Blue Light

The afternoon sun was fiercer than it had been in the morning, heating the corrugated metal roof over the entrance to the competitors' passage until it was slightly hot. When Lin Chen entered the competitors' rest area, several people were already sitting on the benches. Some were drinking water, while others leaned against the wall with their eyes closed, dozing. He sat by the window, which happened to overlook Ring Three. Someone was cleaning the platform, the broom making a soft swishing sound as it dragged across the boards. A few pale scuff marks from that morning's match were still visible near the edge.

He leaned back in his chair for a while and closed his eyes. That translucent interface appeared before him again.

[Host: Lin Chen]

[Combat Power: 112]

[Basic Four Attributes: Strength 37｜Constitution 44｜Speed 33｜Spirit 48]

[Bloodline Slot: (Empty)]

[Martial Arts Library: Basic Fist and Kick Techniques (Mastery), Basic Footwork (Proficient)]

[Skill Library: None]

[Talent Traits: None]

[Inventory: Empty]

[Pickup Range: 1 meter]

He noticed that the number in the Combat Power field had risen again since he had seen it that morning. As he was looking at it, footsteps sounded outside. The door was pushed open, and a staff member in a white short-sleeved shirt leaned halfway in. "Competitor Lin Chen, your first match this afternoon is on Ring Three. It starts in ten minutes. Your opponent is Joey Salam."

Lin Chen stood up. He rolled his wrists, pushed open the door to the rest area, and walked out. The corridor was brighter than the rest area. The afternoon sun was slanting westward, casting diagonal patches of light across the floor. By the time he reached the side of Ring Three, his opponent had already arrived.

Joey Salam was a man who looked somewhat slimmer than Iwata Go, though he was still solidly built, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. He wore a dark gray sleeveless shirt and black trousers. He stood at the edge of the ring with his hands on his hips, loosening his neck. His expression was blank. When his gaze swept over and paused briefly on Lin Chen, it soon moved away again.

The referee walked to the center of the ring. After confirming that both sides were in position, he waved a hand. "Match begin!"

Joey attacked faster than Iwata Go. Rather than making a large, obvious windup like Iwata had, he pressed forward the instant the referee finished speaking, his right hand shooting out like a snake. His fingertips nearly jabbed Lin Chen in the throat. Lin Chen tilted his head aside, and Joey's hand changed direction with the motion, sweeping toward the side of his neck. The shift was abrupt. Lin Chen failed to evade it completely, and Joey's fingers grazed above his collarbone, leaving a faintly warm scratch.

[ Ding! Attack received. Picked up Speed Light Orbs ×2. Speed +4. ]

Joey did not stop. A low sweeping kick followed at once, aimed at the back of Lin Chen's knee. Lin Chen raised his knee to block it and was knocked half a step back. Joey's attacks came without pause, fists and kicks alternating like raindrops. Every strike carried a clear speed advantage, noticeably faster than Iwata Go's. Lin Chen was grazed several times while evading in succession—on the shoulder, arm, and side of the waist. Each touch sent a faint warmth flowing into his body.

[ Ding! Attack received. Picked up Constitution Light Orbs ×2. Constitution +6. ]

[ Ding! Attack received. Picked up Strength Light Orb ×1. Strength +3. ]

There were more people in the stands than there had been that morning. Some were shouting Joey's name, while others whistled, the sounds short and piercing, as if scattered by the wind. Joey's offensive lasted around two minutes. Throughout it all, his punching frequency showed no obvious decline. Whenever he was interrupted, he could quickly rebuild his rhythm.

After one block, Lin Chen felt that his left arm was steadier than before. As he lowered it, he noticed that Joey's breathing had become slightly faster than at the start. The change was subtle, but it was there. Gaps had also begun to appear rhythmically in Joey's tempo. After every three rapid attacks, he would pause for an instant, as though catching his breath.

Lin Chen stepped forward during the pause after Joey's third attack. His move was not fast. His right fist was drawn back at his waist, and at the moment Joey adjusted his center of gravity, he drove it out into the side of Joey's abdomen. Joey did not stagger back dramatically, but his rhythm was indeed disrupted. His feet shifted position on the ring, the edges of his soles scraping the floor with a brief frictional sound.

Joey lowered his head to look at where he had been hit, then raised it again. His gaze was more serious than before, but he said nothing and simply resumed his stance.

Lin Chen did not pursue. He stood where he was and waited for Joey to finish readjusting. He could feel two more light orbs drift over from where Joey had just stood and sink into his chest. This time, they were blue, lighter than the one he had seen in the rest area earlier, like diluted ink spreading through water.

[ Ding! Picked up Technical Fighting Experience Fragments ×2. Added to Martial Arts Library: Skirmishing Footwork (Incomplete), Current Comprehension 8%. ]

He felt a subtle change in his footwork after that, as if his body had memorized a more effortless way to move. When Joey attacked again, the angle of his sidestep was smaller and more compact than before, and he slipped past almost along the edge of Joey's punching line.

Joey's fist missed. As he pulled his arm back, he gave Lin Chen another look. "Your footwork's gotten smoother than before."

Lin Chen did not answer. He adjusted his stance and shifted his center of gravity from his rear foot to his front foot.

The two exchanged blows at the center of the ring for another minute or so. Joey was still extremely fast, but whenever a punch arrived, Lin Chen could evade by exactly the necessary distance. His dodges grew smaller, and his positioning moved increasingly closer to the center of the ring. He was no longer being forced to the edge as he had been at the beginning. His defensive movements had tightened as well. He no longer needed wide arm swings to block. Most of the time, a turn of his body or a slight adjustment of his steps was enough to let the attacks graze past.

The referee checked the time and confirmed that the match had passed three minutes. People in the stands began murmuring to one another, apparently discussing why there was still no winner.

Joey stopped after one of his attacks was avoided. He took two breaths. "Your defense really is sturdier than what the file said. Harder to break through than expected." He lowered his guard and stepped back.

The referee watched Joey leave attacking range, paused for a beat, then raised Lin Chen's hand. "Competitor Joey has voluntarily stopped fighting. The match is over! The winner is Lin Chen!"

As the referee raised his hand, Lin Chen felt another light orb drift over and sink into the middle of his back. This one was dark blue, deeper in color than all the previous ones, as though concentrated.

[ Ding! Picked up Blue-Quality Fragment · Skirmishing Footwork Core Fragment ×1 (Progress 1/3). ]

He lowered his hand and turned to walk off the ring. As he passed through the competitors' passage, he glanced at the match schedule hanging at its entrance. The names in tomorrow's matchup slots had not yet been filled in, but an advancement mark had already been placed beside the line reading "Lin Chen."

At the end of the passage, the young man in the orange martial arts uniform was leaning against the wall, watching him. He looked as though he had been standing there for some time. When he saw Lin Chen approach, he grinned, then turned and headed toward the rest area with light steps, as if nothing had happened.