My system allows me to copy talents

While breaking the news, Simon seemed quite excited. It was almost as if he was desperately wishing to play them.

Alex, however, showed no changes in his reaction as he refused to react. Wearing a rather solemn look on his face devoid of any emotions, he answered uninterestedly, "Oh..."

For a while, Simon continued to stare at him with longing eyes, anticipating further words from Alex. However, Alex remained silent, creating an awkward and eerie silence between them.

"Only Oh?" Simon raised his voice as he complained, "Aren't you going to say something more?"

"But, what should I say?" Alex responded, dumbfounded by his friend's insistence.

Alex's attitude was getting on his nerves, yet Simon couldn't bring himself to speak further as he was well aware of Alex's personality. Right now, all he was capable of was to calm himself down.

Then to calm him down, he started taking deep breaths.

Noticing the palpable annoyance on his friend's face, Alex couldn't help but wonder why he was reacting so weirdly for no reason.

Perhaps, something's wrong with him? Or did I say something to annoy him?

"Didn't you say back then that you liked their captain's game?" Simon questioned after composing himself.

"Did I?"

"Yes, you did," Simon exclaimed, raising his voice, "Don't you remember? Back then when some of us were watching the highlight of the match between Senegal and Japan, you praised his performance," he added, trying to help his friend recall.

Yet, even after his friends attempt on trying to help him recall his memories of the time he praised Hiro's gameplay, he still can't remember it.

But, since his friend was putting so much effort into it, he couldn't bring himself to deny his claims either. As such, he acknowledged his claims even though he couldn't recall them.

"Maybe I might have said it so," Alex replied.

The whole reason why Simon brought up this topic was because of his friend's interest. Yet, somehow right now experiencing his friend's forgetfulness, it only felt like he was making a fool out of himself since he was the only one who remembered the incident.

Alex's vague response sapped the excitement out of him. At this point, Alex's indifference was mirroring his own disinterest in the matter and he couldn't care less about the matter either.

Observing the crease of concern etching on Simon's brow, Alex couldn't help but feel a pang of bitterness.

Sure, he would eventually get informed about this news by his coaches. Even so, because of something he had spoken probably on a whim back then, his friend had rushed all the way to him to inform him about the news, thinking he would be interested in it.

Now, how could he ignore the kindness behind Simon's gesture?

It wouldn't be fair to dismiss his friend's effort entirely, would it? As such he reasoned with himself, understanding the weight of Simon's actions.

Out of consideration for his friend's feelings, he then tried to lengthen the topic. He still had his training to complete, but leaving Simon in such a despondent state didn't sit well with him.

"What's your take on him?" Alex probed, hoping to divert the conversation away from his own lukewarm reaction.

"Well, he's a threat for sure. Not only is he good at playmaking, he's also good at scoring," Simon answered honestly.

"Then do you think you can take him on a one-on-one situation?"

Upon hearing such a question, Simon's frown deepened. Then after a brief pause, he answered in a rather serious tone, "Honestly speaking, I might not be able to stop him"

For real? Simon Garcia, one of the hot prospects of both Real Madrid and Spain is saying such? He hadn't made his senior debut yet. But, it's rumored that in a year or so, he'd sign a professional contract with Real Madrid.

Be it in this tournament or the league games back at home, he had been nothing but impressive. And, his goalkeeping abilities aren't a joke either. It's one of the best in both this tournament and in the league back home.

As Alex processed Simon's words, memories of their past encounters flooded his mind. He started to recall the intensity of their one-on-one battles, the fierce competition, and the undeniable talent Simon possessed. His skepticism, however, grew as he pondered whether Simon's humility was genuine or merely a facade.

"Don't sell yourself short," Alex started to say, a hint of doubt creeping into his voice before he hesitated, unsure if he should voice his reservations.

But before he could finish, Simon's serious tone cut through the air.

"I'm being honest, Alex. He's something else," Simon replied, his expression earnest and his words weighted with sincerity.

Faced with Simon's unwavering conviction, Alex's heart sank.

He had always known Simon to be confident, even cocky at times, but this admission of vulnerability was unlike him. It made Alex question his own abilities, stirring a sense of unease within him.

'Is he really that good? Maybe, I should check on him too.' Alex thought.

"But, there's only so much he can do by himself," Simon's tone softened and his face lightened when he spoke those words.

Exactly, even if he's some kind of genius, there's only so much one player can do. For sure, if he's as impressive as Simon made it sound then it'd be somewhat tough to face him.

But, they could always corner him and neutralize him.

"Does this mean that there aren't any other notable players other than him in his team?"

"There are some, like their keeper and a central defender. But apart from them, they don't have much. In fact, they're quite heavily dependent on him. He's involved in almost more than 80% of their goals. So, you can tell just from it how much they're dependent on him," Simon answered in a way as if he had already researched them.

More than 80% goal contribution? It was quite a high number. Impressive as it may sound, it was a stain on the record for the team.