Blossoming Path - Chapter 18: Calm Before the Storm

Eric Maddox, a 70-year-old American retired football coach once hailed for his tactical brilliance, now forgotten by time—closes his eyes for what he believes is a normal nap in his quiet Florida retirement home.But when he opens them, he's not staring at ceiling tiles, instead, he's on a touchline.Wearing boots in the rain.With players running on the pitch, fans jeering behind barriers, and the smell of cheap turf pellets in the air.“What the hell is this?”He’s twenty-five again, but it’s not Earth. It’s a world where football reigns supreme. A world where the sport is religion, its practitioners, deities in cleats. Coaches are revered, players are worshipped, and even the kit man gets treated like royalty.But there's one catch: none of it is familiar. The clubs, the players, the leagues, the competitions, and even the currency—they're all different. Alien. Like waking up in a dream where the rules are the same, but the language is foreign.As if that wasn’t enough, the body he’s now in? A youth coach with a laughable win record, a looming divorce, and a measly fifty thousand in the bank that his ex-wife is fighting tooth and nail to take. All of it.Just when the spiral seems inevitable, a monotone chime pierces the noise.[Initiating Golden Finger…][…45%… 75%… 100%][System Integration Complete.][Welcome, host. You are now bound to the Pro Manager System. Objective: Dominate the Football World. A new era begins]From washed-up has-been to chosen one of destiny, Eric Maddox is about to trade arthritis pills for tactical boards, and shuffleboard for Prestigious Cup glory.Because in this world, tactics are power.And on this touchline, he’s about to become a god.

The story is stubbed. Some of its chapters are only available over on Kindle Unlimited. You can read up to chapter 4 for free here, including any chapters beyond the books I've published. Link to Amazon.“Survival of the fittest is easier said than done...why couldn't I have been reborn a bit bigger, huh?”If waking up in a new world wasn't bad enough, an idealistic teen starts her new life as a newborn dragon not by being embraced by a loving family, but having to escape two hungry kobolds wanting some grilled lizard for breakfast. Now, status screens obscure her vision in a hostile forest filled with vicious magical monsters, as two concerning Titles welcome her to her new life.Equipped with fragmented memories from her past life and the game-like mechanics of her new reality, the young dragon must face trials and tribulation, undeterred by the reaper's scythe inches from her neck. Despite her challenges, she is determined to find civilization. For nothing will stop her from fulfilling her one true desire: to become an Idol.Note: I am currently editing and rewriting my early chapters due to growing as an author over these two years. If you guys notice a sudden drop in writing quality or not a note that this chapter was edited, then please know that I haven't edited them yet. I am using you guys' feedback to grow, so thank you for your patience!

[Scanning completed][Host detected. System activated]“What's going on?”[Host, I am the system. I will help You Build Your Empire. You have arrived in a world called Proxima Center. It is 10 times bigger than your planet]In This story, we follow the life of Alberto, a World War II veteran who was killed in action during the war.But God decided to give him another life. He sends him to a fantasy world. This fantasy realm is ten times the size of Earth, teeming with legendary creatures and vast nations that rival even the might of the Mongol Empire. Where our main character will build his country entirely from scratch using the system given by God. A powerful system that is capable of making him a powerful beingSo let's enjoy our main character's journey together.Join Alberto on his epic journey as he transforms from a soldier into a sovereign, building alliances, facing formidable foes, and perhaps even discovering love amidst the chaos.

Ding! The system activated the mission!

[Look at this sick old man in front of you. Let us pull out his oxygen tube and send him off. Let’s give him a peaceful mercy teehee~]

Shinomiya Aoba was stunned.

The old man mentioned by the dog system seemed to be a little strong…

Looking at the Gedo Mazo Pipe inserted in the back of ‘old age Madara’, he was silent and even wanted to laugh.

What do you mean his ‘oxygen tube’?

You want me to die?!

In addition… The super su*cide missions have been released:

[Personally experiencing the ultimate meaning of the Eight Inner Gates! —Take a hard kick of ‘Night Guy’ and shout out, ‘I would not call you the strongest!’] [Give Otsutsuki Kaguya a Thousand-Year Kill! —And record this beautiful moment!]

[Art is Explosion… and SpongeBob Squarepants! —-To accompany Deidara to self-destruct!]

[Inviting Terumi Mei to host the wedding —No less than a hundred words of congratulations!]

In addition, there were many other kinds of death-seeking missions waiting to be opened. And when the main character looked back many years later, everyone was holding back a sentence of “Damn it, he’s crazy!”

“This Ninja clearly didn’t look very strong, so why did he not die even after doing this?”

This was probably a poor child who had been dragged onto a path of death by a shitty system that’s set on seeking death.