The Saint Paul students in the stands were all clutching their heads in disbelief.
0-2…
What the hell…
Wasn't the Bucks team supposed to be weak?
How did they end up getting two goals past their team in the first half?
Why did their defense look so fragile against Gu Ran?
What were the Triangle River players even doing? Did they even know how to play football?!
Some of them had already lost control of their emotions.
"F*** Triangle River!"
"F*** football!"
"F*** Lampard!"
Even Chelsea's legend wasn't spared from their rage.
On the sidelines, Lampard was also frozen in disbelief.
That Piercing Arrow shot—he felt like he had just been struck by lightning.
The power, the precision, the rising trajectory—it was way too familiar.
How was this possible?
No, it wasn't just that it was familiar. It was something he had seen before.
And then it hit him.
This wasn't just a shot that reminded him of himself.
It reminded him of his father.
Frank Lampard Sr., a legendary left-back for England. One of the best in history. And a player who used to score just like this.
From the positioning to the movement to the shot itself, it was all exactly the same.
He felt like he was watching his father in his prime.
It was insane, but at that moment, Lampard realized something. Gu Ran wasn't a fluke.
Gu Ran wasn't just fast.
Gu Ran wasn't just physically strong.
Gu Ran had the composure and decision-making of a professional player.
And worst of all—Lampard had no idea how to stop him.
On the Bucks bench, the substitutes had completely lost their minds.
"Gu Ran, you absolute beast!"
"Holy s***, I think I just saw the best goal of my life!"
They were laughing, shouting, slamming the barriers in excitement.
Because this wasn't just a goal.
This was history.
For the first time ever, the Bucks had a two-goal lead before halftime in a knockout match.
They were one step away from making it into the national top eight.
Coach Carter was nearly foaming at the mouth in excitement.
"Gu! F***ing amazing! This is it! THIS IS IT!"
On the other side, Anne had completely lost it.
She was jumping up and down in the stands, barely able to contain herself.
Her entire body was tingling with excitement, waves of euphoria rushing through her.
"Gu! Gu! You're incredible! You're the fastest man I've ever seen!"
Her voice was so loud that it got picked up on the recording. Somewhere, someone was going to watch the replay later and wonder what the hell was going on.
But Gu Ran wasn't even thinking about celebrating.
He was already running toward Lampard.
His teammates rushed toward him, ready to celebrate, but he sidestepped them all.
He had more important things to do.
As he passed Butler, he caught a glimpse of the blue skill bubble he had dropped.
[Interception +1]
Not bad. That made two stacks now.
But Gu Ran didn't stop.
He locked eyes with Lampard, staring at him directly.
Lampard's jaw tensed.
He could already feel it coming.
He didn't want to acknowledge it.
He refused to acknowledge it.
Even if Gu Ran played like his father, even if that goal was a perfect replica of the ones he had grown up watching, he wasn't going to say it out loud.
But before Gu Ran could say anything—
Boom.
His teammates tackled him.
A full-on pile-up celebration.
Gu Ran could barely breathe under the weight of his own teammates.
"GET OFF ME, YOU IDIOTS!"
But they didn't care.
They were already singing.
"There once was an Eastern King named Gu Ran!"
"He crushed Saint Paul with his mighty hand!"
"There once was an Eastern King named Gu Ran!"
"He crushed Saint Paul with his mighty hand!"
The entire Bucks bench joined in.
The crowd joined in.
Even Coach Carter was humming along.
Lampard stood there, veins popping out of his forehead.
He had never in his life wanted to punch a group of kids more than he did right now.
And then—right at his feet—a massive blue skill bubble appeared.
Gu Ran saw it immediately.
[Steel Body: Iron Man +1]
His breath caught.
His heartbeat spiked.
And then, he almost screamed out loud in pure joy.
This was it.
This was the jackpot.
This was the ability that made Lampard legendary.
The ability that made him indestructible.
This was why Lampard had played 67 consecutive European matches.
Why he had played 164 consecutive league matches.
Why he had never suffered a major injury in his entire career.
Why he was one of the most reliable, consistent midfielders in football history.
It was the ultimate passive ability.
And now, Gu Ran was going to take it for himself.
He immediately absorbed the skill bubble.
The moment it merged into his body, he felt it.
His bones. His muscles. His nerves.
It was like his entire body had been reinforced from the inside out.
The soreness in his legs disappeared.
The minor aches from the first half were gone.
He felt light. He felt powerful.
He felt unbreakable.
A grin spread across his face.
No one was stopping him now.
Not in this game.
Not ever.
The first half ended with the Bucks leading 2-0.
Triangle River looked like they had just seen a ghost.
Gu Ran?
He was already thinking about the second half.
Because now, he had Steel Body.
And he was just getting started.
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