Thumbs Up, Level Up - Chapter 205

“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.

He wanted to be accepted for who he was; a bastard. But the world was a cruel place for bastards, especially in the vampire realm of Eldoria.A vampire prince, born a bastard, was a disgrace not only to the royal family but the realm at large. And for that, Gabriel Sinclair grew up in harsh environs within the very castle his brother considered heaven.And as if being bastard was not enough wound to scar him and put him miles away from the throne, they made marry a human to seal the treaty between the two warring species.*****Elena Thornhart always dreamt of venturing beyond the walls of Mysthaven. Since childhood, she had been confined in the castle of Mysthaven, safe from the vampire's reach.But not everything goes as planned. In an effort to save the nearly extinct human population, Andrian Thornhart, the human king and Elena's brother, offers her as the sacrificial lamb.Now Elena must navigate the treacherous Vampire court and royal family and protect her husband from his own kind.Little does she know her presence is set to unleash a side of Gabriel Sinclair that he never knew existed, a secret that might set the realm apart or unite it!

“No one looks at you. No one touches you. You’re a Whitehall now... And you’re mine.” Roman’s voice was a low, dangerous growl against her neck.She tilted her chin, meeting the predator in his eyes with her own cold fire. “I belong to no one, Roman, certainly not a beast in a jersey. If you want to claim me, you’ll have to do better than your father’s signature on a contract.”She spun her wheelchair to leave, but he was faster. His hand locked around her waist, dragging her back as his palm slammed against the wall beside her head.“Don’t you fucking dare me, Estelle.”—Estelle Rutledge was the Ice Queen of the Rutledge sports dynasty: national treasure, global brand, and the financial backbone of her family’s empire.Until one catastrophic crack on the ice shattered her career… and left her in a wheelchair.In the elite world of the one percent, a broken asset becomes a liability.With the Rutledge legacy collapsing under a mountain of debt, Estelle’s own mother did the unthinkable. She sold her daughter to the highest bidder, trading Estelle’s freedom for a check from Magnus Whitehall, the ruthless billionaire owner of a professional hockey empire.But Magnus didn’t buy Estelle for himself. He bought her to be his son’s leash.Roman Whitehall is the NHL’s most dangerous beast. A volatile heir with a scandal-soaked reputation and a temper that threatens the family’s billions. To the league’s board, he’s a loose cannon. To his father, he’s a problem that needs a wife to clean up his image.The command was simple: “Be the one thing he can’t avoid… or lose your legs.”Now Estelle is legally bound to a man who sees their marriage as a cage, and her as the bars holding him in. Roman believes she’s a fragile burden. Estelle thinks he’s a monster fueled by rage and secrets.But inside the Whitehall mansion, built on power, money, and lies, Estelle discovers a terrifying truth: she is not the first “Ice Queen” Magnus Whitehall has broken.Trapped in dynasty politics and a contract signed in blood, Estelle faces an impossible choice. Will she let the Whitehalls destroy what’s left of her… or join forces with the beast she hates most and burn their empire to the ground?Because even though she hates it, Roman Whitehall may be the only man who can help her stand again.Even if he has to break her first.

The world is like a chessboard and all living beings are the pieces on it!

“I do not want to be treated as a chess piece by the players!”

Defeat in this chess is tantamount to the destruction of my body and I’ll thoroughly disappear! Victory in this chess and I’ll have a very long life!

With the help of an ancient Weiqi piece, Gu Hai arrived at the Divine Province Mainland!

Heavenly Dao is eternal, however life is limited, making heaven and earth pieces of a chessboard, then in the end transformed into a loess, vanishing like faded smoke and scattered clouds. Nevertheless people still jump out of the chessboard, and these people are already prepared for their death while playing chess against the heavens, and perhaps win eternal life for themselves?

“I’ve come, and I want to live through 10,000 lives without any boundaries!”

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