Chapter 267: Reflections and Aspirations

The next day.

Zachary woke up to the steady pitter-patter of rain upon his bedroom window. The sound was the perfect natural lullaby, so delicate and soft upon the ears. It gently induced a state of calmness upon his mind and soothed his entire being to the very core. With eyes still at rest, he started reflecting on his second life in those few blessed moments of tranquility and solitude brought about by the morning rain.

His accomplishments in his second life were like events in a spectacular legend. He'd arrived in Norway only three years prior. With the aid of the system, coupled with his hard work, he'd managed to impress his coaches and graduate from the academy in only two years. He'd then joined the Rosenborg senior team and made it to the starting lineup in just a couple of months. It was an incredible journey, one that surprised many, for sure.

Yet, he hadn't just stopped at that. He'd put his career above everything and continued toiling assiduously, even though he'd already achieved his primary goal of becoming a professional footballer. Day after day, he constantly exerted himself beyond words, sharpening his skills with a consistency akin to that of a pre-programmed robot.

Set pieces, dribbling skills, passing, and game theory— he trained all aspects of his game, bringing them to a level way beyond the zenith of his previous life. He was the true definition of a training maniac with a never-say-never attitude that allowed him to develop his abilities at an incredible rate.

As a result, he managed to shine brilliantly in his first season as a Rosenborg player. It was as if he was flying and soaring towards the heavens since he'd already helped his team win a league trophy by scoring more than twenty goals in his first season. He was, of course, the season's top scorer — and as a consequence, he was the darling of everyone — the fans' favorite at Lerkendal.

Nevertheless, at the end of it all, he'd realized that becoming the best player in a low-tier league could no longer satisfy him. He yearned for more. He wanted to move on to greener pastures and face off against the best players in the world. He desired to know how it felt to play in one of the top leagues of the world.

If he threw everything to the wind, he might have even initiated his transfer procedures out of Rosenborg during the upcoming transfer window in December. However, circumstances didn't allow him to do as he pleased just yet.

Firstly, he still had a pending system mission that necessitated him to stay with Rosenborg at the very least until May next year. He'd to help the Norwegian giants qualify for the 2013/14 Europa League's round-of-sixteen or incur a very cumbersome system penalty totaling 120,000 Juju points. Moreover, he'd freshly come to realize that qualifying for the round of sixteen didn't just mean qualifying out of the group stages. Instead, he'd to help Rosenborg go past the second round of thirty-two teams before reaching the round-of-sixteen stage. It was a tall order for sure. Nevertheless, he didn't believe in giving up before trying. He was still determined to try his best to realize the goal despite the high odds stacked against him.

The second reason he couldn't just up and transfer out of Rosenborg was the inadequacy of his abilities. He was well aware that his skills, which could dazzle both fans and opponents in Norway, would fall short when put up against top world-class defenders. Say, he'd to face off against no-nonsense defenders like Branislav Ivanović, Sergio Ramos, or Dani Alves — he wouldn't be able to outmaneuver them that easily. With his skill set, he could only put up a sub-par performance against them.

However, that wasn't enough for him.

He wanted to continue dazzling and impressing both fans and opponents even when he joined the best leagues. He didn't want to sit on a top team's bench just because of his lacking skills after his transfer.

Those lofty aspirations fueled his insane training and prompted him to hire Coach Bjørn Peters as his fitness trainer. He was a man with a clear purpose of raising his fitness and skills to the next level within the shortest time possible.

Zachary's mind seemed to be drifting on calm seas. His musings were aimless as those of a child on summer vacation, paddling, at ease with the fluidity of time. He thought about many things, including his past deeds, his present circumstances, and future prospects.

But soon, his thoughts returned to the moment in the present. The pitter-patter of the rain, loud on his window, soon became the center of his focus once again. He blinked his eyes reflexively and directed his gaze towards his bedside clock.

"Ahh!"

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He couldn't help but yelp in surprise on realizing that it was already 9:00 AM. He had several commitments that day, the first being a signing ceremony for his contract extension at Lerkendal later that morning. He'd to finish his morning routines as soon as possible and then meet up with Emily before the actual signing ceremony. He was on a tight schedule for sure.

So, without dragging his feet, he jumped out of bed and flexed his limbs out of habit. It was a practice he'd developed to check the state of his body every morning.

"Being on the bench clearly has its advantages," Zachary concluded, grinning from ear to ear as he trekked towards his living room. "I don't feel any post-match fatigue weighing down on me. I'll continue following Coach Bjørn Peters' training regimen after the signing ceremony since I'm fresh and still full of energy."

He was in a good mood after realizing that he could continue with his hectic training schedule. His muscles were full of energy since he had only come on as a substitute late in the match against Lillestrøm Sportsklubb the previous day. He didn't need any post-match recovery rest. So, without any dilly-dallying, he immediately started going through a simple stretching routine almost by reflex.

Neck stretches! Cobra stretches! Knees-to-chest exercises! Spinal twists! Upper back stretches! Standing-quad stretches! Hamstring and calf stretches! Etcetera.

Illuminated by the first morning rays of the late autumn sun seeping through his living room window, he performed all the motions of the exercises in sequence without cutting corners. His movements were as fluid and delicate as those of a ballet dancer as he went from one stretching routine to another. He didn't want to make any mistakes when performing the stretches since he understood their importance, especially in the long run.

The seemingly simple routine was part of a long-term training regimen designed by Coach Bjørn Peters to enhance his body control and agility over time. So, he didn't dare take it lightly since he particularly yearned to improve those two stats to the next level within the shortest time possible.

Zachary was sure that he would be akin to a tiger with wings if he could raise his agility and body control attributes to the legendary S-grading. His dribbling would become much more fluid, thereby allowing him more versatility when on the pitch. Without a doubt, he would instantly gain the ability to hold his own against even the best defenders in the world with the elevation of those two stats.

Moreover, he would also meet the requirements to master the Robinho step-over Juju should he raise his agility and body control to the S-grading. He would then gain the ability to cut through assemblies of top defenders like a sharp knife cutting through vegetables. Who, then, would be his opponent? The answer was "no one" since he would already be able to send any defender out there packing with just a couple of step-overs.

Zachary could feel his heartbeat accelerate just by thinking about the prospects. Since young and even at the zenith of his previous life, he'd always admired footballers who were good at dribbling the ball. The likes of Ronaldinho, Messi, the two Ronaldos, and Maradona would always make his blood boil with excitement whenever he watched them perform their magic on the pitch. At their peak, those legends had time and time again terrorized top world-class defenders with their agile footwork. They were, without a doubt, phenomenal players at the level of monsters, even across generations. And, of course, Zachary wanted to follow in their footsteps.

In addition to developing into a fully-fledged Maestro, he'd always wanted to add another dimension to his game. He yearned to combine his high-level passing skills and his game intelligence with unmatched dribbling skills as soon as possible. That was the source of his motivation and his envisioned shortcut to greatness.

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Zachary continued going through the simple routine for fifteen minutes. He then performed a dozen or so yoga poses as a surplus to his morning training before heading to the bathroom to wash up.

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