Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king - Chapter 85: Night’s cloak(1)

Nicholas Marjan, known as Niels, was an Asian football-obsessed loner in the modern world. A master of FIFA Career Mode, addicted to YouTube tactics videos, and followed every twist of the transfer window like it was life or death, he lived the beautiful game from behind a screen.Until the day he died.And woke up in the late 2000s, in the body of a once-promising young player at a lower-league English club. A player whose career had been cut short by a brutal ACL injury. With his playing career over before it could truly begin, his second life offers no glory on the pitch.But Niels still has one weapon: his mind.Armed with future knowledge of football's evolution, and guided by a mysterious, almost cheat-like instinct for scouting raw talent, Niels steps into the world of coaching. As an assistant at a struggling lower-league club, he begins to reshape the team from within challenging outdated tactics, unearthing hidden gems, and reigniting hope in the dressing room.His methods are unorthodox. His instincts, uncanny. And soon, whispers about the “young coach with a gift” begin to spread.This isn’t the story of a player chasing glory. It’s about someone reborn to change the game from the sidelines. From forgotten training grounds to Europe’s biggest stages, Niels is on a mission,not just to win, but to rewrite what it means to lead.He once dreamed of lifting trophies as a player.Now, he'll do it as a coach.

Jiang Lan transmigrated into the role of the male lead's gold-digging first love. According to the original plot, all sh...Jiang Lan transmigrated into the role of the male lead’s gold-digging first love. According to the original plot, all she needed to do was meet the male lead’s mother once, and she could walk away with 20 million yuan.Sitting in the restaurant, Jiang Lan said, “Give me 20 million, and I’ll leave your son.”But the male lead’s mother replied, “Here’s 20 million for you—may you always be happy, may you always be joyful.”Jiang Lan: “…”Through a twist of fate, Jiang Lan and the male lead’s mother ended up participating in the reality show “Mother-in-law Has Arrived.” Initially, everyone expected the Cinderella and the wealthy mother-in-law to be at odds, but instead, they overshadowed the leads of the hottest drama and became the internet’s most beloved couple.In the sweet and pampering segment, the mother-in-law regularly took her daughter-in-law on shopping sprees. Yu Wanqiu and Jiang Lan attended fashion shows, sitting between a top-tier young idol on the left and a handsome middle-aged man on the right.In the wealthy family segment, while other daughters-in-law nervously prepared elaborate meals to please their mothers-in-law, Jiang Lan dragged Yu Wanqiu to enjoy fried chicken, beer, street food, hotpot, and skewers.When the show ended, Yu Wanqiu hooked her arm around Jiang Lan’s shoulder and said, “Whether you break up or not doesn’t matter. Even if you do, it won’t affect our relationship. Actually, breaking up might be better—I’ll introduce you to someone even more handsome and richer.”Lu Yicheng: ???Mini Theater:When asked about mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships, Yu Wanqiu’s initial response was very diplomatic: “They shouldn’t live together, meeting a few times a year is enough. Don’t interfere in the couple’s affairs. Let them decide how many children they want. It’s important to be well-matched. If things don’t work out, they can break up or divorce.”But after the show ended, Yu Wanqiu’s answer was a complete reversal: “It’s best to live in the same building as Jiang Lan, doing yoga together morning and night. As for children, it’s better not to have them too early—it could affect my relationship with Jiang Lan. If they divorce, I fully support it. I know plenty of young idols, and if Jiang Lan prefers the mature type, that’s fine too.”Content Warning: Highlight—the male and female leads are not perfect characters. This is a sweet romantic story featuring first loves for both. They will argue, bicker, fall in love, and take some detours along the way. If this bothers you, please skip. No unsolicited criticism allowed. The focus is on the relationship between the daughter-in-law and mother-in-law, with the romantic relationship between the male and female leads as a secondary plot.

“I saw with my own eyes that they used the finest, rustproof refined steel to make utensils and cans, filling them with just a little food, then casually throwing them away after eating.”“I saw with my own eyes that they used giant beasts as tall as mountains to devour soil and rocks, digging out underground cities, just to park their steel carriages beneath the surface.”“I saw with my own eyes that they fed glowing ores into an everlasting stellar furnace, unleashing a radiance brighter than the sun.”“I saw with my own eyes all those indescribable things.”“Their iron birds covered the sky, their steel ships filled the ocean, their war machines tore the earth asunder, and their gods walked upon the world.”“You must think I’m mad.”“But it doesn’t matter.”“It has already seen you.”——————Oil is Its blood.Thick smoke is Its breath.Ore and steel are Its food.The countless cargo ships in the harbors are Its myriad offspring.The place of origin stamped in the corner is Its silent mockery.They claim they are mere mortals.Child, you’d best not argue.You must understand:Their technology is beyond comprehension.Their production capacity is unimaginable.A mere glimpse of their creations will drive you insane.Their morale surpasses even the most fanatical worshippers of dark gods.How will you stop them?With your sword, child? Or your flesh and blood?You should be grateful that they still consider themselves mortals.——————“I’ve finished building my factory, and now you’re telling me this world runs on idealism?!”“Wait, then what the hell did I just create?”

On the day she, as the villainous sister-con supporting character, prepared to meet her death, she discovered her darkened brothers suddenly gained the ability to read her mind?!Qiao Chuchu stood on the high platform, wailing: “You’ll always be my brothers! I’ll die right in front of you, haunting your memories for all eternity!”But what the seven gorgeous brothers heard was: [Hahaha, goodbye suckers! With my billion-dollar assets, I’m going to be a rich lady! You can all stay in this world and suffer! After all, none of you will meet a good end!]Before she knew it, someone grabbed her arm. She looked up in confusion to find her brothers gripping her tightly: “Tell us more about how we won’t meet a good end.”Qiao Chuchu: “?”–Seeing the female lead, Qiao Chuchu thought: [So this is the woman my brothers fell in love with at first sight, the one they’d die for.]The seven men uniformly looked at the female lead: ? That’s it?Seeing the villainous second female lead, she felt sympathetic: [Although you and the male lead are in love now, he’ll emotionally cheat with the female lead who’ll become the third wheel, and you’ll end up committing su*cide.]The elegant young lady second lead: ??Seeing the powerful bosses, she sighed: [Although the big shots have class, unfortunately, you’ll all soon end up dead in the streets because of the female lead.]The powerful and wealthy bosses: ???Soon, Qiao Chuchu noticed her brothers had changed, becoming increasingly doting towards her.She also found herself surrounded by villain bosses who stuck to her daily, seemingly trying to win her favor.Not only that, why did the male and female leads end up bankrupt and dying miserably on the streets?!Qiao Chuchu turned around in confusion, only to see a group of bosses and her brothers looking at her with adoration: “Because we have you.”Qiao Chuchu: “Huh?”