The spotlight was blinding. He raised a hand above his head, partly to block the blazing lights but also to hide his facial features from the audience. He had known that no one in his family was supposed to be in these parts of the city. But he had to make sure anyone who even barely knew Lian wouldn't be able to recognize him.
Regardless, his efforts proved pointless as the host loudly announced his name across the entire arena.
Jin turned to him as the host described him with enthusiasm.
"Today's fighter is a young man we've never seen before! His hands are gentle, but his words are unwavering. Well, it's only a matter of time until we get to see if his punches are just as hard!"
He went on and on, hyping up the spectators who were confused by Jin's sudden appearance.
Turning back to the ring, he noticed the dried blood and other bodily fluids staining the concrete floor. The walls were also made of concrete, with a few noticeable cracks spread all over their surface.
Everything here was engineered precisely to glorify each attack that landed. Even something as simple as falling on the ground would become lethal if one lost momentum.
'No wonder people still come here even though we can't use qi, let alone our core ability.'
A challenger is several times stronger than a normal human, even without using their qi. So, a punch alone could prove deadly enough to demolish concrete.
That was also why he had decided to come to this place.
Stretching his neck, he looked at his hands.
'Not a single blister. This kid has never experienced a battle yet. If I take this body inside the tower, my instincts will bring forth my end. I can't take that risk.'
It was no surprise that Lian had died at the hands of the mutant ape.
Therefore, in order to become stronger, Jin needed to transform Lian's body into a blank canvas. He needed to completely overhaul all his habits and instincts. He had to lay a foundation over which he could build his martial arts brick by brick.
And the fastest way to do so was by entering a fight voluntarily.
As he stretched his arms, a tall person entered the ring from the other side.
The host went wild as he announced the other contender's name.
Allen was how Jin had expected him to be but still surpassed his expectations in a rather bad way.
He wasn't the usual brawler one saw beating someone else up in a shady alley. Standing at a towering two meters in height, he looked down at him. His frame was daunting, making Jin look like an actual child in front of him.
Allen unzipped his tracksuit and threw it behind him. The scars all over his body made the crowd wild. All the people started chanting his name. It was as if they had been waiting all day simply for this one fight.
Meanwhile, no one cheered for Jin, which was ideal for him.
'The owner… she really wants to see me get crushed badly, huh? Do these people not know empathy?'
Jin didn't have to spend too much time understanding what type of person Allen was. Some people were more used to making others hurt than others. Allen looked like the person who thrived on it.
But he didn't let it show. He didn't make any extra movements, nor did he even say a single word until now. That made him even more dangerous, since a lunatic was always easier to handle than someone who had no expression at all.
As Jin stared at him, Allen spoke.
"Do you have a family?"
He was taken aback by the question.
"No."
Allen's expression softened, as if all the guilt in his body had left.
"Good. It won't be a problem then."
Jin raised a brow.
"What won't be a problem?"
Allen didn't answer. Instead, he said, "Don't worry, it'll end soon."
The two backed up to the wall as the host came to an end.
An ear-splitting ringing of a bell enveloped the entire area, the crowd going silent with it.
The battle had started.
The two kept the distance between them as they circled the arena. Their gazes were glued to each other, both waiting for the other to move first. With each passing second, Jin's heart rumbled heavily.
Allen was the first to make a move. Lowering his center of gravity, he took a boxing stance and closed the distance instantly.
Jin relaxed his body as he anticipated Allen's strike. In the blink of an eye, they were standing in front of each other.
He turned to the side, dodging a quick jab. But that wasn't all, as Allen retracted his hand in an inhumane manner and launched another jab.
With every jab he dodged, a cross came his way, exploiting every narrow gap in his defense.
Despite successfully dodging every punch, Jin understood the importance of remaining vigilant. And his prediction was right.
Allen was exponentially faster for a man his size. That speed kept increasing by the second, with each of his next moves carrying a different kind of lethality.
Having dodged numerous blows, his lower body was completely unguarded. Allen threw a thigh kick toward him.
Instead of falling back, Jin entered his range. Unfortunately, Allen had predicted that as well.
Grounding the kick that was in the air just a moment ago, he twisted his torso as he launched a deadly punch toward Jin.
But Jin didn't seem fazed at all. He lowered his body in such a way that the hit landed on his shoulder. Being right under Allen, he lodged his elbow in Allen's abdomen. The strike landed cleanly.
Allen pulled his strike back mid-attack and backed away.
Jin clicked his tongue. Even if he had managed to lower the impact by twisting his body, a pulsing pain lingered in his shoulder.
Meanwhile, it seemed as if Allen were completely unaffected. There was no bruising near his abdomen, nor had he changed his posture in any sense.
'Ah… I need to find a weakness soon. Fighting him head-on would be suicide.'
Allen didn't give him any more time to rest.
Each exchange was life-threatening. He dodged the attacks that were completely unhinged while deflecting the ones he could. He only got the chance to counterattack once in every trade.
Even if he did counter, Allen didn't budge at all. Rather, he was starting to lean in even more, experiencing the full power of Jin's counters.
'Hah, the nerve. He's still holding back.'
Even now, Allen was only probing his skills.
It felt like he was hitting his pride instead, which hurt him even more. However, Jin understood that Allen was not an opponent to be underestimated.
The more heated their battle became, the more he became familiar with his nature. And he was not happy with Allen's true nature.
His attacks weren't meant to kill Jin. Allen wanted him to suffer as Jin hoped to defeat him. With each attack, he aimed to erode the will that propelled him forward. It was a slow and torturous method that stripped away the opponent's dignity, forcing them to take the offensive.
The moment they went on the offensive, he'd punish them gravely.
At least he was surprised by Jin's attacks at the start. But as time passed, he adapted to his counters as well, blocking them with his unyielding body.
The gaps in his defense that Jin was exploiting one by one were barely visible by now.
He was gradually forcing Jin into a corner. Despite his attempts at turning the tables, he couldn't contend against Allen's constant onslaught. It had started to feel like the ring had suddenly shrunk, the wall now much closer than before.
Unfortunately, Jin was nothing but patient.
He hadn't taken any stance since he didn't need one. All he needed was to test Lian's body to its limits. He wanted to know where his body reacted and where it pushed itself forward.
And he was having a challenging time doing so. Despite his intention to take a hit, Allen's strikes were anything but gentle. Each carried an explosive force behind it, punishing him even if he redirected the attack.
But Jin's movements were far more insidious. They carried the vast knowledge of martial arts he had cultivated during his entire past life. Allen's every attack was something he had experienced before, bringing him closer to understanding his attack pattern.
His limbs moved like a poisonous snake, slithering past Allen's attacks. Allen wasn't being pushed back, but he couldn't crush him either, making it a frustrating situation for him.
Raising his shin to block another kick, Jin felt his back against the wall.
Before he knew it, Allen was holding Jin's head tightly.
"Try dodging this."
Allen pulled Jin's head down and lifted his knee, landing a devastating hit in his ribs.
Backing away, he loosened his body. The crowd went wild as Jin gasped for air. The host screamed like a maniac as he described the exchange of blows. People who had bet on Jin were screaming at him.
The host pointed at Jin as he spoke.
"Oof… That has to hurt. But look at that! Our young challenger isn't giving up yet!"
Fixing his posture, Jin took in a deep breath. He felt the life in him return as the air reached his lungs.
He was hearing all kinds of shouts in the spectator area. Some urged him to stay down, while a select few threatened him to kill Allen. Some even offered Allen more money just to witness Jin's further beating.
Inside the VIP chamber, three people were sitting on a large sofa. A young man leaned against the wall, observing the match with immense interest. His raven eyes were fixed on Jin, evaluating his every move.
There was a soft smile on his face. The maids in the back kept stealing glances at him.
The club owner was sitting in the middle of the sofa, with two other individuals sitting a bit further away from her.
The middle-aged man on her right finally spoke, and the maids immediately straightened at the sound of his voice.
"What a deranged sight. Is this why you called me here?"
The owner grinned.
"Bored already? I know they're not up to your expectations, but I'm sure you're interested too."
The lady on her right chuckled quietly.
"I knew there were a few monsters in the new generation. But which rock was this kid hiding under?"
The middle-aged man turned back slightly.
"Do you know him, Arthur?"
The young man spoke, but the smile on his face had vanished.
"Yes, Father. He's the only participant who survived in the other group."
The lady at the end of the sofa turned to him as well, her sleek hair tucked behind her ear.
"Isn't that the group that mainly had commoners? Does he belong to a clan?"
Arthur shook his head.
"As far as I know, he is supposed to be from the lower districts."
When their eyes met, the lady's lips curled even further.
The owner finally spoke again, her tone carrying a faint hint of mockery.
"Well, I can understand why you don't like him. Unlike you, the kid is only relying on his technique and the flow of energy. A single clean hit should have crippled him by now. And yet he's still standing. Especially that last brawl."
The middle-aged man didn't reply. His face was stern, as if he wasn't affected by her teasing at all.
Arthur raised a brow.
"I apologize for speaking out of turn, Miss Rhea. But I think the last hit has turned the tide in Allen's favor completely. What is so amusing about that?"
Rhea narrowed her eyes, the teasing look on her face apparent.
"You didn't see it either, huh? I guess you aren't as strong as they say after all."
Arthur smiled nervously. Looking at the arena again, the lady beside Rhea spoke.
"Keep watching, Arthur. As talented as you already are at technique, you might learn a thing or two today."
Arthur frowned and turned back to Jin.
Meanwhile, in the arena, Allen was still maintaining his distance.
He looked down at his right ankle with a perturbed gaze. It was barely visible, but there was faint bruising around his ankles. It was starting to blacken as he looked further.
Turning back to Jin's recovering figure, he exhaled.
'In that short window, he managed to twist my ankles. I can't say if he was expecting this too.'
His clinched knee strike was perfect, as was his form. A powerful strike was supposed to send his lungs into shock. Yet, Jin barely lost his breath. It didn't take him too long to stand back up, his breathing back to its calm rhythm.
'I need to end this fast.'
Even if Jin had taken his ability to move freely without anyone even noticing, Allen didn't care much. After all, he had many other ways to kill Jin, and none of them needed him to use his footwork.