[Brave Roar]—Intermediate Offensive Title, effective in official matches.
Requires a battle cry to activate. Once triggered, it unleashes a fearless, all-out assault. During offense: Strength +2, Explosiveness +5, Stamina +3. However, when defending or retreating, all attributes decrease by 1. Once activated, it cannot be canceled until the match ends. Use with caution!
After reading the description, Jason Luo was left speechless. Technically, the upgraded Brave Roar was far superior to the Little Madman of the Ring title, with a full ten-point boost to attributes! More importantly, it no longer carried the mind-altering side effects—a crucial improvement.
Since turning professional, Jason's opponents had grown increasingly powerful. Without a clear head, even a moment's lapse could open him up to counterattacks. For that reason, he'd been using the Little Madman title less and less.
But while Brave Roar no longer clouded his mind, it forced a reckless, offense-only style. Defense and retreat both suffered penalties, and worst of all—it couldn't be deactivated mid-match.
This... Jason pictured it in his head: no retreat, no defense, only relentless offense. Wasn't that the same state his old opponent, the Madman Gossagen, had been in?
He slowly shook his head. Yeah, this title had to be used with extreme caution.
...
After two consecutive matches to farm experience, public opinion began to turn against Jason Luo. Some critics accused him of padding his record, others claimed his famed evasive skills were exaggerated. At the same time, his popularity began to drop sharply.
In response, Rod and Coach Brown discussed the situation. It was time for Jason to challenge higher-ranked opponents—otherwise, the media would soon start flooding the headlines with negative stories.
Jason agreed. It was already April; if he didn't start climbing now, any dream of challenging for a championship this year would remain just that—a dream.
Jason had been asking Rod about Carl Frazier's progress. The guy had joined Golden Boy Promotions and was fighting in the WBO circuit. Having that kind of backing made all the difference. The WBO was known for its fierce competition, yet Frazier had climbed fast—rumor had it he was already ranked around 400th.
He couldn't let that guy outshine him!
Jason told Rod to find his next opponent from around the 400th ranking. Rod was startled. "Jason, that's too risky! Normally, fighters within fifty spots of each other are evenly matched. Jumping two hundred places is reckless—it's dangerous, and it puts huge pressure on me too. With your popularity dipping, the other side might even refuse the match outright."
Coach Brown quickly added, "Jason, let's not rush things. We've worked hard to reach this point. One wrong move could trigger a chain reaction. Plenty of people out there are waiting for you to make a mistake so they can strike. I suggest picking someone ranked below 500."
Jason paused, realizing he'd been too impulsive. "Alright, Coach, you're right. I'll listen. Also, I'd like to request a few days off to visit Coach Pedro. It's been too long—if I don't go now, I'd be a pretty ungrateful student."
Brown nodded slowly. "Go ahead, Jason. Sonny mentioned Coach Pedro's lost a lot of weight recently. Ah... please give him my regards. I have to stay to help Mr. Rod analyze future opponents—I can't leave right now."
"Got it, Coach. I'll go and be back soon. I won't let it interfere with training."
...
This time, Jason traveled with his father, Henry Luo, who brought along a prepared check for $300,000. That afternoon, they boarded a flight to Princeton, New Jersey.
Princeton Medical Center was the largest state-run medical and health sciences hospital in the country, one of only a few recognized as a NICHE Model Hospital.
As an affiliate of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, it housed some of the most advanced medical technology in the world—but the treatment costs were also astronomical...
On the sixth floor of the inpatient ward, Jason finally saw Coach Pedro. The once-tough old man was now bald, frail, and shockingly thin. Jason's eyes immediately reddened.
"Coach... I'm sorry. It's hard seeing you like this."
Pedro no longer had his usual stern expression. His clouded eyes had lost their old sharpness. "Jason, you're here? Cough cough... Sit down, let your father sit too. Don't worry about me—this is the best hospital in the world. The doctor said I can last another year or two, no problem. Cough cough..."
Jason quickly grabbed his hand. "No, Coach, you'll get better, I know you will! I keep dreaming of you kicking my butt again during training. Coach, I..."
"Silly boy... I'm old. Even without this illness, I'd have to meet God sooner or later. Don't be sad for me. I heard you've won three in a row—that's great! But listen—keep calm, don't get impatient. Professional boxing isn't easy. Your career's been smooth so far, but don't get arrogant..."
Jason nodded hard, tears welling up.
"Here's some advice—the higher you climb, the tougher your opponents become... Take your time. Losing once or twice is perfectly normal. Don't lose heart... I'll be waiting for you... Cough cough..."
Sonny quickly stepped forward to help the old coach. "You should rest, you've talked too much today. Sleep a bit before we chat more."
Jason knew he couldn't let Coach Pedro overexert himself. "Yeah, get some rest. We're not leaving yet—we'll come back tonight to see you again."
After making sure the coach was settled, Sonny quietly led them out. Henry Luo took out the check and handed it to him. "Jason said to use this for now. If it's not enough, we'll transfer more immediately."
Sonny shook his head as he accepted it. "The old devil's as stubborn as ever. He won't even take my money. But for now, he's still holding on fine. Leave it with me—I'll see when it's really needed. You two should get some rest. I'll call you when he's feeling better tonight."
As they were about to leave, Jason suddenly asked, "Mr. Sonny, doesn't Coach have any children? I haven't seen his family around."
"Ah... His wife passed away six years ago. His son's a career soldier. He came back from the Middle East not long ago, but his duties keep him from staying. Don't worry, Jason—he's well cared for here. Honestly, I don't do much—just visit him to chat now and then."
Jason opened his mouth but couldn't find any words. In the end, he bowed deeply to Sonny. "Thank you, Mr. Sonny."
He had made up his mind—whenever he had time, he would visit the coach more often. Jason felt deeply that he owed the old man far too much...