My system allows me to copy talents

’So, you’ve run out of patience...’

Hiro rolled his pupils, tracking Eric as he dropped deeper into his own half. Until now, the towering striker had been lurking in their territory, anchoring himself to the defensive line—making it difficult for those around him to operate.

But now, Eric was sprinting into his own half to collect the ball himself.

And Tonali, who had been holding his position firmly alongside Hiro’s support, was forced to chase him.

Until this moment, they had been locking down Eric’s movement together—a coordinated stranglehold. But now that Eric had dropped deep, Tonali had no choice but to follow.

Hiro considered providing support, but he knew he wouldn’t be much help in this situation. He could maintain pressure from a distance, but standing directly against Eric? That wasn’t his battle.

So he didn’t close the gap.

Instead, he decided to operate in the space he had identified—a much better option.

Defense isn’t just about interceptions and tackles, after all.

Upon dropping deep, Eric shouted for the ball. His teammates obliged, passing it to his feet.

He collected it, turned, and found himself face-to-face with the rather muscular figure of Tonali, who was standing before him like an immovable mountain.

’You want to stop me?’

Eric stared at Tonali, a look of contempt flashing across his pupils.

’You wish.’

Then he charged straight at him.

Tonali stood firm, anchoring himself to the ground. Eric tried to shove him aside—but the Italian didn’t budge.

”Urgh!” Eric groaned, frustration twisting his features.

Just by comparing their height alone, Eric looked like the older brother—taller, broader, more imposing. Even build-wise, he seemed to dominate Tonali.

Yet here he was unable to get through this midget of a person.

What the hell is happening?

Disbelief and frustration warred across his visage as he struggled to break through. He tried to overpower Tonali with his monstrous strength. However, he was met with a force as formidable as his own.

’This isn’t right.’

He hadn’t expected this person to be this strong.

Eric wasn’t a technical player. He relied on raw strength and blistering speed to bulldoze through opponents. But against Tonali, his usual weapons felt useless, blunted, and ineffective.

His chest heaved with exertion.

’Do I have to retreat?’

The thought flashed through Eric’s mind for a brief moment.

However, he crushed it as soon as it arrived.

”No.”

He couldn’t bring himself to retreat. That would be like admitting defeat. Surrender—a crack in his armor.

So he gritted his teeth and exerted even more pressure. His muscles coiled, veins bulged as a raw primal power filled every fiber of his body.

Tonali felt the sudden surge. The pressure was mounting, increasing with each passing second. He had been holding his ground somehow.

But now?

It was becoming unbearable—even for him.

’I won’t last long at this rate.’

He knew he had to change tactics. He wasn’t competing against Eric’s strength to begin with. So he withdrew his force suddenly, attempting to catch his opponent off guard—to exploit a moment of imbalance.

But to his shock, Eric’s balance was impeccable.

Despite the abrupt shift, the Viking didn’t fumble. Didn’t stagger. Didn’t give an inch.

Instead, he exploited the change.

He surged forward, taking long, powerful strides that sent tremors through the ground beneath him, like a mad bull breaking loose from its pen.

His irises seemed to glow with an ethereal power, burning with untamed intensity. Even his monstrous build radiated an almost unnatural force as if his very body were being consumed by something primal.

For a fleeting moment, it even seemed as though red-hot steam was oozing from his skin, curling into the cold air like the breath of a dragon.

Tonali’s eyes widened.

’This guy’s a total beast.’

Hiro had similar thoughts as he watched from a distance. Having trained alongside him, Hiro was aware of Tonali’s strength.

Yet this beast of a man was manhandling someone of Tonali’s caliber.

’Just how powerful does he need to be to do that?’

He couldn’t fathom the sheer strength this Viking possessed. But he knew he couldn’t afford to get distracted. So he shrugged off his amazement and rushed into the open space he had identified.

Upon breaking through Tonali, Eric charged straight into the opposing defensive third. From the looks of it, he seemed intent on breaching their defense all by himself like a one-man wrecking ball.

But before he could even cross the threshold, he came across someone else.

This person didn’t look as simple as Tonali.

He had a rugged appearance, a weathered face that spoke of countless battles. He seemed tough—not in a flashy way, but in the way of someone who had been through war and emerged scarred but unbroken.

Though he lacked bulky muscles and appeared rather lean, there was something about him that made others nervous to face him. An aura. A presence.

He stared at Eric, his pupils toggling between the man and the ball, calculating, reading, anticipating.

He didn’t rush to intercept. He kept his distance just enough to suffocate, just enough to provoke.

And for the first time, Eric found himself hesitating.

He didn’t stop completely, but he slowed, and his momentum faltered under the weight of that unwavering gaze.

He glared at the man before him, who stood just as tall as he did. The fierceness in his gaze screamed of an unshakeable determination like a promise that he would stop Eric in his tracks, no matter the cost.

A bead of sweat snaked down Eric’s cheek.

”The butcher!”

He looked around, searching for a path to exploit, a weakness to target. But for some reason, it seemed almost impossible to break through him. Like this man had no weakness at all.

No gaps. No openings. Nothing.

Nervousness crept into his chest. He rolled his pupils, desperately searching for help.

But finding help was easier said than done.

He had charged forward alone, leaving his teammates behind in his fury. And now, as he looked around, he found himself completely isolated—a lone Viking stranded in enemy territory.

The realization settled over him like a cold weight