Ho-young's expression stiffened as he arrived at Cha Bum-kun's accommodation.
"Huh...?"
Standing there was a German man who had appeared out of nowhere.
A young man in his twenties with a striking head of curly hair.
'What is this?'
He couldn't figure out how to process the situation.
Saying his thoughts had come to a halt would be accurate.
Because the young man in front of him was a player any football fan would instantly recognize.
But more than that—
'Wow...'
His talent was truly astonishing.
[Michael Ballack]
[Possessed Talents: Midfield Commander (T), Versatile Midfield Commander (U), Unrivaled Heading (S), Towering Jumping Ability (A+), Ambidextrous Mastery (A+), Ironclad Stamina (A+), Outstanding Ball Distribution (A), High Work Rate (A-), Tactical Genius (A-), Powerful Mid-range Shot (A-), Clinical Finishing (A-), Ironclad Physique (A-)]
[See More]
(You may obtain one talent by meeting the required conditions.)
(If selecting a T-grade talent, a portion of the player's sense can also be obtained. However, this is only available after turning 18.)
(S-grade talents require unlocking a hidden condition.)
(Condition 1: Defeat FC Bayern Munich U13)
(Condition 2: Score 5 goals against FC Bayern Munich U13)
(Condition 3: Score in the Four Continents Youth Tournament)
(Condition 4: Receive Michael Ballack's guidance)
(Hidden Condition: Unlockable upon acquiring at least one talent)
A level incomparable to even the most promising youth players.
'Holy... how many is that?'
Counting even the C-grade talents, he had over thirty.
There was no word more fitting than "complete package."
'Living with this guy would be insane.'
Out of all the players he'd met so far, this one was the most tempting.
Michael Ballack.
He spoke slowly in English.
"So this is Cha Boom's place?"
"It's a real honor to meet you, sir."
Ballack looked genuinely happy to meet Cha Bum-kun.
Although he had transferred from Leverkusen to Bayern Munich after the World Cup, Ballack loved Leverkusen to his core.
It made sense that he held admiration for Cha, who had played a major role in revitalizing Leverkusen.
'He really is a legend...'
Ho-young once again recognized Cha Bum-kun's greatness.
Some called it nationalistic hype, others said it was an overrating, but the truth was, he had succeeded in the Bundesliga.
One of the top 4 European leagues.
'If I met Messi or Ronaldo, I'd probably feel like this too.'
To Ballack, Cha was an idol.
In Ho-young's generation, Messi and Ronaldo were the ultimate idols for football fans.
But in this life—
'What if I could be that for someone else?'
The idea that he could one day be someone's idol made his head spin.
To do that, his skills had to come first.
Especially the talent standing in front of him.
A walking bundle of talent.
Ho-young looked at Ballack.
'What should I do about that?'
While the two legends chatted, Ho-young was busy thinking.
Because the talents were drastically different from those of most youth players or even regular pros.
'What is that Title-grade thing?'
Midfield Commander (T).
'So this is his signature talent?'
It stated that selecting it would allow him to inherit a portion of the player's senses.
'Then it's incredible.'
Gaining even a fraction of Ballack's feel for the game would skyrocket his growth.
The problem was, he wasn't 18 yet.
'So for now, the U-grade is what I can aim for.'
Versatile Midfield Commander (U).
Even that was an exceptional talent.
The issue was the difficulty of the conditions.
'Three conditions...'
(Condition 1: Score 5 goals against FC Bayern Munich U13)
(Condition 2: Record 2 attack points in the Four Continents Youth Tournament)
(Condition 3: Receive Michael Ballack's guidance)
Even compared to Cha Du-ri's U-grade talent, this was far more challenging.
Five goals.
And not just against any team, but against the elite FC Bayern Munich.
On top of that, he also had to record 2 attack points in the Four Continents Youth Tournament.
But—
'Giving up isn't an option!'
Ho-young.
He wasn't born with natural gifts, but he had perseverance.
'I haven't even played them yet, right?'
He clenched his fist.
Right then.
"By the way, who's this boy?"
Ballack pointed at Ho-young.
He was curious, seeing the kid sitting so close beside Cha Bum-kun.
Cha replied.
"Ah, he's the most talented youth player in Korea. He's currently training with São Paulo FC. This year, he won both the U13 league title and the Golden Ball."
"Oh, is that so?"
Ballack looked at Ho-young with intrigued eyes.
Then he extended his hand.
"Nice to meet you."
Up until now, they had been speaking in German, but this time, Ballack spoke in simple English.
Ho-young returned the handshake.
"Hello. It's an honor to meet you."
For the next 10 minutes.
The three shared various conversations.
Most of them stemmed from Ho-young's questions, with Cha providing interpretation without complaint.
It seemed he was proud of Ho-young's eagerness.
Thanks to that, the conversation naturally flowed in the direction Ho-young wanted.
"Tips for being good at football?"
Ho-young looked up at Ballack with clear, determined eyes.
And the answer came instantly.
"Umsonst ist der Tod."
"Haha!"
Cha burst into loud laughter.
"Why?"
"It means, 'Only death is free.'"
"Whoa."
"But he says if you beat Munich in the upcoming match, he'll share his secrets with you."
Ballack smiled warmly at Ho-young, clearly impressed.
---
Beep—
The match against FC Bayern Munich U13 was held two days later.
From the kickoff, Ho-young charged forward aggressively.
He had even asked his older teammates to feed him the ball.
Because to obtain Ballack's talent, he needed to score five goals.
So Ho-young ran relentlessly.
'Preseason feels busier than the actual season.'
Just as he expected.
But he didn't complain.
This was an opportunity.
He needed to touch the ball even one more time rather than waste time complaining.
'I must score five goals. No matter what.'
However—
Tap.
Thud!
Beep!
A few sharp sounds echoed, followed by a long whistle across the pitch.
A signal for a goal.
"Damn it!"
It would've been welcome if it were their goal, but it wasn't.
Bayern Munich had scored the opener just 2 minutes into the match.
'These guys are good.'
Their U13 squad was no joke.
They were far better than the Dream Youth Expedition.
Unlike Frankfurt, which had a thin player pool, Bayern's depth was incredible.
'Their defense is average, but their attack is crazy.'
If Ho-young was the star on his side, they had Müller on theirs.
Yes, that Müller.
The one who would win the Golden Boot at the 2010 World Cup and help Germany win the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Thomas Müller.
A future German scoring machine, carrying the legacy of legends like Gerd Müller and Miroslav Klose.
He was currently Bayern Munich U13's striker.
[Thomas Müller]
[Possessed Talents: Football Prodigy (A-), Clever Space Penetration (A+), Solid Fundamentals (A), High Football IQ (B+3), Consistent Finishing (B+2)]
(You may obtain one talent by meeting the required conditions.)
(Condition 1: Defeat FC Bayern Munich U13)
(Condition 2: Outscore Thomas Müller in a single match)
(Condition 3: Score a hat-trick)
Standing at 165 cm.
He had just turned 13 and was in his final season at the U13 level.
'I had no idea Müller was in Bayern's youth system from such a young age.'
For Ho-young, this was a golden opportunity.
He could gain the talents of both Ballack, the best of the current generation, and Müller, the best of the next.
'Outscoring Müller is key.'
Pato?
Sure, he was impressive.
'But this guy... he's the real deal.'
Thomas Müller, who would soon burst onto the scene like a comet.
It was often said he wasn't a standout talent in his youth.
But Ho-young disagreed completely.
'Who the hell said that?'
Müller stood out like a crane among chickens.
He wasn't flashy, but he had an uncanny ability to score effortlessly.
He calmly created chances and finished them cleanly.
With his solid fundamentals and sharp football sense, he orchestrated plays seamlessly.
As far as Ho-young knew, Müller was that kind of player.
Not technical, but extremely versatile.
His off-the-ball movement and use of space were second to none.
'He's built different from the roots.'
Müller was truly exceptional.
Meanwhile, Ho-young was struggling.
He couldn't focus properly, getting sucked into Müller's rhythm.
'What's wrong with me?'
It felt frustrating.
He wasn't necessarily worse than Müller in ability, but for some reason, he couldn't perform at his usual level.
His dribbles were blocked, his passes didn't connect.
To make matters worse, their goalkeeper was excellent at stopping mid-range shots.
"Tch."
'I need five goals, at least.'
But the chances weren't coming, and his frustration kept growing.
They conceded 2 goals in the first half alone, and in the second half, they let in 3 more.
The Dream Squad had already lost their confidence.
They were outclassed in every aspect.
Their only goal came late in the second half.
Beep—
As the final whistle blew, Ho-young hung his head.
The match ended in a crushing 5-1 defeat.
He exhaled heavily.
"Ha."
It stung.
Even trying to calm himself and stay composed, the frustration was boiling over.
This was the first time he had completely lost as a striker.
And to make matters worse, he had lost all his chances.
Who knew when he'd get another chance like this?
It wasn't like Bayern Munich was some neighborhood football club. He couldn't just ask for a rematch.
He had effectively missed out on both Ballack and Müller's talents.
Lingering with regret, Ho-young couldn't bring himself to leave the pitch.
That evening.
Despite the lavish buffet dinner spread before him, Ho-young only managed one plate.
Then he locked himself in his room and sulked.
He was furious at himself for losing in such a meaningless way.
The coaches tried to encourage him, saying he was just out of form.
But in the end, the result was what mattered.
"Ughhh!!"
Normally overflowing with positive energy, even Ho-young couldn't force a smile now.
'...Why was I so bad today?'
If there's a problem, fix it.
But the real problem was not knowing what had gone wrong.
'Let's think this through calmly.'
Still pressing his forehead against the wall, Ho-young began reviewing the match in his head.
Then, just as he was reflecting.
"Ho-young!"
"Huh? Hyun-jun hyung?"
"The coach is calling us to gather!"
"What for?"
"He said they're briefing us on the tournament schedule."
"Oh, right. It starts the week after next. Let's go."
Ho-young got off the bed and followed Suk Hyun-jun.
And once they arrived in the briefing room, a spark returned to Ho-young's expression.
It was a miraculous, last-minute opportunity.
(To be continued.)