Now that he was alone, Jason Luo finally felt free. Every morning at 6:00 a.m., he got up and trained until 8:30, then ran to the gym to start his sparring sessions.
In the afternoons, he devoted himself entirely to practicing his Boxing Technique. Still unsatisfied, he even bought a new punching bag so he could continue training at night.
During sparring with Reches, Jason Luo tried his best to dodge and evade, hoping to improve his Reaction and Dodge & Anticipation. Unfortunately, the results were disappointing. Reches' Punch Speed wasn't especially fast, yet Jason still couldn't avoid his punches. After each session, his body was covered in bruises.
"Ding! After rigorous training, your Toughness has improved. Keep up the good work!"
Jason Luo let out a bitter laugh. The skill he wanted to improve hadn't advanced at all—only his ability to take hits. Was he really destined to be a human punching bag forever?
Swallowing his frustration, Jason poured everything into training his Boxing Technique. But unlike last time, when he improved after just four days, this time there was no progress.
It wasn't until the seventh night after his father left that Jason, training at home, finally leveled up his Boxing Technique!
System-bound individual: Jason Luo
Age: 18
Height: 183 cm
Reach: 185 cm
Weight: 75.8 kg
Occupation: Boxing sparring partner
Reputation: Unknown
System Talent: (Greedy Wolf Power – Beginner)
Defeating an opponent grants a permanent extraction of 15% of their superior Attribute Points.
Strength: 7
stamina: 8
Boxing Technique: 4
Footwork: 3
Reaction: 3
Punch Speed: 4
Coordination: 6
Explosiveness: 5
Recovery: 6
Dodge & Anticipation: 4
Toughness: 9
Jab Power: 4
Cross Power: 6
Free Attribute Points: 3
Overall Evaluation: A promising newcomer with solid physical conditioning. Consider real combat practice—actual fighting is the best training!
Drenched in sweat, Jason stared at the system interface in surprise. The overall evaluation had changed—and now it even recommended real combat. Of course. What could be better training than actual fighting?
He had no professional coach anyway, and continuing like this wouldn't bring much progress. Just raising his Boxing Technique from 3 to 4 had taken ages. With less than three months left before his father returned, he didn't have time to waste.
He had to decide now! Even if he lost, at least he'd gain experience.
The next day, when Jason brought up this idea to Raul, the coach was startled.
"Jason, I don't recommend this. You've trained hard and made some progress, but you've only been at it for a short time. Give it another six months, then maybe you'll be ready."
Jason replied quickly, "Mr. Raul, please, just let me try. My father has already gone to the hospital to quit drinking. In two months, I don't even know if I'll still have the chance to box! I want to achieve something before he comes back—so there's hope."
Raul frowned, thinking it over. "Alright. I'll see if I can find you an opponent. The rest will be up to you. But you'll need to prepare a thousand dollars as a challenge fee."
"What?!" Jason's heart sank. "Why do I need to pay a challenge fee? I just scraped together enough for my father's medical bills. Where am I supposed to find that kind of money?"
Raul chuckled. "Silly boy. Who would fight you for nothing? But if you win, you'll make money and land new opportunities. If you don't have confidence, just keep training for a few more months."
Jason lowered his head. "I do have confidence... just not the money."
Raul stroked his chin before replying, "Fine. If you're confident, I'll cover it. But if you win, you'll pay me back $1,100. If you lose, I'll deduct $1,000 from your pay. Deal?"
Jason thought it over. A thousand dollars was more than half a month's wages—a significant sum. But finally, he gritted his teeth. "Alright, Mr. Raul. Let's do it your way."
Seeing him agree, Raul wasted no time. He measured Jason's height, weight, and reach. Jason looked confused, so Raul explained, "Don't think that just because we're not professionals, there are no rules. You can only challenge opponents close to your weight. Both sides have to exchange details about their style and measurements beforehand. Otherwise, no one would accept."
Jason finally understood. No wonder challenges were so difficult to arrange—no wonder he had never faced one before.
After recording the data, Raul explained that, by professional standards, Jason's weight placed him in the middleweight division—the most competitive of all. In this class, there were plenty of renowned offensive and technical fighters, so Jason should study their fighting styles carefully.
After saying this, Raul put on his suit and went out. With Raul gone, Jason lost all motivation to train. He pulled out his phone and started watching videos of middleweight bouts.
Gennady Golovkin, Canelo Álvarez, Daniel Jacobs, Jermall Charlo, Mikey Garcia, Terence Crawford...
The more Jason watched, the more overwhelmed he felt. Their dodging, their precision in seizing opportunities, their devastating punches, their incredible Punch Speed...
His confidence crumbled. Could he really succeed? Compared to them, he felt lumbering and heavy, like a bear. If he failed, not only would he lose money, but he'd also become a laughingstock.
Maybe Raul wouldn't even find an opponent. But less than two hours later, Raul returned smiling.
"Jason, you're lucky. In this weight class, I found a suitable opponent for you. Here's his profile."
Jason nervously accepted it. Jonathan, 40 years old, 178 cm tall, 73.8 kg, with a reach of 180 cm.
Raul added, "Jonathan is an experienced fighter, currently serving as sparring partner for 'Black Storm' Kamman. He has agile Footwork and solid Dodge & Anticipation, with plenty of experience in real fights. But he's getting older, and Kamman doesn't like his style much. This is a good opportunity—provided you can beat him."
Jason felt uneasy. "Mr. Raul, do you think I have a real chance?"
Raul shook his head. "Jason, you can't think that way. In boxing, the first rule is believing you can win. Jonathan's punches aren't particularly powerful. With your Toughness, it's unlikely he'll knock you down. But he's experienced, and his Punch Speed is decent. You'll need a strategy to counter him. Otherwise, he could still win on points."
"The challenge is set for tomorrow at 9 a.m. Veteran boxer Joel will serve as referee and judge. You can trust him for fairness. As for strategy, that's up to you. No one knows you better than yourself. Adjust your mindset, keep your stamina, and don't underestimate four rounds—once you're in the ring, it won't be easy."
Jason felt overwhelmed. "Tomorrow morning... but what about my sparring work?"
Raul laughed, giving him a light tap on the shoulder. "You're still thinking about that? Don't worry, I'll take care of it. Meet me here at 8:30 tomorrow morning. I'll take you to Morsal Tavern, where the challenge will be held. Don't be late—and keep your phone on at all times..."
Raul said much more, but Jason hardly heard the rest. He left the gym in a daze, his mind in turmoil.
He pulled out his phone to call Tony Huo, wanting to tell him about it, but the line wouldn't connect. Who knew what that guy was doing?
Back home, Jason racked his brain but couldn't find any effective strategies. He watched plenty of fight videos, but none of them seemed to fit his current situation...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser