Fighting Again and Again

Ninth Tower, seventh floor.

In the bright candlelight, Reg, wearing a white training uniform for the first time, appeared in the training hall.

"Morning, Joey." Reg greeted him with a smile.

"Hmph... hmph... huh, it's you, kid... get lost. There are still 0 minutes until the assessment." Joey, reclining sideways in a cushioned chair, had his sleep disturbed and looked displeased.

Reg curled his lip... that was just how Joey was. That personality actually made him more approachable.

Reg sat down at the edge of the dojo and simply began meditating... surely that was fine, right?

A few minutes later, Joey seemed to have slept enough... When he opened his eyes and saw Reg sitting cross-legged, amusement flickered in his gaze. He really never stopped training as long as he was alive.

Although Joey always said that suffering was humanity's precious wealth, in nearly fifty years of life, even on Tower Forest Island where orphans were everywhere, he had only seen two people like that: Colin and Reg.

Those two were the ones who had truly turned suffering into wealth.

The other children were diligent too... but they were still within the bounds of normal people. This brat in front of him... was seriously too much.

He would never admit that seeing Reg made him feel like a useless bum... So, "enraged from embarrassment," Joey stood up, stretched lazily, and wiped away the crust from his eyes. "Reg."

Reg opened his eyes at the sound. "Joey, there are still fourteen minutes."

With a vein popping on his forehead, Joey bared his teeth. "Of course I know! My hands are getting itchy. Let me see what you've learned from Colin."

Reg had no objection to the assessment arriving early. "Alright, Joey."

Reg stepped into the center of the dojo and bowed seriously... He knew very well what sort of opponent he was about to face.

Ten years ago, Joey's power level had been 500. He was the closest person Reg remembered to Lucci, who had been hailed as P9's strongest in seven hundred years in terms of power level.

He could have smoothly advanced to P0, worked for the World Noble Celestial Dragons, and earned better treatment and status.

But he had refused... Like Colin, he had gone to Tower Forest Island and stayed for years, seemingly ready to head straight into retirement.

Even these elite agents raised under the creed of "Dark Justice" could not tolerate the Celestial Dragons' actions. One could only imagine how deeply the victims hated them.

"Let's test your power level first." Joey rolled his neck and crooked a finger contemptuously.

With his mouth twitching, Reg held his breath, closed his eyes, and raised his arm... When he opened them again, he threw a fierce straight punch into Joey's palm—Thud!

Reg's face turned red as his fist swelled from the Iron Body's recoil. This bastard, is that any way to test someone?!

"Hmm... 18? Not bad progress."

Joey showed no guilt at all over setting him up and praised him with a perfectly serious expression.

"Please guide me."

As he spoke, Reg attacked directly, his fist carrying a howling gust of wind.

"It was just a joke..."

Joey had no intention of moving at all, grinning shamelessly.

Reg had no intention of holding back either... If Joey used Iron Body again, this would no longer be an assessment. It would just be cheating.

Sure enough, Joey did not use Iron Body. The instant Reg's fist came at him, he casually swept it aside with his palm, throwing Reg off balance.

Reg reacted swiftly. He immediately pulled back his right fist, brought his left fist up before his chest, and lowered himself sharply as he lunged toward the ground... Just as expected, Joey's knee strike came right after.

If he failed to block that, he would probably be beaten hard enough to spit everywhere and lie on the ground for a while.

"Oh?"

Amid his surprise, Joey quickly launched a side kick... Reg, using the rebound from his knee to rise, seemed to have anticipated it and shifted his body aside in advance.

Whoosh!

Joey's kick missed, and he immediately leaped a step backward, snuffing out Reg's intention to continue attacking.

"Looks like I need to get serious." Joey ran his fingers through his messy curls, narrowing his eyes.

Reg's entire body tensed... It was killing intent.

This was not his first time encountering something like this... so he knew clearly that if he dared to blink now, he would immediately face a barrage of attacks like a raging storm.

"Useless."

As Joey spoke, he stepped forward, but Reg shot at him with a whoosh... Of course he knew he could not defend against it.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Facing Reg's proactive assault, Joey easily blocked every attack, then sent Reg flying back with a sweeping kick.

Whoosh... Reg charged at him again with his head down.

The corner of Joey's mouth lifted, and his whole body seemed to awaken... He closed his eyes.

Reg had no time to be surprised. His fists and feet blurred into countless afterimages... yet Joey moved as though he could see them, dodging every one of his attacks.

This was the power of bodily instinct... strength forged through countless trials and endless sweat!

Smack... Joey suddenly bent at the waist and caught Reg's kick in his hand.

Not good...

Realizing what had happened, Reg immediately kicked out with his other leg as well.

But Joey caught that leg too, lifting him high upside down before slamming him toward the ground in an instant.

Would falling like this kill him? Of course not, but being bedridden for a few months was unavoidable.

Reg curled up and protected his head... Bang!

Yet the entire dojo floor did not tremble in the slightest... it was exceptionally sturdy.

Joe released his hand and crooked a finger again. "Come."

Reg barely managed to land on his back before springing up and attacking again... precisely because he could not win, he had to keep fighting!

If he did not even have the courage to attack, he would never surpass those walking ahead of him!

"Morni—"

Eileen, who had only revealed half her face, instantly opened her eyes wide... What had she just seen?!

Brother Joe was actually doing the work he was supposed to do before the designated time?!

And his test subject was Reg, the one she loved hugging most?!

"Wah... Brother Joe, you're too much!"

Whoosh... The twin-tailed girl, finally realizing what was happening, charged straight into their fight.

"Eileen... you're still too young!"

Joe, whose fight had been interrupted, vanished from Reg's sight in an instant. When he reappeared... Eileen flew back even faster than she had arrived, with not the slightest bit of gentleness shown toward her.

Cold sweat streamed down Reg's face as he forced himself to keep attacking... He had used Shave just now, right? That was too ridiculous.

"Honestly... I'm a girl!!" Eileen clutched her stomach and looked at the footprint on her white clothes, puffing out her cheeks but not causing any more trouble.

"Hmph."

With a cold sneer, Joe smashed Reg into the ground with one punch, then pulled away again.

Reg shook his head, quickly got back up, and charged forward once more... only to be knocked down more than ten seconds later, then charge again, then get knocked down again—over and over, unrelenting.

As time passed, the members of P9 arrived one after another... then quietly watched as Joe used his overwhelming advantage to knock Reg to the ground time and time again.

"Reg..." Jabra rubbed his fists eagerly from the side, itching to try.

"This is an assessment."

Ada spoke up... and Jabra could only give up.

"Brother Joe is being really harsh today..."

"He really is... Eileen, how many times has it been already?"

"Um... 1 time."

"He normally lets him pass after a few times, right..."

"Isn't that because he usually finds it troublesome? He's clearly gotten interested today."

They discussed it quietly among themselves... things like this happened far too often here.

If Reg could fight Joe to a standstill, that would be the real miracle.

Bang, bang, bang... Wherever he fell, he climbed back up from there.

Gradually, Joe grew more and more serious... This kid seemed to be improving a little too quickly.

"Yo yo... the benefits of meditation are showing." Kumadori proudly raised his head.

Everyone else nodded in agreement... Mountain Hag's meditation training was indeed effective. It was just that very few people could persevere with it to the end.

0, 1, ... As the count gradually rose, everyone began to feel unable to bear watching: was there really any need to push himself this far?

But when they saw Joe's expression, they could not even bring themselves to remind him... he was too serious.

41, 4, 4... By the forty-fifth time, Reg was already swaying as he got to his feet, even closing his eyes.

As if he had received some sort of signal, Joe took the initiative to attack... punch after punch, kick after kick, and Reg evaded them all in advance as though he knew they were coming.

On his third punch, Joe knocked Reg down again. "Jabra, take Reg to get something to eat and rest. Tell him he passed."

Sure enough, Reg did not get back up again... he fainted on the spot.

"Yes, Brother Joe." Jabra swiftly hoisted Reg onto his back and left like the wind.

"Has he already developed combat instincts...? Colin has to fight you how many times a day!"

Joe, whose body felt thoroughly worked out after the fight, clenched his fists until they cracked. "Ada, come here."

"Yes, Brother Joe."

The lanky Ada wore a bitter expression... That kid Reg had awakened Joe's hot-blooded fighting spirit.