The Archduke's Songbird - Chapter 228: The Cottage(3)

“What exactly is the point of this life of mine?”Lukas Brandt thought to himself as he chugged down a cup of Wheat beer in a local pub in Darmstadt.He had always dreamt of being a professional footballer, he fell in love with the sport when he watched his country Germany beat the Argentine national team in the World Cup final in 2014, with memories of his father hugging him tightly after Mario Gotze scored the goal that gave them the cup.He had been 7 back then, currently 36, but his biggest regret was giving up at the first sight of failure at 15.He had given up his dream of one day representing his country, and died (un)fortunately while trying to save a kid.Waking up 20 years younger and with a system, follow Lukas' journey from an SV Darmstadt 98 academy reject, to undoubtedly the greatest footballer of all time.Set in an alternate universe so some names and events will obviously be changed massively, else it'll just be a biography of a real life player :⁠')

Seventeen-year-old Aiden Rivera’s life changes forever on a dark, quiet night when he's attacked while returning from a bookstore. Just when all hope seems lost, a mysterious stranger emerges from the shadows—swift, powerful, and deadly. He saves Aiden and disappears just as quickly into the night. That stranger's name? Aiden doesn’t know. But from that moment, Aiden can’t stop thinking about him.Determined to find his silent guardian, Aiden scours the internet, describing every detail he remembers. To his shock, a face match reveals the stranger's name: Ryker Kane, heir to a powerful corporate empire… and a student at an elite, almost mythical academy. It’s not quite a high school, not quite a university—more like something in between. Something hidden.One of Ryker’s photos contains a strange symbol that leads Aiden to an encrypted link. It makes a bizarre demand: a drop of blood to apply. Aiden laughs at the absurdity of it—until curiosity wins. What could one drop of blood hurt?He sends it, expecting nothing.A week later, an ornate envelope arrives. He’s in.Eager to reunite with Ryker, Aiden travels to the secluded academy… only to step into a world straight out of a fantasy novel. Students with glowing eyes. Talking animals. Ethereal beings with pointed ears. Some even arrive through portals.Suddenly, Aiden isn’t just the new kid. He’s the only human in a school that isn’t meant for people like him. And all he can think is:What the hell did I just get myself into?

“From my viewpoint, this so-called supreme bastard’s body will serve as a valuable asset to simplify my life.”Dane was a carefree slacker until a deadly virus turned humanity into flesh-eating monsters—his own roommate included. After being devoured, he mysteriously awakens inside a simulated LitRPG world as a hidden extra, far stronger than the protagonist. Gifted with Adaptation and a heavenly beast, he rises through Soul Academy, defying expectations. However, a mysterious hindrance threatens his newfound power, forcing him to fight for survival.‘…One… Two… Three… Wake up!’

There once was a very popular question on the internet:

If one morning, you woke up and realized that your gender had changed, what would be your first reaction?

And someone on the internet had famously responded:

First, give your bros a good time!

Su Jian remembered that when he saw this reply, he had slapped the table to express his admiration. What a good bro! Such loyalty!

But now that he actually encountered this strange situation himself, he could only feel an extremely ball-breaking alarm, shocked grief, and frightened anger. **** your mom! Ah, ****! **** it!

Oh, a correction. The above is grammatically incorrect. After all, poor Classmate Su Jian doesn’t have balls anymore.