The 40-second talent duration turned the second round into Jason Luo's personal showcase. Naturally reserved, Jason wasn't one for showboating—but once Absolute Evasion activated, he had no control over how flashy it looked.
Before the eyes of forty thousand spectators, Jason once again displayed his miraculous evasive movement. The arena erupted—this was pure adrenaline, a spectacle within a spectacle, destined to become a classic.
The boxing fans in San Francisco were completely won over by his dazzling Footwork. From the crowd, voices rang out excitedly:
"Oh man, Jason Luo is incredible! Jason versus The Mustang? He could take on two at once!"
"The Mustang, don't get mad—when you're up against Jason Luo, you don't stand a chance! Better go home and practice, maybe try the amateurs again!"
The crowd roared with laughter. That was one brutal heckle.
In the ring, Zack was livid—but there was someone even angrier than him.
...
In the VIP box on the second floor, Tutkason had been overjoyed moments earlier when Jason Luo took a heavy punch from Zack. He'd even been ready to pop open a bottle of champagne to celebrate. But the sudden reversal unfolding in front of him left him speechless.
"What the hell is this? What the hell just happened?! No! That's impossible!"
Tutkason stared at Jason Luo in disbelief. In just a few short months, there was no way this kid could have developed such refined evasive technique. And if he'd possessed it all along, that made even less sense.
If Jason had this kind of movement back then, he never would have gone down under his fists. What was going on here?
Utterly baffled, Tutkason slammed the champagne bottle against the table, shattering it to pieces. Charmu, standing beside him, broke into a cold sweat.
...
Meanwhile, Zack was on the brink of despair. This didn't even feel like a boxing match anymore—more like a child trying to fight an adult. No matter how much he increased his Punch Speed, he still looked like a joke in Jason's eyes.
But just then, Jason felt Absolute Evasion come to an end.
Fortunately, after that long stretch, his mind was clear again. Seeing Zack still pressing forward, he immediately switched to blocking and defending.
However, after forty seconds of constant assault, Zack's momentum was fading fast. Through his guard, Jason could feel the obvious drop in power behind Zack's punches. One look at Zack's sweat-drenched state told him everything—his Stamina was running out.
Ha! Unintended fortune! Strike while the iron's hot—time for my counterattack!
Overcome with excitement, Jason let out a loud roar as he charged forward... but in that moment of exhilaration, he forgot something—the Brave Roar talent was voice-activated. His shout triggered it instantly.
"Ding! You have activated the talent 'Brave Roar.' Once activated, during frenzied attacks: Strength +2, Explosiveness +5, Stamina +3. However, Defense and Evasion receive a -1 reduction across all attributes. Once activated, the effect will last until the end of the match."
Jason froze. Damn it—joy turned to disaster! This was bad!
It was only the second round. Activating the talent this early meant he couldn't back off or dodge anymore—he'd have to go on full offense till the end. How could that work? Zack's heavy punches were still dangerous!
But once the talent activated, the change was instant. His eyes sharpened, all hesitation vanished. To hell with it. I'll finish him first!
Moments ago, Jason had been a picture of graceful Evasion—now he transformed into a savage beast, lunging straight at Zack.
The change was so sudden it stunned everyone.
Zack flinched in surprise, then grinned. A moment ago, he'd been on the edge of collapse—but now he saw a new chance at victory.
"Well, well, kid—you finally stopped dodging and dared to fight back?"
Fueled by renewed confidence, Zack met Jason head-on. But Jason, bolstered by his talent boost, was a different force altogether. His Combination Punches poured down like a storm, each strike faster and heavier than the last.
Zack, drained of Stamina, struggled to keep up. The difference in condition was clear—Jason now had the upper hand. Even so, Zack noticed something strange: Jason wasn't dodging at all anymore. He was taking everything head-on!
Under normal circumstances, that would've been good news. But Zack's body was failing him. Overwhelmed by Jason's nonstop offense, he was forced back step by step.
The second round had become a whirlwind of reversals. The once-dominant Zack was now the one being beaten backward. The crowd roared in disbelief and excitement.
Everyone wanted Jason to finish strong and seal this bout in spectacular fashion. But some sharp-eyed fans noticed something odd.
"Wait... why is he taking those punches instead of dodging? He's got such good movement!"
"Ha! You don't get it—he trained under a real master! He's got inner and outer strength—his body's like steel! He showed us his Evasion earlier, now he's showing us raw defense. What's so strange about that?"
"Damn... if that's true, who in the boxing world could stop him now? This guy's unstoppable!"
The audience buzzed with speculation while the fight raged on.
Powered by his talent, Jason fought with ferocious intensity, his offense unrelenting. Zack, though exhausted, still defended well—his control of distance remained sharp. Time and again, he deflected Jason's heavy punches by perfectly managing range.
Jason grew frustrated. He'd finally forced Zack into a stamina slump but still couldn't finish the job. If the round ended and Zack got to recover, those heavy punches would become a threat again.
Each time, Jason's blows landed just shy of the mark. Zack's distance control wasn't flashy, but it worked. The frustration mounted—time was running out, and the damage dealt was still limited.
Desperate, Jason lunged forward, closing the gap for an all-out close-range brawl.
"I don't believe you can still play your distance game at this range!"
The move worked. Once trapped in close quarters, Zack couldn't maintain spacing or even dodge effectively. Low on Stamina, he couldn't counter or escape—he could only hunker down and defend.
The scene was a perfect reversal of what had happened earlier in the round. Just minutes ago, Zack had turned Jason into his punching bag. Now, the tables had turned—Zack himself was the one getting hammered.
But Zack's resilience was what earned him the nickname "The Mustang." His endurance was exceptional. By sheer willpower, he held out until the end of the round.
When the bell rang, Jason felt a pang of frustration but had no choice. Amid the roaring cheers of the crowd, he returned to his corner.