"Ding! Congratulations on defeating a powerful opponent in an official match. The Greedy Wolf Talent has automatically extracted the following superior attributes from your opponent: Strength +2, Toughness +2, Front Punch Power +1, Rear Punch Power +2, Recovery +3, Willpower +2. Additionally, a chance effect has been triggered, absorbing a small amount of Vitality. Vitality +1. Your lifespan has been slightly extended, and your body will undergo partial recovery. Please check your status promptly."
As the referee signaled the end of the match, Coach Brown and Raul immediately jumped into the ring, wrapping Jason Luo in an excited embrace. Though it was just a regular challenge bout, this victory carried immense significance.
Zack Bruzz—nicknamed The Mustang Marquez—was known as one of the toughest fighters in his division. Defeating him was proof enough of Jason's true power. With this record under his belt, Jason Luo had officially secured his place in the professional boxing scene.
Flashes exploded from every direction as reporters swarmed ringside, while the roar of the crowd shook the entire arena. But on the second floor, in the VIP box, Tutkason was livid.
"Useless! That Zack is an absolute disgrace! He couldn't land a hit when dodging and got wrecked in a straight-up fight! Charmu, this is the 'expert' you found for me?"
Charmu looked miserable. "Sir, Zack isn't weak. It's just that this kid's too damn tricky to deal with... Besides, it was you who approved Zack when we picked him..."
"What? Say that again!" Tutkason's glare froze him on the spot.
"Damn it! Damn it!" Tutkason kicked over the table and chairs in fury, his anger with nowhere to go. "Perfect. Not only did we fail to crush him—we've made him even more famous! Damn it! Find someone else! I refuse to believe that this rookie can't be taken down by anyone!"
Charmu grimaced. "Sir, now that he's beaten Zack, his momentum is sky-high. Ordinary fighters won't dare step into the ring with him, and top-tier pros won't lower themselves to face a rookie. It's going to be difficult to find someone."
Tutkason smirked coldly. "Then we'll make it easy. That brat's probably full of himself right now—let's build him up even higher and let the fall destroy him. I'll use our media to hype him until everyone resents him. Hmph! Get the word out and start immediately. You know what to do, right?"
Charmu nodded, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Heh, leave it to me, sir. You'll see."
...
Jason Luo was on fire!
His fight against Zack Bruzz had made him an overnight sensation. The WBA had already nominated the match as one of the Top Ten Fights of the Year, and officially promoted Jason as the undefeated rising star of the boxing world.
The media was in a frenzy. Jason's incredible evasions once again became the center of attention, and knocking Zack down three times in two rounds proved his explosive power beyond doubt. Before long, the press was hailing him as a rare prodigy—a perfect fusion of skill and raw aggression.
The very next day, Jason received another system notification:
"Ding! The system has detected a rapid surge in your public reputation. You've achieved the Fame Explodes reputation milestone. Reward: +1 Talent Skill Point. Use with caution."
Holy crap!
A Talent Skill Point!
This was incredibly valuable. Jason currently had four talents: Greedy Wolf Talent (Intermediate), Agile Physique (Intermediate), Unyielding Body (Basic), and Absolute Evasion (Basic). Which one should he enhance?
After thinking it over, Jason decided to upgrade Greedy Wolf Talent, since it was his main path to increasing strength.
But when he attempted it, the system rejected the action:
"Reminder: Upgrading Intermediate Talents requires Advanced Talent Skill Points. Upgrade failed."
"Huh?!"
So there were Advanced Talent Points too? That meant ordinary points could only upgrade Basic Talents. He'd have to choose between Unyielding Body and Absolute Evasion...
Jason was stumped.
Logically, Absolute Evasion sounded stronger—it was an Intermediate Rare Talent—but he found it impractical. It was purely defensive; during evasion, he couldn't attack, turning it into a reactive skill with uncertain benefits after upgrading.
Unyielding Body, on the other hand, had become risky. In professional boxing, rounds were longer, and the skill's passive trigger could be dangerous. Once activated, it forced him to knock out his opponent within two or three minutes—or he'd fall into a weakened state afterward. He hadn't yet tested whether that weakness could be neutralized, and if it couldn't, he'd be doomed.
He had no choice but to go with it!
Jason gritted his teeth and selected Unyielding Body for the upgrade.
The moment he made the decision, a brilliant purple light flared in his mind.
"Congratulations! Unyielding Body has undergone a mutation during the upgrade, evolving into the Intermediate Rare Talent—Victory in Adversity!"
"What the—? A mutation?"
Victory in Adversity (Intermediate Rare Talent):
During combat, the first time you're knocked down by a heavy hit, you will immediately recover all stats. For the next eight minutes, all attributes increase by 18%. However, if your opponent is not defeated within that time, you will enter a three-day Weakness Period, reducing all stats by 30%.
Special Note: If knocked down again during the eight-minute duration, the system will deduct 2 Vitality points to trigger another full recovery, repeating until the duration ends or Vitality is depleted. Vitality directly affects your health and the length of your professional prime. Proceed with caution.
Jason gasped. "Damn... what a talent!"
First off, Unyielding Body only worked in official matches, but Victory in Adversity could activate in any fight. Its duration and stat bonuses were also much greater—making it far more useful!
And not just that—after the first knockdown, he'd gain a full recovery for free, and as long as he had Vitality left, he could recover again by sacrificing it. It was practically overpowered!
But if he failed to win within the time limit, the backlash would be brutal.
Still... could that really happen?
Jason thought carefully. It could—but only if his Vitality reserves ran too low. As long as he had enough Vitality, the risk was minimal. The real danger came if he faced a stronger opponent while already drained.
Vitality... he needed to build it up fast. And by now, he had a hunch how—it increased when his opponents bled during battle.
In other words, the system was pushing him toward becoming a violent brawler!
Jason sighed inwardly and offered a silent apology to his future opponents. "Sorry, guys... looks like from now on, you'll have to shed a little blood. Otherwise, how am I supposed to keep this Vitality-hungry talent running?"
Without realizing it, the once naïve young fighter had already stepped onto a path paved with blood and violence...
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser