The golden bridge stretched endlessly into the light.
McCall stood once again at the starting line, the football resting quietly at his feet.
The wind howled through the endless abyss below.
Arthur folded his arms.
“This is your second attempt.”
McCall nodded.
“I know.”
“The bridge hasn’t changed.”
“The football hasn’t changed.”
Arthur’s eyes remained fixed on him.
“So tell me…”
“What has changed?”
McCall looked down at the ball.
“…Me.”
Arthur smiled.
“Good.”
McCall gently rolled the football forward.
One touch.
Two.
Three.
He wasn’t thinking about reaching the end anymore.
He wasn’t thinking about falling.
He wasn’t thinking about the reward.
His entire focus rested on one thing.
The next touch.
The bridge swayed beneath him.
The wind pushed against his shoulders.
Instead of resisting…
He adjusted.
Tiny steps.
Gentle touches.
The football never left his control.
Leo watched from the sidelines.
“He already looks different.”
The silver-haired Queen nodded.
“He’s beginning to understand.”
Halfway across the bridge…
The challenge changed.
Golden figures suddenly appeared around McCall.
Dozens of them.
They looked exactly like him.
Each clone dribbled a football.
Each clone moved in a different direction.
McCall stopped.
“What…”
Arthur’s voice echoed through the air.
“Football is full of distractions.”
“Ignore what doesn’t matter.”
The clones began shouting.
“Pass!”
“Run!”
“Shoot!”
“This way!”
“No, over here!”
The voices became louder.
Confusing.
Overwhelming.
McCall closed his eyes.
He took one deep breath.
Then another.
When he opened them…
He didn’t look at the clones.
He looked only at his football.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
One touch after another.
The illusions slowly faded.
“He figured it out!”
Arthur nodded proudly.
“He understands that the loudest voice isn’t always the right one.”
Only a few meters remained.
The finish line glowed brightly ahead.
McCall smiled.
“I’m almost—”
CRACK!
The bridge beneath him shattered.
Stone pieces fell into the endless darkness.
McCall’s eyes widened.
“No!”
Only three narrow pillars remained.
Barely enough room to stand.
The football bounced toward the edge.
Instinct screamed at him to dive after it.
But then…
The First King’s voice echoed calmly.
“Trust the football…”
“And let it trust you.”
McCall took one slow step.
Instead of chasing the ball…
He opened his body.
Lifted his foot.
The football struck the inside of his boot…
And settled perfectly against it.
He smiled.
“You came back.”
With three final touches…
He crossed the finish line.
The bridge disappeared.
Golden light flooded the Sanctuary.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
TRIAL COMPLETE
Instructor:
King Arthur
Grade:
S
Rewards Obtained:
+3 Ball Control
+2 Agility
Legacy Synchronization:
0.8% → 1.3%
New Skill Unlocked:
Calm Mind (Passive)
Reduces the effects of pressure and panic during matches.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Warm energy flowed through McCall’s body.
His breathing became steady.
His heartbeat slowed.
Everything around him appeared clearer.
Arthur stepped forward.
“You’ve passed.”
McCall smiled.
“…Does that mean I’m getting stronger?”
Arthur shook his head.
“No.”
“It means you’re becoming worthy of growing stronger.”
The eleven Kings applauded.
Even the serious Queen allowed herself a small smile.
Leo walked over and slung an arm around McCall’s shoulders.
“Welcome to the family.”
McCall laughed.
“I haven’t even won anything yet.”
Leo grinned.
“You’ve already won the hardest battle.”
McCall looked confused.
Leo tapped his chest.
“The one in here.”
Suddenly…
A loud bell echoed throughout the Sanctuary.
DONG!
DONG!
DONG!
Arthur’s expression immediately changed.
“The Gate…”
Rowan frowned.
“It shouldn’t be opening today.”
A massive stone door at the far end of the stadium slowly rumbled open.
Cold air poured into the Sanctuary.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the darkness.
Boom…
Boom…
Boom…
A tall figure emerged.
He looked about eighteen years old.
His black training jacket bore a silver wolf emblem.
A football rested on his shoulder.
His eyes were icy blue.
He surveyed the Sanctuary without fear.
Then his gaze settled on McCall.
“So…”
“You’re the one.”
Arthur sighed.
“I didn’t expect the Wolf Candidate this early.”
The newcomer smiled faintly.
“My name is Kai Volkov.”
“I represent the Northern Wolves.”
He bounced the football once before catching it effortlessly.
“I’ve come to challenge the Successor of the Heart.”
McCall took a step forward.
“…Challenge me?”
Kai nodded.
“The King’s Tournament requires proof.”
He pointed directly at McCall.
“If you cannot defeat me…”
“…you have no right to stand before the Twelve Thrones.”
The System immediately appeared.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Qualification Match Announced
Opponent:
Kai Volkov
Organization:
Northern Wolves
Legacy Candidate
Estimated Synchronization:
12.7%
Host Synchronization:
1.3%
Win Probability:
18%
Special Reward for Victory:
Unlock the Legacy Archive – Chapter One
Time Until Match:
24 Hours
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
McCall stared at the glowing numbers.
18% chance of winning.
Kai noticed the uncertainty in his eyes and smiled.
“Don’t worry.”
“I’m not here to kill you.”
“I’m here…”
“…to see whether the First King made the right choice.”
Around the Sanctuary, the spirits of the Eleven Kings watched in complete silence.
The first true match between two Legacy Candidates…
Was finally about to begin.