Winning La Liga and the Champions League.
With a double within reach, the team atmosphere could have been overly excited, but it was not.
It could not be.
Just four days later, on May 2, La Liga Round 35 against Osasuna was scheduled.
The players showed clear tension ahead of the match.
The shared goal was, of course, the title, but each player also had personal objectives.
For example, Alonso, currently second in the assist rankings, was aiming to become the assist leader.
He had recorded eight assists in the Champions League alone, but in La Liga, where the criteria for awarding assists were strict, he had only ten.
First place was Xavi Hernández with 14 assists.
And even fiercer than the assist race was the scoring chart.
Ho-young led with 33 goals, Messi followed with 31, and right behind them was Ronaldo.
Unless Ronaldo went on an unbelievable run, overtaking both would be difficult, so in reality it was a battle between Ho-young and Messi.
"What do you think, confident?"
"Oh, you're here?"
Valdebebas Training Ground No.1.
After morning training ended, Pepe approached Ho-young.
"Are we finally going to see the first Asian top scorer in Spain?"
"Haha. It feels like a dream."
"Dreams come true. I'll be cheering for you."
"What if Ronaldo hears that and gets upset?"
"Heh. Ronaldo's not petty enough to get upset over that. He'll sincerely congratulate you if you win the Golden Boot. Of course, he won't give up until the end. Anyway, keep it up. You can do it."
On the pitch, Pepe sometimes seemed reckless, but off it he was gentle and kind.
Ho-young recalled the past two years with him.
Pepe has changed a lot.
After meeting Scolari, his mentality improved significantly, and not only his skills but also his talents had grown considerably.
[Pepe]
[Possessed Talents: Violent Temper of Crazy Pepe (U), Unyielding Boldness (S+3), Astonishing Physical Duels (S-), Outstanding Jumping Power (A+3), Lamborghini-Like Speed (A+3), Genius Football IQ (A+), (More...)]
(You may acquire one talent upon meeting the conditions.)
(For S-grade or higher, hidden conditions must be achieved.)
(Condition 1: Train together for 600 minutes.)
(Condition 2: Play as a Defensive Midfielder and provide cover.)
(Hidden Condition: Successfully complete 6 tackles in a single match.)
His unique talent still hasn't changed.
There had once been a chance to take Pepe's unique talent, but he never touched it.
It was literally a devil's talent.
The loss would likely outweigh the gain.
Our defenders' talents are more or less sorted out.
Ramos, Marcelo, Albiol, and Mertesacker had talents that were still too low in grade to acquire.
It was a time to wait for the fruit to ripen.
As for Iker Casillas, his talent was already fully matured, but the condition, to play as a goalkeeper for Real Madrid in an official match, made it virtually impossible.
For now, goalkeeper talents were close to forbidden territory.
Other talents he could acquire soon were Raúl and Guti.
And the one he could obtain the soonest was Arjen Robben, who was splashing water on his head to cool off in the distance.
[Arjen Robben]
[Possessed Talents: Arjen No-Ben (T), Robben's Curler (U), Astonishing Pace (SS+), Light-Speed Dribbling (S+), Powerful Kicking Power (A+3), (More...)]
(You may acquire one talent upon meeting the conditions.)
(When acquiring a T-grade Title talent, you may inherit part of the sense. Must be over 18 years old.)
(For S-grade or higher, hidden conditions must be achieved.)
(Condition 1: Train together for 300 minutes.)
(Condition 2: Run over 200 km at Santiago Bernabéu.)
(Condition 3: Real Madrid score over 100 league goals in a season.)
(Hidden Condition: Unlocks after acquiring at least one talent.)
Robben, who looked far older than his actual age, had slightly regressed compared to two years ago due to recurring injuries, but he was still outstanding.
His SS-grade pace was especially rare.
Even Douglas, known for his speed, only had S-grade pace.
And there was another reason pace was more valuable than other talents.
Among physical-related talents, pace improves the least.
Even when it does improve, the difference is barely noticeable.
In fact, although it had risen from S to SS this season, the change was not dramatic.
That was probably why the modifier Astonishing remained the same.
If it reaches Triple S and merges, there should be a real difference.
But first, he needed to acquire the unique talent.
They only needed to score over 100 league goals, and that seemed achievable in one more match.
It had to be.
There might not be another chance.
Robben was likely to leave the club after this season.
Due to frequent injuries, he had stepped back in the competition for a starting spot.
With Van Nistelrooy and Sneijder, who were always by his side, gone from the team, he had lost much of his smile.
Still, he had endured thanks to his teammates.
"Hey Arjen, will pouring water on your head make your hair grow? It's not a plant."
"Ramos, you lunatic."
"Heh."
"Arjen, by the way, you don't actually have some chronic illness, right?"
"What? Young, what's wrong with you?"
"Don't misunderstand. There are rumors like that in Korea."
"Good grief. How do they even come up with that? What are Koreans looking at to decide that?"
"What do you think? You just look too old for your age."
"You little…"
"Hahaha."
Ramos, Ho-young, Higuaín and the others.
Thanks to good teammates, Robben had overcome injuries and made it this far.
For them, Real Madrid was a good team.
A comfortable haven and a world-class stage to achieve great dreams.
Ho-young also liked it here.
There were players like Benzema who did not openly like him, but that was the same everywhere.
There is no perfect team in this world.
You simply strive toward perfection.
Ho-young wanted to achieve that here.
Strange.
He could not believe it himself.
The old version of him who expected to become a journeyman was gone, replaced by a true Madridista.
Of course, the future was unknown.
He could not even be certain about tomorrow.
In this rapidly changing world, he could be swept away by the current at any moment.
No, at least tomorrow was certain.
Tomorrow, we win the title.
"At last, the time has come. La Liga Round 35, with Real Madrid's 33rd league trophy on the line, is about to begin. At the same time, they can achieve a fourth consecutive league title."
"That's right. And since it's at the Santiago Bernabéu, a victory here would make it even more meaningful. The crowd has already prepared to celebrate the title."
More than 80,000 spectators formed a trophy shape through a card display, while giant flags bearing the Real Madrid emblem and players' faces waved across the stands.
The match began.
"Real Madrid attack from the left."
"Xabi Alonso and Fernando Gago build up patiently, keeping the lines tight and forming a triangle with Ho-young in the second line."
Ho-young started as an attacking midfielder as usual, but today he showed a stronger attacking intent.
He wanted a goal.
Of course, goals do not come from skill alone, but the stronger the desire, the more opportunities arise.
The chance came soon.
"Xabi Alonso chips the ball forward. Ho-young cushions it with his shoulder and brings it under control."
"Ho-young faces the defender with his back to goal, engaging in a psychological battle. The defenders are already set."
Miguel Flaño, the focal point of Osasuna's defense, marked him closely, while young prospect César Azpilicueta blocked the angle from behind.
It was a defensive strategy thoroughly prepared to stop him.
Osasuna, aiming for a mid-table finish, desperately needed even one point and had focused all their training on this match.
They did not believe they could beat Real Madrid, but if they could disrupt Ho-young's play, they would at least have hope.
However.
Whoosh.
Their carefully planned approach, blocking from the front and sealing the back, was shaken in an instant.
"Ho-young's trademark move!"
"He spins sharply to the right!"
Miguel Flaño's eyes widened.
In that split second, he instinctively recognized it.
A Marseille turn.
So Flaño positioned himself for the next move, ready to tackle.
But what he received was only frustration.
Boom.
"Ho-young with a long-range shoooot!"
A sudden turning shot that exploited Flaño's anticipation.
Azpilicueta, standing behind, lifted his foot instinctively, but the shot came too quickly.
Moreover.
"Ugh!"
With perfect spin, 37-year-old veteran goalkeeper Ricardo could not track the trajectory.
The net rippled.
"Gooooal! A wonder goal! Ho-young scores an acrobatic strike!"
"Incredible. He turns and fires, and it goes straight in."
The commentators swallowed the urge to say he made football look easy.
"With this, Ho-young equals Ronaldo's scoring record. He now matches the 34 goals Ronaldo scored for Barcelona in the 96-97 season."
"Just one more goal to surpass his mentor."
The stadium was in full celebration.
Ho-young's face and a giant jersey with No.10 covered the stands.
The second half flowed without major incidents.
Osasuna attempted occasional counter-attacks, but Real Madrid responded excellently.
"Arjen Robben fails to break down the flank and loses possession. Osasuna regain the ball."
"Osasuna counter. Javier Camuñas receives it."
"Ho-young charges in suddenly. Marcelo joins in and they win the ball back."
"A clean tackle."
Real Madrid displayed outstanding defensive organization, neutralizing danger before it could fully develop.
Their level was simply different.
"If he was aggressive in attack in the first half, Ho-young is now heavily involved in defense. Rather than just pressing lightly, he is actively stepping in to win the ball."
"As you say that, Ho-young charges forward and strips the ball from Rúper."
Tackles continued.
When he successfully completed his sixth tackle, he acquired Pepe's Astonishing Physical Duels (S-) in advance.
It created tremendous synergy with the Innate Strength of the Football Monster (SU).
The match ended successfully.
The final touch was Ho-young's pass and Ronaldo's shot for the decisive goal.
Final whistle.
"The match ends. Real Madrid win 2-0 and secure first place in the league."
"31 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses, 94 points, 100 goals scored, 18 conceded. Incredible numbers. Who could possibly stop this team?"
Four consecutive league titles.
The dream was achieved.
Now only the Champions League remained.
(To be continued.)