December 23rd.
On this day, the eyes of football fans around the world were fixed on Spain.
It was the most important day of the first half of the season.
El Clásico.
The derby match between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona, the two most prestigious clubs in the world.
The relationship between the regions these teams represent is so hostile that players, coaches, and fans alike treat this match as a battle to the death.
Across all sports—football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey—this derby is often referred to as the most popular in the world.
While it's commonly said that 400 million people tune in, that's an exaggerated figure. Realistically, the number is estimated to be between 50 and 150 million viewers.
Some cinemas even screen the match, that's how big it is.
But this time, the hype was even greater than usual.
As if by fate, on the same day, the Segunda División featured a match between Castilla and Barcelona B.
Of course, they weren't played at the same time.
The second division match would be held in the afternoon, followed by the first division clash in the evening.
This gave football fans a golden opportunity to enjoy a "mini El Clásico" as a warm-up, before watching the real El Clásico later that evening.
From the early morning, related articles filled every sports media outlet, and the interviews with both club presidents drew particular attention.
[Pérez: We hope to win. We believe in ourselves.]
[Laporta: Barcelona will rise. Today is the day we take off. If we beat Real, the title is possible.]
Both also commented on the B team match.
[Pérez: Interest in Castilla isn't what it used to be. It's the result of our successful youth policy. They are burning with passion. They also deserve the spotlight, and I never intended Castilla to be just a reserve team.]
[Laporta: La Masia is the world's best youth academy, having produced Guardiola, Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta, and Messi. With Barcelona B at its center, there's no way we can lose.]
If 99% of attention was focused on the first division El Clásico, only 1% was on the second division match.
Even so, the media hyped up the youth team clash because of the standout prospects from both teams.
Ho-young and Bojan Krkić.
With the spotlight on these two players, their career records were brought back into focus.
[
1. Ho-young, born July 16, 1993
-03/04 São Paulo FC U13: 10 matches, 16 goals
-04/05 São Paulo FC U15: 23 matches, 24 goals
-05/06 São Paulo FC U15: 50 matches, 59 goals
-05/06 Real Madrid Juvenil C: 12 matches, 18 goals
-05/06 Real Madrid Juvenil B: 7 matches, 10 goals
-06/07 Real Madrid Juvenil B: 40 matches, 31 goals
-07/Current Real Madrid Juvenil B: 14 matches, 10 goals (Currently 3rd in league)
-Total: 156 matches, 168 goals
2. Bojan Krkić, born August 28, 1990
-Estimated 937 goals over the past 8 years (currently 8 goals, ranked 4th in the league)
"900 goals…"
Early in the morning.
Ho-young, who had woken up early and was flipping through the morning tabloids, felt his heart pounding.
Even if it included unofficial matches, 900 goals was an insane number.
There was no denying that Bojan was a legend in youth football.
Some even joked that he was at least "Pele-level," not just "Messi-level."
Despite being far behind in terms of stats, Ho-young's challenge against him had nothing to do with past records.
What mattered was current ability.
You don't know who's better until you actually face off.
What kind of monster was waiting?
With half excitement and half concern, Ho-young got ready to head out.
11:00 a.m.
Castilla's home ground.
The Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium in Valdebebas began to fill with people.
All tickets had sold out three weeks earlier.
Most of the crowd were Castilla fans. Barcelona fans were only a small handful.
That made sense, as the first division El Clásico was being held in Barcelona, and most had traveled there instead.
President Pérez had also boarded a private jet early in the morning with the first team squad to Barcelona.
In any case, what was certain was that Castilla had the absolute advantage, backed by 6,000 home fans.
[Ah, the starting lineups are finally out. As expected, Castilla has come out in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Ho-young is positioned as the attacking midfielder. What about Barcelona B?]
[Coach Pep Guardiola has once again gone with a 4-3-3 formation for Barcelona B. As he has in recent matches, Guardiola continues to build his own style, drawing inspiration from Rijkaard's 4-3-3. It'll be interesting to see what complex tactics he has prepared today.]
At that moment, the home team's locker room was silent.
The calm before the storm.
Castilla's players, like soldiers preparing for battle, were gathering their focus for the match ahead.
In the solemn atmosphere, Coach Mandía spoke.
"Do not retreat. Today, we can be the stars."
The stars of the day.
Castilla's players went through their final checks before the match.
Meanwhile, the away team's locker room was empty of its coach.
Guardiola hadn't entered, even one minute before kickoff.
That was his style.
He would join the team at halftime, but never before the match began.
He believed that time belonged solely to the players.
Instead, Guardiola remained in the coaching room, analyzing Castilla's starting tactics with his staff.
Soon, the players emerged onto the pitch.
When Miguel and Callejón, the team's fan favorites, were called, cheers erupted.
And when Ho-young's name echoed through the stadium, a roar thundered through the stands.
Finally, when Bojan's name was announced, passionate cheers rang out from one corner of the stands.
There were fewer than 100 Barcelona fans, but their energy was just as intense as Castilla's supporters.
The burning passion from both fanbases fired up the players.
They were determined to show everything they had prepared.
The handshake was exchanged, and the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived.
Ho-young and Bojan stood face to face.
Ho-young was noticeably taller, but Bojan had an invisible aura—those "career 900 goals" trailing behind him.
Then.
A glance.
Bojan looked up at Ho-young with a tense expression.
Ho-young, in turn, looked down at Bojan with curiosity and interest.
A handshake between two prodigies.
'Finally, we meet.'
Bojan Krkić.
It had taken five years to meet him.
Among all the youth players worth targeting, this one was the final boss, the ultimate talent.
What kind of talent would he have?
Before leaving Brazil, the last players Ho-young had checked were Neymar, who had [Football Prodigy (S-)], and Pato, who had [Football Genius (A+2)].
So how strong would Bojan's talent be?
Half-excited, half-nervous, Ho-young focused his gaze into the air.
[Bojan Krkić]
[Possessed Talents: Football Prodigy (S+3), Miraculous Dribbling (S-), Fearless Drive and Sprint (A+3), Piercing Space Penetration (A+2), Fantastic Positioning (A+2)]
(More...)
(S-grade and higher talents can only be acquired by meeting hidden conditions.)
(Condition 1: Score more goals than Bojan Krkić.)
(Condition 2: Win the match.)
(Hidden Condition: Unlocks when acquiring at least one of Bojan Krkić's talents.)
(Special Condition
(Special Condition
"Oh…"
No wonder people compared him to Messi.
It wasn't an exaggeration.
Bojan was the real deal.
Holder of youth records that may never be broken in a hundred years.
He was youth football history itself.
That's why Ho-young was even more shocked.
Seeing Bojan's talents left him speechless.
His talents were not better than Zidane's, who was considered world-class. But what shocked Ho-young wasn't their strength.
It was the fact that, despite having such incredible talent, Bojan would only go on to become an average player.
He couldn't understand it.
'What happened to him…?'
How could someone with those talents end up as just another name in the crowd? Bojan Krkić, the epitome of failed youth potential.
That mystery intrigued him.
He wanted to acquire those talents no matter what.
He worried that the conditions might be unreasonably hard, but these seemed doable.
[Football Prodigy (S+3)].
He could probably get it within the season.
'Good. If I can get Football Prodigy and his potential too…'
Then he might be able to evolve his S+3 into SS.
His heart raced with anticipation.
This moment reignited his fighting spirit before kickoff.
The match officially began at 12:15 p.m.
Barcelona, having won the coin toss, took the kickoff.
[Yes, the match has started. Barcelona B on the left side, Castilla on the right. What should we be watching for today?]
[While most are focused on the showdown between Bojan and Ho-young, I believe the real highlight will be the tactical battle between the teams.]
As the game kicked off, dynamic movements erupted from the left side.
Barcelona's players moved fluidly, like jellyfish swimming in the sea, trying to escape rigid positional roles.
Defenders didn't just stick to defending. They adapted and executed various roles depending on the situation.
Of course, most of the players lacked high tactical understanding, so the system didn't fully reflect Guardiola's vision. But it was still good enough.
As time passed, the impact of the tactics became more apparent.
Barcelona began neutralizing Castilla's attackers, applying intense pressure through the midfield like a tidal wave.
It was a war-like battle, with viewers gripping their seats.
The speed was relentless.
Caught off guard by tactics they had never faced before, Castilla struggled to regain their footing.
Even many of Barcelona's own players didn't fully understand what they were doing. So it was only natural that Castilla found it hard to keep up.
"Focus!"
Guardiola shouted at any player who let their guard down for even a second.
The key was to retain possession.
And if they lost the ball, he demanded immediate high pressing, allowing no breathing room.
They needed to dominate possession to maximize their chances of winning.
It was beyond tight. It was suffocating.
At the center of it all was Barcelona's defensive midfielder.
Every attack and every defensive movement began from his feet.
In short, the true key wasn't Bojan, but the 19-year-old defensive midfielder.
'As expected… he lives up to his name.'
The man who rose steadily through the ranks under Guardiola's guidance.
Busquets.
Sergio Busquets.
Ho-young issued a challenge to him.
The first battle was a mental one.
'Let's take control of the tempo. First, stabilize the game.'
Their eyes met in the air.
Then, Ho-young stopped with the ball and passed it back.
Tap, tap.
Five minutes passed.
The pace slowed, and Guardiola's voice rang out in frustration.
Ho-young's game had begun.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)