The fluorescent lights of the Valdebebas dorm room flickered, casting a pale glow over Mateo Moreno's hands. He sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the floor. His palms were trembling, not from cold, but from the realization that his time at Real Madrid was over.
Two hours ago, he had overheard the Juvenil C coaches talking in the hallway.
"Moreno has the height, but he's like a statue," one had said. "No coordination. No spark. He's fifteen, but he plays like he's carrying a backpack full of stones. We'll release him at the end of the week."
Mateo looked at his reflection in the small wardrobe mirror. He was tall—188cm—but he always felt like he was tripping over his own feet.
He was too thin, too slow, and his confidence was buried somewhere under the grass of the training pitch.
"I can't leave like this," he whispered.
Suddenly, a sharp, cold sensation surged through his spine. It felt like an electric current was rewriting his DNA.
Mateo gasped, falling to his knees as his vision blurred. Lines of light, blue and sharp, began to weave themselves in the air in front of him.
[System Initialization: Madrid's Divine Prodigy Activated]
[Condition Check: Body Optimization Commencing...]
Mateo felt his muscles tighten and expand. The sluggishness that had haunted him for years vanished.
His bones felt denser, his senses sharper.
He stood up, and for the first time, his 6'2" frame didn't feel like a burden. It felt like a weapon.
He looked in the mirror and blinked.
His face had sharpened; his features were more defined, possessing a natural, striking symmetry.
[Peak Human Body: Level 1 (Divine Foundation) Integration Complete]
[Template Library Unlocked]
Three translucent cards appeared in his line of sight. They hovered over his desk, glowing with a soft, golden light.
[Starter Reward: Choose your first Real-Life Template to store in the Library.]
Template 1: Zinedine Zidane (The Maestro)
Focus: Technical Mastery, Vision, Ball Control.
Template 2: Cristiano Ronaldo - 2008 (The Power Winger)
Focus: Explosive Speed, Dribbling, Long-range Shooting.
Template 3: Erling Haaland (The Predator)
Focus: Physical Dominance, Clinical Finishing, Off-the-ball Movement.
Mateo's heart hammered against his ribs.
He knew the 2021-22 season was just beginning.
The first team was thriving under Ancelotti, but here in the academy, the competition was a slaughterhouse.
If he wanted to survive the week, he needed more than just a new body.
He needed a style that would force the coaches to look at him.
He reached out his hand, his fingers hovering over the card of the man who had once ruled this club.
"I choose... Cristiano Ronaldo."
The card shattered into a thousand sparks, rushing into Mateo's chest.
A flood of information hit him—muscle memory of step-overs, the exact angle to strike a ball to make it dip, and the predatory instinct to sprint into open space.
[Template Stored: Cristiano Ronaldo (2008) - Level: 1/10]
[Current Stats Updated. Match Analysis and Training Simulator functions are now Online.]
Mateo took a deep breath. He felt light. He felt dangerous.
Tomorrow was the final internal scrimmage before the mid-week cuts. The coaches expected him to fail. They expected him to be the same clumsy boy who couldn't handle a simple pass.
He grabbed his boots and looked at the clock. It was nearly midnight, but with the Training Simulator now active in his mind, he didn't need the pitch to practice. He closed his eyes, and suddenly, he was standing in a virtual stadium, the ball at his feet, and a ghost-like defender in front of him.
Mateo moved. It was the fastest step-over he had ever performed.