Chapter Five : Unbothered Unmatched Unsealed.
I'm from the bottom of the bottom, check your sources, baby.
...
The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the worn grass field, sweat still glistening on Zeke's forehead as he caught his breath. The familiar scent of freshly cut grass and the distant hum of traffic filled the air around them.
"Haha, goodbye, what days do you guys play ball here?"
"On Wednesdays and Saturdays, will we be seeing you again?" Aaron replied, his voice carrying genuine warmth as he waved to Zeke with a smile that reached his eyes, still slightly breathless from the intense match.
"Definitely, I had fun, you guys are good," Zeke grinned, his teeth flashing white against his sun-kissed skin as he walked away, the satisfying ache in his muscles a testament to the game well played.
{That felt like a girl coming from a one-night stand, 'will we be seeing you again?'}
Zero's mental voice carried an unmistakable tone of amusement, the words echoing in Zeke's mind with digital precision.
"Pfft, is someone jealous?"
{What do you think this is, shxtsnGigs? Do you think we're James and Fuhad? Bitch please}
Zero retorted,his electronic consciousness practically bristling with indignation.
"…"
Tough.
Zeke had already played football with his new acquaintances, and as one would do when blessed with the skills of the GOAT, he showed up and took the field from their hands and held it in his grasp like a master craftsman wielding his tools.
He tallied three goals and five assists, each movement flowing with an almost supernatural grace.
It was a game of 8v8, the kind of pickup match that separates the skilled from the pretenders.
With the skills of Messi coursing through his enhanced physique, he got to experience football in ways he never had, most especially as an awakened human. Every touch of the ball felt electric, every pass perfectly weighted, every movement calculated with inhuman precision.
He did struggle against people whom he figured had higher stats in strength than he did, creating brief moments of resistance when bodies collided.
But Messi was never the most physical, was he?
With finesse and flair that seemed to defy the laws of physics, he trampled their defense and made them kneel in submission to his superior skill.
Akashi style.
Little ankle breaker here and there—the sharp crack of cleats changing direction, the collective gasp from onlookers as defenders stumbled—and the rest was history written in the language of beautiful football.
As for his assists being higher than his goals, it was a part of his personality, he preferred assists to scoring. The pure joy of threading a perfect pass through impossible gaps, watching a teammate's face light up as they found the back of the net.
The thrill of scoring is special and should be preserved, scoring too many kills the vibe like overindulging in fine wine.
At the end of the day, the scores were 10-6 in favor of Zeke's team, the numbers glowing on the makeshift scoreboard someone had sketched.
So yeah, he was involved in eight of the goals his team scored, his fingerprints on nearly every moment of brilliance.
His teammates did include Aaron and Jude, both of whom had looked at him with a mixture of admiration and bewilderment.
The Asian guy played for the other team, his frustrated expressions growing more pronounced with each of Zeke's successful plays.
Ego couldn't save him.
….
After leaving the field, Zeke went to a park to sit, the wooden bench still warm from the day's sun as he settled onto its weathered surface. The park was alive with the sounds of children playing, dogs barking in the distance, and the gentle rustle of leaves in the evening breeze.
"Good music would be peak at this moment," he said, tilting his head back to feel the last rays of sunlight on his face.
{If only you knew someone with a database of music, games, movies, shows from your past life, and he just stole 200 million for you, if only you knew such a person}
Zero's voice carried mock wistfulness, the digital equivalent of batting eyelashes.
"You have that?" Zeke asked, his eyes gleaming with sudden excitement, sitting up straighter on the bench.
{Me? No, maybe ask the opposite of Zero}
"One? Or perhaps every fucking number that isn't zero?"
{"…"}
{I would give you the middle finger, but that would increase the rating, this is rated eighteen, I hope you know?}
"Ignore," Zeke said, more to himself than to any other person.
"If you have access to such treasure, share it with your only friend."
As Zeke had said it, Zero played Truth is by Roddy Ricch, the bass line immediately filling his consciousness with crystal-clear digital quality.
Head popping to the rhythm,
Hand swinging in perfect time with the beat.
Zeke felt a wave of nostalgia he couldn't quite grasp, like trying to hold water in cupped hands—familiar yet impossibly distant.
{This was one of your all-time favorites} Zero said to Zeke, his voice carrying an almost reverent tone.
"How does that even work? I understand pop culture references, shows, movies, anime and every brain rot I've ever indulged in, but I don't remember when I did it, who I did it with." The frustration in his voice was palpable, his hands clenching into fists before relaxing again.
{I do not understand the technical aspect of your reincarnation, I only have the basic information uploaded into my database, probably to ease you into this world, your core personality was basically copied, so everything that made you…you, how it works, I don't know, how it was decided that this part of your life made up your core personality I don't know, you should know from all the novels you've read that you can't question cosmic beings}
Zero added with what sounded like digital resignation.
"It's unfair, very plot hole filled, wait, does that mean I'm in a novel?" Zeke said, springing up from the bench and walking around in circles, his eyes scanning the sky as if trying to find a pen writing his life story.
{I don't think that's how it works}
{At the end of the day even if you were in a novel, there's nothing you could do other than live your life, especially since they've made you immortal}
"Makes sense, but I'll have my own fun, heh, want me to dungeon dive? I'll just live a slice of life, let's see if your novel gets traction." A mischievous grin spread across his face as he imagined frustrated readers waiting for action scenes.
"Zero, shuffle please."
No Idea by Don Toliver flowed seamlessly into his consciousness, the smooth transition making him nod in approval.
…..
With the music playing in his head like a personal concert, he enjoyed his stay in the park, bopping his head to the tunes with uninhibited joy, and at most times singing out loud, earning curious looks from other park visitors. The pure happiness radiating from him was infectious, and he did gain a few blushes from passersby who found themselves charmed by his carefree energy.
Say what you will, but a beautiful man with a beautiful voice just being himself has a certain magnetic charm that draws people in like moths to a flame.
Ask girls, they'll concur.
After approximately an hour of enjoying himself, he got up with a spring in his steps, his movements fluid and energetic as if the music had recharged his very soul.
"Time to check out that new house, what say you Zero?"
{Maybe listen to something other than Sia, man}
"No, I conquered death, so why can I not conquer love?" Zeke said with zest, his voice carried confidence.
Not as a zesty fellow, but with energy—read a book.
…
"Woah, this is magnificent, forgive my lack of words," Zeke said as he took in the splendor of the magnificent structure he would call home from now on. The mansion—for that's what it truly was—stood before him like something from a dream, its pristine white walls gleaming in the golden hour light, perfectly manicured gardens stretching out on either side like green carpets rolled out for royalty.
{Don't you want to dance with me, no? I can dance like Michael Jackson} Zero sang in his ears, the digital voice attempting to mimic Drake's style.
"Be serious man… you and me," Zeke was talking to Zero before he began to sing the part that had come up on the Drake Toosie Slide song, his voice carrying the melody with skill.
{Why'd you have to sing that part when you were talking to me}
"Basically I'm saying either way we're about to slide," Zeke continued as he entered the house—mansion? I don't know, I have a limited vocabulary—the massive oak doors opening to reveal an interior that belonged in architectural magazines, all marble floors and crystal chandeliers that caught the light like captured starlight.
The marble floors gleamed beneath Zeke's feet as he wandered through the spacious corridors, his footsteps echoing softly in the vast expanse of his new home. Crystal chandeliers cast prismatic rainbows across the pristine walls, and the faint scent of luxury—leather, polished wood, and something indefinably expensive—filled the air.
"You outdid yourself," he said in high praise to Zero, his voice carrying genuine admiration as he ran his fingers along the smooth banister of the grand staircase.
{We only accept the best}
Zero's digital voice carried an unmistakable note of pride, like a master craftsman admiring his work.
"This definitely did not come from the 200 million, did it?" Zeke asked, his eyes taking in the oil paintings adorning the walls, each one probably worth more than most people's annual salary.
{Some things are not to be exposed}
The mysterious tone in Zero's voice made Zeke's eyebrows raise slightly.
"Heh, subarashi," he murmured, the Japanese word rolling off his tongue with satisfaction as he continued his exploration.
….
As Zeke walked around his home, marveling at the floor-to-ceiling windows that offered breathtaking views of manicured gardens, he heard a ping—sharp and distinct, like a notification chime that seemed to resonate directly in his skull.
[ACHIEVED A SEMI FUNCTIONAL SOCIAL LIFE]
[YOU'VE BEEN GIFTED THE TRAIT QUANTUM DISENTANGLEMENT]
The text appeared in his vision like a holographic display, glowing softly before fading away.