After Jason Luo stepped down from the ring, Raul burst into laughter. "It's in the bag! It's in the bag! Time to set new goals—make it to the knockout stage and aim for the Professional Circuit!"
Jason Luo was just as thrilled. "Really? Coach, do I actually have a chance to go pro this year?"
Pedro hadn't expected Jason's climb from rookie to this point. The kid's progress was astonishing!
Especially since entering the tournament, his improvement had been rapid—almost meteoric. Judging from his last two fights, he was already close to the level of a second-tier amateur boxer...
Pedro didn't want Jason getting cocky, but the facts were there. He nodded. "Right now you're 3–0 with eleven points. And with this first-round knockout, you've got a real edge. If you win your next two fights, reaching the knockout stage is almost guaranteed. But if you drop even one... that changes things."
"Oh! Go pro! Go pro..."
Before Jason could even celebrate, a boot landed on his backside. "What are you shouting for? I knew you couldn't stay calm. You're still a long way off!"
Pedro's face turned serious. "Forget the two Points Tournament matches left. Even if you make the knockout stage, that doesn't mean a promotion company will sign you. And even if some small company does, I wouldn't recommend it. Once you go pro, you'll see—without strong backing, you won't even get decent fights. Better to wait a year, build a stronger record, and then step in properly."
"Huh?"
Jason's excitement crumbled. "So you're saying I've got no hope this year?"
"Who said that? Make the Top 16, and you'll have promoters lining up. You'll be the one picking them."
Jason's scalp prickled. The opponents he had faced so far were already tough enough, and aiming for the Top 16 felt impossibly far away...
Seeing him hesitate, Pedro glared. "What's wrong? Weren't you so confident with your calculations before? Figure it out—how many more wins do you need to break into the Top 16?"
Jason counted carefully. It turned out he only needed seven more wins. Suddenly, it didn't feel so impossible. "Coach, so just seven more victories? Heh, I won't make any bold promises, but I'll give it everything. I'll fight for that spot in the Top 16!"
"That's more like it... Huh?" Pedro noticed Raul was still standing there. "Why are you still here?"
"Uh... where should I be?"
Pedro covered his face. "Good lord. Go grab the opponent's data! Everyone's waiting on you!"
"Oh, right, right! You guys kept talking about the Top 16, I started daydreaming. Totally forgot..." Raul slapped his forehead and sprinted off...
...
Meanwhile, Tony Huo returned from the ticket counter with Henry Luo and Grace. The result was obvious—refunds weren't happening.
When they saw Pedro, Henry Luo immediately asked, "Just that short fight earlier—that counts as a win?"
"Yes, Mr. Luo. The opponent forfeited, so naturally we secured the victory."
"Oh, so boxing isn't that dangerous after all. You can just give up mid-match? Then I'll be counting on you. If the opponent's too strong, just throw in the towel early..."
"Uh..."
Pedro was speechless. Did this man really think boxing worked like a video game...?
Jason quickly cut in. "Dad, since I won this one, about the next..."
Henry Luo sighed. "Forget it. As long as it's not too dangerous, keep going. Maybe I'm just out of touch with the times. I'll never understand people spending dozens or even hundreds of dollars to watch your matches. Don't ask me to come again."
"Exactly! I won't come either. I'd rather take you to the market!" Grace had practically taken Henry's side now.
Jason thought with relief: Even better if they don't come!
"Alright, Dad, we'll do it your way. Tony, I'll leave Dad and Grace with you. Take them around, help Dad get familiar with the city. It'll make things easier later."
Tony nodded. "Got it. Leave them to me."
Once his family left, Jason finally felt at ease. Pedro chuckled. "There's the smile I was waiting for. That's how a young man should look. Always wearing a gloomy face—no one likes that."
Jason glanced up at the sky. "What can I do, Coach? I don't fear poverty, but I fear loneliness. Now I've got a warm home. No more going back to an empty place. I'm a happy man now!"
Just then, Raul returned. "Old Pedro, you won't believe it—Jason's ranked 96th! Ha ha! First place only has 13 points. Lady Luck's smiling on us..."
"Alright, enough. Even if he were first, the matches still have to be fought. Hand me the data. It's always the same with you."
Jason leaned in as Pedro read.
Maenkoot, 29, from Los Angeles. Height: 177 cm. Reach: 181 cm. Weight: 78.6 kg. Agile build with extensive experience. Amateur record: 34 wins, 5 losses, 2 draws, with nine knockouts.
Currently 2–1 in the Points Tournament with 8 points, provisionally ranked 1791 overall.
Pedro exhaled. "Not bad. This veteran looks like a technical fighter. Experienced, sure, but if we find the right approach, he shouldn't be too difficult to handle."
Jason frowned. "Coach, why do you always seem relieved when it's a technical opponent?"
Pedro flicked him on the forehead. "Think for yourself. Learn to draw conclusions. Haven't you noticed by now? At this stage, technical fighters either lack complete skills or aren't physically strong enough. Handle them right, and they're no real threat."
"But power fighters are another story. To beat them, you almost always have to slug it out. Even if you try to outmaneuver them with technique, one clean heavy punch can flip the whole fight..."
Jason thought it over—it really was true. "So where exactly do technical fighters have the advantage?"
Pedro smacked his forehead again. "That's a question worth a beating! You'll only see the answer when two fighters of perfectly equal strength face off. Or hey—go challenge Mayweather right now, and I bet he'll show you!"
Jason rubbed his sore forehead, too intimidated to argue. His coach's knuckles had been sharpened by years of practice—they really packed a sting.
...
That night, Jason finally had time to check the system. First thing, he upgraded the Greedy Wolf Talent. To avoid any accidents, he shut off his phone and locked the door...
"Ding. Greedy Wolf Talent (Basic) has advanced to Intermediate. After defeating an opponent, it permanently extracts 20% of their superior Attribute Points. Additionally, there is an extremely low chance of extracting the opponent's Vitality. (Note: Vitality is extremely rare. It delays aging and affects multiple attributes. This effect will not be displayed until the system is fully activated.)"
Jason fell silent, disappointment sinking in.
15% to 20%? That wasn't much of an upgrade.
The Vitality bonus sounded great, but "extremely low chance"? Who knew if it would ever trigger. Almost worthless!
Then he read the final note—and nearly broke down. The system wasn't even fully activated yet?
So all the blood, sweat, and effort he'd poured in... he was still stuck in the newbie village...
With his talent feeling lackluster, Jason checked the reward title.
[Little Madman of the Ring] — a basic offensive-type minor title, effective only when equipped during matches.
Effects: +1 Explosiveness, +1 Stamina. Adds a vicious aura to punches but slightly clouds mental clarity. Use with caution!
Pretty solid stats, though the side effect was annoying. Too bad it only worked in the ring—otherwise Jason would've tested it out right then and there!
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser