Debut or Die - Chapter 12

He, who leads human evolution to become Light.

An ordinary young man of the earth accidentally gets a testing VR helmet…

The world changed ever since…

BarelyTranslation : 1-25 chapters of mine aren’t linked here, but it is available at my site.

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 night before we obtained our marriage certificate, I asked him, “When did you start to develop feelings for me?”

He answered, “I don’t remember.”

“But, why me?”

“Why not you?”

“I’m very petty, and I get jealous very easily.”

“So am I.”

“I’m afraid I’m not worthy of you.”

“So am I.”

“I haven’t really dated, so I don’t know what love is.”

“I don’t know either.”

He held my hand gently, “But I know this. When I think about spending the rest of my life with you, I feel that my future is filled with hope.”

At 16, we used the same class desk, with less than 10cm between our arms. My peripheral vision was full of him.

At 26, I woke up in the morning, and saw the sunlight softly shining on his face. I thought, this is how I want to grow old – gradually, together, with him.

I guess this must be love.

“Chantelle Bently, you’re a murderer! Why are you still alive? You should have been the one to die!”Daniel shoved her away furiously, his face as dark and empty as the black suit he wore.Chantelle was caught off guard and lost her balance, falling hard onto her pregnant belly.The pain was unbearable, and she cried out as her body trembled.Chantelle shook her head desperately. “I told you, it wasn’t me! It was Kate!”In a trembling voice, she pleaded, “Daniel, how many times do I have to say this before you believe me? I didn’t betray your family or the Wilson Group Of Companies, and I didn’t cause your grandfather’s death.”Anger and resentment appeared in Daniel’s eyes as he threw the divorce settlement in Chantelle’s face. “Sign this now! From this day forward, I’ll make you pay a thousand times for everything you’ve done!”The sight of the document struck Chantelle like a dagger to her heart.Her whole body froze as if she had been cast into the icy wastelands of Hell.****Her twin sister framed her, and her perfect family was destroyed on Christmas Eve.Things got worse when her husband handed her a divorce agreement. A month later, rumors spread that she had died in prison from depression.Six years later, she returned with a new face to take her revenge. She was beautiful but dangerous.Daniel felt both devastated and irritated when he saw the mysterious woman. She had the same name as his dead ex-wife, whom he hated most and the one he believed was responsible for his grandfather’s death.Despite his anger, he couldn’t deny the strong attraction he felt toward her.In fact, he was fatally obsessed and addicted to her, and the anger that had controlled him for six years slowly started to crumble.