My opponent was waiting for me when I entered the arena. My muscles tensed at the sight of him—well over six feet tall, clad in a sleeveless button-up shirt, loose camo pants, and steel-toed boots. His imposing frame was further enhanced by a featureless wooden mask.
His head inclined slightly as he looked down at me in a manner I was all too familiar with—condescension. I didn't need to see his eyes to recognize it.
My fists clenched as anger pulsed through me, but weeks of fighting under Artemis' guidance had taught me that rage wasn't the most reliable source of strength.
This wasn't an action movie. I had to be methodical. I rolled my shoulders, loosening up as Harley's voice blared in the background.
"Next round is between two first-timers. A real David vs. Goliath fight. On the right corner, we got Han—an ex-military, no-nonsense, close-quarters specialist. And on the left, we got Mistah Negative. He's light as a wisp, but he sure can take a beating! Let's see what wins out—experience or endurance."
The bell rang.
Han just stood there, watching. "First and last warning, kid. Back down now, or I'll break you."
"I think I'll take my chances," I said, flaring reinforcement. My muscles thrummed as energy flooded every fiber, forming a thin layer of cursed energy around me.
He moved like silver—lightning-quick for most, but not for me. I slipped through his jab and countered, only for him to brush it aside. A knee slammed into my side, emptying my lungs. Before I could recover, the next blow came, whip-fast.
It cracked against my inversed jaw. My hand locked around his wrist, pulling him into a judo throw. He twisted mid-air, reversing my throw, nearly trapping me in an armbar. My knuckle duster crashed against his wrist. He let go on instinct. I scrambled back—just in time to catch a flying knee to the face.
Inverse activated a split second before contact, saving me. Still, I stumbled, whipping forward with a lightning jab. Han brushed it aside and took several cautious steps back, circling me.
"You're not as useless as you look."
"And maybe you're all talk." I charged, pouring more cursed energy into reinforcement. The distance vanished. I was inches from his face when he shifted. I flowed into a kick, but he leaned back just enough to let it pass. A kick to my knee came before I recovered. Inverse absorbed the impact, but it was just the opening move.
His knee wrapped around my neck, applying pressure as we tilted backward. We crashed into the dirt, his leg closing off my airway. Sharp pain crushed my throat and split my head—a brutal reminder of what happened when I took low-impact hits while my technique was on.
I nearly blacked out. Inverse shut off automatically, allowing Han to tighten his grip. My lungs screamed. My hands pounded his hamstrings, brutalizing them, but he gave me no quarter.
"Surrender, you foolish boy!"
Fuck you! I would've rasped it if I had any air left. Spots clouded my vision. I had seconds—if that.
Cursed energy shifted, gathering around my neck, reinforcing my throat, buying me more time. I flooded my limbs and lifted.
We shot into the air. His head snapped up in surprise.
Then we crashed. Again. And again. And once more, until he finally let go.
Han rolled away, groaning. My breath came in wheezes, but I still punted him in the stomach before he could rise. He rolled too late and came up guarded.
My airway, though damaged, felt better with every breath. So did my stamina.
Time was my ally in this fight. Han likely saw it differently.
He switched stances, fists bunching up, ready to break what must have looked like a weakened opponent. I played my part well.
I turtled up, keeping my eyes on his legs like Artemis taught me. I dodged what I could with sharp body movements and footwork. What I couldn't, I endured—sometimes with Inverse, sometimes with reinforcement.
He focused on my head, neck, and chest—weak points—while I focused on his patterns. I threw back jabs and kicks whenever an opening appeared, which was rare.
I understood his patterns. Breaking them was another thing entirely.
Twice, Han lured me in, switched his entire style, and punished me ruthlessly.
The first time, I countered his knee feint into a front kick combo. My arms locked around his leg, ready to sweep him, when his other leg shot forward, folding me in half. I barely got Inverse up in time to eat a flying kick to the face.
The second time, he got me to the ground and locked in a textbook armbar. It took hammering his left knee with cursed energy and a knuckle duster to make him let go—but not before he twisted, breaking my arm.
I sucked my teeth as I rose, willing myself not to scream. Seeing Han bloody and limping helped a great deal with pain management.
I was battered, down to my last 100 CE, but I couldn't fight the grin spreading across my face.
I saw a path to victory. I just had to bait him.
Deviating from my defensive stance, I threw one of his own attacks at him—a feinted jab into a leg kick. I aimed at his strong leg. He stepped back, putting pressure on his weak one. Pouncing on the weakness, I followed up with a hook, but my injured hand flopped uselessly.
The smallest grin quirked Han's lips as he stepped forward with a roundhouse kick to my weak limb. I moved before the blow landed. Inverse blunted the pain, and my iron-clad fist rocked his jaw. Blood and spittle flew as he lolled. I stuck to him, delivering a straight hook to the liver, making him double over.
My forehead crashed into his nose, reinforced by cursed energy and Inverse.
His legs buckled, and I finished him off with a brutal kick to the face.
He flew back, body splayed. The crowd roared.
"Talk about last-minute reversals! Mistah Negative just knocked out Han!" Harley shrieked.
Cursed energy flooded my body, strengthening it, healing some of my bruises.
"NE-GA-TIVE! NE-GA-TIVE!" The crowd chanted.
I barely heard them over the pounding in my ears. I exhaled sharply and threw up my good arm. The chanting only grew louder.
My eyes panned to Han's crumpled body.
Blood soaked his wooden mask. His breathing was shallow, labored.
I could've killed him with that last hit, but he could've done the same with those throat strikes and haymakers.
All things considered, the proud prick got off easy.
The ass-kicking he gave me had been worth it, though.
I just leveled up.
Name: Julius Spencer
Race: Meta-Human--Sorcerer
Class: Sorcerer Level 6 (3rd Grade)
Techniques: Inverse Lv 2
Health: 120/400
CE: 82/380
SP: 198/400
STR: 29 AGI: 37
PER: 48 VIT: 40
END: 40 CP: 38
Free points: 2
Hand-to-Hand Combat has reached Lv 3–All-encompassing skill that covers various martial arts you possess knowledge and proficiency with. 15% boost to learning martial arts, damage, and speed.
Cursed Energy Manipulation has reached Lv 3– Foundational skill of every Jujutsu Sorcerer. Allows for finer manipulation of Curse Energy while using Jujutsu sorcery and other important techniques. Increases the efficiency and power of all Jujutsu-related skills and techniques over time.
Cursed Energy Reinforcement has reached lv 3--Curse Energy Reinforcement Level 1: Achieve Active and Passive boost in physical parameters by circulating cursed energy through your body. Active Enhancement provides a more pronounced benefit, while passive enhancement occurs naturally over time as you gather more Cursed Energy and become more proficient in manipulating Curse Energy.
Current active boost: 45%
Passive boost: 15%
2 CE per second.
Oh. Things just got interesting.
I spat a bloody phlegm to the side. All in all, it wasn't a bad fight.
....
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