Silvaliev advanced steadily, while Jason Luo fought while backing away. For a while, neither side could find a real opening.
"Stop! Time's up."
The referee's call ended the first round.
In this kind of venue, breaks were taken right outside the ring. Coaches and teammates rushed over. Raul spoke first:
"That was close, Jason. Good thing you reacted fast—I never would've thought of that."
Brown followed.
"Yeah, that changes everything. Once you countered his move, he turned into a big clumsy bear. Just keep your Footwork sharp and you should win on points without a problem!"
Pedro crouched down, patting Jason Luo's stomach.
"Still gotta be careful. That punch earlier—you okay? Shame the side-attack tactic didn't work. If you move straight back, watch out for him trying again. Stay steady—he could still have tricks up his sleeve."
"I'll keep that in mind!" Jason Luo answered, though inwardly he wanted to complain—the guy smelled unbelievably foul…
Brown pressed on quickly.
"Jason, I've figured it out. His head defense is solid. Honestly, with a head that size, even if you land, it won't matter much. Better switch targets. Go for the ribs or the joints—those count for points too. Forget about knocking him out, that's just not realistic."
The reminder struck Jason Luo. Right, time to change targets. Punching his head felt like hitting cotton—nothing ever landed clean. Better to aim elsewhere, at least it would feel satisfying. As for knocking him down, Jason Luo wasn't expecting it. Unless he boosted his Attributes—but he wasn't going to spend the Free Attribute Point he'd worked so hard to save unless he had no choice.
One minute wasn't enough for much talk. The bell rang, and the second round began.
This time, Jason Luo began to appreciate the control of a technical fight. As long as his opponent didn't close in, his short stature, limited reach, and slow Footwork left him no choice but to walk into Jason Luo's punches. But Jason Luo was tall with long legs—one backward step covered as much ground as one and a half of Silvaliev's. How could he ever catch up?
After circling twice, Silvaliev couldn't take it anymore. After all this time, he had landed only one or two clean punches. That wasn't acceptable.
He lowered his stance again, preparing to charge. Jason Luo, alarmed, quickly stepped in to clinch and smother the attack…
He'd once sworn he'd rather take a punch than clinch, but when it came down to life or death, there was no choice. He just had to grit his teeth and bear it. Seriously, could the guy not take a bath before the fight? Even without breathing it in, the stench stung his eyes…
The fight was losing its entertainment value. Silvaliev had no other effective rush tactics left, and with his sluggish Footwork, he couldn't trap Jason Luo in a corner.
At this rate, only defeat awaited him. The referee even considered stopping the fight, since it was becoming meaningless.
But then, Silvaliev lowered his stance again. Jason Luo thought another rush was coming and moved in to clinch—only to fall for a trick. Silvaliev didn't charge. Instead, he unleashed a sudden straight from his rear hand that smashed directly into Jason Luo's face!
The punch came quickly yet still carried force. Jason Luo tried to raise a hand to block, but it was too late—the fist grazed his guard and crashed into his forehead.
The blow snapped his head back, splitting the skin above his brow as blood streamed instantly.
"Thud, thud, thud!" Jason Luo staggered back four steps before finding his footing, his head buzzing as if thrown into a roaring stadium filled with chaotic noise.
Blood trickled into one eye, blurring his vision. Through the haze, Jason Luo barely made out Silvaliev charging in with a gleeful expression.
Somewhere in his subconscious, he heard his coach shouting:
"Step back—danger!"
Jason Luo trusted his coach and quickly shuffled back two steps—just as Silvaliev's two heavy punches slammed down, narrowly missing. One step late and Jason Luo would've gone down.
Cold sweat drenched him as he wiped blood from his eye with his arm. His vision cleared slightly, only for the blood to start flowing again.
As his head stopped spinning, Jason Luo heard Brown and his coach yelling together:
"Time out! Time out—we request a time out!"
"He's injured! His vision's affected, that's unfair—we request treatment!"
The referee grabbed the surging Silvaliev, halting him and allowing treatment for Jason Luo. The Russian lost his best chance and stomped the ground in frustration.
Jason Luo's corner was chaos. Pedro pressed hard on the wound, shouting:
"Quick, ice pack! Gauze and tape—now!"
Brown was frantic.
"Kid, how do you feel? Still dizzy? Say something—anything!"
Tony had dropped his phone.
"Jason, it's my fault, I—"
"I'm fine, Coach, I'm fine! I only felt dizzy right when he hit me. I'm good now. I can keep fighting, don't worry!"
Hearing him speak normally, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Brown quickly checked his pupils, then nodded at Pedro.
"Good. That's good. We're lucky. Jason, listen carefully—don't rush in. Pick your shots. If you're not sure, back off. This guy is too dangerous."
"It's fine, Coach. I was careless just now—that was my mistake. I can handle him, I promise! Mr. Raul said he'd give me a raise—I'll make it happen!"
Everyone groaned in exasperation. Even now, Jason Luo was thinking about money. Raul scolded him while wrapping the bandage.
"You fool! Is that little money worth your life? I never should've told you!"
By now, even more spectators had gathered around the ring. Seeing the blood, the female audience members stopped smiling, their faces filled with worry for the young fighter.
"Wow! That Russian is vicious—one punch and he's in this state. Can that handsome guy keep going?"
"I don't know… if it were me, I'd quit. This isn't boxing anymore—it's a death match."
"Yeah, way too dangerous…"
The referee checked his watch and stepped forward.
"Gentlemen, I can't give you any more time. What's your decision? Continue?"
Everyone turned to Jason Luo. He stood up.
"Of course I continue! Victory will be mine!"
With that, he strode back into the ring.
"Jason, steady yourself, slow the pace."
"Jason, go for it! Be careful!"
The crowd applauded as Jason Luo, bloodied but unbowed, returned to the fight.
"Go, handsome guy—we're with you!"
"Good job, kid, you can win this!"
Back in the ring, Jason Luo showed no fear. Instead, he went on the offensive, shifting his attacks to the ribs and joints while staying vigilant for sudden charges.
Silvaliev wasn't about to give up, but Jason Luo stayed calm, only reacting when his opponent truly committed, never giving him another chance to deceive.
...
(35 Chapters Ahead)
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