MTL - From the Head Pillar Tanjiro, Take Stock of the Wonderful Nicknames of Zongman - Chapter 4

A broken man who ended his own life finds himself reincarnated into the game he used to play. However, instead of becoming the protagonist or a powerful antagonist, fate places him in the role of a minor villain—a mere stepping stone for the protagonist in the game's first arc.

“Football isn't just a game”—it's life.For 16-year-old David Jones, football is more than a sport; it's an escape, a calling, and the only thing that makes sense in a world full of challenges. The electric thrill of scoring a last-minute winner, the roar of the crowd—it’s the closest thing to freedom he knows.But David's journey is far from simple. Blessed with extraordinary talent yet burdened by fiery anger, he’s fighting battles on and off the pitch. Growing up as the son of a Nigerian immigrant and a British mother, David navigates the pressures of cultural expectations, the weight of his own ambitions, and the scrutiny of a sport that demands perfection.Passion drives him forward, but his temper holds him back. Can he channel his emotions and prove himself worthy of being football's next big star?David Jones: The Next big thing is a gripping coming-of-age story about resilience, identity, and the unrelenting pursuit of dreams.Disclaimer:This work is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. All trademarks, brand names, and other proprietary rights mentioned or depicted are the property of their respective owners and are used for illustrative purposes only. This work is not affiliated with or endorsed by any brand, company, or individual mentioned. All rights reserved to their respective owners.

Talent.As a demon born into a prestigious family like the Tenebris, Cale lacked nothing, except talent.Talent, to surpass his twin sister, who was better than him in every way.Talent to earn the approval of their mother, the cold and ruthless Matriarch.It wasn’t mere rivalry; his very life depended on it.But, no matter how hard he trained or how low he stooped, using forbidden methods to grow stronger, he never succeeded. He couldn’t awaken his bloodline, nor defeat his sister in a single duel.“Just give up already. You’re only making it more painful for yourself,” she would say every time.He was pathetic, and he knew it.But giving up on life was never an option.“One more time... I’ll try it one more time.” That was how he always responded to her scorn.Was it ego? Or a desperate desire to prove everyone who waited eagerly for his downfall wrong?Cale didn’t know. But he always stood up again.No matter what they said, he refused to surrender.Not to his mother.Not to the world.Not even to his sister.If the world stood against him, then he would crush the world.-------------------------“Wow. That’s an incredible backstory for a villain.”I flipped through the worn pages of an old book, my only functional eye open wide.“But where did this come from? It wasn’t here before.”I’d read this romance fantasy novel back in my childhood, and as far as I remembered, Cale Tenebris never had a backstory.“Did I grab the wrong book?” I tilted the cover to check the title.[Curse of the Crown]It was the same one.“Did I skip this chapter before?... Whatever.” I shrugged, turning the page again as I slowly lost consciousness.And then I died.

In the year 2090, technology has advanced to the point where Simulation Boxes, (Sim Box for short) are common place, allowing for the user to link up their brain's neural network to a full dive Simulation. While initially used for educational purposes, recently a large gaming company, Averon, released a fully fledged immersive MMORPG simulation where users can become anyone they desire, level up, choose their class, and become a hero or a villain. The name of this simulation is The Shattered World Online.

Eli Winters had no interest in playing it. His father, a jobless bum who spent his entire life playing games in the hope of becoming a famous player or streamer, was able to use the release of The Shattered World Online to gain wealth and fame, quickly becoming the number one player and a household name as the game took the world by storm. He immediately abandoned Eli and his mother in favor of being with someone from his guild, despite his mother having worked two jobs to support them and raise Eli by herself. Eli had nothing but spite for his father and the game.

When Eli's best friend convinces him to try out the game, his father's fame begins to interfere, culminating in him being singled out and shunned by his peers, and his father offering to pay for his university tuition in return for Eli hiding their relationship and quitting the game. Instead of complying with his father's wishes, Eli decides to prove to everyone how useless a guy his father is by challenging him that if Eli is able to surpass him in the game world he must delete his account and quit his streaming career. His father accepts the challenge believing his son to be useless at games - but Eli will soon show him just how ambitious a spiteful person can be.