[The match ends. 3-2, Manchester City secure all three points thanks to Ho-young's brace. They climb back up to fourth place in the league.]
[Ah, how long has it been? After about seven years, Manchester City have finally done it.]
The team's first win since his transfer.
Ho-young felt a strange mix of emotions.
He was wearing a sky-blue kit, yet for some reason, at this moment, he found himself thinking of the fans in Madrid.
'Still…'
It seemed he needed more time to accept both farewell and new beginnings.
"Phew."
Even in victory, he could not feel completely happy.
A sense of frustration stirred inside him.
But then.
"We've got Young!"
"Young! Young! Young!"
"And he is Hero, Hero!"
"Citizen's Hero!"
Looking at the two thousand City fans in the corner, passionately cheering for him, his heart eased slightly and his body felt lighter.
There was still much more to celebrate.
Having fulfilled as many conditions as possible in today's match, Ho-young received his reward.
[You have acquired Wild Horse's Knock-and-Run (SU).]
[Wild Horse's Knock-and-Run (SU) has successfully merged with Near-Divine Knock-and-Run (W+).]
[Near-Divine Knock-and-Run (W+2)↑]
It would take only two days to fully absorb the talent.
That was the effect of Versatility that Dominates the Field (W+3), which greatly accelerated growth.
Next was Modrić.
[Your talent capacity is currently full. Near-Divine Knock-and-Run (2 days) is pending.]
[In 2 days, you will acquire Mozart's Forward Playmaking (U).]
It would not be an exaggeration to say he had now obtained the most important talents available from Tottenham.
Just as he was about to finish acquiring both talents.
"Young?"
"Uh…"
Modrić and Bale approached him almost at the same time, both extending their hands.
One thing they had in common, both had already taken off their shirts.
"Haha…"
"Well…"
They let out awkward laughs, finding the situation amusing themselves.
3-2.
Even though they had lost, the performance had been excellent.
The fans were entertained, and the players had gained a valuable experience.
That was why the match could end on a warm note despite the defeat.
"So what should we do?"
"Hmm…"
The two looked troubled.
But Ho-young spoke calmly.
"Bale, come to the locker room. Modrić, you too."
It was simple.
He could just give them the jersey he wore in the first half.
He had already experienced this kind of situation many times.
Ho-young casually shook hands with them and returned to the locker room, exchanging shirts in a good mood.
Then another visitor came to find him.
"As expected, you didn't disappoint."
It was Mansour, who had come to watch his debut despite his busy schedule.
"Thank you."
"I should be the one thanking you. You let me see City beat Tottenham for the first time."
With his usual satisfied smile, he encouraged Ho-young and the players.
Then he said to Ho-young,
"You should head to the press conference room now."
"The press room?"
"Of course. You're the man of the match today."
The MOM award naturally went to Ho-young, who had recorded 2 goals and 1 assist.
Sitting beside Mancini at the press conference, Ho-young was immediately bombarded with questions.
"Congratulations on the win. Scoring on your debut and being named MOM must feel special. How do you feel? Although for you, this may be nothing unusual."
"Haha, not at all. It's always a great feeling. Having a satisfying debut is something very attractive and fantastic. Everything is new to me right now. The City jersey, new teammates, a new stadium, rain every couple of days, and even the passion of fans who come all this way. Everything feels different and good. Being named MOM feels like a gift to commemorate such a day."
"There's no doubt. Every goal City scored today came from your feet. You fully deserve the MOM award. Congratulations again."
"Thank you. But."
Ho-young continued with a gentle smile.
"I don't see it that way. Without the team, I wouldn't even have touched the ball. The most important thing is always the team. That's the football I've learned. Whether I score ten goals or twenty, it's still the result of the team supporting me. Without teammates, there is no meaning in playing football."
He had a lot he wanted to say, and the words flowed out like a speech.
Since his English was not yet fluent, he kept it simple and concise.
"I want to focus only on the present. I want to help the team and my teammates with everything I have. Because I know it will come back to me in the end. That's all I'm thinking about right now. Of course, it will be a difficult process. But in the end, we will gain a lot. That's what I want to achieve at Manchester City."
As Ho-young spoke seriously, Mancini added his own words.
"We will create a miracle."
Mancini had gained conviction from today's match.
It truly felt like they could achieve something miraculous.
There was a huge difference between seeing Ho-young on screen and seeing him in person.
He was incredibly reliable and dependable.
Thinking about it, it made sense.
He had led a relatively weak South Korea side to third place in the World Cup.
This time, it felt like that miracle would happen here at Manchester City.
The match became a hot topic, producing countless articles.
[
[
[Gareth Bale: "I felt the difference in class deeply. Other teams should be on high alert."]
[William Gallas: "A devil has fallen into the EPL. It feels like Bergkamp and Henry combined into one. Everyone should avoid him. No, maybe that's impossible…"]
There were also evaluations that Manchester City showed decent chemistry.
Although the connection with Robinho was lacking, Kompany's defending and Tevez's goal stood out, and Ho-young's transfer was seen as having a positive impact on the team.
On an EPL fan forum dedicated to Manchester City, heated debates took place.
[It's good that Ho-young finished the third goal, but Robinho should have passed instead of being greedy. That idiot.]
└Hmm, not sure. It was a situation where he could shoot.
└True, but if Ho-young hadn't scored, all the blame would've gone to Robinho. Passing was the ideal play there.
└Well, he must've been nervous. With new signings coming in this winter, he needs goals to keep his starting spot.
└Yeah, I kind of felt bad for him. He even lost the number 10 shirt. He used to be our god.
└It's just the first match, why so serious? Chemistry doesn't build overnight. Watching Ho-young today, I think they'll eventually click.
That was true.
They needed time.
Of course, things could get worse, but the possibility of improvement could not be ignored.
Ho-young remained positive.
He believed his relationship with Robinho could improve.
And he wanted that to happen.
Even if he was no longer at his peak, Robinho could still be a key contributor to winning the Europa League.
His decline was not due to age, just a temporary dip in form.
In other words, the most important thing was team unity and regaining form.
Fortunately, after the match, the atmosphere in training gradually improved.
Ho-young grew closer to his teammates, which allowed him to focus more on training.
His talents developed steadily.
However, Mozart's Forward Playmaking (U) from Modrić could be integrated with Versatility that Dominates the Field (W+3), but since it had already reached its limit, it was put on hold.
'Three talents have already reached their limit.'
Even he found it chilling.
Comparing his talents to others at the training ground, it felt hard to believe they were even human.
[Ho-young]
[Possessed Talents: Ultimate Dribbling (W+3), Versatility that Dominates the Field (W+3), Unrivaled Finishing Ability (W+3), Near-Divine Knock-and-Run (W+2), World-Class Curling Shot (W+), Football Prodigy Without Precedent (W), Thunder Thighs of Cha Boom (L), Transcendent Ball Sense (SSS+3), (More...)]
Three W+3 talents.
One SSS+3.
Among them, three had already reached the human limit.
Countless SU, U, SS, S, and A-grade talents continued to grow steadily.
And once he turned 18, he would be able to acquire T-grade talents as well.
His growth speed would accelerate even further.
'Integration speed will increase too.'
Therefore, he had to win the Europa League this season and fulfill the conditions for breaking his limits in advance.
There was only one chance.
'I will succeed.'
He was almost there.
Right at the threshold of surpassing his limits.
No one would stop at this point unless they were a fool.
With strong determination, Ho-young focused on training.
The day to cross that threshold was approaching.
The league match on January 15 was against Wolverhampton Wanderers, a lower mid-table team.
Before that, there was an FA Cup Round of 64 match against Leicester City, where Ho-young scored two goals in the first half, leading to an easy win.
As a result, he only played the first half and was able to rest early.
Until the 15th, he would follow a relaxed schedule of rest and training.
When not training, he underwent medical tests.
Although he had records from Real Madrid, Manchester City conducted additional detailed analysis.
The club's medical staff reacted as if they had discovered an alien.
Eventually, the news reached Mansour.
And on the day Mansour returned to England, he met Ho-young first.
"I hear quite a fuss about you having the body of a god. They say you should be sent to a biology lab instead of a football pitch."
"Haha. The medical staff must be highly skilled. Even their jokes are top class."
"Hahaha."
Mansour could not stop smiling.
"Anyway, how is life in Manchester? Any problems? And your English?"
"The British accent feels unfamiliar, but thanks to the lessons from the club, I'm improving. I'm also planning to apply for a provisional driving license soon. Everything is good."
"Do you like your house?"
"How could I not?"
The penthouse Mansour had provided was far too large for just him, his mother, and Lucci.
And with Kim Hee-sun soon leaving for London, it would feel even emptier.
"Well, the bigger the house, the better. The housekeepers take care of everything anyway. Ah, there is one request."
"Go on."
"It's about recruitment. Could I see the transfer list for this window?"
"No need. I'll tell you directly."
The list included both aging stars and young prospects.
Among them, there were not many players realistically likely to join City.
'There are limits to buying players with money right now.'
The club still lacked prestige.
Still, if he had to pick possible targets…
"You have players you want to play with."
"Yes. Some of them would be very helpful to the team."
"Then tell me directly. I'll have the chairman notify the club."
"Thank you."
Mansour normally did not interfere in transfers, but this time was different.
Ho-young organized his thoughts and handed over a note.
"Interesting players. They've been on our list for two years. We failed every time, and were even mocked."
"I think it will be the same this time. Not many will move in winter."
"I understand."
This was not about completing all transfers this winter.
It was preparation for next season's Champions League.
Yes.
Ho-young had already decided to extend his contract.
"Then we should start with Valencia."
"That one is already in progress, so it should be smooth."
"Likely. But AC Milan and Barcelona will be difficult. Anyway, I'll inform the chairman."
"Thank you."
And so, the project to build the greatest club on earth began.
(To be continued.)