The next day.....
Borzak roared, slamming his thick feet into the dirt, charging like a bull. He leapt, his beast-hide skirt tearing at the back, exposing his green ass but Borzak didn't care. The prettiest orc females were watching. There was no better way to win a mate than by winning a fight.
The ground shook under his landing. His fists, thick and scarred, swung like falling trees.
Hulk didn't flinch. He slid into stance, right foot behind, left shoulder forward, both fists raised. Balanced. Coiled. Ready. His body moved like a river, smooth but heavy with power.
The crowd howled, orcs stomping their boots, tusks flashing in the sun.
"Borzak's gonna win this time!"
"Crush him, Hulk! Let's see blood!"
Borzak's punch came screaming toward Hulk's skull. But Hulk wasn't new to this. He tilted his head slightly, lifting his forearm, catching the strike with his elbow tucked tight, absorbing the hit like a wall of raw muscle.
BANG!
The shock rattled Hulk's arms, his bones humming with the force, but his feet barely shifted. He grunted. Borzak's power was real. But so was Hulk's training.
The orcs around the pit bellowed with excitement.
"Borzak's claim the victory! Don't be crushed again!"
Borzak laughed, showing blood-stained tusks.
Hulk shook out his arms, loosening his shoulders. Calm. Focused. Watching Borzak's breathing, reading his weight shifts. This wasn't a fight anymore.
This was a hunt.
Borzak lunged again, fists wild, muscles bulging, looking to smash Hulk into the ground.
The ground cracked beneath their feet. Dust flew. Small roots snapped as they tore the land apart. Orc fights weren't about style. Just brutal force. Or that's what they thought.
But Hulk wasn't like them. He wasn't wild. He was trained—bone and flesh, elbow and knee, fist and leg.
Even with his skill, Hulk could feel it—Borzak had the upper hand in raw size and weight. If nothing changed soon, Borzak would break him down piece by piece.
Just then—
[Quest Triggered: Strike your enemy 10 times using body techniques to unlock: Basic Brawler Mastery.]
A grin slid across Hulk's face. His moment had come.
Borzak swung a wide hook toward Hulk's ribs, but Hulk ducked under, step-step—light on his feet, despite his thick frame, and drove a sharp knee into Borzak's thigh. Crack. Bone on muscle. Strike one.
"GHAA!" Borzak growled, his leg buckling slightly.
Hulk pressed in, elbows snapping, fists curling, striking the soft spots behind Borzak's ears, the side of his jaw, and throat shots when he could land them.
[2/10]
[3/10]
Every hit counted. Even blocking with forearms gave feedback. Hulk worked like a blacksmith hammering hot metal—strike, twist, block, hook, jab, uppercut.
Borzak roared again, trying to tackle Hulk with raw strength. Hulk sidestepped, caught Borzak's arm, twisted it sharply, and threw him over his shoulder in a clean hip toss.
[8/10]
Borzak hit the ground like a falling boulder, coughing.
"WROAH! Finish him!"
[10/10 – Quest Complete: Basic Brawler Mastery unlocked.]
[Strength +1 | Agility +1 | Special Skill Learned: Breakhold (Escape grabs and holds with bonus leverage).]
It wasn't just strength. Hulk felt the change. His movements are sharper. His balance is tighter. His fists are faster.
Borzak got up, shaking his head. Blood dripped from his split lip. His rage boiled.
"ENOUGH! One strike—I'm ending this!"
The big orc ran like a charging ox, leaping, trying to crush Hulk beneath his whole body weight.
Hulk stood there, calm, like a stone in a storm. His eyes are sharp. His body is ready.
At the last moment, Hulk stepped left, his whole body twisting. He grabbed Borzak's wrist mid-fall, dragged it downward, and slammed his knee up into Borzak's gut—once, twice, three times.
Thud. Thud. Crack.
Borzak's air was gone. The last knee hit his chin, sending him sprawling.
But Hulk wasn't done.
He stepped over Borzak, hooked one of Borzak's thick arms, planted a shin on his chest, and wrenched back.
Elbow locked. Pressure rising. A hold designed to snap joints if needed. A move taught in the fighting pits before Hulk ever set foot in this savage world.
"Yield," Hulk growled, tightening the hold.
Borzak's tusks gnashed. His whole body trembled.
"I… yield…"
Silence.
Then cheers erupted around them.
"WAR GOD TAKE ME—HE DID IT!"
"That Hulk!!—he broke Borzak!"
Gorrka crossed her arms, tusks gleaming. Pride sharp in her eyes. "Now that's a proper Bloodfang."
Hulk stood, steady, fists bruised but unbroken, gaze forward.
The Bloodfang tribe had seen a warrior rise. Not a wild orc swinging clubs.
A fighter.
And this was only the beginning.