The Greatest of all Time

As promised, Zachary received an update from Emily about the stand of Tottenham Hotspur's scouts later that morning. She informed him that the club wasn't totally against offering him hard-to-refuse personal terms as long as he showed that he was worth it. He only needed to put up more spectacular performances, especially during Rosenborg's next two Europa League matches, and indicate a willingness to join the London-based club. Then everything, whether a sky-high weekly wage or bountiful match bonuses, could be negotiated and agreed upon before long.

Zachary could tell that Tottenham was really interested in him based on their attitude and how they'd reacted to Emily's conditions during negotiations. It was as if they wished to sign him immediately since they were much more accommodating during the negotiation process.

Be that as it may, he didn't let the prospect of joining a top league side unsettle his mind and hinder his training plans. He understood that only by recuperating faster could he return to targeted intensive training a day earlier. So, he resumed his post-match recovery routine, starting with a yoga session right after ending his phone call with Emily.

He still had to push most of his fitness attributes to the S-grading as quickly as possible so that he could meet the requirements to learn a few more G.O.A.T Skills from the system. Thus, he had to spend more time in the gym or on the training ground, working tirelessly with a one-track mind since that was the only way to raise his fitness to the next level. It was that simple, so he didn't need any distractions at that crucial stage of his career.

Based on the experiences from his previous life, he only had a small window of about six years, at least until he was 24 years, to raise his skills to a world-class level. He had to take advantage of that short duration when his body was still growing to hone his skills and rise to the top of the football world. Otherwise, he would find himself hard-pressed to make any improvements after hitting 25 years since his physical development would stagnate, following the fundamental laws of nature.

The hours flashed by quickly as Zachary went through his yoga session. Soon, it was already past noon, and Zachary enjoyed a sumptuous home-cooked meal before jogging all the way to Lerkendal to meet up with Coach Bjørn Peters, his fitness instructor.

Together, they immediately started going through a simple stretching routine, then performed agility drills before diving into an intensive endurance and body strengthening workout. As usual, they were extra hard-working, performing the exercises while taking only a few minutes of rest in-between. They were so immersed to the point that they didn't even bother to pause when it started drizzling a few minutes later.

Remarkably, Zachary was under the effects of the system's 1.2 gEarth miniaturized gravitational field the entire time. As a result, the session was more rewarding since he still exerted himself, even when his body was under an augmented physical strain due to the multiplied gravitational field. Thus, by the time they called it a day after warming down in the evening, he was almost out of breath and sweating profusely like a pig-headed to a slaughterhouse.

His weary condition at that moment even elicited a rare trace of worry from his fitness trainer. But Zachary just waved off the concern with an excuse of still being fatigued from the match.

Zachary wasn't worried that he would break himself since he had an ample supply of the system's elixirs. He could still exercise as much as he wanted under the increased gravity and yet still recover within two to three hours after consuming a B-graded physical-conditioning-elixir. That was the beauty of having the system functions supporting his training in the background.

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In the evening, after training, Zachary met up with Camilla at the Skybar of the Clarion Hotel, located close to the harbor. The restaurant had an exciting menu based on fantastic regional products that combined Nordic cuisine with rustic American flavors and sophisticated Asian traditions. It was the perfect place to relax and mingle in Trondheim while enjoying a drink from the bar or just listening to some great music.

Thus, Zachary and Camilla enjoyed a great dinner there, letting their palates be wowed by the unique flavors at the restaurant for hours before heading to Zachary's place for the night. There, they wasted no time immersing themselves in their world of passion and giving rise to an enthralling deep night sonata. They took their time exploring one another and soaking themselves into each other's comfort until the wee hours of the morning.

"So, are you ready yet for your upcoming Europa League matches?" Camilla inquired as she snuggled up to Zachary just a few minutes after their heated battle. Her emerald-green eyes were shinning like a pair of rare luminous crystals in the dimly-lit room, and her skin still glowing slightly as an after effect of the intense passion. Even without any make-up, she could still catch the attention of the most stoic of men as she was still alluring and as beautiful as ever.

Zachary smiled while caressing her shapely backside that was round and plump before answering, "I'm not ready yet since I'm still recovering from the fatigue of yesterday's finals. However, I'm sure that I'll be ready by Wednesday, and I can then take part in the match without any worries."

"That's good to hear then," Camilla said, tracing circles on Zachary's chest muscles which were perfectly streamlined like a couple of small bricks lined up together. "I really do hope that you win the remaining two group matches so that you can qualify for the knock-out stages. How's the team situation at that moment?"

"All the players are in high spirits after winning the Norwegian Cup. As long as we prepare adequately, we should be able to give our upcoming opponents a run for their money."

"Perfect," Camilla mumbled excitedly. "Then, there's a high chance that you might win a treble if all your teammates remain in good condition and continue working hard. Right?"

"That's hard to say," Zachary replied, shaking his head. "There are tough teams, like Napoli, Valencia, Sevilla FC, and Lyon, among the contenders. Moreover, all the third-placed teams in the Champions League groups, probably including giants like Juventus and FC Porto, will also join the contention for the Europa League Trophy. So, I cannot determine how far we'll go when we have to face such tough opponents in the upcoming matches."

"But if it's you, you can make the impossible happen when on the pitch," Camilla said, patting Zachary's chest. "As long as you give your best and keep on scoring to help Rosenborg win, then you never know how far you'll reach. You might even find yourself winning the finals before you know it."

Zachary suppressed a chuckle. "I like your confidence in me. And yes, you're right. We merely have to do our best, and everything else is up to luck or another higher power. Thanks for this bit of encouragement, Camilla."

"You're welcome," Camilla's replied coyly. "By the way, my boss just informed me today to notify you about an upcoming Audi photo session on the 3rd of next December. Our brand will be launching a couple of new car models before Christmas. So, as an Audi ambassador, it's part of your responsibility to help us advertise the new car models."

"Is it just a photo shoot?" Zachary pressed.

"Yes, just a photo shoot. You'll only need to pose in front of the new vehicles for a few photos, and that's it. We'll then use the resulting images for marketing all around Norway. Moreover, as long as you attend, there might be an exciting surprise for you after the photo session."

"Then, I'll most likely be there," Zachary replied with a smile. "But, I have to run this by my agent first before making the final decision. I hope that's okay with you!"

"It's okay," Camilla replied. "Go ahead and do what you have got to do. You can tell her to contact my boss or me if she has any doubts she needs to clarify. Where are you spending Christmas, by the way?"

"I'll probably spend the entire time training within Trondheim," Zachary replied, sighing. "I have to try my best to refine my skills before the start of the next season. So, I can't waste any time, even during the Christmas season."

"Ohhh!" Camilla said, snuggling even closer to Zachary. "And here I thought that we might for once be able to spend some time together on an exciting vacation this holiday season. It's really a bummer that you have to train even during holidays?"

Zachary sighed and shifted about to make himself more comfortable. "If it's two or three days, then we can still go for the vacation. But if the vacation is longer, then I probably won't have the time."

"Then three days will be enough," Camilla was quick to reply. "We can head to either Stockholm or Amsterdam on 24th December, and enjoy Christmas there together. By the time you return to Trondheim, you'll be well-rested and able to give more than a hundred percent during training."

"Okay," Zachary just mumbled incoherently in agreement since he was already dozing. "But, let's sleep for now since I have to wake up early for training."

"Good night, then," Camilla said.

"Good night."

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