Chapter 99: Out of Time
My hands were up near my face, one in front of the other, ready to both defend and strike. It was a classic boxing stance, designed for balance and efficient punching.
Ije stance was a picture of Taekkyon's fluidity and power. His feet were positioned in a wide, balanced stance, one foot slightly ahead of the other. His hands were held at chest level, ready to strike or block . It was clear that he was a master of this martial art, and his posture exuded confidence and skill.
"I'll aim for your stomach ," I feigned, trying to keep him guessing about my next move.
*JAB!
But I threw a straight jab directed at his face.
[Suggestion : Failed ]
He just sneered and twisted his neck slightly to dodge me.
Before I could even pull back my jab, he grabbed my arm and then swept my legs out from under me.
*THUD!
His movements were efficient , and I found myself on the ground before I could react.
"You think using pity tricks will work on me?" he taunted. "Your movements are too predictable. I'd be an idiot to fall for your words," he chuckled, clearly making fun of my futile attempt.
"This guy is really getting on my nerves," I muttered, annoyed by his arrogance. Arrogant people were the worst, but of course, I considered myself the exception to that rule – it was my special privilege.
"I'll punch you in the face!" I roared, not wasting a moment.
From my lying position, I executed a low kick.
[Suggestion : Failed ]
"Idiot," he clicked his tongue in disdain. With incredible control over his body, he effortlessly jumped into the air to dodge my attack.
Then , while still mid-air, he used his heel to deliver a devastating dropkick straight to my head. His movements were fast, and I had barely any time to react.
Fortunately, I was prepared beforehand.
Without a moment's hesitation, I hurriedly crossed my arms in front of me to block the incoming attack. Though his attack still carried significant force, I managed to absorb the impact with my arms, preventing it from landing directly on my head.
Then, I swiftly rolled away from the impact, regained my footing, and tried to prepare for the next move.
But, before I could fully brace myself, a sweeping kick was already coming my way. Relying on my reflexes, I jumped back and attempted to throw a punch to mess with his timing, but it was futile. He effortlessly dodged and parried my punches then replied with his own spinning kick.
BAM!
His foot landed cleanly in my stomach, and I could feel the force of the blow sending me backward.
'That kick hurt like hell, " I grumbled in pain.
"Fuck, this is harder than I thought!" I cursed aloud. It wasn't that I was weak; my opponent was simply too strong .
'I need to relax. I can't let him take the momentum ," I controlled my breathing as I slowly stood up.
After I regained my composure, I raised my arms, ready to launch another attack.
*SWOOOSH!
With a large step, I threw another jab, but this time it was merely a feint.
I quickly lowered down my body and followed up with a gazelle punch in his left rib. I realized that my mind control ability was useless against him, so I needed to focus on my techniques. I engaged in the fight using safer, more calculated attacks, and our exchange continued.
Unfortunately, he still effortlessly dodge my attacks with a smirk of overconfidence on his face.
It was clear that he saw me as no real threat and was playing with me instead of trying to take me down.
'Just keep smirking, your arrogance will be your downfall,' I chuckled internally as I continued to attack, mixing my combo with short jabs, safe hooks, and some straights.
Our exchange of blows went on as I tried to match his speed and precision. I focused on my footwork and timing, looking for openings to land clean hits while dodging his strikes. It was a challenging fight, and I could feel the sweat pouring down my face as we danced around each other in the room.
I must admit that his attacks were fluid and unpredictable, and I had to stay on high alert to defend myself. But I was determined not to give up. With every punch and kick, I gained a better understanding of his fighting style and began to adapt my strategy accordingly.
I might not be as skilled and experienced as him, but my Quick Learning is enough to compensate for that.
[00:45]
I don't have time; it's time to follow up on my plan. I threw a sloppy left hook , and I could see that he wasn't particularly threatened by it, as he had grown accustomed to the speed of my punches and can easily dodged it. That's when I decided to activate my trump card: Quick Phase.
'Got you fucker ,'
As I triggered this ability, I felt my reaction time sharpening, and my body felt lighter and more agile. The world around me seemed to slow down, and I could see his shocked expression as he tried to dodge my fist, but it was too late for him to regret now.
In the blink of an eye, my fist doubled in speed, catching him completely off guard.A loud bang echoed as my knuckle hit his face like punching bag.
*BAM!
*THUD!
There he was, sprawled out on the floor like a discarded sock, his eyes closed, and his pitiful face made me want to do a Victory dance.
Me on the other hand stood there, panting heavily but grinning like I won the lottery. I beat the crap out of the infamous Ije Hajoon, and it felt so good.
"That's what you get for underestimating me,"
[Mission Complete]
[Level up ]
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Author's Note:
I'll be uploading two chapters daily starting today and continuing until the 30th. My schedule has been quite busy. And I wanted to make sure the pacing and quality doesn't get affected because of it.
I will return to posting (3) chapters a day after my schedule clear up.
Expect a lot of chapters next month .