Michael Sterling stood on the sacred, muddy, beautiful grass of Oakwell, and he couldn't breathe.

He was being hugged. By everyone.

One second, he was being lifted into the air by a giant, sobbing, season-ticket-holder who just kept screaming, "YOU DID IT, LAD! YOU DID IT!"

The next, he was being kissed on the cheek by a grandma in a red-and-white scarf who was crying too hard to speak.

The pitch invasion wasn't a "riot." It was a party. It was a single, joyous, 25,000-person hug.

Michael, his suit ruined, his hair a mess, just... laughed.

He saw, through the sea of red-and-white bodies, his family.

His mom, Catherine, was just... beaming, her Parisian-chic look completely gone, replaced by the wild, windswept, joyous look of a true football fan.

His sister, Jessica, was laughing, actually laughing, as a fan, who had no idea who she was, tried to hand her a bottle of beer.

And his dad...

His dad, Steve Sterling, his "new partner," was standing on the edge of the Director's Box, his expensive, red-and-white Barnsley scarf held high above his head. He wasn't the "ghost" anymore. He was the King, and this was his family's new kingdom.

"MICHAEL! BOSS! GET... UP... HERE!"

A hand, strong as steel, grabbed him. It was Jamie Weston.

He and Danny Fletcher, the "Broken Prince" who was now the "Redeemed King," were standing on the podium. The giant, gleaming, beautiful silver League One trophy was between them.

They grabbed Michael's arms and pulled him up onto the stage with them.

The roar...

The roar...

Michael's knees buckled. It wasn't a sound. It was a force.

"LIFT IT! LIFT IT!" Jamie roared, his voice cracking.

Danny, his 'Brain' finally, finally... offline, his face just a mask of pure, childish, joy... looked at Michael.

"You... you first, Boss," he whispered.

"No," Michael whispered back, his voice thick with tears. "We... we all... do it... together."

Their hands—Jamie's [Power Shot], Danny's [Brain], and Michael's [System]—all... grabbed... the silver, gleaming, heavy... cup.

"FOR BARNSLEY!" Jamie roared.

And they... lifted.

The explosion of noise... of joy... of red-and-white... confetti...

...was the single... most... beautiful... thing... Michael... had ever... seen.

An hour later...

The Oakwell locker room...

Was a warzone of pure, beautiful, joy.

Michael pushed open the door, and a wall of sound, heat, and champagne... hit him in the face.

"WHEEEEEEY!"

"BOSS! HE'S HERE! GET HIM!"

Finn Riley, the 'Wild Fox,' his shirt long gone, his red hair plastered to his face, leapt... from a locker... and doused... Michael... with an entire bottle of champagne.

"FINN! THIS IS A NEW SUIT!" Michael shrieked, laughing, as the cold, sticky, liquid... went everywhere.

"WHO CARES!" Finn cackled. "WE'RE CHAMPIONS! I'M A CHAMPION! I'M... I'M... PROMOTED! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS! BUT I LOVE IT!"

The music... was so loud... the walls... were vibrating.

Jamie Weston... was dancing. A terrible, terrible, dad-dance... with the actual... trophy.

"SHE'S... BEAUTIFUL!" he was roaring, kissing the cup. "SHE'S... MY... GIRL!"

Raph, the 'Magician,' was just... giggling. He was sitting in a corner, drenched, his [PA 90] "magic" now just... a 17-year-old kid... beaming.

Even Kai Sora, the [PA 97] "Bouncer," was... smiling. A tiny, rare, bored-looking... smile. He was leaning against a wall, his arms crossed, just... watching.

"It's... 'kinda... loud,'" Kai drawled, as a screaming, shirtless, Sam Jones... ran past, howling at the moon.

"IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE LOUD, YOU BASKETBALL NERD!" Jamie roared, trying to pour... champagne... onto Kai's head.

Kai, his [CA 50] reactions... fast... just... sidestepped it. "Waste of... 'bubbly,' man."

Michael... just... laughed.

He looked... in the corner.

And he saw... them.

His Dad... Steve Sterling.

And... Arthur Milton.

They were... standing... together.

Arthur... was drenched. His "General's" suit... ruined. His cane... dripping.

Steve... was also... drenched. His... red-and-white... scarf... was on sideways.

And... they were laughing.

Grown... men... giggling.

"I... I told you, Gaffer!" Steve boomed, clapping Arthur on the back. "I told you... the 'Kids' were... good! But... that... Kai... kid... that pass... for the Weston... goal... My... word."

"He's... learning," Arthur rasped, a huge, rare, proud... smirk... on his face. "He's... a monster. And... he's our... monster."

"OURS!" Steve roared.

Michael... just... beamed.

His... family. His whole... family.

He... needed a second.

He... slipped... out of the chaos... and into the quiet... of the physio room.

He... leaned... against the wall... his heart... so full... it hurt.

He... had done it.

He... had won. The real thing.

He... had his family back.

He... had his... team.

He... was happy.

And then...

...as if the universe... was listening...

...the world...

...went...

...BLUE...

A brilliant, shining, holy... championship... blue.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: 'THE FIRST DYNASTY']

[DESCRIPTION: You have done the 'impossible.' You have faced your 'past' (Northwood). You have survived 'hell' (Millwall). You have beaten 'giants' (Chelsea). You have failed... and learned... (Man City). And you... have won... the war (The League One Title).]

[You have not just 'won a cup.' You have built... a team. You have started... your dynasty.]

[LEGENDARY ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED!]

[REWARD: +1000 SYSTEM POINTS!]

Michael... choked.

He... literally... coughed.

"A... thousand... points...?" he whispered.

He... looked... at his balance.

He... had 800... left... from his last... shopping spree...

[TOTAL SYSTEM POINTS: 1800 PTS!]

He... was rich.

He... was a System... God.

"Oh... my... word," he whispered, a giddy, hysterical... laugh... bubbling in his chest.

His... fingers... were shaking.

He... opened... the [LEGACY DEVELOPMENT] tab.

It... was all... shining.

[Upgrade Training Facilities (Lvl 3: 'Championship-Class')] - 1000 PTS

CLICK!

[Upgrade Youth Academy (Lvl 3: 'Elite Recruitment')] - 750 PTS

CLICK!

He... had... 50 points... left.

He... didn't care!

He... had just... spent... everything!

He... had the best... training ground... in the league! He... had the best... academy...

And then...

...a new... alert.

PING.

[INCOMING WIRE TRANSFER DETECTED: $50,000,000.00]

[SENDER: 'S. STERLING - PARTNER ACCOUNT']

[NEW UPGRADE PATHS UNLOCKED: 'PREMIER-LEAGUE-CLASS']

Michael... just... laughed.

His Dad's money... and... his System... points...

He... was unstoppable.

He... had to see...

He... clicked... on the [SQUAD] tab.

The "End-of-Season" [GROWTH SPURT]... was... happening.

The new... facilities... the title... the experience... it was all... calculating.

The numbers... were... spinning.

[JAMIE WESTON (ST) - CA: 68 -> CA 71!]

[DANNY FLETCHER (CM) - CA: 71 -> CA 73!]

[FINN RILEY (RW) - CA: 65 -> CA 69!]

[RAPHAEL SANTOS (CAM) - CA: 60 -> CA 67!]

[SAM JONES (GK) - CA: 69 -> CA 72!]

[KAI SORA (??) - CA: 50 -> CA 55!]

Michael's jaw... dropped.

They... they weren't... "League One" kids... anymore.

They... were Championship... monsters.

They... were ready.

Michael... just... grinned.

He... walked... out... of the physio room... his heart... pounding.

The party... was still... raging.

He... saw his Dad... and Arthur... huddled... in the corner.

"And... with this... new 'Partner' budget," Arthur was rasping, his eyes gleaming... "We... don't... need... loans. We... can buy."

"We... can build," Steve boomed, his own... eyes... shining. "We... can dominate."

Michael... just... smiled.

He... walked... over... to Kai, the 'Bouncer.'

Kai... was still... dribbling... his... football. Thump... thump... thump.

"So..." Michael said, trying to yell... over the music. "Did... did you... have fun... this... 'season'?"

Kai... just... looked... at him.

He... stopped... dribbling.

He... looked... at the trophy, which Jamie... was now... wearing... as a... hat.

He... looked... at his... [CA 55]... self. And... he smirked.

A tiny, sharp, arrogant... [PA 97]... smirk.

"It... was... 'okay,'" Kai drawled.

"But... this... 'Championship'..."

He... bounced... the football. Once. Perfectly.

"It... sounds... harder."

He... grinned.

"Good. I... was... getting... bored."

Michael... just... laughed.

The Championship...had... no idea... what... was coming.

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