"It's too difficult for me!"
At 5:30 in the morning, Su Dong wandered aimlessly through the quiet streets of Lisbon. The early morning air was crisp, yet his mind felt heavy, like an overturned spice jar with emotions scattered everywhere. He couldn't even begin to explain how he felt, and the weight of his confusion left him without anyone to share it with.
For the past half hour, he had walked along this brightly lit, wide avenue, lined with occasional passing cars. There were no pedestrians, only the glint of unfamiliar license plates passing by to remind him he was in a foreign land—a world away from everything he knew. Somehow, he'd been transported here, to this strange but beautiful city.
Half an hour ago, he had been in his room back in southern China, nestled in his small city. He had just purchased a pirated copy of Championship Manager 00/01 from a local vendor. The thrill of managing Inter Milan, his dream club, had kept him glued to the screen for hours. He had led them through countless victorious seasons, building a squad around his idol, Ronaldo Nazário. Under Su Dong's virtual leadership, Inter had dominated Serie A and conquered Europe, winning the Champions League ten times in a row. Ronaldo had finally decided to hang up his boots, a bittersweet moment for Su Dong.
After those legendary triumphs, Su Dong decided to face a new challenge—managing China's national team in the hopes of achieving the unthinkable: winning the World Cup. Just as he was about to accept the offer in the game, a mysterious pop-up window appeared on the screen.
"Do you want to be the best player of all time?"
Su Dong squinted at the screen, confused. What kind of ridiculous ad was this? He tried to close it, but no matter how many times he clicked, it wouldn't go away. There were only two choices: [Yes] or [No]. He cursed the pirates who added these annoying ads, even in a game he'd paid for.
"Five yuan for this pirated copy, and they still throw in pop-ups? Next time, I'll just buy a cheaper one for three yuan!" he muttered under his breath, frustrated.
With no other option, he hovered over the [Yes] button. After all, who wouldn't want to be the best player ever? He had grown up with football, deeply influenced by his father, a passionate fan of the sport. Since childhood, Su Dong had enrolled in football training, dreaming of becoming a global star like Ronaldo, blazing down the pitch and becoming invincible. But as life progressed, that dream had faded into the background, overtaken by more mundane realities. His only escape was in the virtual world of football management.
But now, standing at this strange crossroads, a small spark of hope flickered within him. What if…?
Without thinking too much, he clicked [Yes].
In that moment, the world around him began to spin. His vision darkened, and before he could even process what was happening, everything went black.
When he finally regained consciousness, the soft glow of Lisbon's streetlights illuminated his surroundings. He was no longer in China. Somehow, impossibly, he had found himself in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.
...
He was still called Su Dong here. He was still sixteen years old, from a small city in southern China, and came from an ordinary working-class family. In many ways, nothing had changed, at least on the surface.
His father remained the passionate football fan he had always been, the type who would stay up late to catch European matches on TV despite their family not being particularly well-off. Despite their modest means, his father had made sure Su Dong could participate in football training courses from a young age, nurturing his love for the game. It wasn't an easy investment, but for his father, football was worth every sacrifice.
Their family background, Su Dong's appearance, personality, and even his life experiences were virtually identical in both realities. But where things began to diverge was a single choice made a month ago. In the life he had known before being transported here, he had just bought a computer with his hard-earned savings, eager to dive into the world of gaming. So when his father proposed signing him up for a summer football camp, Su Dong declined. He wanted to spend his summer playing video games, escaping into the fantasy of virtual football. But in this new reality, Su Dong had made the opposite choice. He had agreed to his father's proposal, deciding to attend the summer football camp.
That choice was where everything unraveled.
It started like a dream, then quickly turned into a nightmare. At the camp, a scout appeared, claiming to represent a Portuguese football academy. He was Chinese but said he had strong ties to Portugal and had come specifically to evaluate young talent. For three days, he observed the camp, taking notes and watching intently as the boys trained. To Su Dong's surprise, the scout singled him out, praising his physique and raw potential. He said Su Dong had the natural attributes needed to become a professional footballer. The scout made a promise that dazzled both Su Dong and his father—he could arrange for Su Dong to sign with the youth team of a prestigious Primeira Liga club, renowned for having one of the best youth academies in the world.
Naturally, Su Dong's father was skeptical. He didn't want to be swayed by lofty promises or take risks with his son's future, so he did his due diligence. He made phone calls, researched the scout's credentials, and cross-checked every detail. Eventually, he found that the proposal was legitimate, endorsed by a respected football management organization. The opportunity seemed real, too good to pass up.
Though the family was far from wealthy, Su Dong's father scraped together enough money—borrowing from relatives, selling a few valuables—to fund his son's dream. It was a gamble, but for his only son's football dream, he was willing to take the risk. With excitement and hope, Su Dong boarded a plane and flew halfway across the world to Portugal, ready to begin his journey on the Iberian Peninsula.
But the dream quickly soured.
The scout did fulfill his contract—at least, on the surface. Su Dong was placed into a youth team in Portugal, but it wasn't with a Primeira Liga club as promised. Instead, he found himself signed to a third-division team in the Segunda Divisão B, far below the elite tier he had been told about. The club's name was Clube Atlético de Portugal, a far cry from the top-tier club Su Dong had envisioned.
When Su Dong confronted the scout's company, they were unapologetic. They insisted that there had been no deception. This was the club they had promised—just not exactly in the Primeira Liga. They explained with rehearsed confidence that Clube Atlético de Portugal was a satellite club of Belenenses, a respected team in the Primeira Liga. The scout's representatives reassured him that Clube Atlético de Portugal had strong ties with the Belenenses youth setup and that if Su Dong performed well, he could eventually be promoted to the Primeira Liga.
"And just think about it," they added in an almost patronizing tone, "this club carries the name of the nation itself. Clube Atlético de Portugal—it speaks of heritage, tradition, and deep roots in Portuguese football. Many great players started their careers in clubs like this, and if you're patient, you'll have your chance."
It was a hollow comfort. Su Dong knew he had been tricked, but the money had already been spent. He was already in Portugal, thousands of miles from home, with no way to reverse what had happened. Returning to China now would mean not only abandoning his dream but also failing his father, who had sacrificed so much for him. There was no choice left but to stay. He joined the club, put on the jersey, and tried to focus on his training.
But nothing about it felt right. The facilities were run-down, the coaches indifferent, and the players disillusioned. The dream he had once carried with him felt farther away than ever.
And that brings him to today. Walking through the streets of Lisbon in the early morning light, the reality of his situation finally weighing heavily on his heart.
...
...
Su Dong wasn't sure how long he had been walking. His legs felt heavy with fatigue as he made his way into a nearby park. The stillness around him was unnerving, broken only by the faint sound of insects hidden in the dark, while a distant light beckoned him forward.
Drawn toward the glow, Su Dong soon found himself standing in front of an indoor football field—or at least, that's what it seemed to be at first. The field had no walls, just a ceiling overhead, with rusty barbed wire enclosing three separate areas of varying sizes. The wire separated the fields into small, medium, and large spaces, corresponding to three-on-three, five-on-five, and seven-on-seven games.
The smallest field had its lights on, but it was eerily empty, save for a single black-and-white ball resting motionless in the center.
Under the glow of the lights, the ball seemed almost mythical, like the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden or the apple waiting to fall from the tree and inspire Newton. There was something irresistible about it, as if it held a promise Su Dong couldn't ignore.
He stood on the other side of the wire fence, staring at the ball for a moment before finally giving in to the pull. He stepped onto the field, walking straight toward it, his gaze never wavering. When he reached the ball, he stretched out his right foot, giving it a gentle flick. The ball obediently lifted into the air, balancing effortlessly on his foot.
At that moment, something strange happened. His mind filled with flashes of light, and messages began to appear, scrolling rapidly through his consciousness.
"The system [Path to Glory] has been activated."
"Binding, please wait..."
Su Dong froze. What is this? Path to Glory?
He could hardly process what was happening. Could this have something to do with being transported here?
"The system is successfully bound."
"Congratulations on successfully binding to [Path to Glory], please confirm your identity."
"Name: Su Dong?"
He blinked, staring at the options. His consciousness instinctively moved to the [Yes] option at the bottom left, propelling him forward.
"Nationality: Chinese?"
Yes.
"Age: 16 years old?"
Yes.
"Sex: Male?"
What kind of question is that? He scoffed. Yes, obviously.
"Height: 183 cm, weight: 61 kg?"
Yes.
"Identity verification complete. Please choose your position on the field."
A list of options appeared, ranging from striker to goalkeeper, each one tempting him with possibilities. Su Dong, still reeling from the shock of everything, suddenly felt a wave of excitement building within him. Could this system really give him a chance to live out his wildest dream? To become the best player of all time, like his idol Ronaldo Nazário? To race across the world stage, untouchable, scoring goals by the dozen, and etching his name into football history?
Without hesitation, he selected Striker.
The system acknowledged his choice and moved forward, revealing a new screen brimming with various stats and abilities.
"Welcome to [Path to Glory]."
"Current level: Beginner footballer."
"Next level: Amateur footballer. Glory Tokens required to upgrade: 10,000."
"Glory Tokens? Is it like points in video games?" Su Dong muttered, trying to make sense of it all.
Then, his eyes widened as the number registered. "Wait, 10,000 Glory Tokens?!"
Su Dong's jaw dropped in disbelief. That was an insane amount!
Where on earth am I supposed to get that many Glory Tokens? he thought, feeling overwhelmed by the monumental task ahead.
No answers came. The system offered no further guidance, leaving him more confused than ever. All he could do was continue reading.
As he progressed into his personal ability interface, a new message flashed.
"Since you are still at the lowest level of football, the system integrates various attributes by default."
Su Dong frowned. It felt like an insult. The system's words seemed to mock him for being inexperienced, as though his football skills were so basic that they didn't even warrant a detailed breakdown.
I'll show you! Su Dong thought defiantly. I'm going to level up so fast, you won't know what hit you!
With renewed determination, he focused on his personal stats. What he saw wasn't exactly encouraging:
"Offense: 33; Defense: 28; Physical: 29."
He sighed, his heart sinking. A full score was 99, and even a passing grade would've been somewhere around 60. Yet his stats were nowhere near that.
But as he reflected on his time in Lisbon so far, Su Dong had to admit that the system's assessment was brutally honest. For years, he had overestimated himself, basking in the praise of his small hometown. He had been the standout player in his local youth academy and the ace of his school team. Everyone admired him. But that admiration had inflated his sense of self-worth.
When measured against the players in Lisbon, even those from a lower-tier team like Clube Atlético de Portugal, he found himself lagging behind. And when compared to the top-tier youth academies like Real Madrid, Barcelona, or Manchester United? The gap was immense.
Yet, this realization didn't discourage him. Su Dong had a fire inside, a refusal to back down. It was the same trait that had driven him in the past when playing football management games. Back then, he had led Ronaldo's Inter Milan to ten consecutive titles, restarting matches over and over again until he achieved perfection.
That persistence was part of who he was. And here, in this new world, with a system like Path to Glory at his disposal, he wasn't going to let anything stop him.
It's just a matter of training harder, he told himself. I'll climb my way to the top.
With that thought firmly planted in his mind, Su Dong picked up the ball again and started practicing, dribbling across the uneven grass of the small pitch. His touches were precise, controlled, and with every successful move, a small message popped up in his mind:
"1 Glory Tokens earned toward being the best."
"1 Glory Tokens earned toward being the best."
The points kept adding up.
"Alright, so it's just 10,000 touches? If that's what it takes to improve, I'm all in!" he grinned.
By the time the first rays of sunlight illuminated the edges of Edward VII Park, Su Dong was still at it, pushing himself tirelessly, the goal of becoming the best player in the world driving him forward.
What he didn't realize was that just outside the barbed wire, a Portuguese teenager, about his age and size, was quietly watching his every move with growing interest.