American Football: King of the Bay Area

The afternoon sun over Philadelphia was sparse and gentle. Above, the vast, high sky was cloudless, and pale golden light filtered down through the light blue canopy. The lazy warmth was intoxicating, the kind of crisp autumn day that made you want to do nothing more than lie on the grass, bask in the sun, and idly watch time pass.

But the city was gripped by a festive uproar. The evidence was everywhere: in the noisy bars, the hanging flags, and the crackling airwaves. A boisterous, celebratory atmosphere filled every street and alley, so infectious that even teenagers humming as they walked seemed to add a light, happy skip to their step.

And there was only one reason for it all: Game Day!

The entire city was buzzing. A bustling sea of people surged toward Lincoln Financial Field. A massive traffic jam snaked from the stadium parking lot, backing up for half a highway, as if every resident was flocking to the same destination. The stadium, with a capacity of 69,176, was sold out—not an empty seat to be found. Outside, a large number of fans still held up signs, desperate for a last-minute ticket to get inside.

This burning passion lit up the afternoon, and with it, the entire city.

Standing in the players' tunnel and looking up, he could glimpse a corner of the stands. A boundless expanse of navy-blue jerseys surged and spread out to either side like a vast ocean. The sea of fans was so immense it seemed to have no end, its distant horizon seamlessly blending with the translucent sky and stretching on forever, until the entire world became one.

"GO! GO! EAGLES!"

The unified chant rolled out, again and again—cascading, overwhelming, and unending. The echoes bounced back, overlapping and layering on top of one another, gradually forming a sound wave that resonated with the very air. And then… the entire stadium began to tremble.

RUMBLE. RUMBLE. He could clearly feel the ripple of vibrations through the soles of his feet. The feeling complemented the majestic sight of navy blue, a force that passed through his eyes and eardrums to strike deep into his soul. The shock was so profound it made him freeze, unable to move so much as a finger, unable to even breathe.

"GO! GO! EAGLES!"

'This is a true home game.' The powerful roar of the crowd drowned out every other sound, as if even the march of time itself had paused to listen.

The crowd at Candlestick Park during the first two weeks of the regular season had been completely disorganized—scattered, listless, and disjointed. They never truly united, and their cheers were feeble and half-hearted. The only pressure came from the visual effect of a full stadium.

In week three, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, the city was suffering from economic hardship, and the fans simply didn't have the spirit to focus on the game. According to aggregate data from the first three weeks, the Cincinnati Bengals currently had the lowest attendance rate in the Alliance. The live support was erratic and ghostly, flaring up and vanishing without warning.

But not until now. Now, Lu Ke finally understood what home-field advantage truly felt like. It was as if the entire city had twisted together into a single, powerful force. If you listened closely, you could feel the soul of a city.

Lu Ke had heard the common lore about why football was so popular in the United States. The story began with two teams: the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers.

Both were traditional NFL powerhouses and among the most successful teams in the league's history. They shared a common bond: their home cities had, at some point, endured the darkest and most desperate of slumps—low points that threatened their very survival.

The fanbases of the Steelers and Packers were primarily composed of the working class and the poor—blue-collar laborers, people on public assistance, and residents of the slums. In those desperate times, the two teams used victory after victory to unite their cities, bringing fans and residents together. Step by step, they led their communities out of the depths and back to prominence.

It was for this very reason that the fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers were the most loyal and die-hard of all. No matter how terrible the team's record became, they would never lose faith and would continue to support their team unconditionally. Naturally, every game day became a city-wide celebration, almost like Christmas Day itself.

Today, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Lu Ke felt that same fanaticism. It was exhilarating, intoxicating, and utterly stirring. Sports were always so captivating—unrelated to politics, economics, or daily life, yet somehow connected to everything.

DING. A sound echoed in his mind, alerting Lu Ke that a new set of game missions had been announced.

"Game Missions:

Score a Touchdown; Requirement: None; Reward: +1 base point per Touchdown.

Increase pass completion rate; Requirement: A completion rate of at least sixty percent; Reward: +1 base point.

Control turnovers; Requirement: Two or fewer interceptions and fumbles; Reward: +1 base point.

Maintain game control; Requirement: Properly balance the pass and run, with run plays comprising at least thirty percent of calls; properly distribute passing targets so every receiver on the field has at least one catch; Reward: +1 base point.

Win the game; Requirement: None; Reward: +3 base points."

'The game missions have changed!'

'All this time, the daily training missions and special missions had been dynamic and ever-changing, updating periodically to keep pace with his progress. But the game missions were lackluster and growing more and more boring. They had become so predictable—just passing, Touchdowns, and the like—that there were no surprises left.'

'Lu Ke was beginning to suspect the system in charge of game missions had made a mistake. Today, they had finally updated. The changes weren't huge, but it was progress.'

'Overall, the game missions had only added two new objectives: controlling turnovers and distributing passes. In truth, the goal of both missions was the same: to improve his ability as a quarterback to control the game.'

'Every quarterback has his own passing habits. Take the partnership between Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison. They are the greatest quarterback and wide receiver duo in history, holding a whole series of records: most pass attempts, most passing yards, most touchdown connections, and so on. Their combination on the Indianapolis Colts became one of the most brilliant partnerships in the history of the Alliance.'

'Similarly, Lu Ke had his own passing habit: Logan Newman. It wasn't just because they were good friends. The passing chemistry between them was unparalleled. The subtle details—passing routes, throwing power, running positions, receiving habits—all fell into place without needing a single word.'

'Many times, defenders knew full well that Manning was going to throw to Harrison, but they simply couldn't stop it. In that way, Harrison made Manning great, and Manning made Harrison great.'

'But looking at it from another angle, beyond having a trump card, a top-tier quarterback must also possess the ability to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.'

'If Manning couldn't throw passes or score Touchdowns when Harrison was injured, then he couldn't be called great. In fact, aside from Harrison, Manning's ability to develop his wide receivers was considered the best in the Alliance. Under his guidance, countless unknown wide receivers leaped to the top of the Alliance.'

'Furthermore, beyond the choice of passing targets, a balanced pass-run offense was incredibly important. Even though this was a pass-heavy Era, a great quarterback had to understand when to pass and when to run, how to rationally call plays and control the tempo of the game.'

'This wasn't soccer or basketball, where a single player's flash of genius in a one-on-one play could turn the tide. Those clutch, game-winning moments that create heroes are always thrilling. But in a football game, creating any hero requires the help of the entire team.'

'For a quarterback, not having the support of a running game was like fighting with an arm and a leg tied behind his back. Winning a game purely through passing was incredibly difficult. Even the four teams with the four elite quarterbacks were constantly searching for better running backs each year to share the load.'

'In other words, distributing passing routes, balancing the run and pass, and minimizing mistakes were all manifestations of a quarterback's football intelligence, as well as their ability to control the game.'

'Previously, however, these were the functions of special missions. Today, they were scheduled in advance as part of the game missions. Why?'

'After some careful thought, Lu Ke ventured a guess. Perhaps in previous games, I lacked experience, so the system had to use special missions to temporarily boost specific areas of my skill set, like applying a patch. Now, after being tested in three games, my abilities haven't undergone a qualitative leap, but I've still made significant progress. So, the missions have been upgraded accordingly.'

'This meant the difficulty of the game missions had increased. Does that also mean the difficulty of future special missions will increase as well?'

'Now, Lu Ke was beginning to understand. Among the six hosts before Qi, some had succeeded and some had failed. It wasn't just because of the grueling daily training missions, but also because the difficulty was constantly increasing. For a player, the slightest bit of slack could cause all their previous efforts to go to waste.'

'But for Lu Ke, this didn't make him nervous. On the contrary, he was eager for the challenge. This also meant that his abilities had genuinely improved and had been recognized by the system. It was proof that his struggle and hard work were finally paying off. He had taken another step forward on his path to becoming a football superstar.'

"Bambi!" A roar echoed in his ear. But what truly snapped Lu Ke out of his thoughts wasn't the shout, but a heavy slap on his shoulder. Logan's voice was nearly inaudible amid the stadium's roar.

He turned his head. Logan pointed straight ahead. Lu Ke followed his team, charging out onto the field of Lincoln Financial Field. The fourth game of the regular season had begun.