After talking with Kamman, Jason Luo felt his nerves tighten. Kamman was far stronger than him, and if even someone like that was anxious, then the Golden Gloves Tournament clearly hid plenty of dangerous talents that couldn't be underestimated.
Jason Luo wasn't sure about his level anymore. His coach once said he was a third-tier boxer, while Kamman was considered a minor second-tier. If that was the case, how strong were the top amateurs?
He pulled up his attribute panel.
System Binder: Jason Luo
Age: 18
Height: 184 cm
Wingspan: 187 cm
Weight: 76.2 kg
Occupation: Amateur Contracted Boxer
Reputation: Somewhat Well-Known
System Talent: (Greedy Wolf Power - Beginner)
After defeating an opponent, permanently absorb 15% of their superior Attribute Points.
Agile Physique (Intermediate Minor Talent)
Years of training have made your body stronger, more flexible, and resilient. Critical joints are reinforced, recovery speed after injury improves by 20%, and your physique becomes more athletic and appealing. Charm is increased, and male biological functions receive some enhancement.
Unyielding Body (Basic Minor Talent)
In official matches, the first time you're knocked down, all stats are fully restored. For the next three minutes, all stats increase by 15%. Afterward, however, you enter a weakened state with all stats reduced by 20%.
Strength: 9
Stamina: 9
Boxing Technique: 6
Footwork: 8
Reaction: 7
Punch Speed: 7
Coordination: 7
Explosiveness: 7
Recovery: 7
Dodge & Anticipation: 7
Toughness: 11
Jab Power: 6
Cross Power: 10
Free Attribute Points: 0
Overall Assessment: Your technique is still lacking, though your physical attributes are impressive. System analysis shows you currently rank at the bottom tier of the amateur level. But with this system, you need not fear. Dare to challenge yourself—your future will be bright!
The system's assessment had changed again. When had that happened?
From Rookie, to Beginner, and now "bottom-tier." Did that mean the same as a third-rate fighter? This system wasn't user-friendly at all. It was bare-bones, just like a single-player game interface. Other people's systems could talk and even act playful—were those all fake?
Jason Luo ignored the encouragement. Of course he wanted to challenge himself. More matches meant faster growth, and he understood that well. He'd even mentioned it to Raul this morning when delivering the food recommendation list.
But Raul told him the Golden Gloves tournament was about to start. Everyone with real skill was already preparing. If they got injured now, it would affect their tournament performance. That meant it would be nearly impossible to arrange more matches before then.
So, his only option before the tournament was training. What bad luck—his last match hadn't even given him any Free Attribute Points. And the one Talent Point he'd earned, he wasted on the wrong thing...
Complaining was useless. Training was all he could do.
That evening, during his session with Brown, the old man was still focused on adjusting his muscle groups. Jason Luo was growing anxious.
"Mr. Brown, I don't mean any disrespect, but the tournament is starting soon. Could you teach me a way to boost my strength quickly? I heard there are a lot of top fighters competing. What if I can't even make it past the preliminaries? How could I face you all after that?"
"What, impatient already?" Brown chuckled. "It's true, placing high in the tournament won't be easy. But you need to look long-term. Forcing growth never works. If you recklessly push your muscle training, it'll only backfire. You can't rapidly raise your strength, but you can dig into your potential."
Jason Luo's eyes lit up. "Dig into my potential? What do you mean?"
Brown waved him over to the heavy bag. "Show me your hardest punch."
Without asking further, Jason Luo took his stance, gathered power into his Cross, stepped forward, and slammed a punch into the bag. It swung back sharply. He was quite satisfied with that—his Cross Power had risen to 10 now, something he couldn't do before.
Brown nodded slightly. "Not bad. You've got some natural strength for a beginner. Now, start dodging. When I shout 'Strike,' throw your full punch. Got it?"
Jason Luo nodded. Brown definitely had his reasons, so he followed instructions. He feinted and dodged, and when Brown shouted "Strike!", he unleashed a punch. This time, the bag only rocked back, far weaker than before.
Brown explained, "If we rate your full-power punch as 10, that's only theoretical. In an actual fight, no opponent will stand still like a sandbag. They'll block and dodge. Even if an opening shows, it's gone in an instant. You won't have time to build power. A sudden punch like that will be weaker—maybe a 6 or 7. That's your real combat strength. Understand?"
The number startled Jason Luo at first, though he quickly realized it was just a figure of speech. Still, the coincidence felt a little too neat...
Guided by Brown, he began to understand. "So you mean that in matches, because of the conditions, I can't fully bring out my strength during exchanges?"
"Not just you—almost all boxers are the same," Brown said. "You can't instantly convert all of your raw power into effective striking force. That's why power generation technique is so important. Master the right techniques, and you'll improve that conversion rate, gradually pushing your real combat strength closer to that 10."
Jason Luo got it now. His panel showed his Cross Power at 10, but in real fights, only part of that landed. By mastering power generation techniques, he could raise his effective striking force—essentially boosting his true strength.
"Perfect! Then please, teach me the power generation technique right away. This is exactly what I need!" Jason Luo's eagerness was obvious.
Brown just laughed and waved him off. "Don't be in such a rush. There's more to it. Watch carefully."
He then threw a punch at the heavy bag. To Jason Luo's surprise, the bag didn't move at all.
"Kid, did you catch that?"
Jason Luo blinked. It was just a punch... what was he supposed to notice?
"Still don't get it, huh..." Brown pointed at the bag. "Your punch looked strong, but because your arm swing was too long, part of the force turned into push, which is why the bag swung so much. That kind of punch works if you want to disrupt your opponent's balance."
"But if you want to deal more effective damage, you should lock your fist upon contact. That way, the power explodes from the knuckles, creating penetrating force. Such punches cause internal damage. Accumulate enough of them, and the results are devastating."
...