My system allows me to copy talents

Though Hiro could catch up to Kang Joon-Seok, he deliberately maintained his distance from him. However, the moment he sensed the pass, he couldn’t hold back further.

Hiro’s eyes glinted as he darted toward Kang Joon-Seok.

With his talent, “Phantom Steps” Hiro didn’t take long to close the distance. When it came to short-distance acceleration, Hiro was unrivaled.

With a burst of acceleration, Hiro closed the distance.

However, he still had to be cautious in his approach. He couldn’t alert the enemy. That might startle them and he might release the ball early.

Kang Joon-Seok failed to notice Hiro’s presence.

He calmly collected the ball and began to dash.

He had to get into a suitable position to cross. Hence, he ventured deep inside the opposing territory while his teammates positioned themselves in the box.

Occasionally, he would glance at the box to take notice of his teammates.

He knew he couldn’t take long to cross. If he took too much time, he’d lose the ball. Though confident in his dribbling, he knew he couldn’t underestimate the Atletico defense.

The fate of this counterattack lay on him.

Having been promoted to the starting eleven due to an injury, he knew he had to make an impact. If he couldn’t prove himself here everything would fall apart.

He would be benched again.

This made him even more desperate.

Desperation clutched his heart while he searched for an opening. From what he had witnessed until now, he could tell the game would only get more difficult with time.

Finally, he spotted an opportunity.

He spotted his teammates in a suitable position to score.

Upon finding his teammates, he prepared to cross.

However, right when he was about to cross, he felt an eerie sensation lurking behind him. This sensation was fleeting in the beginning. However, it became even more palpable.

For some inexplicable reason, his heart palpitated.

‘Who? I didn’t notice him…’ He gritted his teeth, his brows furrowed.

Before he could connect the cross, he got swept along with the ball. Hiro had made an impressive tackle on him from behind.

The assistant referee was right behind them and he had seen everything.

Kang Joon-Seok fell hard to the ground.

The moment he collided, he felt a sharp excruciating pain coursing through his body. He winced in pain before turning to glance at the referee.

While writhing in pain, he looked at the referee in hopes of calling out a foul.

However, the referee didn’t react at all.

With a solemn expression, he ignored his plea for the foul.

Witnessing the referee’s reaction, he couldn’t help but gnash his teeth. His expression contorted into a sneer. He couldn’t help but glare at the referee.

Though frustrated at the referee’s decision, he knew he couldn’t do anything.

Hence, he tucked his rage and rolled his eyes to search for Hiro.

“Huh! When did he manage to get so far?”

What he witnessed the next instant shocked him. His pupils dilated and his complexion turned pale. He couldn’t help but panic at the same time.

While he was crying out for a foul, Hiro had already left him behind in dust.

Right now, he was marching toward their post at a threatening pace. A moment ago they were in the same position. But now, he had already breached the half-line.

How did he manage to do that?

Even most of his teammates hadn’t managed to fall back. He could spot Anthony and others retreating steadily.

Yet, they came nowhere close to him.

Though he didn’t manage to compete against him during the U-17 World Cup, he had witnessed his brilliance firsthand.

The performance he witnessed then left a deep impression on him.

For some reason, while Hiro took on their defense, he couldn’t help but overlap the image of his younger self with the current self.

Though he had grown taller and more muscular, he moved exactly like before. The fluidity in his movement was identical to his younger self.

The further he moved, the further behind he felt.

Even then, he could only watch him helplessly. He had thought it would be different now. However, it was still the same. He was getting outperformed by the prodigy called Takahashi Hiro.

He thought things would be different after getting scouted by Betis.

The days he spent in Busan. The agonizing hours he had put in training. The experience he gained in K-league and the transition from winger to full-back to adapt to Europe.

Everything was crumbling before his eyes.

“Get up!” He gnashed his teeth as he forced himself to stand. “How much longer will you let him to outshine you?”

He felt his blood boiling, an intense heat welling from deep within.

He could hear a voice inside him telling him to fight. He could feel his spirit rising.

Step! Step! Step!

Half-standing with his back hunched a little, he staggered as he sprinted. The initial pace was slow, even sluggish to the eye.

However, once he took on the pace, he left the ones watching him in awe.

“What?!”

“Who is that?”

The people in the stadium watched him with eyes filled with awe and shock.

Though confident in his skill, Hiro wasn’t a fool to ignore the help. Combining passes with his teammates, Hiro weaved through the opposing defense.

Before long, Kang Joon-Seok appeared before him, blocking his path.

The two face each other.

Kang Joon-Seok glared at Hiro with bloodshot eyes. With his chest puffed, he stood before Hiro.

Time froze for a moment while they interlocked in a battle of will.

Hiro could sense a destructive force oozing from him. Those fierce obsidian pupils were challenging him. He could tell that Kang Joon-Seok wanted to devour him.

It wasn’t the first time, he had faced such an obsessive opponent.

More than a game, Kang Joon-Seok was obsessed with winning against him. He could feel his ego without even needing a word.

‘You want a challenge then you’ll get it,’ Hiro valiantly dashed toward him.

Hiro wasn’t afraid of the challenge. Why would he be? He was confident in his skill. More than anything, he was positive about beating this obsessed bastard.