What athletes need most is talent.
There are many things that cannot be achieved through effort alone, and among them are sports you cannot even attempt without talent in the first place.
Take Formula 1, for example.
It is a motor racing competition in which open-wheel race cars compete against each other.
And the people who drive those cars are called F1 drivers, a profession so rare that, as of this year, there are only 24 of them in the entire world.
In other words, only the chosen can do it, and first and foremost, it requires tremendous talent.
That made sense, since the top speed of a race car exceeds 350 kilometers per hour, so the temperature felt inside by the driver is like a burning hell.
Temporary whiteouts can even occur while cornering.
Therefore, talent capable of enduring all of that is essential.
Because it is a sport played with one's life on the line, it requires abilities from a different realm compared to other sports.
Its status is just as extraordinary. If someone records good results in a Grand Prix, they can be invited by the president or appear at national events like the Olympic opening ceremony.
Even the number of viewers is second only to the American Super Bowl, so there is no need to say more.
That was F1.
And in that incredibly difficult world, there was a man who had held onto the title for a long time.
The emperor of Formula 1.
Ferrari's number one race driver, the man with the most wins in history.
[Michael Schumacher]
[Possessed Talents: Emperor of F1 (T), Peerless Dynamic Visual Acuity (W+3), Wonderfully Innate Neck Muscles (SS+), Perfect Concentration (SS), Peerless Spatial Awareness (S+), Sharp Judgment (S+), Penetrating Prediction (S-), Dimensional Thinking Ability (A+3), Strict Body Control (A+3), Steel-Like Stamina (A), (More...)]
(You may covet one talent if the conditions are met.)
(If you covet a T-grade Title, you may acquire part of its sense. However, you may only covet it after turning 18.)
(For S-grade or higher, you must fulfill the hidden conditions before coveting it.)
(For W-grade, SSS-grade, or higher, you must fulfill Hidden Condition 2 before coveting it.)
(Condition 1: Film a commercial together)
(Condition 2: Win the race given during filming)
(Hidden Condition: Opens when you covet at least one talent)
(Hidden Condition 2: Opens when you covet at least three talents)
Northamptonshire, England.
Two men met at the Silverstone Circuit race track, the home of British motorsport.
The one who offered a handshake first was the German Michael Schumacher, now 32 years old.
"Nice to meet you. I have been watching your matches closely."
"I have been a fan of yours for a long time. It is an honor to meet you."
The one who politely returned the handshake was Ho-young, his commercial partner for the day.
And the advertiser behind the two of them was an Italian car company, a brand considered one of the world's top three sports car makers alongside Lamborghini and Porsche.
Its name was Ferrari.
In truth, Ho-young had been thinking about cars for a while now.
It was not common for footballers to sign one-on-one sponsorship deals with car brands, but Ho-young had been receiving offers from various companies for a long time.
Not only Jaguar, Manchester City's official sponsor, but Lamborghini and Mercedes-Benz had also been waiting for Ho-young to get his driver's license.
It showed just how valuable Ho-young was as a model on a global scale.
And Ho-young's choice was Ferrari.
The financial reason was the biggest factor.
The annual sponsorship fee of 10 million euros, which he would receive as Ferrari's international representative model, was only slightly lower than Ho-young's annual salary.
Moreover, how often would he get a chance to meet the emperor of F1, Michael Schumacher, like this?
Schumacher had retired in 2006 and returned again last year, and since he had signed a 3-year contract with Ferrari and planned to occasionally appear in advertisements, it seemed likely there would be many chances to covet more talents in the future.
'Those talents are incredible.'
The world was wide, and there were many talents to covet.
And these were truly god-given talents.
In comparison, they were almost on the same level as Lionel Messi's talents.
Most of all, what made them so appealing was that they were talents you would almost never see on a football pitch.
'There is not a single one I want to miss.'
Michael Schumacher.
This man was treasure in the literal sense.
First, dynamic visual acuity.
From a race car going 360 kilometers per hour, he could simultaneously read the driving of competing drivers and the records displayed on the giant electronic board.
That was thanks to his peerless dynamic visual acuity, an ability needed by every athlete regardless of the sport.
It was especially important in ball sports.
No matter how much someone trained, they could never catch up to a person whose optic nerves were innately developed to an extreme level.
That was Schumacher's dynamic visual acuity.
And if that kind of talent were used on a football pitch?
There was no telling what might happen.
And that was not all.
Dimensional thinking ability.
In dictionary terms, it referred to the ability to respond to the three-dimensional form of an object when looking at it.
If prediction and judgment were added to that, then a person could gain a three-dimensional thinking ability that allowed them to decide how to react in any situation.
And then there was body control.
It was an essential talent for F1 racers who had to control their bodies perfectly in race cars moving at 360 kilometers per hour.
As for neck muscles, there was no need to say more.
Because they had to endure G-force every second, their neck muscles were so developed that they were around 20% stronger than those of bobsled athletes.
It meant they would not be shaken by ordinary impacts.
These were talents that were terrifying in the literal sense.
'Instead of going to the training ground, I should stick with Schumacher for a few days.'
But the process of obtaining talent was simpler than expected.
If things went well, it seemed possible to obtain two or more talents at today's shoot alone.
'Win the race during filming...'
It was simple.
Of course, if that race was an actual F1 race, it would be impossible.
But from what he had heard beforehand, this was not a normal car race.
The director explained it like this.
"When the signal sounds, Mr. Schumacher will drive the FXX, and Mr. Ho-young will run with the ball. However, Mr. Ho-young will start first, and when we give the signal, Mr. Schumacher will start after him."
A showdown between man and machine.
In other words, it was a contest between Ho-young's two legs and Ferrari's four wheels.
But Ho-young would not simply run. To keep the concept of being a footballer, he had to dribble the ball while running.
"The two of you need to arrive almost at the same time, so Mr. Schumacher just needs to adjust the balance."
"No problem."
Before signing the contract, Lucci had set the condition, "No commercials that overwork the player."
So for Ho-young, all he had to do was push the ball ahead and sprint.
Computer graphics would take care of the rest.
The filming began soon after.
"You think you can do it?"
Starting with that line, Schumacher got into the car and sneered at Ho-young, who was standing on the track to the right. In response, Ho-young curled one corner of his mouth upward, then started pushing the ball and running at the crew's signal.
A little later, Schumacher was supposed to overtake him in the car before Ho-young reached the finish line.
Then the commercial would end with Ho-young, frustrated after losing, appearing in a Ferrari and racing again.
It was a childish but interesting concept.
But then.
"Huff."
Right before Schumacher's Ferrari entered the finish line, Ho-young unleashed the energy he had been holding back and won the race.
"..."
"Oh dear. Mr. Schumacher was a little late."
"No, did you not see the end? Mr. Ho-young's speed suddenly exploded."
In other words, it was an NG.
But.
[Dimensional Thinking Ability (A+3)]
For Ho-young, it was OK.
"Let's go again!"
After that NG, the filming proceeded smoothly.
Then came a break.
In the waiting room, Ho-young had many conversations with Schumacher.
Most of them were about sports, and Ho-young asked Schumacher for advice.
It was about concentration.
"When we race, our heart rate goes up to around 185 beats per minute. It is similar to the level of stress a fighter pilot feels while flying at supersonic speed. And after the race, we lose around 3 kilograms of body weight."
"Then how do you endure that kind of pressure and stress?"
"Ha ha ha. It feels like you came here to interview me."
"Ha ha. I think I am just too excited. I would never have another chance like this to hear advice from the emperor of F1. Sometimes, in important matches, there are times when I try as hard as I can to focus, but I still cannot."
When it came to concentration, Ho-young could stand proudly against anyone.
But especially in difficult matches or important matches, there were times when his concentration would waver.
That was why he had asked that question.
To learn the know-how behind achieving an extremely high level of concentration.
And Schumacher said,
"This is an honor. For the world's greatest sports star to ask me for advice."
"Ha ha. The greatest, really?"
Receiving that kind of praise right to his face was embarrassing.
But since it came from Schumacher, it was simply exhilarating.
Then Schumacher continued in a serious tone.
"Emotional stability through meditation, maintaining composure, image training. If you repeat those endlessly, your concentration will not shake either."
Advice he already knew.
As expected, there was no royal road.
The only answer was consistent effort and strengthening one's mind.
"Thank you for the good advice."
In any case, it was still precious time.
It was enjoyable to spend time with a master who represented an entire field, and hearing his advice was also an extremely valuable experience.
And then.
[Strict Body Control (A+3)]
By fulfilling "Receive know-how" and "Converse for 120 minutes," he was able to covet one more talent.
At the same time, the filming headed toward its final stage.
And the next condition was easy as well.
[Hidden Condition 1: Beat Michael Schumacher in driving during the final filming scene]
The final scene involved Ho-young returning in a Ferrari and taking revenge on Schumacher, so according to the script, it was a condition that had to be fulfilled anyway.
'They are really giving things away today.'
A bonus.
This much was easy.
He was not especially gifted at driving, but he could still do it skillfully.
Of course, it was his first time driving a sports car, but perhaps because he had driving sense and athletic instincts to back him up, he handled it decently enough.
And after a little time passed and he got used to it, the production staff started scratching their heads.
"Ho-young, I heard it has not been long since you got your driver's license?"
"Yes. That is definitely what I heard too..."
"But he drives this well? He does not look like a beginner."
Of course that was only natural.
In his previous life, Ho-young had served as a military driver.
If he could not fulfill the condition in this kind of environment, that would be the truly foolish thing.
[You have coveted Wonderfully Innate Neck Muscles (SS+).]
[The synthesis of 'Wonderfully Innate Neck Muscles (SS+)' and 'Lively Muscles (W)' has succeeded.]
[Lively Muscles (W+2)↑]
Now the final talent left to covet was dynamic visual acuity.
And the condition that would make it possible was as follows.
(Hidden Condition 2: Record 2 attacking points while winning by 2 goals or more in a match attended by Michael Schumacher)
Clean to the very end.
After growing close to Schumacher over nearly 5 hours, Ho-young brought up the main point as they said goodbye.
"I would like you to come watch one of my matches someday. Would it be all right if I asked the club to invite you officially?"
"If it is early May, I think I could manage..."
"We have a match against Chelsea around that time."
"A match against Chelsea."
Schumacher replied with fine wrinkles gathering in his smiling eyes.
"It would be an honor."
It was the perfect day, with everything going exactly as he had hoped.
(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.)