The last thing he remembered was the screeching sound of splintering wood.
The moment had come out of nowhere. One second, Ethan Blake was walking home through the park with headphones in, thinking about the latest Premier League results. The next, his world turned upside down—literally—when a massive oak tree, weakened from a week of torrential rain and neglected maintenance, cracked at the base and came crashing down. It hit him squarely across the back.
He didn't even have time to scream.
Darkness followed.
---
Then came the strange warmth.
A buzzing sensation ran through his skin, like gentle electricity, followed by the slow return of senses—sound, touch, light.
When Ethan opened his eyes, he saw a fluorescent white ceiling. The air smelled like antiseptic, and a dull ache pulsed in his legs.
He wasn't dead?
He blinked, sat up... and froze.
His hands were smaller. His arms leaner. He scrambled out of the bed and found a mirror on the side wall.
The reflection staring back wasn't Ethan Blake, the 28-year-old community coach from Manchester with a receding hairline and slight beer belly.
It was a teenager. Sixteen at most. Pale blue eyes. Blonde hair buzzed short. Cheekbones he hadn't seen in a decade.
He stumbled backward. Panic gripped him.
Where the hell am I? Who the hell am I?
---
A soft chime rang in his ears, and suddenly a blue translucent screen appeared before him, like a video game HUD:
> [You have been chosen to enter the Blue Lock Template System.]
Host Soul Integrated: Ethan Blake
Current Host Body: Noah Ramsey | Age: 16 | Position: CM | Club: Liverpool Youth Academy (B Team)
Ethan stared, blinking.
"System? What the—"
> Initializing Template Draw...
Congratulations! You have drawn: MICHAEL KAISER [The Emperor]!
The screen flashed with golden light, revealing the outline of a familiar character from the manga Blue Lock. Kaiser stood tall, cocky grin plastered on his face, exuding that signature arrogance. Ethan—now Noah—felt a strange thrill rush through him.
He had watched the Blue Lock anime and read the manga obsessively during lunch breaks. Kaiser was one of the most technically gifted, tactically intelligent forwards in the entire series. But more than that, he was a player with vision, flair, and deadly finishing.
> Do you wish to integrate the Kaiser Template?
[Yes] / [No]
Hands trembling, he pressed [Yes].
---
The moment he confirmed, something incredible happened.
A flood of information surged through his mind. Movement patterns, spatial awareness, first-touch dynamics, off-ball runs, timing, body feints—it was all there. His mind processed angles like a supercomputer. His legs tingled with the memory of executing perfect half-volleys and outside-foot curlers.
More than just knowledge, it was instinct. He could feel the pitch now, the way predators feel blood in the water.
His heart pounded. Not only was he alive again... he had a second chance at football. A real one. With this system, and in this body, he could be great.
A knock on the door snapped him back to reality.
"Ramsey? You awake?" came a gruff voice.
"Yes?" Ethan—Noah—answered, voice cracking slightly from the shock.
The door opened. A tall, sharp-jawed man with a Liverpool staff jacket stepped in. Assistant youth coach, probably.
"Good. Klopp's called you up. You're training with the first team tomorrow morning."
Noah blinked. "Sorry, what?"
"Don't make me repeat myself," the coach grinned. "You've been tearing it up in B training. Boss wants a look."
And just like that, the door shut behind him.
---
That night, Noah lay in bed in the academy dorms, staring at the ceiling in disbelief.
Jürgen Klopp.
He was going to train under Jürgen bloody Klopp.
The man who brought Liverpool back to greatness. Who tamed wild talents into champions. Who believed in intensity, vision, and work ethic. Who created monsters.
Ethan—Noah—could barely sleep.
But when he finally drifted off, he dreamed of Kaiser's curling shot from outside the box, the crowd screaming his name, and the red of Anfield burning under the lights.
---
The Next Morning – Melwood Training Ground
The first team pitch was bigger than anything he'd played on before. Perfect grass. Crisp lines. Cameras in the corners. A dozen of the best players in England jogging around, laughing, stretching, and slapping each other on the back.
And there he stood: Jürgen Klopp, cap pulled low, glasses glinting in the morning sun.
"Noah Ramsey!" Klopp called, walking toward him. "I've heard good things. Central midfielder, right?"
"Yes, sir," Noah answered. His voice was steadier now.
"Forget the 'sir.' We're footballers here. Let's see what you've got."
Noah nodded, heart pounding.
---
The session began with passing drills. Noah moved efficiently, receiving and releasing the ball quickly. He didn't show off—yet—but he let his spatial awareness do the work. He turned out of pressure, ghosted into half-spaces, and connected lines others didn't see.
One touch. Turn. Outlet.
Every pass precise.
Klopp watched with interest, occasionally whispering to his assistants.
Then came the small-sided games. Five-a-side, tight spaces.
That's when Noah let a little Kaiser out.
He picked the ball up near the halfway line, skipped past one defender with a sudden burst, nutmegged another, and rifled a no-look pass to the overlapping left-back.
The pros raised their eyebrows.
On the next play, he intercepted a lazy pass, flicked it over the opponent's foot, and lashed a curling shot off the inside of the post. Goal.
Even the keeper applauded.
"Where the hell has this kid been hiding?" muttered one of the midfielders.
---
After the session, Klopp approached him with a smile.
"You've got something, Ramsey. Reminds me of someone I scouted in Germany years ago."
Noah blinked. "Lewandowski?"
Klopp tilted his head. "You know your Bundesliga."
Noah grinned.
If only you knew how well.
"Keep this up," Klopp continued, clapping him on the back, "and you won't just train with the first team—you'll be on the bench in six months."
---
Back in the locker room, Noah opened the system screen again.
> Template Progress: 7% Integrated
Skill Tree Unlocked: Visionary Passing
New Feature: Ego Drive Mode (Locked)
He smiled.
This was no dream.
He had died and been given a second chance—not just to live, but to chase greatness. No longer Ethan Blake, failed youth hopeful from Manchester.
Now he was Noah Ramsey.
And with Kaiser's brilliance flowing through him, the fire of Blue Lock burning in his chest, and the badge of Liverpool stitched on his heart...
He wasn't going to waste it.
---
End of Chapter 1