GOAT: All Football Talents Are Mine

When I was young and eating dinner, my father sometimes said something.

"Hoyoung, what is your dream?"

I answered.

"A soccer player. "I want to become an outstanding player like Park Ji-seok."

Then my father said this.

"To become a soccer player, you have to have talent, and from what Dad sees, our Hoyoung has a unique talent."

right.

At one time, I thought my father was right.

I have a unique talent.

Everyone in the neighborhood also spoke together.

Hoyoung is a soccer prodigy. They need to be raised professionally.

The year was 2002.

When interest in soccer was skyrocketing in the aftermath of our semifinal finish in the 2002 World Cup, I kicked the ball with the expectations of adults on my side.

But I realized it later.

The fact that I was a soccer prodigy was an absurd illusion…

3rd grade.

When I joined the soccer team, I felt a huge barrier.

Children who are better than me.

There was no comparison between me and the kids who learned soccer professionally.

Moreover, because I was small, I often fell before I could catch the ball.

Then one day, the soccer team coach said to me.

"Hoyoung, let's go over there to the left and get trained separately."

The place where I was left out was a group of children who were below standard.

I was scared.

It felt like there was a huge, insurmountable wall blocking my path.

Just like that, my passion cooled down and I ran away and quit the soccer team.

give up.

When I returned home, I cried.

My father said while comforting me.

"Hoyoung. The time when flowers bloom is different for everyone. "Just because the buds sprout quickly doesn't mean the flowers will bloom quickly."

At that time, I did not understand what my father said.

I was just relieved to be free from fear, and I slurped it all down as I tore into the seasoned chicken my mother had ordered.

But now that I think about it, I feel many things.

What would have happened if I hadn't given up then?

Did I really have talent?

If we had put in the effort to bloom, would flowers have bloomed and fruits have grown by now?

"Ah shit."

"Hey, bun. Why are you suddenly fussing alone? "Are you drunk already?"

A folk pub with a quiet atmosphere.

Hoyoung, lost in thought for a moment, clinked the dented bowl with his elementary school classmate Lee Yongsu.

"never mind. Anyway, congratulations on getting the job."

"Why are we celebrating again when we just celebrated?"

"If not at a time like this, when else would you celebrate? "When good things happen, you have to do a lot of them."

This event was to congratulate Lee Yong-soo.

My friend who plays soccer was recruited to the business team this time.

"Use it."

I was drunk.

In 2016, I was 24 years old and was working part-time at a convenience store, but I felt sad for some reason when my best friend passed away.

'I want to be a soccer player too.'

You idiot, don't give up then.

"Ugh. "If I had continued playing soccer, I would have been playing with Ronaldo and Messi by now."

"Stop saying stupid things. Then I already won the Ballon d'Or, dude. And what do you do because you regret it? It's already late."

Hoyoung has lived with regret ever since elementary school.

I didn't end up playing soccer as a hobby, but I didn't run away then!

It was a lifelong regret.

Of course, there were many opportunities to take on challenges after that.

But because I thought it was already too late, I just kept repeating the same regrets.

'I want to go back. I want to go back to the past. 'You want to start over… you idiot!'

While Hoyoung was inwardly scolding himself, Lee Yongsu, who was fiddling with his phone, spoke up.

"Hey then, do you want to go kick the ball? They say the company is urgently looking for two positions. 4-on-4 futsal."

"now?"

When I looked out the window, it was raining steadily.

But it didn't matter.

Because Hoyoung was crazy about soccer.

"call."

"W~ It's been a while!"

Hoyoung arrived at a nearby outdoor futsal court and said hello to his classmates.

I was a friend who I had been playing ball with since elementary school, and among them, there was one who particularly stood out.

'Jeongho Yoon, that bastard doesn't even say hello.'

Jeongho Yoon.

As a former player, he was so talented that he received the Cha Bum-geun Football Award.

There was even talk that he might be continuing the lineage of Jumen Park Joo-hyung, but he had to end his career as a player due to an injury.

There was a lot of friction between Hoyoung and I when we were young, so we didn't have a good relationship, but it seems like we still keep it inside.

Hoyoung just ignored it too.

"Hey. Is it raining more? "Let's go indoors. Why did you come here?"

"They said it was full. "Let's play a quick game before it rains more."

The game was decided quickly.

The rule is 4 to 4, 5 points.

"Hey hoppang! "You get out!"

"okay."

As always, today's goal scorer was Hoyoung.

This is because he was a goal getter who was recognized even by the soccer club that followed his father.

Although I have never studied professionally, I am above average both physically and technically.

It was at a level where I could say I should go somewhere and kick some balls.

Still, compared to election, it's not even a jab.

"evil!"

The moment Hoyoung created a no-mark chance, Yoon Jeong-ho appeared like lightning and intercepted the ball, as if he had been waiting.

Then he rolled up one corner of his mouth and sneered at Hoyoung.

'That bastard.'

Afterwards, the same situation continued to occur.

He deliberately gave up space and used his speed to intercept Hoyoung's ball.

It was an obvious tactic, but even if I knew about it, I had no choice but to fall for it.

Because selection is definitely different.

But Hoyoung rather hoped for this situation.

High-level soccer.

'Yoon Jeong-ho. I will definitely break through today.'

The attack was blocked time and time again, but the more I tried, the more frustrating it became.

Seeing Hoyoung like that, Yoon Jeongho openly provoked him.

"As for the level."

Eat.

And that moment.

Cough!

Jeong-ho Yoon hit the ball aimed at Ho-young.

The ball, which had rotational force, hit Hoyoung's knee and bounced out of the futsal field.

Unable to hold back, Hoyoung rushed at him like a madman.

"Don't make fun of me, you bastard."

Hoyoung is only 170cm tall, but he has the personality of not being intimidated no matter where he goes, so there was nothing noticeable about him.

When a fight was about to break out, those around them stopped the two.

"Ha… I'll hold back. Go get some balls. "I left after getting hit in the foot by you."

"Bitch."

With those words, Hoyoung went outside to get the ball.

I could see a soccer ball lying around among the raindrops.

And it was at that moment that I reached for the soccer ball without thinking about it.

"…?!"

A flash of dazzling light poured down.

"Gyaggyaggya!!"

Qarring!

The sound of thunder echoed throughout downtown Seoul.

It was Hoyoung who was suddenly struck by lightning and died.

"Aaaaaaa!"

Get struck by lightning and die.

At first glance, it is said that about 200 people die from lightning in the United States every year, but it was natural for people to scream and cry when they died due to such ridiculous odds.

Because it was unfair.

Are you saying I'm already dead just because I did something?

Even though there is no up or down in the afterlife, I wondered if it was okay for a person to die in vain like this.

"Take it back! "Give it back!!"

After crying for a while, a question arose.

"Then where are we?"

The futsal field where I had been standing just a moment ago was nowhere to be found.

Instead, only a dark space remained where nothing could be seen.

And through them, a pale shape began to flutter.

"Tsk tsk."

An unpleasant voice settles in my ears.

"I'm sure it's not the devil or something…?"

"You know very well."

"… That's what it looks like."

"okay. I am the devil of greed. "People call me Mammon."

Suddenly, Mamon came and whispered.

"Won't you make a deal with me?"

"…."

Hoyoung needed time to calm down.

Because you can't just blindly make a deal with the devil.

And most of all, I couldn't believe this situation.

It was after some time had passed that Hoyoung parted his lips.

"First, let me hear what the deal is."

"It's good. You can do two things with me. First time. "Second ability."

Time and ability.

Afterwards, Mamon explained the two in an easy-to-understand manner.

First time.

"You can go back in time from a minimum of 10 years to a maximum of 23 years. "To the past."

"Oh…."

"I guess I'll have to pay a price instead, right? "Because nothing is free in this world."

"What do I have to pay?"

"For each year of regression, one year of life will be lost. If you go back 23 years, it means you will die 23 years earlier in your next life. But no one knows when you will die."

"Hehe… That's a fantastic balance."

Hoyoung nodded willingly.

'It's okay as long as it's not a eunuch or hair loss. Besides, we're 100 years old, right? It's a good idea to live a short and rich life until you're 80…'

Of course, there's no guarantee that I'll live to 100, but I decided to think positively.

"Then second. "What is this ability?"

"I will give you my power."

It was a truly tempting offer since it was the power of the devil.

"What ability is it?"

"It's greed."

"avarice?"

"It's the ability to get what you want."

"… hmm."

I couldn't understand it just by hearing it. I felt like I had to try it myself to find out.

'Anyway, you can get 'something' that you want, right?'

Lee Chae appeared in Hoyoung's eyes.

'This isn't a transaction, it's just a charity donation?!'

Mamon opened his mouth.

"Now then, tell me. "What time do you want to go back to?"

"Haha… It doesn't make sense, but if it's true, then I…"

.

.

.

.

.

.

You can always support author by joining patreon: patreon.com/Immortal_author

with additional privileges and early access to 20 additional chapters.

Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/immortalauthor

Discord: https://discord.com/invite/8a3pNBWdQj