From Arsenal, Forge the Path to Football God

-----------

This high quality machine translation is powered by: https:// geriatrictranslations.com/

Special Permission was given to upload the novel on WebNovel.

Geriatric Translations can be supported on patreon (https://www. patreon.com/geriatricvibes) where additional chapters can be enjoyed. 

You can also join the Geriatric Translations Community on Discord to connect with other readers: https:// discord.gg/NSWvfN7vua

-----------

June 10, 2010.

Arsenal's Colney Training Ground, U17 Training Field.

"Beep! Beep—!"

Two long whistles signaled the end of the day's training.

Maël sat on the ground stretching his muscles when he suddenly noticed that the sole of his soccer shoe was starting to come apart again.

"It's probably time to retire them."

He felt a pang of regret. He had just glued them together the day before, and now they were splitting again, which meant they were truly beyond repair.

Looking at the brand-new shoes on the feet of his peers, Maël felt a twinge of envy.

An unfortunate family, perhaps the price he had to pay for pursuing his soccer dreams.

He wasn't actually named Maël, nor was he in 2010.

Li Muchen, a 2024 office worker deeply in love with soccer, was his true identity.

Who knew that the angry drinking session after the Chinese National Football Team's 0-7 loss to Japan a few days ago would be his swan song in that timeline.

When he woke up, he found himself here.

"Maël, how long is your trial period?"

A voice beside him spoke. It was Carl, the French defender on the team, who sounded very dejected. "Mine is only six months, and it's about to expire."

"Same here."

Maël raised an eyebrow in regret, somewhat helplessly. "If we don't get a contract extension by July 1st, we'll both be on our way out."

"Sigh, the competition is too intense."

Carl looked around at the young players in Arsenal jerseys and shook his head. "If I go back, I don't know if any club will want me."

Go back?

Maël wanted to say that if he went back, he wouldn't even be able to make a living, let alone continue playing soccer. He might have to give it up and find a job to make ends meet.

After all, he had no support from his parents.

The original owner of this body was born into an unfortunate family in Southern France, with Chinese ancestry, but had settled there for generations.

Tragically, his mother died in childbirth, and his father died in a drunk-driving accident when he was two years old.

His only relative, his uncle, took custody and raised him normally.

However, his uncle and aunt already had three children to raise, and as the original owner's soccer expenses increased, the family gradually stopped supporting his soccer career.

Fortunately, the original owner had some talent and received an invitation to trial with the Arsenal Youth Team six months ago, for a six-month period.

This was absolutely the last chance!

If he made it, Arsenal would offer him a salary that would allow him to continue pursuing his dream.

Otherwise, he would have to return to France and find a job to make a living.

"I'm going to practice some more shots."

Maël stood up, picked up a few soccer balls, and walked to the field with his already separating shoes.

The last twenty-one days!

If he wanted to stay at Arsenal, he needed to make the most of every moment.

"Bang! Bang! Bang—!"

The sound of consecutive shots echoed, followed by the crisp sound of the ball hitting the net.

Maël ran around the field, dribbling, positioning, and shooting with force, then retrieving the ball, repeating the process over and over.

His position was winger, and his only notable strength was his solid fundamentals.

Standing 181 cm tall and weighing 70 kg, he had average physical strength and speed, and his shooting and passing were not outstanding. Overall, he was rather mediocre.

In the talent-rich Arsenal youth academy, he had little chance of standing out.

The likelihood of staying after the trial period was extremely slim.

No matter how much extra practice and effort he put in, it seemed futile.

But Maël didn't want to give up. He wanted to try one more time, to give it one more shot.

"Maël!"

After practicing for a while, a voice called out from a distance. "Come to my office for a moment."

Maël stopped, sweating profusely, and turned to see a tall, bald middle-aged man waving at him from a distance.

It was Hans, the Head Coach of Arsenal U17.

Maël stopped his training and walked toward the coach's office.

The sound of his shoes slapping the ground grew louder as the sole continued to separate and slap back against his feet.

Maël hesitated for a moment. He still had a couple of hundred euros left, enough to buy a new pair of shoes.

But if he didn't stay, he would need to ask his uncle and aunt for money for the flight back to France.

Maybe he should just glue them again and make do for a few more days?

With this thought, he pushed open the door to the U17 coach's office and saw Hans, with his shiny bald head, sitting at his desk.

"What size shoes do you wear?"

Hans's eyes immediately focused on Maël's feet. "I have a few pairs I don't use anymore. I can lend you one."

It seemed he had been observing for a while.

"I—"

Maël's heart trembled. He instinctively wanted to decline but glanced at his feet and bit his lip. "About size 8.5."

"Perfect."

Hans smiled and turned to search through a shoe rack. "I noticed your shoes have come apart several times and been glued back. I thought I'd lend you a pair of mine to use for now, at least until the trial period is over.

"These shoes I only wear during training, not much otherwise, so they're still quite clean. I hope you don't mind."

Maël felt both embarrassed and grateful. "Of course not."

"Here you go."

Hans quickly handed him a bag with a pair of shoes and laughed heartily. "Go try them on the field and see if they fit. I have some work to do."

"Thanks, Coach."

Maël took the shoes, thanked him, and walked back to the field. He would remember this act of kindness.

Back at the goal area, he put on the new shoes and resumed his shooting practice.

The shoes fit perfectly, and he felt a special warmth while wearing them.

Maël quickly immersed himself in the shooting drills, carefully feeling the feedback from each successful shot and the experience from each failed attempt.

Gradually, he entered a mystical state where the world seemed to narrow down to just the goal in front of him and the ball at his feet.

He forgot about his fatigue and the passage of time, practicing mechanically.

Maël desperately wanted to stay on the soccer field. This was the sport he loved, the one he was willing to devote all his time and energy to.

He had dreamed countless times of waking up in a packed stadium, standing among famous players, basking in the cheers of the fans.

He had also fantasized countless times about the exhilarating release after scoring the winning goal, sliding to his knees in celebration.

Suddenly, a few lines of deep black text appeared before his eyes.

[Skill: Long Shot Level 1]

[Proficiency: (34/100)]

[Effect: You gradually feel the thrill of long-distance shots and start to practice more diligently. However, your basic strength and accuracy are still far from sufficient. You yearn for the moment of upgrading and improvement.]

[Note: Level 1 is the lowest, Level 5 is the highest! Any athletic or physical ability that reaches Level 5 will be at the highest human standard!]

Maël suddenly stopped, stunned.

Fortunately, as a former internet enthusiast, he had seen a lot and quickly ventured a guess. "System?"

No one responded, so he had to study it himself.

It seemed that as long as he continued to practice specific skills, his proficiency would increase, and once it reached 100%, he would level up?

In other words, as long as he kept working hard, he could keep improving, and his efforts wouldn't be in vain?

"Let's try it."

He ran to the goal area to retrieve the ball. This time, his steps were particularly strong, and his face lit up with a newfound vigor.

This is the first book by an 18-year-old new author. I hope everyone supports it.