Chapter 1 Aran: Past and System
"Oh wow, that was way too easy! The ball just rolled right in. The referee seemed to take pity on them and blew the final whistle immediately. Final score: FC War Ship crushes FC 47 in a devastating six-nil victory."
The commentator's voice faded as the camera panned across the stadium. Football players walked off the field with their heads down, while tearful fans in the stands booed and heckled the team manager.
"Do you have anything to say for yourself, Aran?" The FC 47 club president clicked off the television and turned to face him with a stone-cold expression, his mouth pressed tight as if holding back a stream of curses.
Aran sighed. He wanted to laugh it off, but couldn't bring himself to do it.
"Our players are just too sloppy. Poor fundamentals, bad attitude, no patience or dedication. There's a lot more I could say, but those are the main issues."
"So you're telling me this humiliating defeat isn't your fault at all?"
"Look, this season we're not competing for anything anyway. With the points we have, I'm confident we'll avoid relegation. So winning or losing doesn't really matter. This is a pressure-free period. Instead of wasting time planning to win meaningless games, it's better to focus on building fundamentals and developing player skills," Aran replied.
The club president's face twisted with irritation. "Your plan sounds all noble and idealistic, but what about the fans who spent their money and time watching our team get destroyed? Don't you care about them at all?"
"I'll pay them back next season, guaranteed," Aran answered with a blank expression, showing no signs of distress.
"There won't be a next season. You're fired!" the president exploded. He'd originally called Aran in just to question and warn him, but Aran's arrogant attitude—always acting like he was above everyone else—made him feel insulted. He wanted to knock this know-it-all down a peg.
Aran fell silent. Looking at the president's face, which was trying so hard to appear ice-cold, he accidentally let out a laugh.
"What's so funny? Do you think you're some kind of genius? Do you even know that your own players talk trash about you every single day? Your track record has been mediocre at best, and you keep getting fired mid-season. Maybe it's time to acknowledge how pathetic you really are!"
The president had lost his temper completely. He'd always hated Aran's face from the beginning—hiring him had been the operations department's idea. Every time he watched the team lose, part of him felt sad, but another part couldn't help but feel satisfied seeing this lunatic get what he deserved.
"Sigh." Aran stood up with a heavy breath, his eyes narrowing with melancholy.
Here we go again. Another plan abandoned, another system scrapped halfway through. What a waste. If the next manager would just continue what he'd started, he'd be happy to step aside. But that would never happen. When the new manager came in, they'd just build a team around foreign players, caring only about wins and losses. Even if the team's results improved, Thai football would gain nothing from it.
"What are you even running a football club for?" Aran asked.
"For Thai football, obviously. You think running a football club is profitable?"
"Really? Then you're going down the wrong path," Aran said as his parting shot, then walked out of the room.
"That bastard..." The president felt deeply humiliated. He didn't understand why—even though he hated Aran's guts and wanted to punch his face—deep down, he secretly agreed with those final words.
But sadly, this president lacked the knowledge and understanding to grasp the reason why.
Back in his room, Aran opened his laptop to check the news. As expected, his firing had become the day's big story. He scrolled through comments filled with insults and mockery. Back when he was still a player, he'd rarely received this kind of contempt. But now it was overwhelming, as if every football fan in the country was his enemy.
This made him feel even more discouraged.
Wasn't there anyone... anyone who understood him... anyone who knew what he was trying to accomplish?
Aran Eksuryan had been playing and watching football since he could remember. He played school football like any ordinary kid, but his talent was so outstanding that scouts took notice. At age nine, he tried out for Red Kaiser, Germany's top club. He passed the test and moved to Germany as the club's youth trainee.
At 15, he became captain of the U15 team. At 18, his skills had advanced so much that he got the chance to play in the senior team's cup competition. He scored one goal and made one assist in the cup final. The entire country praised his brilliance. The media went wild with coverage—calling him the most talented Asian player in history, the first Asian to potentially win the Ballon d'Or. Dozens of famous clubs contacted them about transfers. His potential was rated through the roof.
But then, the young prodigy's path came to a simple and bitter end.
At 20, he was diagnosed with a heart condition. After thorough examination and diagnosis, doctors found it too dangerous for him to continue playing professional football. Aran's playing career had to end right there.
But he didn't give up. He loved football and still wanted to dedicate his life to the sport. He began training and studying to become a coach. Eight years later, he'd become a full-fledged team manager. He returned to Thailand, hoping to use the knowledge he'd gained to develop Thai football.
However, once he started working as a team manager, his life became filled with frustration and despair. Systems, playing styles, football fundamentals, attitudes, determination, discipline, game understanding, creative play—Thai footballers failed at everything.
Aran tried to rebuild all the fundamentals from scratch, but it came at the cost of criticism, disapproval, and defeats on the field. Every team he managed just kept losing. In the end, he'd get fired mid-season.
This hellish loop repeated itself two or three more times until today, when he got fired once again.
But this time might truly be the end. Aran's reputation as a team manager wasn't just bad—it was in the negative. Probably no club in Thailand would want him to manage their team anymore.
Thinking that his managerial career was about to end, he felt restless. He put on a hoodie to hide his face, planning to go for a walk. But suddenly, something caught his eye...
...a bright red rectangular box. The box sat on his desk. Aran had never seen it before, that much was certain. Though somewhat suspicious, he didn't think it could be particularly dangerous. He picked up the box and opened it.
"This is... a necklace?"
Inside the box was a deep red necklace shaped like a leaf with seven points, resembling a cannabis leaf, hanging from a red chain. The stem part was a staff with two snakes coiled around it, looking like the caduceus of Hermes.
Aran was drawn to the necklace's beauty. Before he knew it, it was hanging around his neck.
Arcana System Activated
Scanning user requirements
Complete
Initiating time reversal and world modification