However, marginal utility is diminishing. As genes themselves become more refined, the effects of optimization grow smaller and smaller. Therefore, among families that have undergone generations of genetic inheritance, differences in appearance, body shape, and physical fitness tend to become relatively minimal.
Of course, children from ordinary families don't need to worry. Even without generational inheritance of "good genes," the beauty of biology lies in mutation.
And mutants are often the best.
Appearance, height, physical strength—those who fully unlock genetic potential in a certain area can absolutely catch up from behind.
Moreover, major breakthroughs in sports, technology, and other fields are often driven by such individuals. These are the true geniuses, with ceilings even higher than so-called cultivated talent.
"Ding! Your burst, cadence, and foot power limits have each been unlocked by 5!"
Kai's three attribute caps have now reached 90, 95, and 90 respectively!
He was already decent in these three key attributes. Now, this completely amplifies his strengths, giving him the potential to become exceptional with abilities that were previously only average to above average in football.
But even so, there is still a gap compared to those freakishly gifted players with "mutated" physiques.
Gareth Bale's speed, Lionel Messi's acceleration, Roberto Carlos's shot power, and Didier Drogba's strength—those are the real monsters.
"Ding! A large number of idle training piles and other items have been detected. If you choose to recycle them, they can be converted into progress points. These points can be used to upgrade the Champion Predator Medal!"
"You chose to recycle training piles ×472 and gained progress points..."
"You chose to recycle energy drinks ×376 and gained progress points..."
"You chose to recycle Cech's hockey stick ×1... recycling canceled..."
"You chose to recycle medical bandages ×102 and gained progress points..."
"You used progress points to successfully upgrade the Champion Predator Medal."
"Champion Predator Medal (Silver): Can be equipped. Does not occupy an equipment slot. Can be upgraded. Current level: Silver. Each championship victory increases personal ability by 1%! After the boost, the maximum single stat is capped at 80. Stats exceeding 80 are unaffected. Gain the Silver Medal skill 'Counterattack Starts Now (11)'!"
"Counterattack Starts Now (11): When possession switches from the opponent to your team within your own penalty area, it becomes extremely difficult for your team to lose the ball during the next eleven consecutive passes."
In the end, Kai couldn't bring himself to recycle Petr Čech's hockey stick.
After all, it was a rare wearable star drop.
Turning it into scrap would feel like a complete waste.
He had heard that ice hockey is the only sport where fighting is actually legal—so even if the thing was useless, just wearing it made Kai feel safer on the pitch.
Before upgrading the Champion Predator Medal, the stat cap was seventy-five.
A large portion of Kai's stats had already reached that level, so the improvement wasn't particularly noticeable.
But now that the cap had increased to eighty, the boost was massive.
Because so far, none of Kai's stats had actually reached 80 yet.
His highest was short passing at seventy-nine.
Then came ball control and pace at seventy-seven, and agility at seventy-six.
Next were his stronger attributes in the low seventies—seventy-two, seventy-one, and so on.
Of course, there were also plenty of average stats around sixty.
And then there were his weaker defensive attributes—tackling, blocking, and clearing.
But unfortunately, the Bronze Medal used to provide a 3% boost per championship.
Now, the Silver Medal only gives 1% per championship—basically breaking your bones for it.
It's like trading long-term potential for short-term gains—sacrificing the future for the present.
After all, if the Bronze Medal effect had continued, Kai wouldn't even need the medal in a season or two, because his own stats would naturally exceed the cap anyway.
…
June 10, 2000.
The European Championship officially kicked off.
Sixteen teams were divided into four groups, with the top two from each advancing to the knockout stage.
As one of the host nations, Belgium opened the tournament at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels against Sweden.
In the end, Belgium defeated Sweden 2–1.
Historically, in major international tournaments, host nations tend to win more often than they lose in opening matches.
Even in World Cup history, no host had ever lost their opening game—except for Qatar in 2022.
During this European Championship, Kai and Cristiano Ronaldo were already wealthy enough to attend most matches in person.
For Portugal's matches, they even appeared in the players' family section, enjoying an excellent viewing angle.
For games involving Spain, France, Italy, and others, they were invited into VIP boxes by certain stars—a truly premium experience.
Stadium cameras frequently caught them on screen.
Then commentators would introduce them to viewers:
"Oh! The camera is now on Kai and Cristiano Ronaldo—they're here watching as well. Some fans might be surprised, but these two are currently the hottest rising stars in Portugal!"
"They led their team to win both the Portuguese League and the Portuguese Cup. Rumor has it they'll get chances in the Primeira Liga next season!"
Of course, Anne Hathaway accompanied Kai during the first few matches.
This pissed Ronaldo off quite a bit.
Watching the two of them—feeding each other popcorn, sharing drinks—Ronaldo couldn't help but think: don't you have your own damn hands?
And drinking from the same cup? Aren't you worried about bacteria?
The most annoying part? Every time a goal was scored, Hathaway would go crazy and kiss Kai like mad.
It's just a football match, for fuck's sake—what would happen if she watched basketball?
Thankfully, after a short while, Hathaway returned to the United States for auditions and filming.
That particular movie invitation hadn't even been seriously considered by her agent at first.
Hathaway joked to Kai:
"It's actually quite tough to shoot something like that. I'm not afraid—I could try—but my agent thinks it doesn't match my acting style at all."
"You have to understand, even in The Lord of the Rings, my role as the elf princess was basically just for show—I just had to look pretty."
"And that film involves harsh environments and a lot of action scenes."
"Compared to me, I think Demi Moore or Angelina Jolie would be more suitable."
Kai asked, "Yeah, that doesn't sound like your thing. Wait… which film are you talking about?"
Hathaway replied, "It's based on a game—Tomb Raider."
"…Uh…" Kai paused. "If it's that movie, then I actually think you should take it."
Hathaway looked at him curiously.
"This game is insanely popular. If the movie flops, it means the adaptation failed. But if it succeeds, it proves your ability to carry the role," Kai said. "And if the box office is strong, there'll definitely be a sequel. Maybe even a trilogy."
"A steady stream of films is extremely important for an actress. It keeps your exposure high—you won't just disappear for two years with nothing to show."
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