Chapter 6: Drawing Cards and Geniuses

BEEP BEEP BEEP!! The sharp sound of the whistle signaled the end of the 90-minute match. Mostar Wanderers ultimately defeated Sarajevo Ranger with a score of 3:2. Around the 80th minute, the Wanderers were visibly exhausted and nearly lost their lead in the final moments. A huge blunder from goalkeeper Bakic—his butterfingers led to a goal—almost cost them the game. But thanks to goals from Suke and Mlinar, Mostar Wanderers secured the victory and climbed to third place in the league standings, edging closer to the promotion zone. Due to the limited number of teams in the Bosnian leagues, promotion and relegation opportunities are very scarce—with only one team promoted and relegated per season. This means only the champions of the Bosnian Second League can move up to the First League, and the First League champion gets promoted to the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina. For Mostar Wanderers, a club with only four years of history, this is the closest they have ever come to promotion. And all of this was thanks to their "little" striker. After the win, the players were ecstatic. But when they went looking for the goal scorer, they couldn't find him anywhere. "Where's Suke?" Mlinar asked. Goalkeeper Bakic pointed toward the worn-out archway. "He rushed off right after the game. Probably had to pee?" Mlinar shook his head and gave up the search, turning to celebrate with the team. Meanwhile, about 100 meters behind the field on a small hill, Suke sat on a rock, hands clasped and pressed against his forehead, whispering, "Bless me, all you gods!" Then, he drew a cross over his chest before slowly opening his eyes. As he did, a blurred screen appeared before him. Gradually, the screen came into focus, showing a diagram of a human body with card slots at the forehead, chest, and feet. The cards at the chest and feet glowed faintly white, but the one on the forehead sparkled with a dazzling diamond light. "Personal Panel," Suk whispered. The three cards began to reveal themselves one by one. First, the two cards at his feet: [White Card (Skill Card) — Boca's Dribbling]As a village boy in South America, Boca was seen as a local genius. He had excellent dribbling skills and could pull off dazzling plays reminiscent of Ronaldinho—so long as there was no physical contact. [White Card (Skill Card) — Leiston's Shooting]Leiston was a clinical finisher with a sharp eye for goal, especially effective in volleys and quick finishes. His shots were accurate but lacked power. Both were basic white cards, equipped at the foot slots. Then came the brilliant diamond card on his forehead: [Diamond Card (Special Card) — Inzaghi's Awareness]Italy's most cunning goal poacher, a man whose ghost-like movements along the offside line tormented even elite defenders. A natural-born instinct. The man who lived at the edge of offside. These three cards made up Suk's current arsenal—his core strength as a professional footballer. The most valuable among them? Inzaghi's Awareness, his greatest weapon and the key to becoming the top scorer in Bosnia's Second League. "Attribute Panel!" Suk commanded again. A new panel appeared, displaying his stats: Name: SukeHeight: 149 cmWeight: 47.5 kgSpeed: 71Agility: 80Strength: 59Explosiveness: 77 Naturally athletic, Suke was always agile and quick—even as a kid climbing trees and chasing birds. These traits showed in his speed, agility, and explosiveness. His weakness? Strength—hindered by his small frame. But Suke was confident. At 16, he figured he was just a late bloomer. Someday, he'd grow taller and stronger and become a powerful traditional striker. For now, though, his path resembled Inzaghi's—crafty and elusive. After checking the stats, it was time for the highlight. With a thought, a new screen shimmered into view—a thick stack of cards. There were five empty slots below—the reward for each win was the chance to draw five cards. Card quality depended on luck and the match's importance. Three card types existed: Skill Cards (e.g., the two white cards Suke owned) Attribute Cards (rare, only found at the end of seasons) Special Cards (ultra-rare and not limited by attributes) Suk had only one Special Card—Inzaghi's Awareness—granted in the starter pack. Skill Cards required attribute compatibility to be equipped. For instance, even if Suke drew a Messi dribbling card, without the necessary physical stats, he couldn't use it. In contrast, Special Cards could override attribute limitations entirely. One professional match meant five random draws. Suke could equip six cards in total—forehead, torso, and four limbs. Currently, he wore three—not due to choice, but due to lack of suitable options. Cards like Boca's dribbling or Leiston's shooting had flaws. Still, they were better than nothing—he had to work with what he got. Taking a deep breath, Suk initiated the card draw. The sound of shuffling filled his ears. The cards began to rearrange. After a few dozen seconds, five cards appeared and slowly flipped over. Two emitted a faint red glow. "Red cards?" Suk gasped. A tier above white cards. His eyes sparkled, but he held back the urge to inspect them first, starting with the three white cards. [White Card — Mike's Core (Skill)]Mike, a fitness fanatic, lost his arms in a car accident. Undeterred, he focused on building an incredible core, achieving peak strength through sheer willpower. [White Card — Roberts' Dribbling (Skill)]Roberts wasn't a top talent in Brazil, but his ball control was still superb. [White Card — Tony's Interceptions (Skill)]Known as the "Wall of Defense," Tony had excellent tackling and an exceptional sense for intercepting passes. All three white cards were quite decent. Mike's card boosted core strength, good for physical contests.Roberts' dribbling could replace Boca's weak card.Tony's interception could be handy up front as a pressing forward. Suk tested them one by one. Mike's Core—unusable. His physical stats weren't enough. Roberts' Dribbling—click, equipped successfully, replacing Boca's. Tony's Interceptions—click, success again. It occupied his hand slot. He wasn't sure how it worked, but he'd take it. Now for the real prize: the red cards. His first-ever high-tier draw, and two of them at once—pure luck! He looked at the first one: [Red Card — Torlist's Short Passing (Skill)]Torlist, the midfield core of FK Sarajevo, had equally adept left and right foot control. His short passes sliced open defenses with ease. A real, recognizable player! This meant card quality was improving with the level of competition. Soon, maybe he'd draw world stars—Inzaghi set, Ronaldinho set, even Messi or Ronaldo sets! Maybe he'd mix them: Head: Ronaldo,Left foot: Messi,Right foot: Ronaldinho,Hands: passing + defense — the ultimate all-around striker. Dribble, pass, shoot, or smash through defenses—adaptable to any system. Pure striker? Check.Target man? Also check. Opportunities? Goal-scoring machine.No chances? Drop deep and create plays. Suke was already daydreaming about himself at a European giant, basking in the cheers of tens of thousands. Snapping out of it, he turned to the final red card: [Red Card — Recovery Card (Skill)]Eliminates all negative statuses. One-time use. Boom—God-tier card! A red card that cured all physical issues—including injuries! A second football life. Especially valuable in rough leagues like Bosnia. Suke grinned like a fool as he walked back to the pitch. This match had brought him so much! "Where did you go?" Mlinar asked. Suke quickly wiped the grin off. "Stomachache." Mlinar shook his head. "We really need a toilet on this field." It was true. The pitch was just an open pasture, with the nearest bathroom over a kilometer away. Most players just found a bush. "What are they doing?" Suke pointed ahead. Several teammates were gathered around a truck, pointing at something. "They're reading the paper," Mlinar said. "The newspaper?" Mostar had a local paper, but it was usually dull and rarely got this kind of attention. Seeing Suke's confusion, Mlinar added, "A genius just arrived in town. A real one!" Suke curiously pushed his way through the crowd. On the front page was a headline: "Croatian Prodigy Joins Zrinjski Mostar!" Beneath was a photo of a boy with short blond hair and pale skin—delicate features and a pair of sparkling eyes. Young, but familiar. No mistake—this was Luka Modrić. Even without the iconic long hair and mature look, Suke recognized him instantly. This guy was destined to be a midfield maestro.