Reincarnated As A Wonderkid-Chapter 556: A Golden Retriever.

The morning training session was disrupted by an intruder. It was not a fan. It was not a journalist. It was not a spy from Manchester City.

It was a dog.

A Golden Retriever.

It sat in the center circle. It was panting happily. It had a tennis ball in its mouth.

Alex stood on the edge of the box. He looked at the dog.

The dog looked at Alex.

"Intruder alert," Alex said calmly.

Mark sprinted over. He was wearing a headband that said FASTEST MAN ALIVE.

"IS IT A WOLF?" Mark shouted, hiding behind Alex. "IS IT A DANGEROUS BEAST?"

"It is a Golden Retriever, Mark," Alex said. "It is statistically the friendliest dog in the world."

"It has teeth!" Mark pointed. "Sharp teeth! For eating pizza!"

The dog dropped the tennis ball. It barked. Woof.

It nudged the ball towards Alex.

"It wants to play," Rico said, walking over. "It wants a game."

Alex looked at the ball. He looked at the dog.

He calculated the distance. Ten yards.

Alex passed the ball gently.

The dog watched the ball roll. It waited. Then, with a burst of acceleration, the dog ran. It stopped the ball with its paw.

"Good touch," Alex noted. "Soft paw control."

The dog passed it back with its nose.

"A pass!" Rico laughed. "He is a midfielder!"

Mark narrowed his eyes. "He is fast. Too fast. I do not trust him."

Steve, the manager, walked onto the pitch. He looked angry.

"Who let a dog on the pitch?" Steve shouted. "This is a professional environment! We are Champions of the World! We do not play fetch!"

The dog looked at Steve. It tilted its head. It looked very cute.

Steve stopped shouting. He sighed.

"Okay," Steve said. "Five minutes. Then he goes."

"Five minutes!" Mark yelled. "I challenge him! A race! Man versus Beast!"

Alex shook his head. "Mark, do not race the dog. Dogs have four legs. You have two. The physics are against you."

"I have heart!" Mark insisted. "And new shoes!"

Mark lined up on the goal line. The dog lined up next to him.

"On your marks," Rico said. "Get set. GO!"

Mark exploded off the line. "TURBO!"

The dog did not move. It just sat there and scratched its ear.

Mark ran all the way to the other end. He touched the corner flag. He ran back. He was sweating.

"I WON!" Mark cheered. "I AM FASTER THAN NATURE!"

The dog barked again. It picked up the ball and ran in circles around Mark. It was a blur of gold fur. It nutmegged Mark three times in five seconds.

Mark fell over. "I AM DIZZY! HE IS USING MAGIC!"

Alex walked over to the dog. He knelt down.

The dog stopped running. It sat in front of Alex. It looked deep into his eyes.

Alex felt a connection. A strange, logical connection.

The dog was efficient. It did not waste energy. It only ran when there was a ball. It was... perfect.

"You are smart," Alex whispered.

The dog licked Alex on the nose.

"Gross," Alex said, wiping his face. "But affectionate."

Suddenly, a loud noise came from the car park.

A van pulled up. It was painted in bright neon colors.

Milo jumped out. He was wearing a dog catcher outfit. He had a giant net and a belt full of dog treats.

"THE DOG CATCHER!" Milo screamed. "I HEARD THE BARKING! ALEX! I AM HERE TO SECURE THE PERIMETER! I AM SELLING DOG COLLARS! THEY ARE STUDDED WITH DIAMONDS! (Fake diamonds!). ONLY FIFTY POUNDS!"

"Milo, leave the dog alone," Alex said.

"HE IS A STRAY!" Milo yelled. "HE HAS NO AGENT! I WILL REPRESENT HIM! I WILL GET HIM A SHOE SPONSORSHIP! ’AIR BUD’!"

Alex looked at the dog. It had no collar.

"He is alone," Alex said.

He thought about his own life. Danein Blake was alone. Leon Fischer was alone.

But Alex Finch was not alone.

"I will keep him," Alex said.

The team gasped.

"What?" Steve asked. "Alex, you live in a penthouse. Dogs need gardens."

"I will buy a garden," Alex said. "I have the budget."

"You cannot keep a dog!" Mark said. "He is my rival! He nutmegged me!"

"He is your new teammate, Mark," Alex said. "He can teach you agility."

"I do not need agility!" Mark huffed. "I need speed!"

Alex patted the dog on the head. "I will call him... Newton."

"Newton?" Rico asked. "Why?"

"Because he understands gravity," Alex said. "And the laws of motion."

"Boring name," Mark said. "Call him Pizza. Or Turbo. Or Mark Junior."

"Newton," Alex repeated firmly.

Newton barked. He liked the name.

The Penthouse.

Alex opened the door. Newton trotted in.

The dog looked at the trophies on the shelf. The Ballon d’Or. The World Cup.

Newton sniffed the Ballon d’Or. He did not seem impressed. He preferred the rug.

"Make yourself at home," Alex said.

Newton jumped onto the expensive leather sofa. He curled up into a ball.

Alex sat next to him.

It was strange. He had never had a pet. In his first life, he was too poor. In his second life, he was too busy.

But now, in his third life, he had a friend who did not care about football.

Newton did not care if Alex scored or missed. Newton only cared if Alex had treats.

It was refreshing.

"Unconditional probability," Alex whispered.

Mark burst through the door. He was holding a bag of dog food and a squeaky toy shaped like a burger.

"I COME IN PEACE!" Mark shouted. "I BROUGHT GIFTS FOR THE RIVAL!"

"Shh," Alex said. "He is sleeping."

Mark tiptoed over. He looked at the sleeping dog.

"He looks fast when he sleeps," Mark whispered. "He dreams of rabbits."

"He dreams of physics," Alex corrected.

Mark sat on the floor. He squeaked the burger toy. Squeak.

Newton opened one eye.

"Hello Mark Junior," Mark said. "I mean, Newton. Do you want to be best friends? Alex is boring. He talks about numbers. I talk about food."

Newton stood up. He wagged his tail. He licked Mark on the face.

"HE TASTED ME!" Mark screamed joyfully. "I AM DELICIOUS!"

Alex smiled.

The room felt fuller. Warmer.

His life was full of pressure. Matches. Titles. Expectations.

But now, he had a dog. A dog named Newton.

"We need to walk him," Mark said. "Can I hold the lead? Can I run with him?"

"If you run, he will pull you over," Alex warned.

"I am strong!" Mark flexed his arm. "I have noodle power!"

They went to the park.

It was evening. The London sky was purple.

Alex walked. Mark ran. Newton chased Mark.

Milo appeared from behind a tree. He was wearing a camouflage suit made of leaves.

"THE PARK RANGER!" Milo whispered. "ALEX! I AM TRACKING THE WILDLIFE! I AM SELLING STICKS! PREMIUM FETCH STICKS! HAND PICKED! FIVE POUNDS A BRANCH!"

"Milo, sticks are free," Alex laughed.

"NOT THESE STICKS!" Milo insisted. "THESE ARE AERODYNAMIC!"

Newton ran to Milo. He grabbed the stick from Milo hand. He ran away.

"HE STOLE MY INVENTORY!" Milo yelled, chasing the dog. "THIEF! HALT!"

Alex watched them.

Mark running. Milo chasing. Newton barking.

It was chaos. It was messy. It was illogical.

But it was perfect.

Alex took a deep breath.

He had a new best friend. A friend with four legs and a wet nose.

And for the first time in a long time, the Professor stopped calculating.

He just enjoyed the walk.

"Good boy, Newton," Alex whispered.

Newton barked back. It sounded like Equation Solved.