Under heavy media pursuit in Puerto Rico, Jason Luo and his team practically slipped away under the radar...
But by the very next day after returning to Chicago, major sports websites began circulating the video. Newspapers and even TV sports shows joined in, each dissecting the same question from every angle.
The core debate came down to this: had Jason Luo truly mastered this technique—or was it just a fluke?
And just as heated was another question: was his skill born purely from boxing training, or did it come from some mysterious, unconventional discipline?
Henry Luo, who had just finished setting up his son's personal webpage, was immediately overwhelmed. Thousands of users flooded the site each day, asking if the video was real. Once confirmed, the reactions exploded—especially among fans who spammed the comments with things like "Unreal!", "Insane reflexes!", and endless streams of "6666!"
In short, everyone was praising Jason Luo to the skies—
"He's got the skill!"
"He's smooth as hell!"
"What a monster physique!"
"He can punch hard and dodge fast—this guy's unreal!"
Jason Luo had officially gone viral.
But with fame came chaos. That same night, Rod convened an emergency meeting to decide how to handle the public narrative. Jason maintained his stance: the ability wasn't some secret technique, just a temporary state he could sometimes enter. He hadn't fully mastered it, and it only triggered under certain unknown conditions...
Still, the biggest headaches came from tabloid reporters and overzealous fans, whose intrusions were beginning to affect his family life.
That night, Jason discussed moving with his father. Henry, who had also been hounded these past few days, agreed immediately.
"You're right, son. We can't stay here anymore. We've got some savings now—it's time to buy a place. I've grown attached to this apartment, but renting forever isn't the answer."
Jason nodded. "Alright, Dad, you decide. Get a bigger house, so Grace doesn't have to keep renting. But we have to keep it quiet—no way the reporters find out this time."
Henry chuckled. "You silly kid, if they want to follow you, there's no hiding. This time, we'll buy a proper house. Private homes here are legally protected—they won't dare barge in. It's not like these apartments where anyone can walk through the door."
Jason grinned. "You're always one step ahead, Dad."
Life can turn on a dime—one event can completely change everything.
Just as things started settling down, the aftershocks arrived. Jason had become the hottest name in boxing. Fighters across the WBA circuit now had their sights set on him, eager to ride the wave of his fame.
Boxers ranked around 600th on the leaderboard began issuing open challenges, vowing to "shatter Jason Luo's legend."
For someone who had worried about finding matches, Jason now found himself the target of everyone's attention. Coach Brown was suddenly swamped, reviewing offers and discussing potential opponents with him.
Jason hesitated. Logically, he should ride his momentum and challenge higher-ranked fighters. But after his last match, he'd realized that as a newcomer to the professional scene, his overall Strength was still lacking.
As Coach Brown often said, a professional record is like a boxer's feathers—it follows you for life. You can't afford to lose them lightly.
From the bout with Koselan, Jason had gained eight attribute points: two in Stamina, one in Rear Hand Power, two in Boxing Technique, one in Dodge & Anticipation, one in Coordination, and one in Willpower. But even with that, he still didn't feel he had a true edge in any area.
Taking all this into account, Jason leaned toward accepting a couple of lower-tier challenges first—to strengthen himself before climbing further.
Brown agreed completely. "Jason, I'm glad you're thinking this way. You've only just entered the professional ranks. Your technique still needs refining, and your in-ring experience is thin. Rushing up the rankings would be reckless. Don't be blinded by the media hype—if you suffer even one loss, the backlash will be brutal. Taking steady fights to build your foundation is the smartest move right now."
Jason sighed. Since turning pro, he'd suddenly found himself juggling so much—training quietly had become almost impossible.
Brown chuckled. "That's professional boxing for you—it's built on fame and pressure. Learn to tune it out. At its core, it's no different from the amateurs. Everything still comes down to one thing: victory. As long as you remember that, you'll be fine."
Jason thought of Coach Pedro. Brown told him he'd already been in touch—Pedro knew Jason was in the spotlight and advised him to stay calm and focus on his training.
With both coaches on the same page, Jason made up his mind. He shut out all distractions and threw himself back into training.
During drills, he even tried testing Absolute Evasion again with McGrady, hoping to merge counterattacks into it—but found it nearly impossible.
The evasions were completely patternless. Not only were they unpredictable for opponents, but even Jason couldn't control them. His arms and torso couldn't sync properly, making the whole thing look awkward—almost comedic.
It was now clear why the system had rated such a powerful move as only an intermediate reward—it was unbeatable defensively, but impossible to blend with offense.
Still, Jason didn't come away empty-handed. Through constant training, he began trying to recapture that state of heightened mental focus—the one where everything around him faded away. He worked to simulate that feeling during normal drills, attempting to force himself back into that state.
But it wasn't easy.
No matter how hard he tried, progress was limited. He could only sense slight improvement in his evasive ability. Still, Jason didn't give up and kept grinding day after day.
After further discussions, Brown and Rod accepted Jason's proposal. They selected a lower-tier challenger named Bania as his next opponent and began organizing the match.
This time, as the fighter being challenged, Rod arranged for Jason to fight on home turf and reached out to the Podiat promotions team.
They took it seriously—Jason's popularity in the Chicago area was rising fast. They planned to promote the event heavily, starting a week in advance to build anticipation.
...
Inside the training gym, Brown and Jason reviewed their opponent's stats.
"Bania," Brown said, tapping the sheet. "Mexican fighter. Got his nickname 'Ghost Face' after a childhood fight left him with facial scars. Twenty-two years old, one seventy-nine tall, reach one eighty-one, fights at seventy-nine kilos. Aggressive, all-out style—never takes a step back. Record: six wins, four by KO."
Brown gave a small chuckle. "He's only recently advanced to Class II. Those six-round fights aren't much proof of his level, but still—Mexican fighters are known for their grit. We shouldn't underestimate him."
Jason nodded firmly. "Don't worry, Coach. I'll never take any opponent lightly. Besides, some people say I padded my record with an easy debut. Fine—this time, I'll silence them with Bania."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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