My system allows me to copy talents

Hiro's expression turned solemn as he listened. He pondered those words. They were like a sage's wisdom. The more he thought about them, the wiser he became.

After pondering for a while, Hiro nodded, "You're right, sir. I had been ignorant— a little too self-conceited. I thought as long as I performed well on the pitch, I didn't have to concern myself with other issues. But I guess I was wrong to think that way."

Elias looked at him solemnly.

"You're not wrong to think that way. After all, a footballer's main job is to perform well on the pitch," Elias spoke politely.

"However, in our current world, they also need to be able to handle things outside the pitch. The ability to communicate well is one of them," Elias turned to look up at the sky, his eyes glistening with nostalgia.

The strands of his dark hair danced freely with the breeze.

"If you isolate yourself, you're at the risk of getting invaded. The world is dangerous, and the enemies are everywhere. To protect yourself, a fortress seems the safest option. But isolation exposes you to more dangers than it protects you from."

Indeed, Hiro had been building a barrier around him. The barrier had protected him before. However, that was before he caught the attention of people.

Now that he had the attention of the crowd, he couldn't rely on his previous methods.

He had to evolve, too.

Hiro gazed into the distance, his eyes staring into the blank space.

Understanding dawned on him as he pondered.

"I get what you're trying to say," Hiro spoke after a while. "But it's still too hard to trust people."

Even though Hiro spoke with utmost seriousness, Elias burst into laughter for some reason.

"HAHAHA!" Elias laughed.

"Who said anything about trusting people?"

He was baffled when he started to laugh out of nowhere. But as he heard him, he felt even more perplexed. Wasn't it he who told him to come out of his isolation?

"Then, what do you mean?" Hiro asked dumbfoundedly.

Elias took a while to stop laughing. Then he curled his lips, revealing a wry smile, an ominous gleam flickered in his eyes.

"You use people to your advantage," Elias said.

Hiro was left speechless. He couldn't bring himself to utter a word. What was he saying? Was he joking? However, he sounded quite serious about it.

Hiro found it extremely hard to differentiate.

The Elias he heard of wasn't like this. At this moment, he felt like an entirely different person. Even the aura around him felt different than before.

"Seems like you're much more naive than I expected." Elias's gaze turned solemn as he looked at Hiro. He couldn't help but pity Hiro.

"Look, Hiro," his voice softened. "Right now, you've got something these reporters desire. Can you tell me what it is?"

"Me?" Hiro mumbled dumbfoundedly.

"Huff!" Elias sighed.

Then he dropped his head in disappointment before lifting it again to look at Hiro.

He stared him in the eye, "You're not wrong. But not quite right, either."

Hiro still couldn't comprehend what he was trying to tell. He wasn't the brightest.

Elias raised his arms and rested them on Hiro's shoulder. He stared at him deeply as if he was trying to seek deep inside his soul.

Hiro could feel something unsettling. He could see his reflection in the sunglasses he wore. He could see his face full of question marks.

"They're not interested in you as a person. But what they're interested in is your value."

Just then, as Elias finished his sentence, the ball flew in their direction. Hiro was about to act. However, before he could act, Elias jumped into action.

He calmly controlled the ball.

Then he rolled his eyes toward Hiro before flicking the ball toward him.

Hiro understood the assignment without needing a word. He struck the ball hard and connected a powerful volley that sent the ball sailing.

The bail sailed straight to the post, leaving the bystanders mesmerized.

Who was this person? He struck such a powerful volley from such a distance.

The people present there couldn't help but stare at Hiro in a daze. That volley left a lasting impression on those people.

After they stepped outside of their bewilderment, they began to cheer.

"Woah! This boy's got an impressive shot."

"Yeah, just look at the distance."

"When was the last time that I witnessed such an exquisite shot?"

"Doesn't he look familiar?"

The murmur grew as the people began to talk.

Before, those people hardly paid any attention to him. But now, all of their eyes converged on him. With a flick of a ball, Hiro had attracted their attention.

"Don't you need to hide your appearance?" Elias said jokingly.

If it were before, he would have started to panic. However, right now, he didn't feel the need to hide his appearance. For some reason, he wanted to confront this passionate group of people.

He could tell that this people were passionate about football.

In the pitch, he could spot children of varying age groups.

Hiro smiled, "What's there to hide? I'm the same as the rest of them. In the end, I'm just an individual who loves football."

Elias smiled.

"You're Hiro of the Atletico Madrid, right?"

"Woah! You play for Atletico Madrid."

"Hmph~ You should have joined Real Madrid."

"Real Madrid is the best club in the world."

The players on the field swarmed Hiro upon recognizing him. They circled him and surrounded him. Most of them were ecstatic to meet him.

However, some didn't seem excited.

These bunches that swarmed him were divided.

If it were before, he would have been annoyed. However, right now, he can communicate well with them. He could even spot a few kids of his age.

While Hiro got engaged with the crowd, Elias watched him from the side.

Theo was capturing this moment with his camera.

Beaming a bright smile on his face, Hiro interacted with the crowd. He didn't feel bothered to interact.

"Before we begin our interview, shall we play a match? I'm sure they would also love to play with you. Right, kids?" Elias turned to the crowd and asked.

"YES!"

"LET'S PLAY"