**Chapter 7 — The Touch of a King**
March 24th, 2007 — Post-Match
The locker room was filled with noise—boots hitting lockers, jokes flying, laughter echoing off tiled walls. Castilla's 2–1 victory over Getafe B meant another step toward the top of Segunda División B.
But Nico sat still, wrapped in silence, eyes locked on the glowing interface that only he could see.
> **Choose Your Template:**
>
> * **Zinedine Zidane** — Supreme composure, vision, and elegance. Dictate games with a single touch.
> * **Ronaldinho** — Joyful creativity, audacious flair, and magnetic dribbling. Break defenses with pure magic.
> * **Francesco Totti** — Lethal passing, cunning positioning, and golden technique. The master of subtle brilliance.
> * **Custom Path** — Build your legacy your way.
Nico's fingers moved slowly.
He selected **Zinedine Zidane**.
The screen pulsed.
> **Template Selected: Zidane**
> Integration Progress: 0% → 5%
> New Skill Path Unlocked: "The Velvet Touch"
> **Training Missions Available**:
>
> * First Touch Mastery (0/30 drills)
> * Composure Under Pressure (0/10 scenarios)
> * Vision Alignment (0/20 passes)
Nico blinked as a quiet hum rolled through his body. His limbs didn't feel different—but something inside him had shifted. Like a still lake waiting to ripple.
---
**Training — March through May, 2007**
Coach Emil noticed it first.
During a routine rondo session, Nico started doing the impossible. One-touch passes that turned defense into attack. Lobs that landed exactly where they needed to, every time. Ball control that felt like silk.
"Nico," Emil said, calling him aside. "You… weren't like this last week. What the hell happened?"
Nico just shrugged. "I've been watching Zidane. A lot."
It wasn't a lie.
In his room each night, the system played endless simulations—Zidane's pirouettes, his heel passes, the way he glided instead of ran.
Nico trained obsessively.
*First Touch Mastery: Completed*
He could control a ball falling from 30 feet with one toe.
*Composure Under Pressure: Completed*
He began receiving the ball with three men pressing and exiting calmly, turning danger into poise.
*Vision Alignment: Completed*
He didn't look where he passed. He didn't need to.
Álvaro pulled him aside after a match.
"You're not just calm out there, man. You're like… royal. You don't play football. You conduct it."
They started calling him **El Mago Blanco** — The White Magician.
The silent midfielder who carved apart defenses like a surgeon.
---
**Time Skip — June 2nd, 2007 — Final Match of the Season**
The Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano was buzzing. Castilla was facing Pontevedra in the final match to determine who'd be promoted directly to Segunda División.
The team huddled around in the tunnel.
Coach Emil looked at Nico.
"I've seen maybe two players in my life with your calm in chaos. Zidane… and now you."
Nico nodded.
He stepped onto the field.
The stadium lit up.
---
**Match Highlights — Castilla vs Pontevedra**
**Minute 6** — Nico receives a pass near the halfway line. One feint. He turns and chips the ball over two defenders, placing it into the path of Álvaro.
Álvaro scores. Assist number 17.
**Minute 34** — Pressed by three men, Nico pirouettes through them like wind sliding between trees. Crowd erupts.
**Minute 70** — Corner. Nico at the edge of the box. The ball's headed out—he volleys it on the drop.
Goal. Number 11.
**Minute 89** — With Pontevedra pushing forward, Nico intercepts, dribbles two, and slips a final through ball to the striker.
Goal. 3–0. Game over.
Castilla wins.
Promotion secured.
---
**System Notification:**
> **Zidane Template Integration: 60%**
> Bonus Unlocked: "The Orbit Pass" — Unlock unpredictable diagonal passing trajectories
> **Season Summary:**
> Matches Played: 32
> Goals: 11
> Assists: 18
> Key Passes: 54
> MOTM Awards: 9
> Team Achievement: Promoted to Segunda División
> Trophies: Castilla Player of the Season, League Breakout Star
> **Player Status: Nico Valen**
> Age: 16
> Position: Advanced Playmaker (Free Role)
> Team: Real Madrid Castilla (Spain)
> League: Segunda División B → Promoted
> **Template Integration:** Zidane (60%)
> Key Traits: Supreme First Touch, Spatial Awareness, High-Pressure Composure, Elegant Passing Range
> **System Level:** 4
> Experience Points: 890 / 1000
> Next Milestone: Full Zidane Template Integration (100%)
> Upcoming Reward: Legendary Trait Unlock
Nico stood at the edge of the pitch, arms raised.
Not screaming.
Just watching.
He didn't need words. Not now.
He was writing his name in fire, one velvet touch at a time.
---
*
*End of Chapter 7**
*Next: The summer brings invitations, temptations, and a looming decision: stay in Madrid's shadow or leap into the world's spotlight.*