now, days later, Ethan had delivered a debut so emphatic it slapped the ink right off their front page.
The Courier didn’t mind the embarrassment.
They were thrilled.
Even they hadn’t imagined his talent ran this deep.
Fiorentina hadn’t seen a young player this gifted in years.
And who doesn’t love a young genius story?
If Ethan kept performing, the local media would feast on the attention he drew.
As their own reporting made clear, no one in Fiorentina’s history had ever recorded two assists in their league debut.
Not the old guard.
Not the new generation.
The debate over Fiorentina’s greatest passer had always been unsettled.
Older fans pointed to Giancarlo Antognoni.
Fifteen years with the club.
The all-time assist leader.
A central figure in Italy’s 1982 World Cup triumph.
One of Serie A’s elite midfielders from the late seventies into the early eighties.
Younger fans argued for Rui Costa.
The club’s single-game assist record holder.
The man who lifted Fiorentina’s profile across Europe and brought silverware to the Viola.
And in 2001, AC Milan paid forty-two million euros for him.
A club-record outgoing transfer that still stood in 2015.
But whatever side you took, neither legend had done what Ethan Cross did today.
Using two icons as a backdrop felt like media hype.
But anyone who watched the video of those two assists came away with the same thought.
No one doubted his passing talent after seeing those balls.
The quality was undeniable.
By now, Ethan’s highlights were blowing up among Fiorentina fans who hadn’t made the trip.
“What?
Am I seeing this right?
A sixteen-year-old rookie is this good?”
“Rookie?
That’s a prodigy.
Look at those two passes.
No Serie A newcomer plays balls like that.”
“Both were masterclass through balls.
That second one, the chipped pass, was pure art.
The kid has flair.”
“Damn it.
I missed a stoppage-time thriller like this because I didn’t go?”
“Did the club actually strike gold?
Why would Liverpool be generous enough to loan us a passing talent like this for free?”
“A free player turning out this good?
Unreal.”
“I’m actually excited to see what this kid does next.”
“Montella better give him more minutes in the next match.”
The team bus had just returned from Genoa to Florence.
The whole squad dragged Ethan out to celebrate the hard-fought win.
Club tradition said the man of the match picked up the tab.
But Ethan was a young player on a rookie contract with Liverpool.
His salary was nothing next to the established stars around him.
Mario Gomez, still riding high from his brace, waved everyone off and paid the bill himself.
He spared Ethan the awkwardness without a word.
For Gomez, tonight was pure joy.
Picking up dinner was nothing.
If Ethan kept feeding him passes like that, he’d buy the whole team dinner every night.
After the celebration, Ethan got back to his room and took a video call from a familiar face. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
“Ethan!
Congratulations!
Your first professional win!”
“A perfect debut.”
“My first match for Liverpool was nowhere near that good.”
Steven Gerrard was beaming on the screen.
Ethan’s loan was off to a start that had clearly exceeded the Liverpool captain’s expectations.
The fact that Gerrard had called meant he’d been tracking Ethan’s schedule closely.
That hit Ethan hard.
Gratitude and warmth both.
“Gerrard, how’s the injury?”
The background behind Gerrard still looked like a rehab setup.
“Same old thing.
Ten more days, maybe, and I’ll be back.
Don’t worry about me.”
“Honestly, being injured meant I could lie on my couch and watch your match in comfort.”
They talked a while longer.
Before hanging up, the captain gave him one last push.
“Keep going, Ethan.”
“I believe in you.
Even with only half a season, your talent is enough to shake things up at Fiorentina.”
“I’ll be waiting for more good news.”
Ethan ended the call and opened the system immediately.
The win and the debut were huge.
But there was something else.
He’d completed a mission.
The reward was still waiting.
[Mission: Make an appearance for any team in a top-five European league.
(Complete)]
[Reward received: Fine-grade Treasure Chest ×1]
[Opening Fine-grade Treasure Chest…]
[Reward: €100,000 cash]
[Reward: Milestone Mode unlock permission]
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