From that day forward, Lucci busily moved back and forth. A few days later, he arrived at Ho-young's house carrying a thick stack of documents.
"These are the nine clubs that want to sign you, Ho-young."
"If I transfer, will it be between June and August?"
"Correct. You'll need to be officially registered and play in matches. But before that, we need to submit documents proving your legal guardian has already moved to Spain and is either employed or running a business. That's something we'll need to request FIFA for. So, we need some preparation time."
"How long?"
"Results typically come out around the end of July, but it all depends on FIFA. If it looks uncertain, transferring in the winter window in December would be a safer choice. Especially since you're highly likely to be called up for the U-17 World Cup."
"December, huh."
A proper transfer could only take place during either the summer or winter transfer window.
In other words, he had to choose between moving in August or increasing his value after the U-17 World Cup and transferring in December.
"Personally, I recommend the latter. You won't need to rush, and there's less chance of problems later. And if you put on a strong performance at the U-17 World Cup, I'm confident we can negotiate an incredible deal."
Lucci exuded confidence.
"An incredible deal?"
"For example, David Luiz recently signed a professional contract and managed to secure a weekly wage 30% higher than expected. He also had his buyout clause lowered by 30%. Now, if you make a strong impression at the U-17 World Cup? You could dance naked on the negotiating table and still get whatever you want. Do you know a player named Bojan Krkic from Spain?"
"I've heard he's the top prospect in Barcelona's youth academy."
"Exactly. Do you know how much he's earning? 3,000 euros a week. That's 150,000 euros per year."
At just 13 years old, he was already earning over 200 million won annually.
A completely different level, even compared to players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi back then.
"Because of England's aggressive poaching of youth players, the global market is standardizing around higher youth wages. The same goes for buyout clauses."
"I see your point. But..."
Leaning in slightly, Ho-young replied.
"What I want is a tutoring system with first-team players."
"Tutoring?"
"Yes. Even if I have to take a pay cut from 1 million won to 500,000, I'd prefer a clause that guarantees systematic tutoring."
"That's quite a difficult request. Tutoring systems are usually only available for reserve teams that share the training ground with the first team. Of course, if the youth player is truly exceptional, a club might go the extra mile, but that's not easy. First-team players have their own routines to maintain."
"So, you're saying it's impossible?"
"Haha. Not impossible, just not easy. But if it's your request, I'll do my best. It's an agent's job to fulfill a player's needs, after all. So, have you decided on Spain as your future destination?"
"For now, yes."
"You've made a smart choice. Italian football wouldn't suit your style. Your game is more about manipulating space than just controlling the ball. Plus, the level of racism against Koreans in Italy is worse than in Spain."
Ho-young agreed completely.
In Italy, there were still lingering negative sentiments toward Korea because of the 2002 World Cup.
"By the way, what are your plans until the season starts? I'd like to prepare a personalized training schedule."
"I'll focus on strength training until next month."
Right now, acquiring Desailly's talent was the top priority.
Time passed quickly.
Until the new season began, Ho-young concentrated intensely on personal strength training, managing to log nearly 4,000 minutes.
Today, he was at the gym again, sweating it out.
Even if it weren't for Desailly's talent, building strength and reducing body fat were essential for a long career.
Cartilage is consumable, not permanent.
Once damaged, it doesn't regenerate. Cartilage is a consumable tissue that wears down over time.
That's why it was crucial to consistently train the ligaments and muscles around the knees.
Regardless of how much muscle one had, a strong body was necessary to absorb the impact of collisions like a sponge.
However, excessive muscle mass could lead to increased inertia, which would compromise flexibility and agility.
It would make straight-line speed faster, but slow down zigzag movements.
That's why body balance was important.
Maintaining a balanced physique without favoring one aspect too much.
Before I leave for Spain, I'll get it from Monica.
The same applied to other prospects like Neymar.
Any talents he hadn't acquired yet, he planned to obtain by December.
And finally...
"Done!"
He had completed all 4,000 minutes.
[You have obtained 'Unshakable Solidity of a Rock (U)'.]
[Time required to fully assimilate the talent: 100 days → 50 days. During this period, no other talents can be acquired.]
This was his fourth unique talent, following Cha Du-ri, Ballack, and Kaká.
He was now one step closer to his professional debut.
Thump.
He could already feel changes in his body.
It was hard to describe, but his muscles felt denser.
And yet, he didn't feel any dullness.
I'll know for sure after 50 days.
Ho-young got up and left the gym.
Since there would be training camp soon in preparation for the upcoming season, he planned to rest at home today.
But the moment he stepped outside the building...
"Huh?"
A system message he had never seen before appeared before his eyes.
[You have no more slots available to store additional talents.]
[You can transfer a (+3) grade talent by upgrading it.]
The very situation he had feared had come.
Talent limit.
It meant he couldn't acquire any more talents.
He had expected it, but now that it was real, he felt dizzy.
Sitting on a park bench, he thought for a long while.
I really have gorged myself, haven't I?
Looking through the list of talents he'd collected over the past three years, the number was around 40.
Should I upgrade Ballack's Versatility, then?
That was something he would have to decide later.
For now, what was clear was that he could transfer upgraded talents to others.
Simply put, it was a form of synthesis.
Let's try it.
Ho-young's eyes locked onto a target.
[Potential (B)]
The one he had acquired from Kagawa.
He hadn't used it until now, waiting for the right moment, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.
His test subject was Iron Body (B+3).
A talent that had been upgraded to B+3 earlier this year, and it was now due for a promotion to A-.
Let's do this right now.
As soon as he infused Potential (B) into it—
[Iron Body (A-)↑]
[You can now transfer 'Iron Body (A-)' to another talent. Would you like to proceed?]
So this is how it works.
He understood now.
The same applied to talents with (C+3), (B+3), or (A+3) grades.
When ready for an upgrade, they would give you two options.
Keep the upgraded talent, or transfer it to another.
Maybe I can grow lesser talents and transfer them to more important ones. But what do I do with this one?
Iron Body (A-).
It felt like a waste to discard it.
It seemed like it could synergize well with Unshakable Solidity of a Rock (U).
Besides, it was always good to have at least one physical-related talent.
Just in case, he tried to transfer it into Unshakable Solidity of a Rock (U), but it failed.
['Unshakable Solidity of a Rock (U)' can only be combined with talents of S grade or higher.]
So I have to grow it to S grade first.
That was fine.
At least he now had a breakthrough to overcome his current limitations.
He had been planning to organize his cluttered list of talents anyway, and he could focus on that before heading to Spain.
Early May 2005.
São Paulo FC's U-15 squad began preparations for the new season.
There were quite a few transfers, but the most notable was Lucas Moura, a gifted 1992-born talent who had transferred from SC Corinthians.
Many promising players from other teams had also joined.
Naturally, among them were players influenced by Ho-young.
And just as players joined, others left.
Team captain Breno, now 17 (15 by international age), was promoted to the U-17 squad.
Meanwhile, Ho-young, ever since the season began, focused solely on upgrading his talents and transferring them to others.
He steadily cleared out his list of talents, while developing his core abilities one by one.
June.
São Paulo FC climbed to the top of the national league standings.
And at the center of it all was Ho-young.
Having made huge strides during the France tour, Ho-young scored 8 goals in 5 matches, proving his enhanced abilities.
Occasionally, he joined the Korea U-17 squad for friendlies, laying the groundwork for the upcoming U-17 World Cup.
Time passed like flowing water, and soon it was June 28.
An important match awaited Ho-young the next day, and the players had gathered at the Barra Funda training ground to review tactics.
It was a national league match.
Their opponents were Grêmio, based in Rio Grande do Sul, currently ranked fourth in the league.
"They've had an impressive season built on a rock-solid defense."
Coach Carlos began speaking.
"If you watched the footage, you'd know their key defender is physically very strong. He lacks football intelligence, but he makes up for it with raw power. A classic fighter type. Anyone have any thoughts?"
Whoosh.
The first to confidently raise his hand was Casemiro.
"Alright. Go ahead."
"Yes, coach. In my opinion, if he's going to rely on brute strength, we shouldn't play into that. We should respond with smart football. Quick build-up from midfield to disrupt their shape."
No need to arm wrestle just because your opponent is good at arm wrestling.
Simple and clear logic.
Still, Carlos seemed slightly unsatisfied.
"That's the textbook answer. Anyone else?"
"How about not avoiding him, but slowly getting closer?"
Ho-young raised his hand calmly.
"Provoke him. Get under his skin."
"Use his strength against him?"
"Yes."
Carlos's eyes crinkled at the edges with a smile.
"What made you think of that?"
"Experience. I faced a player named Sissoko at the tournament in France, and I used that exact tactic to mess with his mentality."
"Good. That's a solid plan."
"Thank you."
Carlos was proud of how much Ho-young had grown, even as he felt a twinge of sadness at the thought of letting him go soon.
At the same time, Ho-young looked at Carlos with an intense gaze.
It's done.
Ho-young read the floating system text.
[Carlos Enrique]
[Possessed Talents: Tactical Understanding (A+2), Leadership with Charisma (A), Excellent Eye for Youth Talent (A-)]
(Currently regressed talents cannot be viewed.)
(You can obtain a talent by meeting the conditions.)
(Condition 1: Talk tactics with him for 300 minutes.)
(Condition 2: Achieve 20 league wins.)
(Condition 3: Complete your final season.)
It had been two years since Ho-young started training under Carlos.
Though the conditions weren't particularly hard, they were time-consuming, so he hadn't completed them yet.
But now, he was almost there.
This would be his final season with São Paulo FC.
The next day.
The São Paulo FC squad boarded a bus heading to Rio Grande do Sul.
It was match day against Grêmio.
Once the match began, it was a fierce contest with neither side yielding an inch.
Localized battles for ball possession broke out everywhere, and intense midfield duels unfolded simultaneously.
São Paulo FC took the initiative first.
Newcomers Lucas Moura and Oscar began to slowly take control of the midfield.
That opened up space for Ho-young to break through.
Thud!
In the 18th minute of the first half.
As Ho-young received the ball near the edge of the box, a defender tightly marking him rushed in.
It was Pereira.
At just fifteen, Pereira already had a solid frame and was known for his physical, fighter-like style of defending.
He confidently initiated a shoulder challenge, believing in his strength.
But today, Ho-young was different.
Thump!
"Urgh!"
It wasn't Ho-young who was knocked back, but Pereira.
Meanwhile, Ho-young calmly pushed forward as if nothing had happened.
Even though the contact had been rough, he barely felt a thing.
Unshakable Solidity of a Rock absorbed the impact like a sponge.
That's why today's match was so important.
This was the day he had fully acquired Desailly's Unshakable Solidity of a Rock (U), and he needed to confirm its effects.
And those effects were clear.
It might have been because his opponents were still young, but...
This should be effective in the U-17 World Cup too.
Trusting that, he focused on the match.
As a result, Ho-young scored five goals that day, leading his team to a dominant victory.
That August was particularly chilly.
Morning temperatures dropped as low as 11°C, so a light jacket became essential when going out.
The sun set earlier too.
Days felt shorter, and before he knew it, the first week of September had arrived.
"Thank you for everything. I'll be back."
"No need to thank me. Just come back safe."
Selected for the final U-17 World Cup squad, Ho-young thanked Coach Carlos and boarded his flight home.
(To be continued.)