THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

When Zachary arrived in Trondheim that morning, the news about his decision to join Juventus had already spread far and wide. Even the busy airport workers were already privy to the information that he was about to become a player for the Italian giants. They kept stealing glances at him as he went through the airport procedures.

Zachary, of course, chose to ignore them. He picked up his luggage and quickly exited the airport. After avoiding a few reporters who wanted to interview him, he boarded a taxi and headed to his apartment in Stjørdalsveien.

Thirty-five minutes later, he paid the cab driver in front of his apartment building. Then, he pulled his luggage before making his way to the front entrance of the place he had called home for more than a year.

Complicated feelings rose within him as he ascended the stairs. He couldn't help but recall how happy he was when he had first paid the booking fee and rent for the apartment. At that time, he'd just graduated from the academy. His heart had been full of anticipation and excitement as he had been about to become a Rosenborg player. But now, just after about a year and seven months, he was about to say goodbye to Rosenborg, the same club he could only dream about joining during his previous life. The whole progress of events gave him a surreal feeling — but also caused him to swell with pride as he continued making his way up the stairs.

"Zachary!" A familiar voice exclaimed, breaking his thought process as he reached the fourth floor. "Welcome back to Trondheim. It has been long."

"Kristin!" Zachary exclaimed back, looking towards the entrance of the apartment on the fourth floor. He took a few steps toward the charming girl he had first met in Lubumbashi, DR Congo, four years ago. "Yes, it has been more than two months since we met. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine," she replied with a smile. "Come inside. I will make you something to drink." She pushed the door open and pointed toward the inside of her apartment.

"Okay." Zachary nodded and pulled his suitcase through the doorway. He figured he could just conclude his talk with Kristin before ascending the stairs and going to his apartment.

"So, can I get you some coffee, or can I get you some milk and cereal?" Kristin asked, closing the door behind her. The natural lighting in the room cast a rosy hue upon her blonde hair and face, making her seem like a fairy who had just descended to Planet Earth.

"Only a coffee will do," Zachary replied, smiling at her. He positioned his suitcase by the door and settled on one of the sofas in her living room.

"Okay, I'll get you some coffee," Kristin said and went to the kitchen to prepare the hot drink. She returned five minutes later with a tray holding a cup and flask before gracefully placing it in front of Zachary.

"Thank you," Zachary said, nodding at her. Without further ado, he opened the flask and poured himself some coffee.

"So," Kristin intoned after settling on a sofa opposite Zachary, "I saw the news. You're going to Juventus!"

Zachary nodded, smiling awkwardly. "Sorry. It was an abrupt decision I made only yesterday. I couldn't inform you in advance."

"No problem," Kristin assured. "The only challenge is that you posted your decision on your official social media accounts without filling me in on the details. I could only reply vaguely to all your followers about your potential move to Juventus."

"I apologize," Zachary said. "I completely forgot about that. I'll fill you in on the details later. Speaking of which, are you ready to move to Turin with me? You previously mentioned that you wanted to continue working as my publicity secretary even after I left Trondheim. Do you still feel the same way?"

"Of course, I do," Kristin was quick to reply. "Yes, I wish to continue working as your publicity secretary. Otherwise, where would I find another lucrative job such as this?"

Zachary smiled and took a sip of his coffee. "Then, you should prepare and shift to Turin as soon as possible. You can also call Emily and remind her about renewing your contract before you move."

"Great, thank you," Kristin said, her amber-brown eyes glowing with excitement.

"You're welcome. But let me remind you that you'll have a hell-lot more responsibilities after you arrive in Turin. Now that my fame is growing, you won't just be managing my social media accounts. For instance, you'll also have to attend meetings with companies that endorse me to draft plans to advertise their products using my brand as a professional athlete. I may also require you to take care of a few other responsibilities, such as managing correspondence with my partners and top fans, scheduling appointments, and making travel arrangements. In other words, you won't just be my publicity secretary but also my personal assistant."

"I understand," she said. "I'll do my best to take up all those responsibilities."

"Then, excellent," Zachary said and sipped his coffee again. "How's your grandpa, by the way? How's he doing?"

"He's doing fine," Kristin replied, sighing. "He's also still waiting for you to make a decision about the issue he proposed. I hope you haven't forgotten yet."

"Of course not. The proposal to build a talent development center in Africa is still in my head. But I'm not ready yet. I need a few more years to prepare."

Kristin nodded, smiling. "As long as you remember, then all is fine. By the way, I'm sorry about your grandma. I couldn't be there in Congo for you. We had exams at the time, and I couldn't travel for the funeral."

"Don't worry about that. It's all in the past," Zachary said, feelings of bitterness rising within his heart. But he suppressed them the next instant and continued sipping his coffee.

An awkward silence descended upon the living room for a few seconds until Zachary spoke again. "So, when will you move to Turin?"

"At the end of next week," Kristin replied. "Is that okay?"

"That's a bit early. Why don't you consider moving around August 15th?"

"That's fine," Kristin answered. "I will move by the 15th then."

"Great." Zachary smiled and returned to sipping his coffee.

He had already researched Juventus' upcoming schedule the previous night. The Turin-based club wouldn't play any official matches before August 30th. They would only play pre-season friendlies during the rest of July and August, which Zachary wanted to miss because of some of his other plans. He wished to use the time before the start of the Serie A to train like mad and help his body acclimatize to the effects of the S-grade elixir he was about to consume. Only after that would he settle down in Turin and start to actively seek an opportunity to play a competitive game for his new club.

Thus, there was no need to push Kristin to travel to Italy when he wasn't planning to settle there until after a month. As long as she shifted before the start of the Serie A (before August 30th), everything would be fine. She would settle in her new role even before Zachary played his first official match.

-----

Zachary said his goodbyes to Kristin after finishing his coffee. He ascended the stairs and returned to his apartment on the sixth floor.

He felt at home when he stepped into his living room. A smile framed his face as he glanced around and noticed that the entire place was like he'd left it two months ago. It was relatively tidy, and there wasn't much dust on the exposed surfaces.

Most likely, Camilla, the only other person with a key to the place, had taken the time to clean it often while he was away. And that saved him the time to sweep and mop it himself.

He unpacked his luggage and quickly took a shower. After coming out of the bathroom, he dried himself and put on a fresh set of casual clothes. Then, he returned to the living room and settled on one of his sofas before deciding to summon the system.

Immediately, the all-familiar translucent crystal-like display that was the system interface shimmered to life before him. It glowed with a blue splendor within the dimly-lit living room.

"System," Zachary called out in his mind. "I would like to consume the S-graded vitality-enhancing elixir now."

"Command received," the system AI replied. "Confirming... The user has a single dose of the S-graded vitality enhancing elixir stored in the inventory."

"The user can select the respective card in the inventory to summon the elixir. As always, the user should ensure to consume the elixir within five seconds after its removal from the system inventory. Otherwise, its effects will expire if it spends more time out of the inventory."

"Understood," Zachary replied.

He tapped on the crystal-like display to summon the S-grade vitality-enhancing elixir that looked like a miniature version of an apple. He swallowed it down in a single gulp before lying supine on the sofa. Then finally, he expelled a lungful of air to brace himself for the immediate agonizing effects of consuming the system potion.

A few seconds passed, and a refreshing sensation washed across his body, seemingly nourishing his muscles, bones, internal organs, and blood. Then, his temperature spiked abruptly, and a sore irritation assaulted his entire being. His body started trembling as more effects of the potion kicked in and strengthened his physique.

His eyes misted as he winced in agony. He felt like he was losing himself — like his body was being torn apart and put together thousands of times. But he still fought with all his willpower to maintain a clear state of mind. Then, just as he thought he could hold on until the end, the soul-tearing discomfort peaked, and a tremor jolted his body and consciousness. His eyes lost focus, and he blacked out.