Four Brothers and a Bride - Chapter 40

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 As an assistant at a struggling lower-league club, he begins to reshape the team from within challenging outdated tactics, unearthing hidden gems, and reigniting hope in the dressing room.His methods are unorthodox.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.

“Block him.”“He's technically still my boss.”“Then block him with dignity.”The call ended again.And then started again.I let out a sound somewhere between a growl and a sob, then finally answered with the enthusiasm of a snail crawling through salt.“Yes, Mr. Walton?”“Have you changed your mind yet?”I collapsed onto the towel and gazed at the sky as though it might consume me entirely if I pleaded sweetly enough.“Do you ever take a break?” I asked, shielding my eyes with one hand.“You're avoiding the question.”“Because it's a dumb question.”He exhaled, the sound sharp and irritated even over phone. “It's not a dumb question. It's a business offer.”“It's a weird offer-one that I already said no to.”There was a brief pause, and I could practically hear him clenching his jaw through the speaker.“You are acting unreasonably.”“ Unreasonable?” I sat up. “I'm not the one drafting fake girlfriend contracts like it's a normal Tuesday.”“Isabella-”“Certainly not, Mr. Walton.” I mimicked his tone perfectly. “I told you I'm not doing it. You need to find someone else to play pretend with.”SYNOPSISIsabella Miller thought saying no to her boss’s fake dating offer was the end of the story.But Adrien Walton doesn’t take no—especially not when he’s convinced she’s a gold digger.Suddenly, her student loans are piling up, her father’s vet clinic is on the brink of eviction and her brother is about to be kicked out of college. Coincidence? She thinks not.Adrien Walton is calm, calculating—and he's just pulled every string to corner Isabella into the perfect position.Now she’s stuck choosing between pride and survival.So she agrees to his offer: be his fake girlfriend.No feelings attached. No drama. Just business.Or so she thought.“Conference Room B. Fifteen minutes,” he said, passing by without a glance.The folder he pushed across the table landed with a thud.I opened it. The contract. All of it.---Enemies to lovers? Check.Slow burn? Hmmnyea.Banter so sharp it might file your nails? Yes.Delicious workplace tension? Of course.Tension that could melt steel?Absolutely.Smut?? Wanna find out?Welcome to corporate romance warfare. There’s no escaping this contract.

What is the meaning of living hundreds of lives?Is it a curse or a hope? Murai grapples with the notion that his endless cycle of death and rebirth is an eternal torment. With no choice or voice, he finds himself like yet another pebble in a vast river of lives.Each death brings a new beginning—a new world awaiting. But this time, he awakens as a duck, complete with wings, a strange beak, and a little stature that doesn't please him.His Cursed Living has led him to this odd form, and though it seems bizarre, he is determined to discover what his tiny legs can achieve and how his mighty wings can confront the challenges ahead. Perhaps even the Gods who condemned him to this fate? Nay. They aren't everything and he knows it.Survival is paramount; the world wants his little life for numerous reasons, but every one of them is the same. He destroys. A strange voice echoes in his mind, whispering levels and abilities or rules about this world called the Battleworld. He accepts that, yet he yearns for revenge—a chance to reclaim his purpose amidst this silly absurdity of walking on two little flat feet.This world will witness his journey as a duck. All shall see his ascension!What can you expect from this novel that sounds ridiculous, as a duck sounds?- A stoic and long-term survival adventure in a high fantasy world with a non-human MC. - Fights, abilities, attributes, and skills and softer litrpg elements. There are 100 levels to beat, with a lot of systems underneath.- Gods and a big world that Boosts and plays with its citizens or almost anything alive, blessings or tricking them.- Some numbers go up. Xianxia and Progression Fantasy elements like magic, techniques, swordsmanship, and world-building. Cultivation and a big world full of mysteries.- MC, Murai, is a weird entity in the overall story. He is a numerous-time reincarnator so expect some shenanigans with it. Discover what he is on about, or who he is or used to be. I wouldn't necessarily call him OP. Sometimes he is, while other times not so much. So much for a duck...This will be a very long series of books, with 1st drafts in November 2023 going up to the 10th book which marks no end in view.

“Mr. Kira, many people believe that the current dueling environment has become increasingly toxic, with dominant trends of heavy traps and defensive, closed-off playstyles. They say this unhealthy atmosphere was brought about by you, as the new generation's Duel King. What do you think about this?” a reporter asked during an interview.“Slander! Pure slander!”Kira was angered by this accusation.“Why say it was me who started this?”“Dueling has always been like this!”It's not his fault.Who let him play Yu-Gi-OH!