[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-from-arsenal-to-the-ball-god":3,"chapter-from-arsenal-to-the-ball-god-from-arsenal-to-the-ball-god-chapter-1":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","From Arsenal to the Ball God",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":12,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},925670,1216,"Chapter 1: Skill Level Panel","from-arsenal-to-the-ball-god-chapter-1",1,"\u003Cp>June 10, 2010.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arsenal’s Korni Training Base, U17 training field.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Beep! Beep——!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two long whistles sounded, marking the end of a day’s training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma’el sat on the ground stretching his muscles and suddenly noticed that the front sole of his shoes was starting to come apart again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They should be retired.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt a pang of heartache. He had just glued them two days ago, and they split again, meaning there’s no saving them now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at his peers’ brand-new shoes, Ma’el felt a tinge of envy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An unfortunate family, perhaps the price for pursuing his football dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t really called Ma’el, nor was he actually in 2010.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In 2024, that office worker who loved football, Li Muchen, was his original identity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who knew, that night of drunkenness after the national team’s 0-7 defeat to Japan became his farewell to that world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he woke up, he found himself here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ma’el, how long is your trial period?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside him, a voice broke the silence. It belonged to the team’s French defender, Carl, his tone full of dejection, \"Mine is only 6 months, almost over.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Same.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma’el raised his eyebrows in regret, somewhat helpless, \"If there’s no contract renewal before July 1st, we should prepare to leave together.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sigh, the competition is too fierce.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carl looked at the peers clad in Arsenal jerseys around him, shaking his head slightly, \"If I go back, I don’t know which club would want me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Go back?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma’el wanted to say, if he went back, even living would become a problem, and he’d probably have to give up football and find a job to make a living.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, he didn’t have his parents’ support...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The original owner of this body was born into an unfortunate family in Southern France, with ancestors who were Chinese and settled there over the generations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tragically, his mother died during childbirth, and his father died in a drunk-driving accident when he was two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His only relative, an uncle, took on the custody, raising him normally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his uncle and aunt already had three children to support, and as the original owner’s football expenses grew, the family gradually stopped supporting his football pursuits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, the original owner had some talent and received an invitation for a six-month trial with the Premier League giant Arsenal Youth Team six months ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was definitely the last chance!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he passed, Arsenal would offer him a salary enough to ensure a living and continue on this path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, he would have to return to France and find a job for sustenance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m going to practice my shooting.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma’el stood up, taking a few footballs and dragging his peeling shoes towards the field.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only twenty-one days left!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he wanted to keep playing for Arsenal, he better make the most of every minute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom! Boom! Boom——!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of back-to-back shots rang out, followed by the crisp sound of the ball hitting the net.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma’el ran across the field alone, dribbling, positioning himself, swinging his leg for a powerful shot, retrieving the ball, repeating the process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His position was a winger, and the only merit worth mentioning was his solid basic skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Height of 1.81 meters, weight of 70 kg, with average physical power, speed burst, shooting, and passing. Overall, he was quite mediocre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With such conditions, in the talent-filled Arsenal Youth Training Camp, he had no competitive edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chance of staying after the trial was slim to none.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how much extra practice and effort he put in, it seemed futile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ma’el didn’t want to wait around to be eliminated; he always wanted to try harder, fight a bit more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ma’el!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After training for a while, a voice called from afar, \"Come to my office.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sweating heavily, Ma’el stopped, his gaze shifting to see a tall, balding middle-aged man standing in the distance, beckoning him over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Hans, the head coach of the Arsenal U17 Team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma’el halted his training and walked towards the coach’s office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A ’pat-a-tat’ sound came from under his feet, with his shoe soles coming further apart, smacking the ground before springing back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma’el hesitated for a moment; he still had a little over two hundred Euros, enough to buy a pair of shoes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if he didn’t make the team, he’d need to ask his uncle and aunt for the airfare back to France...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe it’s better to glue them again and make do for a few days?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking this, he pushed open the door to the U17 coach’s office and saw Hans, with a shiny bald head, sitting at the desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What size shoes do you wear?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hans’ gaze almost instantly focused on Ma’el’s feet, \"I’ve got a few pairs that I don’t use; I could lend you a pair.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked like he had been observing for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma’el was moved, instinctively wanting to decline, but after looking at his feet, he bit his lip, \"Size 8.5, roughly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Perfect.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hans raised an eyebrow with a smile, turning to rummage through a shoe rack, \"I saw your shoes have come apart several times and glued numerous times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So I thought I’d give you a pair of mine to get you through the trial at least.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"These shoes I’ve only worn during practice sessions, not much otherwise, they’re pretty clean. Hope you don’t mind.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma’el felt a mix of embarrassment and gratitude, \"Certainly not.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Take them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hans quickly pulled out a bag containing the shoes, laughing heartily, \"Try them on the field, see if they fit. I’ve got work to do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thanks, Coach.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma’el took the shoes, expressed his gratitude, and headed back to the field, determined to remember this timely kindness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reaching the goal area again, he put on the shoes and resumed practicing his shooting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shoes fit perfectly, giving a special warmth when playing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma’el soon lost himself in the shooting practice, keenly feeling the feedback from each successful shot, learning from failed ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slowly, he seemed to enter a mystical state, where the world seemed to consist only of the goal ahead and the soccer ball under his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He forgot exhaustion, forgot time, practicing mechanically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma’el desperately wanted to stay on the pitch, the sport he loved, willing to dedicate all his time and energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had dreamt countless times of waking up on a roaring field, standing among well-known football stars, basking in the fans’ applause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also imagined again and again the exhilaration after scoring a decisive goal for his team, celebrating with a sliding knee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a few lines of deep black text appeared before his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Skill: Long Shot Level 1]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Skill Level: (34\u002F100)]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Utility: You gradually feel the thrill of long-distance shots, starting to practice diligently, though your basic power and accuracy are still lacking. You yearn for the moment of upgrade and improvement.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Note: Level 1 is the lowest, Level 5 is the highest! Pushing any athletic or physical ability to Level 5 will attain the highest human standard!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma’el suddenly stopped, dazed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, having been an internet-savvy youth in his previous life, he was pretty knowledgeable. He quickly ventured out, \"System?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no response, forcing him to ponder on his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed that as long as he kept practicing specific skills, his skill level would improve, and once maxed out, it would upgrade?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, as long as he kept at it, he could keep improving, and effort would be rewarded?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s try it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ran to the goal area to retrieve the ball, this time, with significantly stronger steps, a few bright glimmers in his expression.\u003C\u002Fp>",1271,"2026-06-03T06:44:03.366Z","2026-06-03T06:44:07.060Z","novelbin.me","cdf41ac28cdc2f53ae9d8fa4809719fd024fe2127ab053027900a53a8a6a4f14","from-arsenal-to-the-ball-god-chapter-2","from-arsenal-to-the-ball-god-chapter-350",391,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Ffrom-arsenal-to-the-ball-god-cover.jpg"]