Of course, this idea that "whoever wins between Portugal and Spain will be the champion" didn't fool Su Hang.
Or rather, before the system chime sounded, Su Hang did believe that—until…
"Ding! Zidane leads his team to defeat Materazzi and Italy, completing his Legendary Path! Overall rating increases to 100—becoming the only active player with a perfect 100 rating!"
!
!!!
What the hell?!
Is this what they call enlightenment?
Thirty-four years old… and a 100 rating? What kind of concept is that?!
Su Hang was sure Zidane had reached 100 at his peak.
Maybe even more than 100!
The same went for Ronaldo at his best.
Even Ronaldinho couldn't have been far from it.
If Su Hang hadn't stolen the Champions League from him, Ronaldinho might've already been a 100-rated player by now.
As for peak Figo and Rivaldo, even if they hadn't hit 100 exactly, they must have come awfully close.
Players like Henry, Shevchenko, Nedvěd, Beckham, Ballack, and Vieira in the present, or Neymar, Ibrahimović, Kaká, Griezmann, Lewandowski, Bale, and Hazard in the future—all of them were close to that perfect level.
But what era was this?
The Twilight of the Gods!
Most of the superstars people knew by heart were reaching the end of their careers.
Historically, Zidane's attributes this season had already fallen to around 92 or 93.
At the World Cup, they rose to 95.
But that was his limit.
Far from his peak form of 100.
And now… with the breakthrough of his inner demons and the completion of his Legendary Path, Zidane had received a monumental upgrade.
Before unlocking his own "Star Path (Strength)," Su Hang hadn't understood how this system worked. But now it was clear—above the Star Path stood something even greater: the Legendary Path.
The rewards were insane, but so was the difficulty.
Just look at Zidane—his fiery temper and the "divine test" that came in the form of Materazzi.
Or Ronaldo and his chronic knee injuries.
Roberto Baggio and his missed penalty.
Shevchenko and his Premier League struggles.
Ronaldinho and his lack of discipline.
Kaká and his recurring groin issues.
Ibrahimović and his overwhelming arrogance.
Lewandowski and his soft mentality.
Hazard and his addiction to hamburgers.
Bale and his fragile soleus muscle.
Modrić and his lost World Cup final.
Balotelli and… his brain.
Each of these moments or traits shaped—or doomed—the careers of those stars.
If they could overcome them, they'd experience true transformation.
But in history, none of them ever broke free. Maybe in countless parallel timelines, they all failed again and again.
Until now.
Under Su Hang's influence, Zidane became the first to complete his self-transcendence.
Had Su Hang known it would turn out like this, he wouldn't have praised Zidane and France so much in front of the media.
Damn it!
...
July 5th. The World Cup semifinal between Portugal and Spain was about to begin.
Portugal had the better luck—they drew the "home" designation and could wear their iconic red home kit.
Spain, meanwhile, would wear their almost entirely white away kit.
Before the match, a reporter asked Su Hang if that would bother him.
Su Hang replied calmly that it wouldn't. Every match he'd played in white this year had ended in victory.
Soon, kickoff arrived.
Spain's lineup:
Su Hang, Villa
García
Xavi, Senna, Alonso
Mariano, Puyol, Ibáñez, Ramos
Casillas
=
Senna had recently recovered from a minor injury and wasn't expected to start, but his recovery had gone so well that he was cleared to play.
Given Portugal's aggressive attacking style and the intensity of the match, Spain needed Senna—their key defensive midfielder—more than ever.
The Spanish team doctor was fascinated by Senna's rapid recovery and asked what medications he had used, hoping to learn from the case.
Senna cooperated and submitted all his medical records—but forgot to mention that Su Hang had sprayed him with insect repellent once.
It was in a black bottle, and Senna had felt surprisingly good after using it. He'd even asked Su Hang what it was.
Su Hang had told him it had nothing to do with recovery and wasn't any kind of special medicine spray—just a regular body spray he happened to have on hand.
Portugal's lineup:
Cristiano Ronaldo, Pauleta, Figo
Deco
Costinha, Maniche
Valente, Meira, Carvalho, Miguel
Ricardo
=
Because of Portuguese naming traditions, player names often repeat.
This was Portugal's strongest lineup, with their deadly wings—Cristiano Ronaldo and Figo—dominating throughout the tournament.
The only regret was Quaresma's injury before the World Cup. Otherwise, Portugal could've fielded another terrifying pair of wingers—Quaresma and Simão.
Slightly weaker than the first duo, but still extremely dangerous.
Any team with powerful wingers rarely performs poorly in a World Cup.
Sometimes, victory really is just about running and shooting!
From the very first whistle, Spain launched a lightning attack.
Alonso sent a long ball forward.
Su Hang leapt for it against the towering 1.92-meter Meira, completely throwing him off.
If Meira didn't jump, Su Hang blocked his view.
If he did jump—was it too early?
In the end, Meira hesitated and stayed grounded—losing sight of the ball, which slipped through.
Villa pounced, driving into the left side of the penalty area.
But Chelsea's Carvalho was rock-solid, keeping the pressure on. Villa could only shoot from a tight angle.
The shot went wide.
"Spain is showing real aggression—they clearly came here to win," commented Queiroz. His analysis from the previous match had been well-received, earning him another invitation.
His stance made things even more interesting.
As Manchester United's assistant coach and Sir Alex Ferguson's right-hand man, he was also closely tied to Portugal's rising star, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Yet, at the same time, he was a die-hard fan of Spain's captain—Su Hang.
In the third minute, Portugal launched a counterattack.
Cristiano Ronaldo charged down the left flank, confronting Real Madrid's rising defensive star, Sergio Ramos.
Ronaldo shifted direction again and again, forcing Ramos to give him space—otherwise, he'd be beaten in a single step.
That also gave Ronaldo a perfect window for a cross.
He whipped the ball diagonally into the center, creating a dangerous chance.
Deco arrived late into the play, controlling the ball two meters outside the top of the box—completely unmarked.
A golden opportunity to shoot.
...
(35 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser