Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
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"Tch, what a pity."
"Lance, you did well enough."
"No, it wasn't enough. I thought we could win."
"No choice, the opposing side was just cursed."
"Damn it!"
Atlético Madrid's changing room, post-match.
A group of people were pounding their chests and sighing in lament.
In the last ten minutes or so, the entire Atlético Madrid squad had tried hard enough, but unfortunately, they still couldn't overturn the score.
Lance exhausted his last bit of strength trying to set up his teammates.
Griezmann and Torres each had a clear chance to score, but their luck was just slightly off, and their close-range shots hit the post twice in a row.
Lance himself also had a shot; his well-aimed long-range effort fooled the goalkeeper, only to be grazed by Navas's foot after he fell, sending it wide of the goal.
Zidane's mysticism was still working its magic.
Fortunately, Real Madrid was intimidated by Lance's goal and dared not commit troops forward to attack.
Lance wanted to push harder in the end, but the Aerial Thunder Beast Shot might have consumed too much stamina, causing him to be completely unable to run in the final 5 minutes, leading Simeone to substitute him off.
The two sides finally shook hands and settled for a draw, concluding the first leg of the battle.
At the post-match press conference, the expression of Real Madrid's new coach, Zidane, was very serious.
"Originally, I had a lot of confidence in the players. Real Madrid is a club full of heritage, the best giant club in the world. Possessing a group of the world's top players, we are capable of winning every title."
"This match made me realise that Real Madrid is not invincible; we have a very strong opponent. I hope we can achieve perfection in the second leg and seize the opportunity to reach the final."
Lance's second goal—beating four players outside the box, followed by a fake move and a volleyed shot—deeply shocked Zidane.
It was the first time he had seen such an unreasonable player.
"Cristiano, we scored two away goals and held the opponent to a draw, why aren't you happy?"
"Yeah, both of your goals today were fantastic, it was already perfect."
"No, it's not perfect enough."
If Cristiano Ronaldo were satisfied with a draw, he wouldn't be Cristiano Ronaldo.
The reason he remains an evergreen figure in football, constantly standing at the peak, is precisely because of his powerful desire to win.
Modrić, standing nearby, could understand Cristiano Ronaldo's mentality.
This guy has many minor flaws: he's arrogant, likes to show off, enjoys pressuring teammates, has a volatile temper, and loves to play to the cameras on the pitch.
In every respect, Cristiano Ronaldo is not a particularly likable person.
But it is undeniable that he maintains a nearly harsh level of self-discipline, decade after decade, and approaches every match with a positive attitude.
In his dictionary, there is only winning.
A draw is a loss!
If Modrić had to choose a teammate between Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, Modrić would prefer Cristiano Ronaldo.
Of course, if there were no restrictions, Modrić would prefer to choose "Big R" Ronaldo, Maradona, and Lance.
"Hey, Cristiano."
"What is it?"
Cristiano Ronaldo sat in his number 7 seat, arms crossed, looking displeased.
"In the second leg, we'll win together and go to the final."
"Of course, is that even a question? Hmph! Watch how I lead the team to crush Atlético Madrid."
Cristiano Ronaldo's tone was somewhat unfriendly, but Modrić didn't mind, merely smiling faintly.
This rascal has always had this personality; he had got used to it over time.
Today's result didn't discourage Cristiano Ronaldo; instead, it made him even more competitive.
...
"Father, what is it?"
"How have you considered the matter we discussed last time? You are a freshman at university now, there's still time..."
"No, I have already made my decision, and I hope you can respect it."
"But this isn't just my personal idea, your mother also..."
"Then have her talk to me."
Chloe pouted, showing no sign of wavering.
"We are doing this for your own good; we have no intention of controlling you. We supported you when you liked modelling in secondary school. But future career development isn't that simple."
"Whether you go into hospital management or take over the school, we can pave the way for you. But... sports medicine, sports industry management—these fields are completely unrelated to your previous ambitions. Can you tell me why?"
"No reason, this is the career I truly want to pursue. It's about a dream that is hard to achieve, but moving enough."
"It has something to do with him, doesn't it?"
"Father!"
"I won't interfere with who you like or who you date..."
"I am not dating anyone!"
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about that for now. But this is your future development; you can't act on impulse."
"It's not impulse, I thought it through long ago."
"But..."
"I have an exam, I have to hang up."
"Wait!"
"..."
Phew—At the classroom door, Chloe let out a long sigh.
On her phone wallpaper, the black-haired, black-eyed young man looked spirited, making the "Thunder" celebration gesture toward the camera.
After staring at the wallpaper for a moment, Chloe's shifting gaze became firm again.
"That dream you talked about before, I will achieve it with you. Wait for me..."
Turning off her phone and tossing it into her bag, Chloe turned and entered the examination hall.
...
"She's probably still taking her exam, right?"
La Liga Round 24: Getafe 0-1 Atlético Madrid.
Just two days after the first leg of the Copa del Rey, the La Liga season resumed.
Lance was not in the starting lineup; the main players were mostly resting at home.
The coaching staff only took the rotational and substitute players to the away match.
Fortunately, Atlético Madrid's bench strength was decent, considered upper-mid-table in La Liga.
Facing bottom-of-the-league Getafe, Atlético Madrid secured a narrow 1-0 victory away from home.
Lance sat on the sofa in his mansion, watched the entire match, and breathed a long sigh of relief.
After the match, the real-time league table after this round of games was displayed on the television.
Barcelona -- 69
Real Madrid -- 65
Atlético Madrid -- 65
Athletic Bilbao -- 42
In La Liga, teams below fourth place were separated by a huge margin from the top group.
The title race remained suspenseful amongst the three teams: Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atlético Madrid.
Logically, Atlético Madrid had performed excellently, but unfortunately, Barcelona and Real Madrid were simply incredible this season, achieving their best results since the year 2000!
Just as La Liga commentator José Ángel summarised: "For the strong, competition does not hinder them; instead, it makes them stronger."
Atlético Madrid's strong performance this season has stimulated the strongest forms of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Especially the Champions League failure last season, which prevented Barcelona from losing fighting spirit, leading to a half-year-long explosion of form!
The MSN Trio is virtually unstoppable in La Liga.
In consecutive rounds, Barcelona has crushed opponents with massive score differences like 4-0 and 6-0.
Last round, Barcelona defeated Celta Vigo 7-0; Messi and Suárez both scored hat-tricks, and Neymar scored.
The MSN Trio once again shook Spain!
At the same time, Real Madrid's Galácticos, under Zidane's leadership, are also firing on all cylinders.
Last league round, Real Madrid's rotated lineup won a goal-fest against Athletic Bilbao 4-2, enough to prove Real Madrid's dominance.
Facing these two formidable opponents, Atlético Madrid, led by Lance, still needs to work harder.
The 1 draw and 1 loss record at the beginning of the new year had a significant impact on them, leaving them temporarily 4 points behind league leaders Barcelona.
Perhaps only the three internal clashes—the Madrid Derby in league Round 26, the Spanish Clásico in league Round 31, and the Spanish Clásico 2.0 in league Round 35—will truly determine this season's champion team!
Lance looked at Atlético Madrid struggling to catch up in the league table, then glanced at his still-upgrading system panel.
It would be a lie to say he didn't feel pressure.
The butterfly effect triggered by his cheat had spawned two behemoth monsters: peak-plus Barcelona and peak-plus Real Madrid.
If he had to rely solely on his muscle memory and natural ability without the system's boost, the result would truly be uncertain.
"This season won't end without a title, will it?"
"Sorry for embarrassing the system."
Lance felt ashamed.
In novels, those who possess systems score goals like crazy in every match, get hat-tricks every game, and become invincible in one season.
They win the Champions League in two seasons, collecting titles until their hands ache.
He had been playing with a system for three years and hadn't even won the Champions League.
It just goes to show that the real pitch isn't that easy.
If the system can only help this much, he has to walk the rest of the path himself.
Even if the way ahead is full of thorns, the Champions League title remains a goal he must fight for, betting everything he has!
Turning off the TV, Lance changed into his sportswear.
Whilst other players were enjoying their holiday, Lance was juggling the ball on his private football pitch in his back garden, immersed in his connection with the football.
He used the last half-day of his holiday to maintain his touch, as tomorrow he would depart for Genk!
The Champions League knockout stage was about to begin!