The Greatest Of All Time Chapter 22
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"Your job in this match is simple. I need you to shut down that winger." He said, pointing towards Yann-Erik.
The winger had just picked up another pass and begun dribbling into Rosenborg's half. He crossed the ball into the box from the side of the pitch, close to the touchline.
Luckily, Fredrik Midtsjö, one of the midfielders of Rosenborg, jumped high and blocked his cross. The referee blew his whistle and pointed to the corner flag.
"Tell Ole to adapt to the 4:3:3 formation..." the coach continued after seeing that the corner had been defended." As we did in training, Ole will remain the defensive midfielder, while Gjermund will move a little bit forward and serve the strikers. You'll have free rein along the entire center-line to get a better handle on Yann-Erik."
He gazed at Zachary for a moment with eyes full of skepticism.
"Is that clear to you, or do you need me to get the board?" He asked. The coach seemed to doubt Zachary's abilities to understand his instructions.
Zachary locked eyes with the coach and replied emphatically: "Yes, coach. I understand."
"Hope so," the coach muttered under his breath.
"You were tackling and intercepting passes during our training sessions. Just do the same on the pitch and shut down the damn kid." He slapped Zachary on the back, adding: "Go."
"DING"
No sooner had the coach slapped his back than the system interface popped up before him.
Zachary was a bit surprised and slowed down his pace as he matched towards the fourth official. He cast a glance at the translucent screen and noticed that there was a new mission from the system.
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G.O.A.T MISSIONS
#NEW MISSION: Your Coach has given you an important task(s).
*Task 1: Shut down a stubborn player in the game.
*Task 2: Impress and gain your first fans.
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'Accept' 'Reject'
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*Rewards:
-> 30 juju-points
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*Punishment in case the mission is still incomplete at the end of the game. (None if you reject the mission now)
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->Minus 40 Juju-Points.
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*Remarks: Opportunities don't happen. You create them.
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Zachary didn't hesitate to click on the accept button once he had finished perusing through the contents of the mission. It was the first mission with a hefty reward in juju-points. He had a feeling he would need them very soon.
Zachary had resolved to accumulate more points to upgrade the system. From his experience reading web-novels, he knew the system would become more helpful to the host after an upgrade.
**** ****
Kristin was watching the game in the emptier section of the Stadium. The match had begun boring her after the Rosenborg under-19s got into a tricky situation.
She hated losses and always felt the compulsion to leave the venue of the game whenever her team was trailing. But then, she noticed that Zachary had started warming up on the sidelines.
A Cheshire cat's grin lit up her face like a tallow candle in a paper lamp. She considered him her first project, the first player she'd discovered at the genesis of her career as a scout. Kristin was looking forward to seeing how he would perform pitted against the Norwegian under-19s. Only then would she cast away all doubts about his talent.
"Is that your boy?" She heard Coach Nils Eggen asking her grandpa.
He was Rosenborg's longest-serving manager, having led the team for 22 seasons in five spurs between 1971 and 2010. He'd won the Tippeligaen in his inaugural season, leading the team for 13 of the club's 23 league-winning seasons. He had just won another league championship the previous year.
Although he was about to retire, Nils Eggen still had a lot of influence on Rosenborg's management. Kristin had once heard some rumors that his standing was comparable to that of the club chairman.
"Yes, that's him," Mr. Stein answered Coach Eggen's question.
"Oh, okay," Mr. Eggen replied before returning his attention to the match.
**** ****
Zachary entered the pitch after the ball went out for a throw-in.
He'd come into the pitch as a substitute for another midfielder named Fredrik Midtsjö.
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He jogged, resisting the pressure mounting on his chest. His legs felt heavy like he was wading through water. He felt very anxious since it was his first time playing on the European soccer stage.
He immediately ran to Ole and passed him the coach's instructions before moving to the left-midfield closer to the position of Yann-Erik—the winger of the Viking team.
He had resolved to complete the coach's assignment with all his effort. That was the only thought running through his mind at that moment.
In his previous life, he'd blundered when he came on as a substitute during his first professional match at TP Mazembe. He hadn't followed the coach's instructions and was substituted quickly after. He'd made a record of being the first substitute in the Linafoot league to be replaced without an injury.
But with a second chance presented to him, he would follow the coach's instructions to the letter. He wanted to enter the team first and establish his status. That was his target for that match. He would think about the issues concerning his style of play and career only when he successfully signed the contract with Rosenborg.
Gameplay resumed with Viking's throw to the right-wing.
Yann-Erik received the ball and played a one-two with Landu-Landu. They advanced towards the Rosenborg goal, weaving their way past Markus Henriksen, the left-winger, and were soon inside Rosenborg's half. Their short passes were neat and accurate, allowing them to advance towards the Rosenborg goal, unhampered. If the status-quo didn't change, Rosenborg would be in trouble.
However, Zachary had no intention of allowing them to do as they pleased. He'd noticed some shadows of both balls and human silhouettes flashing out of their bodies into different directions. The Zinedine-Visual-Juju was in action once more.
Zachary ran towards the wing while concentrating on Yann-Erik's sprinting figure. The winger had just received the ball and was dashing past Christoffer Aasbak, Rosenborg's left-back, with a flair of sidesteps.
Zachary then saw two human-shaped shadows flash out of the agile winger's form. One headed towards the corner flag after beating Christopher. The other cut the pitch diagonally—dashing towards the Rosenborg goal.
Zachary didn't need to deliberate for long about which route to defend. He had watched Yann-Erik's plays while he was on the bench and was sure that he would decide to cut inside. Moreover, if he got it wrong, he could still push the winger on a path away from the goal.
However, even the one second of deliberation on his part had allowed the agile winger to move past him. Zachary resolved to take the defender out without any delay.
Tunnel vision set in as he gauged the distance between the ball and his feet. Zachary's soccer brain, enhanced by his high A+ spatial awareness, was filled with deductions of the speed at which Yann-Erik was traveling. He was gauging the timing of his tackle.
Zachary increased his pace and caught up to the right-winger before sliding in and thrusting his right leg to meet the ball at the winger's feet.
He used his tackling leg to hook around the front, dispossess the ball, and shove it away from the attacker. The very smooth grass of the pitch made his tackling easier as he sent Yann-Erik tumbling to the ground.
Zachary felt all his anxiety fade as the ball broke away into open space before being collected by Christopher, the left-back. He'd come out as the winner in his first face off against an opponent in Europe.
"Ref... Ref..." Zachary heard Yann-Erik yelling as he rolled around in the grass, seemingly injured. However, the referee ignored him and waved for the game to continue. The tackle wasn't a foul since Zachary had won the ball fair and square before sweeping the winger. Otherwise, the nearby linesman would have waved his flag already.
Zachary grinned at the young winger before moving back into the left midfield. He intended to use all means possible to keep the prolific winger out of the game. Smiling at his defeated opponent after their brief battle was the best way of gloating he could think of that wouldn't attract the wrath of the referee.
**** ****
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Requiem
What makes us human? Is it that we are concerned about the future? Is it that the past frequently haunts us? What drives us? What makes us do the things we do?What does it take to push us over the edge? What would we do after we have been broken and left for dead by the demons of the society? We fight back, tooth and nail, until there can only be one.This is the story of a man filled with sorrow. He was tested over and over, until he broke. He vowed revenge, and bathed in blood. He changed the course of entire nations. His life was the tree that held up the skies. His life was like the trunk, birthing forth infinite branches, each of them a future, a possibility, as he guided the course of entire nations. All the while, carrying a heavy burden on his shoulders, his soul seeking an end to his pain. Watch as he defies all odds and rises up to bathe in the blood of the world.This is a story about the human condition. There will be pain and intense suffering. This story about the tenacity of the human soul. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This will not contain any VR or Game elements. I would say this would be a typical work of High/Dark Fantasy.Criticism, no matter how brutal, is greatly welcomed. I only ask that you judge me fairly.Note:Artwork belongs to its owner and all credit goes to him/her alone. I claim no credit whatsoever.Edit1: The mature tag was added since a little swear language was used. For Now. Will see how the story progresses and warn about possible gore etc later on.
8 127Love Of Baybur [Participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge]
The Sultanate won a huge battle against their enemies of different religion, and now left them with only a piece of land surrounded by Sultanate's forces. Baybur, a yerliyya from a backwater place, is hailed as a hero after the war for his past contributions in a strange manner and is, thus, invited to a banquet prepared by the Sultan and attended by many Great Nobles. To Baybur, who had dreams of stepping on a higher stage in Sultanate's politics, and in his Orta's ranks, this is a chance for him to shine and rise. Yet he, and many in the banquet, knows that victory is far from over. And this presents a chance, with greater risk than before, to impress the Sultan and the Pashas of the Sultanate. Sanjak-beys and Aghas of the Janissary Corps all seek to devour their enemies, both in and out of the Sultanate. And Baybur, in the midst of this brewing storm, is no different from a fish dreaming to be a dragon. But a woman he meets at the banquet changes everything; his goals, his dreams, and his fate. After all, love, without expression, is a deadly curse. As a note, Cover is not mine obviosuly, and I write this both for NaNoWriMo and Writathon. To some history lovers and nerds who specialize in it, I know you might be angered quite a deal with some things I've written.(I get the feeling when someone talks wrong foolish things in a study I know, no hate) But this is a historical fiction written by a seventeen-year-old, don't expect much from me to know every single detail. Much of my research is surface level and some things are, well, to fit plot, are changed. So bear that in mind. For schedule/chapter thingt, there will be at most five chapters until I pass the 55.555 words mark. Each chapter will be around or above 10k+ words. It is also not edited, and probably won't be unless I find a great deal of time in my hands after November to see what I lack in where. That's all. Now go read, or leap to another fiction. Enjoy!
8 106APP || TODOBAKU
In which Bakugo wore a vibrating underwear because the Bakusquad dared himTODOBAKU || slight NSFWPhotos and characters aren't mine credits to the owner🌠 No. 4 #Todobaku (5/10/20)🌠 No. 4 #Bakugokatsuki (5/20/20)
8 123Godspeed
The moment Marley Mason moved to the United States of America he stopped speaking. Dislocated from his mother, friends, and culture, Marley found it impossible to voice his thoughts to anyone but his father. Thereafter, he gave up on himself and his happiness. What else was an alien to do?Until he meets Ava DeLoughery and she makes him want to give this world a second try. To put his headphones down and experience everything that life has to offer one at a time again, and again, and again. For the first time in a long time, Marley Mason feels like himself. But the Miami summer-time heat must be getting to him because Marley Mason should know better than to find a home in fickle people, like Ava DeLoughery.completed
8 1301970's Gangster Couple [MTL]
Title: 七零年代大佬夫婦 / 1970s Gangster CoupleAuthor: 老衲不懂愛Chapters: 95 [COMPLETED]https://m.shubaow.net/85/85204/MACHINE TRANSLATED [MTL]Xiao Xiao is the Chinese Federation's youngest tech giant from the interstellar era. She is also the pearl in the palm of the Xiao family, which dominates the Interstellar Xiao Group. She did, however, find herself in the 1970s, a time when resources were scarce.Crossing into the 1970s isn't the only surprise she got; she's now married to someone!On the wedding night, when she first arrived, Xiao Xiao, who was confused and burning from fever, was carried to the health center by her skin-and-bone "husband".You can't eat good food or wear nice clothes, not to mention the bad state of the environment. But worry not, Xiao Xiao will solve it by scientific means.Technology is productivity. She was a boss in Interstellar, and she will still be a boss here!As a "monster", Wang Wei deeply felt that marrying his wife was trouble. On the first day of their marriage, he spent five yuan treating his little wife's illness.The little wife of his is also very delicate. She has no idea how to do anything and acts spoiled on a regular basis. Wang Wei keeps a record of every time he helps her with something. He expects to receive it back in the future, but he wasn't expecting that...
8 179ᴍʏ ᴍᴏᴍ ɪs ᴡʜᴏ? ✔︎
Meet Cody, an average teenager, dealing with a rough home life and the school bully, who just so happens to be her Captain on the high school soccer team. Thinking her life can only get worse, not better, she jumps at the chance to go to a USWNT game with her best friend Jack. Little did Cody know, her life is about to change forever.⚠️ Trigger warning - this story contains/mentions alcoholism, addiction and abuse.
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