Geon didn't fall, his body staggered back a step, then another, before finally stabilizing itself.
Slowly, he straightened up.
Blood ran down his face, from his nose and the corner of his lips.
A thin trail slid down his chin and dripped onto the already stained floor beneath him.
But his expression, wasn't anger alone anymore.
Interest.
His eyes locked onto Hyunjin "Heh." A low breath escaped him.
"I didn't expect this."
Hyunjin stood across from him, chest rising and falling heavily.
Geon tilted his head slightly "To think someone from the Second Generation would push me this far.."
The words landed
Hyunjin's brows twitched "Second Generation?" He straightened a little despite the pain, wiping blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.
Then he asked "You're from the First Generation?"
Geon's eyes narrowed slightly, then a faint smile appeared "Didn't expect you to know about that."
There was a shift in the air.
Geon rolled his shoulder once, cracked his neck "guess I can't play around anymore."
The moment he stepped forward, he disappeared.
Hyunjin's pupils shrank, a fist appeared in front of his face
He barely moved.
The punch grazed past him.
Wind pressure alone sliced across his cheek.
Hyunjin's eyes widened "You were holding back?"
Geon smiled, then attacked again.
Faster, stronger, more precise.
This time, Hyunjin couldn't keep up.
Bam!
The punch landed, his body lifted again and slammed straight into the cage.
CRASH!!
Steel rattled violently behind him, pain exploded through his back.
His ribs screamed, his vision shook violently.
He dropped to one knee, coughing blood "Tch" His hand touched the ground and he noticed it.
A faint glow, Red.
His eyes widened as he looked at geon.
"What?"
Across from him, geon stepped forward "You noticed it, huh." His voice was calm.
"Yes, that," he raised his hand slightly The faint red aura flickered "Threshold."
"I came into the First Generation late," Geon continued "But that doesn't mean I was weak."
A step "I fought a year in that era."
Another step "And not achieving Threshold in that time?"
A small smirk "That would've been a joke."
Before Hyunjin could react, geon vanished again.
And then,
Pain.
A punch to the face.
A knee to the ribs.
An elbow crashing into his jaw.
A kick sending him across the floor.
Again.
And again.
And again.
For three minutes straight.
Hyunjin was no longer fighting, he was surviving.
No, not even that, he was being smashed.
The crowd screamed louder than ever "THIS IS INSANE!!"
"HE'S STILL STANDING?!"
"JUST DROP ALREADY!!"
Blood covered him completely now.
His body couldn't keep up, his movements slowed.
Then stopped, finally
He collapsed, face hitting the ground.
Barely breathing.
Geon stood over him "Hmph."
A small exhale left him "I'll give you that."
He crossed his arms slightly "I'm surprised."
"That you survived three minutes against me, with my base strength."
"And you're still conscious.
(Hyunjin Pov)
It hurts, everything hurts.
I can't feel my body properly anymore.
My arms..
My legs..
My ribs..
Are they even still there?
He's too strong.
Too fast.
This is what it feels like to be completely outclassed.
Again..
A bitter thought surfaced.
Just like before, same result.
Lying on the ground.
Broken and useless.
"Heh" A weak breath escaped him.
What did I expect? That I'd suddenly become strong? That I'd catch up to monsters like them?
Idiot.
Three days of training? That's nothing.
Nothing compared to years, nothing compared to there talent.
Nothing compared to people like him.
"I'm.." His thoughts trembled "Still that same pathetic guy."
Getting crushed over and over again.
Why..
Why did I think this time would be different?
His vision blurred further, darkness creeping in.
Maybe..
This is enough.
Maybe I should just-
Stop.
..No.
No.
His fingers twitched.
Not again, a memory surfaced.
I said.. I wouldn't give up.
His teeth clenched weakly "I.." His body trembled "I don't want to stay weak."
Something burned, deep inside "I don't want to be that guy anymore."
The heat spread "I need to get stronger.."
His heartbeat, changed "I need to win."
"I need to-"
EVOLVE.
(Third Person Pov)
Geon was still talking "You did well."
But then he stopped.
Something felt.. Off.
"?"
From the ground, hyunjin moved.
Geon's eyes barely caught it, a blur.
Then
BAM!!
Impact.
Geon's body dropped, one knee hitting the ground.
The entire arena froze again.
"What?" Geon looked up slowly.
In front of him, Hyunjin stood.
Blood-covered.
His eyes were different.
Alive and burning.
Geon stared at him.
Then a smile appeared "I see." He pushed himself back up to his feet.
Looking directly into Hyunjin's eyes.
"When someone falls into despair," His voice was calm "They start thinking about death."
"They accept it."
"They let the darkness take over."
He stepped right in front of Hyunjin "But some,"
"don't."
His eyes hardened "They find something."
"A spark."
"And instead of giving up,"
"They hold onto it." His voice dropped "They lean on hope."
"And they evolve."
Geon looked at him "You're one of them."
"You have that Trait.."
"To grow in the middle of a fight."
"To become stronger."
His eyes locked onto Hyunjin's burning gaze "That kind of person.. is dangerous."
"You have the trait to become strong, like the kings of our generation."
Hyunjin stood there, blood dripping from his chin, eyes still burning with newly intensity.
Geon stepped closer "By the looks of it," he continued, voice low "your body only just started realizing it."
"How long have you been fighting?"
"Half a year?"
"Or just a few months?"
Hyunjin blinked, confusion crossed his face "What are you even talking about?"
He scratched his cheek "I just started fighting like a week ago."
"No." He tilted his head, thinking "Six days, maybe."
Silence.
Geon froze "What?" For the first time since the fight began, his composure cracked.
"You're saying," His voice dropped "You've never fought before this week?"
Hyunjin nodded "Yeah."
Geon's eyes widened, his breathing paused for seconds.
'This kid..' A bead of sweat rolled down his temple 'He doesn't even realize it.'
"He's a monster." He thought.
Across from him.
Hyunjin flexed his fingers 'I thought I was done for..' his eyes lowered slightly.
'But..' a faint smile formed 'Looks like I finally got something in this world full of monsters.' His hand clenched tighter.
'I'm stronger… at least three times stronger than before.'
His eyes narrowed 'So this is it..'
'I can evolve and adapt.'
But, there's a condition for evolve, when he was pushed to the edge.
Only then he can evolve.
Geon watched him carefully "When you first stepped into this cage," Geon said "You were nothing."
"Just a normal kid." He step forward "Maybe slightly stronger than average for your age."
His gaze locked in "But now,"
"Look at you."
Hyunjin didn't respond.
Geon's smile widened "Maybe.. you're the strongest of the Second Generation."
Silence.
Hyunjin laughed "Pfft." Then louder "HAHAHA-!"
Geon frowned.
Hyunjin wiped a bit of blood from his mouth, still chuckling "Sorry, sorry," He raised a hand "What you said was just.. funny."
His expression changed to serious "There are guys stronger than me,"
"Right now."
Geon's eyes narrowed.
"You've heard of the Four Major Crews, right?" Hyunjin continued "Don't underestimate them."
"If they fought you.." A slight tilt of his head "You wouldn't stand a chance."
Silence again.
Then, Geon laughed "The Four Major Crews?"
He shook his head slightly "I've heard of them."
"They're weak," His eyes hardened "Don't joke with me." He pointed at Hyunjin "You're the strongest Second Gen I've faced."
Hyunjin smiled "Don't get offended.."
"But compared to First Generation fighters," His eyes met Geon's directly "You're weak."
Geon's face changed, veins bulged slightly along his neck.
His jaw tightened "Heh." A chuckle escaped him.
"Fine."
"If you beat me," A step forward "I'll give you more than fifty million."
Another step "Seventy million won."
And then, he vanished.
His fist appeared instantly, right in front of Hyunjin's face.
But, Hyunjin hand shot up.
GRAB.
He caught it, for a split second, everything stopped.
But then.
BOOM!!
A massive force exploded through his arm.
Geon's strength mastery.
Hyunjin's body was pushed back violently, his feet dragging across the ground as the sheer power forced him backward.
"Tch-!"
But then, he grinned, wide crazy and excited.
"Now this," A low laugh escaped him "This is getting interesting."
Then, he shot forward.
Faster than before, his body twisted, his leg rose, a clean arc aimed straight at Geon's head.
But, Geon caught it, effortlessly "Slow." With a single motion.
He threw Hyunjin.
CRASH!!
Hyunjin's body slammed into the other side of the cage.
The metal shook violently.
Before he could even recover, Geon was already there.
Standing in front of him "Even if you can grow mid-fight.."
"That's your limit, two time was already excellent." A faint blue aura around his body now.
"You still have a long way to go," He raised his fist, now Red aura around "before you reach my level."
And then.
BAM!!