All Football Talents Are Mine!

"Huh…?"

With a single blink, the world around him had completely changed.

White wallpaper, yellow linoleum flooring.

And right in front of him—an old CRT television with a bulging back.

The TV screen was showing the news about Park Ji-seok's imminent transfer to Eindhoven.

'I really did go back!!'

The place he was standing in was unmistakably the 18-pyeong apartment he had lived in as a child.

More signs were confirming his regression.

"Ah, ah."

A clear, high-pitched voice that hadn't gone through puberty yet.

His lowered line of sight.

Then, he spotted a white calendar hanging on the wall.

August 3, 2002—Saturday. Exactly 14 years in the past.

'Ten years old…'

A third grader in elementary school.

The realization made his heart swell with excitement.

At that moment, a familiar voice called out from the kitchen.

"Honey, set the table."

"Alright! It's dinner time~"

When he lifted his head, he saw his parents—looking so much younger than he remembered.

"Wow."

All he could do was marvel at the sight.

The now ten-year-old Ho-Young sat in front of a red foldable dinner table.

As soon as he did, his father, Woo Hwang-Seon, asked him a question.

"Ho-Young, what's your dream?"

It was something his father would often ask during dinner.

And just as always, today was no different.

Without hesitation, Ho-Young answered.

"I want to be a football player."

"Haha, my son's way of speaking suddenly got so mature. Do you still want to be like Park Ji-seok?"

"Nope. More than that! I want to be the best football player in the world!"

"Hmm?"

His parents, who had been eating, paused in surprise.

Ho-Young simply grinned like an innocent child.

"Hehe. I'm going to make it happen."

What parent wouldn't be happy hearing such words?

Both of them broke into wide smiles and affectionately ruffled Ho-Young's hair.

After finishing dinner, Ho-Young went to his room to have some time alone.

It was a small room, but it was his only personal space.

'For now, at least…'

That is, until he had to start sharing it with his little brother, who was eight years younger.

'Anyway, I'm only ten years old now.'

For a moment, he pondered what to do first.

Then he shook his head.

'I might not know exactly what to do, but I can do anything!'

He was in third grade—an age where, after the fourth period, he was free to play until bedtime.

Excited, Ho-Young stepped out of his room and asked his father:

"Dad! Where's the Fevernova?"

The Fevernova, the official ball of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup.

Just looking at it made his heart race.

Ho-Young dashed toward the elementary school field, unable to contain his excitement.

Like a fish in water, he dribbled the ball all over the place.

'I'm so happy.'

When he was young, he had wanted to grow up as soon as possible.

But only after the flowers had fallen did he realize how beautiful spring had been.

This was the happiest time of his life.

"Alright, then."

Step by step.

He decided to check out the special ability Mamon had given him.

[Woo Ho-Young]

Possessed Talents:

None.

It was like something straight out of a novel—a system that displayed his abilities.

"What the hell, this sucks."

As a kid, he had thought he was decent at football.

But to find out he had no talent at all? He wasn't even good enough to be the king of the neighborhood, let alone a football prodigy.

He needed time to adjust to his younger body.

'It'd be nice if I had someone to compare myself to…'

Just then, a familiar face appeared on the field.

"Hey, Ho-Bbang! What are you doing? You suck at football anyway."

The one holding a soccer ball and stepping onto the field was none other than ten-year-old Yoon Jung-Ho.

"Why do you always pick a fight the moment you see me?"

"Heh, I just call it like I see it. What else am I supposed to say to someone who's bad at football? Bleh~"

Yoon Jung-Ho had always had a talent for getting under people's skin.

It wasn't a big deal, but it still ticked him off.

Ho-Young almost gave him a flick on the forehead but decided against it.

Instead, he stared intently at him.

He wanted to see if he could check someone else's talents too.

[Yoon Jung-Ho]

Possessed Talents:

Soccer Prodigy (B)

Fairly Powerful Mid-Range Shot (C)

(A talent can be acquired if conditions are met.)

(Condition: Play soccer together for at least 60 minutes.)

"Oh, hell yes!"

It worked.

Mammon's ability allowed him to see not just his own talents but also others'.

'But he's not exactly a soccer genius, huh?'

Still, compared to his completely empty list, Jung-Ho was way ahead.

And that wasn't the only interesting thing.

'I can acquire a talent if I meet the conditions?'

This was the greed Mamon had talked about.

He didn't know exactly how it worked yet, but there was only one way to find out.

Ho-Young made up his mind and spoke.

"Hey, wanna play football?"

BANG!

An hour passed as they played football.

Finally, Yoon Jung-Ho groaned.

"This is boring. I don't wanna play with you anymore!"

It was a harsh but honest statement from a football prodigy.

But Ho-Young didn't mind.

Because the moment an hour passed, the message he had been waiting for appeared.

[Select the talent you wish to acquire.]

Football Prodigy (B)

Fairly Powerful Mid-Range Shot (C)

Without hesitation, Ho-Young chose the first option.

Football Prodigy (B).

Then, his own abilities changed.

[Woo Ho-Young]

Possessed Talents:

Football Prodigy (B)

"Nice!"

Now, he had caught up to Yoon Jung-Ho.

The amount he could grow would depend on his effort, but at least he had the potential to improve.

'Can I steal more talents?'

To check, he looked at Jung-Ho's stats again.

[Yoon Jung-Ho]

Possessed Talents:

Football Prodigy (B)

Fairly Powerful Mid-Range Shot (C)

(A talent can be acquired if conditions are met.)(Condition: Play soccer together for at least 50 minutes.)

'Hmm. The Football prodigy talent is still there?'

Stealing a talent didn't mean the other person lost it.

And the requirement time had decreased—likely because the remaining talent was of a lower grade.

Understanding the system a little better, Ho-Young grabbed Jung-Ho before he could leave.

"Hey, let's play a little more!"

"Pfft, no way. You suck at football. And besides, I have to go to my football academy later."

"Then let's just play until you have to leave. If you keep playing with me, I'll buy you tteokbokki. And jjonjjoni, too."

"...Hmm."

"I'll even get you a Pikachu snack."

"For real?"

Thank goodness. He was still at an age where simple treats could win him over.

"Huff… huff…"

Time flew by as they ran around nonstop, and before they knew it, another 50 minutes had passed.

[Select the talent you want to acquire.]

Fairly Powerful Mid-range Shot (C)

'Got it.'

Now that Ho-young had even obtained the C-rank talent, he finally let Jung-ho go.

"Hah… hah… I'm exhausted… Let's stop now."

"Whew… You're already tired? But hey, you got a little better."

"Thanks to you. Hehe."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Let's go get some tteokbokki."

"But do you even have money?"

"Of course, dummy."

What was a measly 300-won cup of tteokbokki compared to gaining talent? He'd raid his piggy bank if he had to—it was totally worth it.

"But your family's poor. Won't your mom scold you?"

"..."

Yoon Jung-ho. His nature was truly rotten.

If he had just kept his mouth shut, Ho-young would've bought him all the tteokbokki, Pikachu snacks, and jjonjjoni he wanted.

Unfortunately, Ho-young wasn't saintly enough to let that slide. Instead, he pulled a single 100-won coin from his pocket and tossed it at Jung-ho.

"Here."

"What the heck?!"

"I'm done here, so move aside."

"You son of a—!"

Ignoring Jung-ho's shouting, Ho-young casually waved a hand and walked home.

On his way back, he found himself deep in thought.

'This still isn't enough.'

Even with talent, blooming into a real player would take a grueling effort.

Solid fundamentals were essential, and if he wanted to pursue soccer seriously, he needed professional training.

Doing it alone wasn't an option.

Joining a prestigious academy would be ideal, but there was one big problem—the cost.

Ho-young knew his family's financial situation all too well. He couldn't just ask his parents to send him to an expensive academy, especially when they were already struggling with formula expenses for his baby sibling.

So, what was the solution?

'First, I need to show the world my skills. If I do that, I might get sponsored.'

Whether it was being scouted by a professional youth team or finding opportunities overseas, that was the fastest route.

There had even been a case where a five-year-old's football skills had gone viral on YouTube, leading to a scouting offer from Manchester United.

'But YouTube doesn't even exist in this era.'

This was still the age of feature phones—smartphones weren't a thing yet, let alone YouTube.

That left him with one other option.

'A TV show?'

There had been occasional TV programs focused on fostering young football talent, especially around World Cup seasons.

In fact, more than ten players had gone pro after appearing on such programs.

The most famous case was Lee Kang-min, who ended up playing for Valencia CF.

It was the perfect opportunity to shoot to stardom overnight.

If he could get on TV and showcase his skills, securing support would be much easier.

'That's it!'

A specific program from 2002 popped into his mind.

The first-ever youth football development project in Korea—the show that had sparked a nationwide football boom for kids.

As soon as he got home, Ho-young washed his hands and feet before sitting down at his desk and turning on the computer.

Staring intently at the bulky monitor, he searched the internet and soon jumped up from his seat.

Then, rushing to the living room where Woo Hwang-seon was lying down watching TV, he declared,

"Dad, I want to be on Shootdori!"