On a massive screen, two figures were engaged in combat in a martial arts arena, and what made it even more impressive was that the fighters were children displaying an exceptionally high level of Kung Fu in various styles.
"Good Lord, that's more brutal than the Karate tournament..." Devon, who was watching the fight alongside Dash, was impressed.
"That's why I have to train more. Although it's true that I won't become stronger, at least I'll have the confidence to fight like that when I enter the tournament," Dash said, munching on popcorn and watching videos he had found about the upcoming competition in a few weeks.
As he contemplated his training, Dash's eyebrows furrowed as he delved deeper into his combat level. In less than a year, he had trained enough to win a high-level Karate tournament where most of the fighters were older. However, this also came with consequences, such as injuries that had only now fully healed.
Moreover, Dash still didn't feel prepared to fight at the level of the talented warriors Dre had defeated, maybe with talent, luck, or some other factor.
In general, even though Dash had talent, he didn't want to be arrogant and believe that he would win a tournament where, if he faced someone like Cheng, he would suffer a lot.
"I must find a way to be on the other side of the choice..."
Dash sighed softly as a contemplative expression appeared on his face. Based on his current displayed strength, he could defeat most of the fighters in the tournament that Dre had won in the known storyline. However, those fights wouldn't be easy to win because he wouldn't be facing warriors who were overconfident in combat.
But he knew he wasn't as weak as he perceived himself to be, so in the end, he would have to devise a plan to become much more skilled in Kung Fu and have full confidence in his abilities when the time came.
"Dash..."
Just as Dash was deep in thought, Devon's voice sounded beside him. He turned to look at her, and she, who was now reviewing her homework, said, "Is that tournament so important?"
"Of course, I'll be considered the Dragon Warrior if I win. That would be my title for a year before defending it again in the same competition."
After recalling the title the winner would receive, Dash filled himself with confidence again, eager to know if he would be as talented as those kids fighting in such an admirable way. Despite being very tough on his training, Dash has always had talent. After all, the hard work he has been putting in until now wouldn't be worthwhile.
According to his calculations, he wouldn't lose unless he didn't fight at his maximum. Dash only needed half a year to be a top competitor in Karate, which means he wasn't as bad as he thought and could at least put on a good show in China. This was much more than Dash could have imagined before being able to move his body, so at least he was on the verge of becoming a Dragon Warrior.
"I'm not going to prove myself; I'll win and be the Dragon Warrior. Got it, Devon?"
"Those kids are flying; are you sure?" Devon looked at the replay of the combat and believed they were fierce confrontations that even she didn't feel prepared for.
"Don't you trust me?" Dash lifted his shirt and said, "Look at these amazing muscles; do you think this body isn't designed for combat?"
"I don't know, but if you'll go far, I'll trust in your performance..." Devon looked at Dash, who was suddenly showing off his muscles, and returned her attention to her homework.
Dash's expression became serious as he sat in front of Devon and turned off the TV. Even now, the only support he expected was from his training partner; she could assess his combat level and give her honest opinion.
When Devon saw Dash acting this way, she leaned her head in, and suddenly she headbutted him.
Crash!
"Now, are you a goat?!" Dash shouted while holding his head in pain.
"Concentrate a bit on your homework! You have the level to compete, but if you keep thinking you don't, you'll only lose the confidence you have in your abilities." Even if she told him he was better than those kids, he had to feel it and accept it himself.
"Fine, let's finish this, and then let's practice muscle memory exercises." Dash suppressed his contemplative state and focused on the tedious task in his notebook.
He didn't understand the point of the school assignment. If they already occupied most of the day, there shouldn't be tasks left to finish on weekends.
"By the way, I looked on the internet, and the most famous places in Beijing are the Temple of Heaven, and this is a famous temple complex from 1420 with distinctive circular buildings located in a popular park." Dash, suddenly diverting his attention from his homework, began explaining the travel plans he had devised for Devon.
"You're quite thoughtful... You won't take me to eat horse meat, will you?"
"Horse meat?" Dash was perplexed. Although he had never lived there, he knew that China was one of the world's main consumers of horse meat, and that's why he made those jokes to Devon.
"To be honest, what differences does horse meat have from others?" Devon moved her pen from side to side while pondering this question.
"Horse meat is redder and tougher, I think..."
"Well, I finished just now; as long as you finish, we can go train a bit or maybe get some ice cream..." Devon walked to the bathroom to change while Dash wondered if horse meat would be better dry.
"My mind is very curious; I guess this is because before, I only talked to myself about many ridiculous things..." Dash murmured as he copied Devon's homework without her noticing.