Thud!
The moment Leon's punch aimed for Memma's head, she counterattacked with one of her own. Unfortunately for Leon, her punch carried the weight of a truck.
She smashed through his punch in the blink of an eye and swiftly directed her left fist toward his abdomen, swiftly taking down Leon in an instant.
However, instead of writhing in pain, Leon appeared unscathed. He gradually rose to his feet and assumed his stance once again.
Unbeknownst to him, at the very moment Memma's punch was about to land, she deftly altered it into a palm attack, merely pushing him instead. Otherwise, it would have resulted in an instant knockout for Leon.
His right punch, which had been counterattacked, quivered like a thread in the face of a roaring wind. He wanted to experience the power of a Level 3, and he had achieved just that. His bones were still intact, but a couple more punches at that intensity could potentially shatter them.
'I think I should try something else,' thought Leon, eyes fixed on the girl standing resolute, akin to an immovable fortress.
Memma didn't exhibit even a single ounce of emotion on her face. In Leon's eyes, she had shed all traces of her initial cuteness. She was a hawk, glaring at her opponent with a gaze that sent shivers down their spine.
Every second felt like a year to Leon. He assumed the stance of a sprinter, lowering his knees a bit. His right hand remained at the back, a clear indication of the punch he was about to unleash.
Preparations were complete. Now it was time to shatter the silence with a sprint.
And dashed towards Memma, prompting her to ready her fist for another counterattack.
His sprinting speed was amplified, thanks to the form he mimicked from professional athletes. Closing the distance took no more time than the blink of an eye.
Pow!
"Nice move!" Triss, representing the entire audience, yelled excitedly. Something she had never envisioned unfolded before her eyes.
Just as Leon was about to be struck by Memma's explosive punch, intending to take it to his shoulder, he deftly dodged, causing her punch to hit nothing but air.
In a move reminiscent of a panther, he swiftly descended right in front of her eyes. Readying himself, he then leaped towards her rib cage with his left punch, opting for the left instead of the right.
Memma was cautious of his right, for obvious reasons. However, Leon cleverly used that caution as a feint. His actual attack came from his left and successfully landed on its intended target. It was a truly impressive move, both in Triss's eyes and in reality.
Yet, a crucial element accompanied his impressive strike.
Memma didn't even flinch.
A single glance into her eyes was enough to make Leon feel that his power, his strength stat, was nothing more than the worth of a fly to her. She stood like a mighty castle, resolutely defending against an enemy army's attack.
Drip, drip.
A forceful, crooked smile adorned his face. In a tiny voice, he asked, "Aren't you too strong?" while a few drops of sweat dripped to the ground.
The response came in the form of a nod.
Right after posing the question, Leon hastily threaded his feet towards the left.
Thud!
Yet, the dreams of escaping and returning for one more strike evaporated in the blink of an eye.
Being pushed and falling down in a serious fight would be no different from losing one's honor. Bearing that in mind, he had already lost it once, but not twice. Well, Memma wasn't in the position to push him this time, anyway.
He was running, so she had to do something different to catch him.
And shooting a low kick certainly did the trick.
While in full sprint, a low kick sent him flying a few meters along the ground. His handsome face connected with the cold, metallic surface, allowing him to feel every bit of its composition. The pain on his face didn't bring forth tears, but another emotion surfaced.
Anger.
Once again, he slowly rose, pushing himself up with trembling hands. The trembling hands held a different significance now, with the root of it evident in his eyes—the eyes of an injured beast.
If before the start, he approached this spar as merely a spar, acknowledging it for what it was—an opportunity to endure the beating like a true man and emerge from it while experiencing the power of a Level 3.
Now, he shifted his perspective to: 'I want her to feel my punch, at least.' He felt entitled to think so. After all, for in his eyes, his adversary was mocking him.
Yet another attempt he made.
He dashed towards Memma with fury in his eyes, opting for a classical one-two. In fact, he transformed it into a punch barrage. Five rapid one-two combinations marked the time for him to naturally slow his breath down.
Memma, on the other hand, wasn't going to remain solely on the defensive. Guarding her head with the peek-a-boo style would have been monotonous, especially since she appeared impervious to pain.
However, for her to launch an attack, she needed to identify the golden opportunity first. Leon's breathing pace worked in her favor. Spotting the chance, she seized it and initiated an attack.
Poow!
"Ah!"
"Wow!" Triss exclaimed, her bewildered eyes narrating the story.
Everything unfolded according to Leon's plan. At the precise moment, Memma lunged for a punch, he once again descended, executing the exact same move as in his previous attack.
The effectiveness of Memma feeling the punch lay in the specific body part Leon chose to target.
Even a water drop can crack a rock over time. For Leon, it was an even quicker process. Though the sound Memma made didn't suggest she experienced much pain, he sported a triumphant smile on his face nonetheless.
"Hahaha, I got you no—"
Pooow!
Thuud!
A sort of instant knockout emerged from Leon's maneuver. He shouldn't have let his joy get the best of him.
Although it wasn't the same as in a serious fight, they were engaged in an important spar at that moment. He had the time and space to be cocky as he earned it, but in the end, it cost him dearly with a punch to the head.
"As expected," she said, walking slowly towards the ring the moment the glass walls began to retract.
"Beating Memma shouldn't even have crossed your mind. But you were great," looking at Leon with a huge, joyous smile and eyes filled with drops of expectation.
"Get rekt, noob."
In the depths of slumber, darkness enveloped Leon, rendering him unable to see or hear anything. In the embrace of peaceful sleep, he lay down, resembling a kitten. If only his mouth wasn't akin to that of a hungry hippopotamus, he might have appeared cuter.
--
One week had elapsed since the spar with Memma. Leon's undeniable defeat appeared to be a necessity for him, and it turned out to be a more beneficial experience than others might have anticipated.
Losing could potentially lead someone down a path of despair, where they believe their life will be marked by continual defeat. On the other hand, others might use that defeat as fuel, motivating them to train harder than ever before.
In Leon's case, it was the latter.
At least, Triss and Memma were likely unaware of this. They probably thought that winning or losing didn't bother Leon, despite his cocky side. They often found that aspect of him amusing and accepted him for who he was.
Nevertheless, he was pushing himself nearly twice as hard as before.
The gym primarily focused on physical training, while the nighttime was dedicated to universal energy arts. Engaging in both types of training in a single day was deemed essential for ascending to higher levels.
However, he decided to incorporate additional physical training during the nighttime and meditation during the mid-day. This had been the rhythm of his life for the past week.
Knock, knock, knock, knock!
"Good morning, Triss."
"Good morning," she greeted with her ever-present smile, but there was an underlying excitement in her demeanor.
Just as Leon was about to exit the room, following his routine, Triss hurriedly entered and sat at the empty table, while Leon took a seat opposite her on his bed.
"So, the thing is, I was chatting with Laima yesterday," Triss began, "Since someone has been rushing off to his room as if he'll drop dead if he doesn't get there within a minute or something. So, I've been chatting more with others. I doubt you'd be curious about this information, though."
"Sorry for being busy."
"Sure you are," she replied casually with a mocking face.
However, she left it at that and continued, "The thing is, she was heading to the armory. That's why I stuck with her. When I asked what she would do with a sword, she said that she will be going on a mission with Belenus
Leon simply nodded. Taking a sword nothing out of the ordinary in here.
"Let's go, then."
"Hmm?"
"We can eat later. Let's go to the leader's room first."
"Why?"
"You'll learn more when we get there," just like the first time they have met, she took Leon's and dragged him.
"Hold on, hold on. You're kidding, right?"
"No."
"They wouldn't let us."
"We will see that. Hehehe."