Hearing Jason Luo's response, Pedro felt a mix of emotions. On one hand, the young fighter's determination reassured him; on the other, he worried the boy might get hurt in the ring.
He glanced at his watch—the one-minute rest was nearly over. "Alright then," he said, "but you must be careful. Your opponent may go for your abdomen again. Another heavy shot there would be dangerous. Don't neglect your head defense either. Once you're back in the ring, try to keep your distance at all costs. If you can just get through this round, things will look much better..."
Jason Luo gave a wry smile and nodded. He regretted being so careless before the fight, spending all his Free Attribute Points. If he'd saved some, he could've relied on the full recovery effect, and he wouldn't be in such a passive state now. Worse, if he had patched up the weakness in his Cross Power, things would be different. Sigh... lesson learned.. From now on, he had to keep something in reserve.
"Still, deep down, a stubborn thought stirred. Did he really need the system to win? Was he truly that helpless without it?"
He still had the trump card of the Unyielding Body, but Jason Luo's stubborn pride flared. Unless it was his last resort, he wouldn't use it.
His coach seized the final seconds. "Don't just defend—that'll only make you more passive. I've studied him. Your rear heavy punch isn't completely ineffective. Trust yourself. Sometimes opponents deliberately try to mislead you..."
The bell cut him off. Round Two began.
"The second round is underway! At the end of the last round, the young Jason was rocked by a heavy body shot from the Mexican fighter and nearly went down. Has the brief rest been enough for him to recover? The moment the round begins, Morduk comes charging in with a furious assault—it's clear he wants to finish this fight right now!"
"Jason chooses to back off, trying to avoid his opponent's pressure. But from the way he's moving, that body shot is still affecting him. That's a problem..."
The commentary was spot on. Jason Luo felt stabbing pain in his abdomen every time he punched or moved quickly. That, he could grit his teeth and bear. The real problem was Morduk's unyielding pursuit, hammering at his midsection and making the injury worse.
Morduk was experienced. He conserved energy, closing the distance without wasting punches, pressuring Jason step by step.
Only when Jason Luo tried to change angles did he seize the brief pause to unleash vicious attacks. Remembering his coach's advice, Jason didn't retreat into pure defense. He threw back punches to break Morduk's rhythm before leaping away to re-establish distance.
"Morduk has completely taken control of this round. Clearly, the Mexican has the edge in strength. But Jason is still fighting with grit—his counterpunches are sending a message that this fight is far from over."
Morduk grew impatient. He was done playing cat-and-mouse. Forcing Jason Luo back to the ropes, he suddenly unleashed a flurry of hooks, cutting off Jason's escape and launching a full-on assault.
After two failed attempts to break out, Jason Luo clenched his teeth. Screw it—does he think I'm afraid of him? Let's brawl then!
Even so, Jason stuck to his principle: he could take front-hand shots, but he had to guard against the rear heavy punch.
"The Mexican is going all-in! He's got Jason trapped on the ropes! The Chinese fighter has no choice but to fight back, and both are locked in a furious exchange. Oh, and here's where we see the terrifying power of the Mexican Style—head, ribs, abdomen, every part is under fire! This is a nightmare for any defender. Can the young Jason endure this multidirectional assault?"
"Good, very good. Jason's strategy is clever—he's sacrificing defense against the front-hand punches, focusing instead on dodging and blocking the heavy shots. That calm, clear-headed adjustment is why he's surviving this storm of blows. Impressive. Still, I'd advise him to break free quickly—sustained trading like this always leads to mistakes..."
Jason Luo knew it too. Staying in a slugfest would only hurt him more. Forgetting about conserving stamina, he unleashed a fierce combination, forcing Morduk back slightly before trying once again to change angles and create space.
But Morduk wasn't having it. He was furious. He hadn't come all the way from Mexico to America just to struggle against a rookie. He wanted to make a name for himself at the Los Angeles Golden Gloves, not look like a joke.
Seeing Jason try to slip away again, Morduk lunged forward in pursuit. In the chaos, something unexpected happened—even to him.
A hurried front-hand punch struck Jason Luo's shoulder. It wasn't heavy, nor did it hit a vital spot. But by sheer bad luck, it knocked Jason off balance mid-step. At that exact moment, Morduk unleashed a crushing rear hook. Jason sensed the danger, but his unbalanced body couldn't dodge. He could only watch as the punch slammed into his head!
The blow was devastating! It smashed into his jaw, his mouthguard flying out as he collapsed like a log, crashing to the canvas...
"Oh NO! Jason had just broken free from the pressure, but he lost his balance during the counterattack and took a brutal shot! God, that punch was vicious—it sent his mouthguard flying! It's over, it's all over! No one could possibly withstand a hit like that... what a shame, I really thought he'd survive this round..."
The referee rushed over to check Jason Luo's condition, while Morduk climbed the ropes, celebrating wildly.
At ringside, Raul and Pedro turned pale, ready to jump in at any moment.
Farther back, Tony Huo shoved forward, tears streaming down his face. "Jason, damn it, don't you dare scare me like this! Please, please don't let anything happen to you. Get up! Get up now!"
On the canvas, Jason Luo felt his consciousness slipping, as if his soul had drifted free. He could make out the faces around him, but no sound reached him. His head felt unbearably heavy, as if filled with lead, making even the smallest movement impossible—let alone standing back up.
But the sensation lasted less than a second.
"Ding! Severe damage detected. You are downed, meeting activation conditions for Unyielding Body. Unyielding Body automatically triggered. Reminder: this talent lasts only three minutes. Establish dominance immediately. After three minutes, you will enter a weakened state until the match ends."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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