*Zip Zip*
It was 5:00 a.m. and Dennis Niglesmann hadn't gotten any sleep throughout the night.
He had stayed up arranging everything he would need for his trip to the capital city of Marrinton, Amber City.
This was his second time going to the city after his trial with the club, Vashcarl SC, a few weeks ago.
During the trial, his mentor, Mr. Robert, had informed him that the club was looking for experienced players at the semi-pro level. He was advised not to expect much from the trial and to view it as a learning experience. This was why he had left the city shortly after the trial.
He was shocked when he received a message from Mr. Robert a few days ago, stating that Vashcarl SC was interested in signing him.
He never expected things to turn out this way, especially considering that just six months ago, he was a chubby mess working at his uncle's car wash.
However, everything changed when he miraculously received 'The Level Up System,' an otherworldly system interface that allowed him to improve his soccer stats by following a strict routine and completing daily missions.
The past six months had been like something out of a movie. He had trained every day and used the rewards to level up his soccer stats.
At one point, he even participated in a kids' futsal tournament before attending the first football trial of his life in Amber City.
Thanks to the system, Dennis felt like his life was back on track compared to before he acquired it.
During that time, Dennis had been living with guilt, blaming himself for his parents' death every day. This was why he had given up on his dream of playing soccer professionally.
But now, with the arrival of the system, he had been able to transform himself from a chubby young man to an ideal athlete in such a short time, while also coming to terms with his past.
Dennis had about an hour and a half before Robert came to pick him up, but that was enough time for him to complete his daily routine.
He put on his sweat vest, shorts, and sneakers before leaving the house.
After an hour, Dennis returned home, his body completely drenched in sweat.
He immediately went to the fridge and took out two bottles of water, each containing about 1 liter.
After finishing the water, a translucent screen appeared before him with a message.
[VIEW ROUTINE PROGRESS]
_____
[1. DRINK 2 LITERS OF WATER <2L/2L>]
[2. RUN 5 KILOMETERS <5km/5km>]
[3. DO 100 PUSH-UPS <100/100>]
[4. DO 100 SIT-UPS <100/100>]
[5. DO 100 SQUATS <100/100]
[DAY 181 COMPLETED]
REWARDS~
[CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE RECEIVED x1 FITNESS ELIXIR]
[CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE RECEIVED x1 RECOVERY SYRUP]
[CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE RECEIVED x1 STAMINA BOOST]
[CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE RECEIVED 5 STAT POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE FREELY]
[CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE RECEIVED 10 SYSTEM POINTS]
After watching the rewards roll in, Dennis took a cold shower before having a light breakfast of cereal and fruits.
About 30 minutes later, Dennis waited for Mr. Robert outside his apartment.
Mr. Robert showed up wearing black trousers, a black suit, and sunglasses as he got out of his white sedan.
"I've never seen you dressed so formally before. Is there a special occasion I'm not aware of?" Dennis smirked as Robert approached him.
Robert, a middle-aged man with blonde hair and a default smile on his face, laughed and replied, "Ha ha ha, I just wanted to try something a little more stylish than plain blue shirts all the time. We both know you're the reason I'm dressed this way."
"Is that so? I had no idea... because you look like someone who's going on their first date or something," Dennis replied as he shook Robert's hand.
"Ha ha, good one... How's everything going?" Robert asked.
"Good, thanks to you."
"Ha ha ha, no need to flatter me. We both know it was your talent that made the club decide to sign you. I had nothing to do with that."
"Yeah, but you were the one who secured a spot for me in the trial. I'm really grateful to you for that," Dennis said, bowing slightly.
"No need to lower yourself," Robert said, patting Dennis on the shoulder. "It's my duty to make sure talented individuals like you get a shot in the spotlight. Besides, what kind of mentor would I be if I couldn't even do this much?"
After chatting for a bit, Dennis moved his luggage into Robert's car, and they were ready to take off.
However, before that, Dennis needed to bid his uncle farewell.
They took a small detour and arrived at Gustavo's car wash a few minutes later.
Gustavo was sitting outside his car wash when he saw the sedan park close by.
He immediately stood up when he saw Dennis come out of the car and rushed to meet him.
"¡Ver a mi chico!" Gustavo spoke in his native language of Spanish as he hugged Dennis.
"Buenos días, tío," Dennis greeted back.
"¿Cómo estás?"
"Estoy bien."
After exchanging greetings, Dennis introduced Gustavo to Robert.
"So you are the famous Mr. Robert?"
"Señor... It's just Robert. No need for formalities between us."
"I see," Gustavo nodded his head. "My nephew here has said good things about you."
"Is that so? Well, I'm delighted to hear that," Robert replied.
Gustavo held Robert's wrist with both hands and shook it as he said, "Estoy tan agradecido por tu ayuda... thank you for everything you've done for my nephew."
"Ahh... It's the least I can do for such a talented lad as your nephew," Robert smiled.
"Es un tipo tan amable y agradable, tienes suerte de tenerlo," Gustavo said, causing Dennis to nod in agreement.
"Eso es cierto, sin embargo, puede ser un poco difícil de convencer la mayoría de las veces," Dennis added.
"¿Es así? Eso no es bueno," Gustavo said upon hearing Dennis's words.
Robert, who had no idea what they were saying, just scratched his head and smiled awkwardly.
After saying goodbye to his uncle, Dennis got into the car along with Robert, and their journey officially began.
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Author's note: for those of you who have been reading the novel before and are confused why all the previous chapters were deleted, the simple answer is because the book have been edited, so basically I've started from scratch. Sorry for the inconvenience.