Standing Next To You - Chapter 367: Your Pathetic

Richard Maddox, a once-promising football prodigy, dreamed of becoming a star. But just as his dream was within reach, it was abruptly shattered when he banged his head on the goalpost, fracturing his skull. Forced into early retirement, Richard vanished from the public eye.People thought Richard Maddox was done for. However, no one expected that during his unconscious state, his spirit detached from his body. He drifted through time, witnessing the world of football from the perspective of a ghost. It was strange, unpleasant, yet exciting. No need for tickets or travel—he could simply fly.England, Italy, Spain, Germany—the best football countries in Europe—and even the passionate South America, the energetic Africa, and the growing Asia—Richard observed the rise and fall of football giants, all from the sidelines.However, watching football from the other side was quite different from experiencing it live. He missed the cheering, singing, and chanting with the other fans. No one could hear him now. No one could watch football with him. He was... alone.Just as Richard was about to be bored to death, his soul was sucked back, and he realized that only an entire year had passed.'Interesting,' he thought, laughing. “I could bet, invest in companies that will succeed in the future, and get rich. Bitcoin, I'm coming, baby.”but who could have guessed that Richard would dive so deep into the world of football—From owning a single share to testing the waters as a scout, trying his hand as an agent, and eventually stepping into the world of coaching, before finally diving into the realm of football club ownership.It has truly been a full spectrum of football, the highs and the lows. Join us as we welcome Richard Maddox!

—Book 2 of 9 in the Quillverse—

Given a second chance at life, Oli’s soul was whisked away through the cosmic void. He opens his eyes to a purple sky with three suns and two moons. Oh yeah, and his parents are gorillas.

However, to Oli’s pleasant surprise, those gorillas raise him with more love and care than his previous parents ever had. That is, until Oli’s father dies defending Oli from a dragon. Oli is then gifted his father’s secret treasure to rampantly boost Oli’s cultivation, also discovering his father to be a wanted criminal.

Oli and his gorilla clan decide to seek a territory of their own, and proudly take control of the nearby beast clans to form a town. With his bombastic uncle leading the clan and his uncle’s feline, best friend creating a cultivation academy, Oli can finally focus on his own growth!

But… That defeated dragon reveals the whereabouts of Oli’s gorilla clan. Spies are sent to investigate everything, while powerful mercenaries are hired to betray and slay the gorillas.

In the midst of the mayhem, Oli is kidnapped! But not by his enemy… Oli is awoken by a mysterious man, a man who claims to be an old ally of the gorilla clan and the one responsible for Oli’s reincarnation into this world.

Oli makes a deal with him, whether he wants to or not, dragging the entire world into chaos, genocide, and all-out war! Everything is for a greater cause, in order for Oli to become the world’s strongest divine beast.

Skyscraper's rooftop.Fang Cheng is sweating heavily, relentlessly training.1000 airborne clapping push-ups.1000 two-finger push-ups.1000 one-arm pull-ups.1000 one-arm handstand push-ups.1000 single-leg squats.Plus, holding a dragon flag and a Baki plank for one hour.Looking in the mirror, Fang Cheng shows a satisfied expression.“All six skills are maxed out, I can finally synthesize the mythic talent, Asura's body.”Neon-lit chaotic dark city, countless crimson eyes lurking around.Conglomerates, serial killers, cultists, gene-modified beings, rebel groups…Fang Cheng, with his panel, intrudes into this seemingly ordinary mysterious world.Gaining experience and cultivating through push-ups.Fitness, boxing, sanda, parkour, meditation, breathing, qigong…Each seemingly ordinary skill achieves unimaginable heights.Pushing human limits ever higher, crushing every so-called “monster.”Until — becoming the god of the new world!

Xu Yuan transmigrated to a parallel world where everyone became lords. Initially, he thought he would be a lord too. To his surprise, he became the Dark Demonic Dragon, a starter hero awaiting to be summoned by a lord. He also awakened the Dragon God Cultivation System.

[Transformation of the Dark: You can level up quickly by staying in the dark.]

[Slumber of the Dragon God: For the Dragon God, sleeping means residing in the dark.]

[Rejuvenation of the Demonic Dragon: You can revive using the power of the dark. Your basic attribute points will increase every time you revive.]

[The Blade of the Hidden Wings: This is a dark attribute AoE skill. It can annihilate all enemies within the area of effect.]

[Unlimited Devouring: The skills of your enemy shall be yours now. Unleash this skill to devour your enemy and acquire their skills.]

…

Su Wan, a beautiful lord, had no doubt that she could easily become the most powerful lord in the universe.

She felt her heart beating fast when she first saw her starter hero dazzle amidst the flashing summoning light.

Unbeknownst to her, her nightmare was about to unfold.

While other heroes devoted themselves to training day and night in order to level up, her hero goofed around and showed no effort to improve himself.

While other heroes charged into the enemy’s base and valiantly killed off their foes, her hero hid in their base and slept soundly.

…

As time passed, Su Wan slowly discovered that there was more to her hero than met the eye.