A Court of Lost Stars - Chapter 24: Butter Makes Everything Better

The war of gods left the earth no winners, but a broken world.

Nicholas Marjan—known as Niels—was once an Asian football-obsessed loner in the modern world. A master of FIFA Career Mode, addicted to tactical YouTube breakdowns, and endlessly chasing transfer window drama, he lived the beautiful game from behind a screen.Until the day he died.Reborn in the late 2000s in a small European country, Niels wakes up in the body of a once-promising young footballer whose career was tragically cut short by a brutal ACL injury. With no chance to play again, and haunted by the weight of lost potential, the only path forward is through coaching.Now an assistant at a struggling lower-league club, Niels carries two things no one else has:-Knowledge of football’s future-A mysterious cheat-like instinct for scouting raw, hidden talentAs he begins to make waves with his unique coaching style, Niels catches the attention of the football world. Offers from top-tier teams in the top five European leagues come rolling in. With a growing reputation, Niels sets out to transform not just one team's fate—but to leave his mark on the biggest stages in world football.

Song Yun had given the best years of her life to Gu Yuanzhou, helping him reach the pinnacle of his career, bearing him sons and daughters.

On the night that she died in the raging fire, he was entwined in a passionate moment with his shining moonlight.

Only in death did she realize that she was nothing more than a tool to him.

Upon reincarnation, she vowed to take back all she had given him…

Deep below the earth's surface, a mystifying subterranean seascape lurks, an archipelago bathed in inky blackness where suspense and horror hold court. Here lie strange islands and even stranger monsters, far beyond the realms of human imagination. In this domain, mankind is far from dominant; instead, madness and death rule supreme.

Pleading for mercy from the unknown creatures of the deep only leads to a slow, tortured existence. The trapped survivors gradually distort, losing what made them human, both physically and mentally, to the gloom as they remain trapped in this eternal obscurity. Their only hope? A perilous expedition into uncharted sea territories.

Fueled by determination, Charles embark on this daunting voyage aboard his steamship, aiming to reclaim humanity's past glory. Together with his crew, they sought a way out of this hidden sea world, a path back to the sunlit world above, where humans once stood tall.

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I read a few comments from Chinese readers that compared this novel with Lord of Mysteries because of similar elements: Lovecraftian, western fantasy, first industrial revolution, and steampunk. However, I have yet to finish reading Lord of Mysteries to do any actual comparison, but I do think those who have enjoyed that novel would enjoy this as well. Also, the author of LotM, Cuttlefish That Loves Diving, also did a shout-out for this novel, so I guess he approves of it too?

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