Pummel

"Luo Feng, with the college entrance exam coming up soon, which school are you planning to apply for?" Having read the original story, Sett naturally knew that Luo Feng intended to apply to Jiangnan First Military Academy.

The bell for the end of class rang, and Sett found Luo Feng to chat and build their friendship.

"I'm planning to apply for Jiangnan First Military Academy, so my father can move our family to the residential compound," Luo Feng continued, "Even if my luck isn't great, I can always fall back on the Second Military Academy. What about you?"

"Me? You know my grades, they're just average. I think I'll just work hard and try to become a Martial Artist."

While chatting with Sett, Luo Feng would glance from time to time at Xu Xin, who was quietly reading a book.

"If you like her, go after her. Why keep peeking? I'm not just blowing smoke, but we're graduating soon. Won't it be a regret if we all go our separate ways?" Seeing Luo Feng sneaking looks at Xu Xin, Sett couldn't help but egg him on.

"What? Don't talk nonsense, I didn't..." Luo Feng said, feeling embarrassed.

"Look at you, your face is already red," Sett teased.

In the world Sett lived in during his past life, you weren't allowed to date while in school. By the time you finally graduated and got settled, your family would start pushing you into blind dates.

It was effectively losing the right to date, as blind dates were highly goal-oriented—they were strictly for marriage.

Trying to have a sweet, romantic relationship was incredibly difficult. Fortunately, in this place, high school dating was basically ignored, and people generally married much earlier than they did 30 years ago.

"Xu Xin, it's the weekend tomorrow. I bought tickets for the 4D version of the latest Transformers 15. Why don't we go see it together?"

A young man who had just walked through the classroom door said to Xu Xin.

"Not interested. I have to review my lessons tomorrow," Xu Xin said, refusing without even looking up from her book.

"Don't be so heartless. If you don't like that, we could go shopping, or grab the first milk tea of the summer." The man didn't mind the rejection and continued to pester her with a thick skin.

"Hey, Luo Feng, it looks like you've got a romantic rival," Sett said, nudging Luo Feng.

"I said I'm not going, stop pestering me, Zhang Haobai," Xu Xin refused again.

"Damn, it's that rich kid Zhang Haobai. If you don't make a move now, you'll never get a chance, Luo Feng."

Zhang Haobai's face turned pale after being rejected so bluntly. Generally, any woman he set his sights on, he could win over.

It was mostly because his family was wealthy, and his uncle was a Martial Artist who was particularly fond of his nephew.

The more Zhang Haobai thought about it, the angrier he got. He reached out and grabbed Xu Xin's hand, saying, "It's settled then. My uncle is a Martial Artist and my dad runs a big company; you won't be treated poorly if you're my girlfriend."

Little did Zhang Haobai know that Xu Xin was the young lady of the Xu Family from the HR Alliance; she was not lacking in money at all.

"Let go!" Seeing Zhang Haobai getting handsy, Luo Feng rushed over immediately.

"Oh? Playing the hero? With your pathetic, poor look, I think you'd better forget it," Zhang Haobai said, not letting go of Xu Xin's hand as he looked at Luo Feng and continued to mock him.

"Take a look at yourself. Do poor people even deserve love? Don't make me laugh."

Just as Luo Feng was about to make a move, Sett strode over. He grabbed Zhang Haobai by his clothes with a large hand and tossed him straight out the door.

With a loud bang, Zhang Haobai flew in an arc, accompanied by a high-pitched scream, and landed outside the entrance.

"Are you annoying or what? Is this a vegetable market? It's so noisy. The girl isn't interested in you, yet you're still being a shameless pest."

Zhang Haobai was tossed out like trash. Having been pampered since childhood, the rich kid had never suffered such an insult.

However, he was secretly shocked. They were both advanced students, yet he had been tossed aside so easily; this Sett's strength was likely close to breaking through to a Martial Artist.

"You... you just wait, see how I deal with you!" Zhang Haobai knew the principle that a wise man doesn't fight when the odds are against him, so he shouted a threat and ran off.

Revenge is a dish best served later. If I don't find someone to deal with Sett, my name isn't Zhang Haobai.

"Why waste breath on a guy like that? He thinks having a little money makes him a big shot, just because his uncle is a Martial Artist," Sett said, clapping his hands as he turned to Luo Feng.

"Thank you both for stepping in. Let me treat you to a meal after school," Xu Xin said quickly.

"Hehe, I've got things to do after school. You go, Luo Feng, have a meal and get to know each other," Sett said, intending to give his good brother a chance.

"This..."

Ring, ring, ring. The class bell rang, relieving the awkward atmosphere.

"Luo Feng, I'll tell you a secret," Sett said after lunch as the two were strolling around the playground.

"Yeah, go ahead," Luo Feng replied.

"I know you like Xu Xin, but I have to warn you: Xu Xin is the daughter of the Xu Family from the HR Alliance."

"Ah? How is that possible?" Luo Feng said, finding it hard to believe.

The HR Alliance was the wealthiest organization in the world, possessing immense power, especially in Europe and America. The number of Martial Artists under their banner was countless.

The Xu Family was a member of the HR Alliance; even a hundred or a thousand of Zhang Haobai's fathers couldn't compare to them.

"The Xu Family, man. You don't really think you can win her over just by getting into a good school, do you? Even if she agreed, what about her family? Would they ever let her marry an ordinary person?"

"You're right. So, what should I do?" Luo Feng was silent for a moment before suddenly saying with excitement, "Right, a Martial Artist! In this world, strength is everything. As long as I become stronger, I'll have a chance."

Hong and Thor were the two strongest people on the planet. Not only were they powerful, but their dojos were spread across the entire world, and no one dared to disrespect them. That was the benefit of having strength.

"I won't just focus on the military academy; I'll train hard to become a Martial Artist first."

"Right, that's what I was thinking too. When the time comes, the two of us brothers can go to the Wilderness Zone to hunt monsters together. Wouldn't that be great?" Sett saw Luo Feng's determination to grow stronger becoming clear.

In the original story, Luo Feng had initially only wanted to improve his family's situation, so he planned to apply to Jiangnan First Military Academy. Who knew that he would fall into a coma during the college entrance exam, after which his strength would skyrocket, and he would directly become a Martial Artist.

But would this make the pressure of the college entrance exam smaller for Luo Feng, preventing the coma and delaying his breakthrough? Sett pondered this serious problem.

After all, Luo Feng had a dark golden sphere in his mind, and every time he fell into a coma, his strength would increase significantly.

Sett said, "However, you still have to take the college entrance exam seriously. At the very least, it honors twelve years of hard study, and it also serves as a way to open a new chapter in our lives."

"Yeah!"

"You and Xu Xin should go eat tonight. I can see she doesn't dislike you. Put some pressure on yourself; that's the only way to find the motivation to improve."

After school that afternoon, Luo Feng plucked up the courage to go eat with Xu Xin. Sett found nothing else to do, so he simply went to the martial arts gym to train for a while.

Sigh, there's no League of Legends to play either. So annoying!

"School's out. How come Luo Feng isn't with you?" The one speaking was the scar-faced Yang Wu, a senior student with rather poor luck.

"Don't even mention it. He went on a date. I, his good brother, was just a spare tire; now that he doesn't need me, he's tossed me aside," Sett joked.

"Brother Yang, you're quite diligent, coming to the gym to train every single day."

"Hey, don't mention it. It's all to become a Martial Artist. I don't have a job right now, and if I don't become a Martial Artist, my wife is going to lose it. She's working alone to support me and the kid, making me feel like a kept man." Yang Wu scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Brother Yang, it's fine. Once you become a Martial Artist and move your family into the Mingyue Residential Quarter, your wife's investment will definitely have been worth it."

"You young people sure know how to talk. Though, I'm not that many years older than you, haha." Yang Wu was also fond of joking around.

The two chatted for a bit before continuing their training.

When I tested yesterday, both my punch strength and speed passed the Martial Artist threshold. I wonder if that counts as Apprentice Level. Let me see if I can use Pummel in a moment, Sett thought.

Sett walked up to the Punch Strength Tester, checking to make sure no one was nearby.

He silently recited in his heart: Pummel!

He saw a faint golden light erupt from his fists, and Sett felt himself brimming with power. He hurriedly threw two punches at the machine.

2560kg!

2420kg!

Both punches landed with over two thousand kilograms of force, nearly causing Sett's jaw to drop.

However, once the two punches were thrown, the golden light on his hands vanished. It seemed that Pummel could double his strength.

After the test, Sett was incredibly excited. He trained a bit more, said goodbye to Yang Wu, and headed home.

"Phew, becoming a Martial Artist is a done deal. When Luo Feng reaches the strength of a Martial Artist, we'll go take the assessment together."

"Mom, I'm home." As soon as Sett entered the door, he suddenly realized he had forgotten to apologize to his teacher today.

"Wash your hands and eat, and bring the dishes out while you're at it. Xiahai, time to eat! What's so good about soap operas? I don't even watch them; you're a grown man, why do you like them so much?" Jin Wenying saw Xiahai watching a soap opera with great interest and couldn't help but complain.

"What's wrong with soap operas? Who said they're exclusive to you women? I don't smoke or drink; watching TV is my hobby." Xiahai turned off the television, walked to the dining table, and prepared to sit down.

"Go, go, go, wash your hands."

After dinner, having nothing to do, Sett decided to go for a stroll to get a good look at the scenery thirty years into the future.

"So you're the one called Sett! If you're smart, kid, come with us. Let's spar a bit." As luck would have it, Sett was blocked by a group of thugs on the road.

Sett wasn't afraid. Since he now had the strength of a Martial Artist and could use Pummel, he simply followed the group into a small alley.

"Before we start, does anyone want to back out?" Sett cracked his neck and squeezed his hands to loosen up his body as he spoke.

"You're not very big, but you sure know how to act tough. Beat him up!" the thug leader ordered.

This group of thugs had the strength of five Intermediate Students—generally, a punch strength over 300kg qualified one as an Intermediate Student, and 600kg as a Senior Student—and there were also three Senior Students among them.

One of them was the leader, and the other two had been paid to come and hold the line.

Pummel!

Sett's hands glowed with a faint golden light, and he landed a left hook on the first person rushing toward him.

Bang! The thug was sent flying several meters away as if he had been hit by a car.

He followed up with a backhanded right hook, sending another thug flying.

"Boss, this guy seems a bit strong. What do we do? Should we bail?"

"Bail your head! Get him!" The thug leader slapped his subordinate on the head, and after speaking, he charged in himself to join the fray.

As the saying goes, one force overcomes ten techniques. Sett didn't have any fancy combat skills, but his raw strength—both in speed and power—far exceeded that of these thugs.

In a few quick moves, the five Intermediate Student thugs were knocked to the ground. One of the Senior Students who had been watching from the sidelines saw that things were going south and ran away immediately.

Seeing their teammate flee, the other one quickly followed suit.

"Damn it, those two useless idiots! Taking money and not doing the job." The thug leader cursed when he saw the two hired hands running away.

"Damn it, wait for me!" The thug leader wasn't stupid either and prepared to run.

"Yo, you come and go as you please? You get back here!" Seeing the leader trying to slip away, Sett grabbed him by the collar.

"Speak, who sent you?"

"It was me. I just don't like the look of you," the thug leader replied, trying to bolster his courage.

"Damn it, you're not going to tell the truth, are you?" Seeing that he couldn't get an answer, Sett silently recited in his heart: Pummel!

Sett's right hand glowed with golden light, and he prepared to slam it into the thug leader's face.

The gang leader was scared witless, and with a foul stench, he pissed himself right there on the spot. "I'll talk, I'll talk! Big Brother, I was wrong, I'll talk! I was just taking money to do a job. It was that bastard Zhou Huayang."

"Zhou Huayang?"

"Yes, yes, yes, Big Brother, it was him! Please let me go, I was blind and didn't recognize a superior. This is the ten thousand yuan he gave me, I'll give it all to you, Big Brother."

"Hmph, take your men and get lost!"

The few thugs helped each other up and scrambled away until they were out of sight.

I remembered now; Zhou Huayang had a connection to Zhang Haobai.

"Heh, as expected, having the biggest fist is the only truth that matters."