Semifinals: Krillin's Counterattack

The semifinal was scheduled for the third match the following morning, at the main arena.

By the time Lin Chen arrived, more than half the spectator stands were already filled. People were standing on the benches around the main arena as well; some held paper cups, while others leaned against the awning posts to watch. Sunlight slanted in from the east, illuminating the wood grain on the ring's surface so clearly that even the tiny gaps between the boards could be seen.

Krillin was already on the ring, crouching in a corner and stretching his legs. His movements were not large, but they were smooth and continuous. He wore a dark blue short-sleeved training uniform with tightly bound cuffs and no belt. When he saw Lin Chen approach, he stood up and rolled his ankles, his joints making soft cracking sounds.

The referee stepped into the center of the ring. After confirming that both fighters were ready, he raised his right hand. "Semifinal—contestant Krillin versus contestant Lin Chen! Begin!"

Krillin's opening speed was faster than Lin Chen had expected. Almost the instant the referee's words fell, he had already crossed half the distance between them, his right fist shooting straight for Lin Chen's chest. Lin Chen crossed his arms to block—the punch landed with a dull thud, driving him back half a step as the soles of his feet slid over the wooden boards.

Krillin did not pause. His second punch followed immediately, coming in lower and targeting Lin Chen's abdomen. Lin Chen twisted aside, and the edge of the fist brushed the fabric at his waist, kicking up a gust of wind. Krillin followed with a third strike, a knee to the body. Lin Chen pressed down with his palm to block it, but the force still knocked him back a step.

"Your defense is solid," Krillin said. "But you can't win a match by defending the whole time."

He pressed forward again, his fists moving even faster than before. Lin Chen blocked in succession, feeling vibrations and heat travel through his arms with every attack he stopped. Krillin's punches came in a compact rhythm, giving him almost no time to breathe—the first three had barely passed when the fourth swung in from the side and struck the outside of his left arm.

[ Ding! Attack received. Picked up Constitution Light Orb ×4. Constitution +8. ]

Lin Chen's left arm trembled, but quickly steadied. Krillin noticed the detail and frowned slightly, while the force behind his attacks instead increased. In the next several exchanges, he quickened his pace, leaving shorter gaps between alternating punches and kicks, as though he meant to crush straight through Lin Chen's defense.

Lin Chen's back hit the ropes at the edge of the ring. The ropes tightened under his weight, then rebounded and pushed him half a step forward. Krillin seized that instant to pivot into a sweeping kick aimed at his shin. Lin Chen raised his knee to block it, but his balance wavered. Krillin immediately followed with a knife-hand strike at his shoulder. Lin Chen raised his arm to block—this blow was heavier than any punch before it, bending his arm downward by half an inch as a dull ache spread through his shoulder.

[ Ding! Attack received. Picked up Constitution Light Orb ×6. Constitution +12. ]

[ Ding! Attack received. Picked up Strength Light Orb ×2. Strength +4. ]

Someone in the stands shouted, "Nice!" Krillin did not stop, hammering several punches into the same spot Lin Chen was blocking—each one landing on the outside of Lin Chen's left forearm. The wooden boards gave off a rapid series of thuds under the repeated impacts, like someone beating a drum on the ring. People in the stands began to clap, their rhythm speeding up and slowing down unpredictably.

Lin Chen felt his left arm heating up from the repeated impacts, but instead of going numb or losing sensation, it actually became steadier than before. When Krillin sent another sweeping kick at him, his feet reacted faster than they had earlier—he retreated half a step diagonally backward, letting Krillin's foot sweep past in front of him, less than two finger-widths away.

Krillin's movements paused for the briefest instant. Lin Chen's right fist shot out through that gap, striking the inside of Krillin's blocking arm. The force was not heavy, but the angle was just right, knocking Krillin's arm slightly to the side.

Krillin stepped back and shook out the arm that had been hit. "That just now... were you copying the way I throw punches?"

Lin Chen did not answer. He adjusted his stance, shifting his weight from his front foot to the center.

Krillin did not press the question. He lowered his center of gravity again, spread his hands, and took on a wider stance, his fingers slightly splayed. "Then try this." He stepped forward, his body launching at Lin Chen like a projectile, even faster than before—the path of his punches also became more elusive, no longer moving in straight lines but making tiny shifts as they closed in. Lin Chen dodged to the side, but the fist changed angle at the last moment and grazed his shoulder, leaving behind a burning sensation.

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

[ Ding! Picked up Turtle School Agile Footwork Fragment ×2. Current Footwork Comprehension: 17%. ]

Krillin's offensive lasted for around three minutes. During that time, Lin Chen successfully avoided most of the attacks, but was still hit several times. Every time he was struck, he felt a brief warmth flow into his body before quickly fading away. After taking multiple impacts, his arms did not visibly slow down. Instead, they seemed to be adapting to the rhythm.

People in the stands whispered among themselves. Krillin paused during a gap in his attacks and glanced at his fist. "Why do you seem to be getting... I can't put it into words, but something feels off. Every time I hit you, the next punch feels like you're a little tougher than before."

Lin Chen rolled his shoulder. There was a pale scuff mark on the shoulder of his martial arts uniform. "Keep going."

Krillin assumed his stance again. Sweat had already beaded on his forehead, gleaming in the sunlight. He took a deep breath and charged at Lin Chen once more. This time, he was even faster than before, launching three consecutive attacks from different angles—the first punch aimed for Lin Chen's face, the second turned toward his abdomen, and the third was an uppercut aimed at his chin.

Lin Chen dodged the first punch and blocked the second with his elbow, but he did not completely evade the third. Krillin's fist grazed the side of his jaw. Part of the force was deflected, but it still knocked his head slightly aside. Once he regained his balance, he stepped forward and threw the second proactive attack of the first half of the match—a short right punch, slightly faster than before, that slammed directly into Krillin's blocking arm.

Krillin was pushed back half a step by the punch. After regaining his footing, his gaze changed. "That punch was faster than when the match started." He lowered his arm and looked at his palm again. "Looks like I'll have to change my approach."

The referee stood at the edge of the ring, glanced at the timer, then looked back at the two men in the center.