~EIGHT MONTHS LATER. November, 2022.
It was school break again. By the end of the week, Diego could finally stop wearing his head bandages.
He had suffered a mild skull fracture and post-concussion syndrome from that encounter.
As a boy, it took him months to fully recover.
Thankfully, he had lived long enough to be this Diego without making any mistakes.
He'd gone to school, he'd gone to church, he'd had his birthday, he'd lived for thirty-two weeks in the future.
Now, he was about to experience his very first winter, since Mexico never had a winter season.
One evening, while lying down in the living room, Diego was reading some comics that a kind old woman had given him after hearing about his injury.
He enjoyed the comics, especially the football ones.
But one comic was the most unique. Its storyline reminded him of that computer-like interface he had seen when he first awoke in this body.
Diego knew that whatever that thing was, it was the key to his purpose in this life. But no matter how hard he tried, he could never bring it back.
In the comic, the main character had something quite similar, and he called it "system."
Whenever the hero wanted it to appear, all he did was say the word "system."
Diego decided to try it himself.
"System," he said aloud.
~FLASH!
[Host: Diego Montoya]
[Health: Tolerable]
[Wireframe: Custom]
[Innate Skill: 10x Binding]
Diego was awestruck as the glassy interface revealed itself after such a long time.
He adored it, but he also felt like there had to be more to it than four lines.
So, he quickly skimmed through the entire comic, learning all the words and phrases the hero used to communicate and give commands to his system.
"Profile." "Info." "Description." "Close."
He also learned that it wasn't necessary to say the commands aloud.
With courage, he said, "Profile," to the system.
[Name: Diego Montoya]
[Age: 9]
[Height: 134 cm]
[Position: errrr]
[Foot: L]
[Career: errrr]
[OVR: 26]
[Physicality: 25]
[Technicality: 29]
[Mentality: 26]
[Defense: 21]
[Skills: errrr]
'This... is a football "system." For me?'
Diego didn't need to be a scientist to recognize his gift.
From the top with his name to the bottom of the panel, it wasn't a mistake at all—it was a football system.
He immediately imagined himself using it to become the greatest footballer in this timeline.
This was the purpose of any system.
'Right?'
To be sure, Diego said "info" to the system, wondering if it could reply back or only give systematic responses.
[Welcome, Host, to the G.O.A.T. System, a program designed to create the greatest footballer the world has ever known.]
[This system recognizes every legend and icon of the sport, crafted to shape its host into a living embodiment of their finest traits altogether.]
"Cool!" Diego shouted after reading.
He couldn't believe it. He was the chosen one… destined to become a goat.
Whatever that meant.
He'd heard the term before, but Diego still wasn't fluent in all the slang of this future world.
Still, he was beginning to learn about the football greats of this era. Names like Neymar, Lewandowski, Mbappé, and Salah were very easy to hear.
If the system's words were true, then he'd become a mix, like a clone of all these superstars!
'Haha! I always knew I was special! Always name your child after an icon!'
After coming to terms with his fortune, Diego focused on his ratings.
He wasn't disappointed that they were low. He was only nine.
Physicality, Mentality, Technicality, and Defense—those were the broad categories displayed on the glowing interface.
When Diego asked for more information, the system expanded, revealing their sub-attributes.
[Pace: 27]
[Strength: 23]
[Stamina: 24]
[Agility: 28]
[Balance: 25]
Just like with Physicality, Diego was also familiar with all the attributes under Technicality.
[Ball Control: 30]
[Passing: 28]
[Dribbling: 30]
[Finishing: 25]
[First Touch: 30]
But when it came to Mentality, he wasn't too sure what to make of it. Some of the words felt redundant to him, so he hoped the system would prove him wrong later.
[Focus: 25]
[Confidence: 27]
[Composure: 24]
[Vision: 25]
[Determination: 28]
When he was done with his assessment, Diego sprang to his feet, ignoring his head injury.
He was overflowing with excitement. This was his personal gateway to greatness. Only a fool would ever turn down such a gift.
Clenching his fist, he promised himself he'd give his all to this.
He would take every daily task, every quest, every mission seriously until he became a force to be reckoned with in the world of football!
Scurrying out of the living room, Diego slipped into his parents' room and swiped his mother's phone while she slept.
Smartphones were still a marvel to him. They were examples of the level of technology in this timeline he had yet to comprehend.
After eight months, he had learned how to use one. Due to the injury, his mother often gave him her phone to keep him occupied.
Diego used the phone to look up the names and faces of the legends in his mysterious wireframe model.
He recognized a few, but he wanted clarity.
[Mentality: Cristiano Ronaldo]
[Physicality: Luka Modrić]
[Technicality: Andrés Iniesta]
[Head: Pele]
[Left leg: Diego Maradona]
[Right leg: Didier Drogba]
[Sense of humour: Ronaldinho]
[Height: Lionel Messi]
Diego's wireframe wasn't meant to copy these players' exact stats or indicate his peak capability; it represented the rate at which he would grow in those aspects in relation to theirs.
If Messi grew an inch every year as a child, Diego would grow at the same rate, even if his current height slightly surpassed that of nine-year-old Messi.
"What?! 170 centimeters?" he exclaimed aloud after searching for "Lionel Messi."
He was disappointed. Not in Messi, but in the system.
Of all the traits it could have granted him from the Argentine legend, it just had to choose the one the man was nerfed in.
Diego had always dreamed of being tall, like Rummenigge. It was the one thing he'd wished to have opposite to Maradona.
It seemed that the dream would forever be a dream.
Fortunately, the more Diego searched, the more impressed he became.
He liked the idea of having Ronaldinho's charisma, and he was practically a machine with the left and right legs of Maradona and Didier Drogba.
After a while, Diego felt sad that his idols, Maradona and Pelé, were gone, but there was nothing he could do about it.
If he was being honest, this was the thirty-sixth anniversary of his own death, too. And he was certain… no one in the world would even care.
Technicality? Andrés Iniesta? That was platinum.
But physicality, Luka Modrić? That was just as nerfed as Messi's height!
"Sigh, let me check C. Ronaldo. How's his mentality?"
After searching, Diego immediately wished the system had given him Cristiano Ronaldo's height and physique instead.
In fact, he wished it had given him everything!
He was staring at the top goal scorer in football history, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, a European Champion, a legend who had conquered England, Spain, and Italy.
Playing a YouTube video, Diego watched the Portuguese icon say confidently, "I think I'm the most complete player that has ever existed."
Staring at the screen, the boy fell in love.