"Who are you calling crazy?" Mico glared at Vernon, offended.
Vernon shook his head spontaneously. "No. I didn't say anything," he denied.
"Don't waste time. You only have a week to train, so use it well if you don't want to die."
Vernon was speechless. That fact wasn't as terrifying as the strange mission the system had given him.
'Are you trying to kill me?! I'll die if I fight him!' I screamed in frustration inside my head.
'I was already struggling to defeat Ryan!' I complained, trying to negotiate.
[You will die and lose this system if you don't fight and complete this mission!]
'Ck!'
Vernon was torn. Both options would lead to his death. So, what should he choose? Dying in Mico's hands as a fighter, or dying weak in a hospital bed?
Both sounded horrifying.
"Don't just stand there! Come with me!" Mico barked, losing his patience.
"O-okay." Vernon followed Mico into a room filled with hundreds of boxers training. Some were practicing on punching bags, some working out, and others doing different drills.
"This is our training ground."
Vernon nodded in response.
"Now you need to train your left hand's strength. Usually, people struggle to control their left hand, especially for boxing."
Vernon nodded again, obediently.
"Who's this, Dude?" A blonde guy approached, sneering. "Is he our new servant?"
"He's Mr. Robinson's fighter, Colin."
"What?!" Colin's jaw dropped. "No way Mr. Robinson picked the wrong fighter."
Colin laughed mockingly at Vernon's skinny appearance. "He looks more like a lamppost than a boxer."
Vernon felt insulted but was too tired to argue. He was well aware of their physical differences. Colin's body was like a monster's—huge and muscular, standing around 6'2".
"I heard the reason Mr. Robinson chose him is because he managed to defeat Ryan, from the F-class ring."
"Fu*k!" Colin raged, his face turning red. He grabbed Vernon by the collar roughly. "How dare you beat my friend!"
"I had no choice." Vernon remained calm. "I just wanted to save my friend."
WHAM!
"Ugh!" Vernon staggered before slamming into the wall. Colin's punch almost shattered his jaw.
"Look, Mico! There's no way a weakling like him could beat Ryan!" Colin cursed.
Everyone in the training room immediately crowded around them.
"What's going on with Ryan?"
"This bastard lied! He claims to have beaten our friend, Ryan!"
"You bastard!" one of them spat.
"Fraud!"
"Ryan was one of the best boxers Mico ever trained! He's hard to beat! Are you trying to fool us?!"
"What if I can prove it?" Vernon challenged, sick of being underestimated.
"How, huh?!"
"I'll fight—"
"Fight?!" They laughed out loud, finding it hilarious.
"Interesting! I agree! I'll fight you and kill you with one punch!" A brown-haired man cracked his knuckles arrogantly.
"Poor guy, Roger! I'm afraid he won't get up after you crush him!" his friend chimed in, mocking.
"I'm not going to fight any of you! I'll challenge...." Vernon turned to Mico and looked at him with determination. "You, Coach."
They were stunned. The lively room suddenly fell silent.
"Are you insane? Mico is a former heavyweight boxing champion and our coach! He's won numerous prestigious tournaments worldwide! He's a monster!"
"Don't be delusional! You're just an ant compared to him!" someone added.
"I know," Vernon replied calmly, showing no fear. "But if I only beat one of you, you'd just call it luck, wouldn't you?"
They went quiet.
Vernon was satisfied seeing the panic on their faces. "What do you say, Coach? Are you willing to fight me?" He grinned confidently.
Mico stared at him coldly, as if ready to kill him, making Vernon instantly realize the foolish move he had just made.
"Come on, Coach! You have to accept his challenge!"
"Don't let him insult your pride!"
"You have to avenge Ryan's defeat, my brother."
"Your brother?" Vernon was shocked.
"Alright. I accept your challenge. Let's fight."
Vernon was stunned. He cursed his foolishness for letting his anger get the best of him. Now, he found himself trapped in a game he had created.
But he couldn't back down. He had no choice but to fight or be humiliated forever.
***
Vernon splashed water on his face at the sink, trying to clear his chaotic thoughts.
Even with only 15 minutes to prepare, Vernon used that short time to prepare himself for the inevitable defeat mentally.
Defeating Coach? Vernon laughed at his own stupidity as the thought echoed in his mind.
Maybe he was the only fool who dared to challenge death. Even though he had the system, he couldn't easily defeat Mico because of their vast difference in fighting experience.
'What now? What should I do?' Vernon's chest tightened with fear. Should he apologize before the fight even began?
'No! No!' Vernon shook his head quickly. He was sick of being humiliated by everyone.
He wouldn't let his second life end the same way as before, when he died from Xander's punch.
Vernon's fists clenched as determination burned inside him. After regaining his confidence, he stepped out to face Mico, who was already in the ring.
All his friends and trainees cheered enthusiastically outside the ring, making the room roar with excitement.
"Knock him out, Coach!"
"Break his neck!"
But Mico's expression remained neutral. He didn't show any emotion. He was a true professional boxer, as a fighter must never reveal any emotions other than determination, revenge, and anger in the ring.
Showing despair was like handing victory to your opponent.
Vernon took off his boxing robe, leaving only red shorts. Someone handed him a pair of boxing gloves, and he stepped into the ring.
The referee arrived and explained the rules.
"We don't need to kill each other to win," Mico explained. "We fight until one of us can't get up in ten seconds."
Vernon nodded.
"In this match, there are no off-limits areas on the body. You can hit your opponent anywhere."
Vernon felt slightly annoyed, as if Mico was giving him a handicap, knowing he wouldn't win.
"Fine," he replied coldly.
The bell rang loudly, signaling the start of the match. The cheers grew louder, breaking Vernon's concentration. No one was on his side.
Vernon raised both his fists, cautiously eyeing Mico. Two minutes passed, and they just circled each other, observing each other's movements.
'Why isn't he attacking?' Vernon muttered, confused. 'Is he planning something?'
"Don't just stand there! Hit him, Mico!" Colin shouted, annoyed.
Mico threw a punch at Vernon's head, but he dodged it. Unfortunately, Vernon didn't anticipate Mico's other fist, which slammed into his stomach with immense force.
"Argh!" Blood splattered from Vernon's mouth. He stumbled before crashing hard into the ropes.
The crowd roared louder, cheering for Mico.
'Shit!'Now the ring floor was covered in blood.'
Vernon gasped for air. He had only taken one punch, but his whole body felt shattered.
It was like being hit by a truck.
Mico charged at him quickly and aimed a punch at Vernon's face, but Vernon crossed his arms in front of his head to block it.
However, the defense felt useless as Mico's barrage of punches continued, pushing him into the corner of the ring, limiting his movement.
THUD!
Vernon groaned as Mico landed a powerful punch. The cracking sound of bones breaking made the crowd cheer even louder.
Not wasting any opportunity, Mico punched Vernon's forehead, sending him flying before he crashed hard onto the floor.
Vernon lay face down, blood pouring from his eyes, mouth, and nose.
Seeing no movement, the referee immediately began counting. "One!"
"Two!"
"Three."
Vernon looked around, but his vision was blurry. The loud noise of the crowd slowly faded.
He couldn't move his entire body, as if all his energy had drained out. Worse, he could barely move his broken left hand.
Now he had no chance to fight back. His hands sustained severe injuries.
"Six!"
"Seven!"
Vernon closed his eyes, accepting death. Now, there was nothing he could do but surrender.
Suddenly, a transparent screen appeared, showing the bronze card he had earned after defeating Ryan.
[System Bronze Card: Deadly Punch]
[Description: Your punch will feel much stronger when it hits your opponent]
[Caution: You can only use it once.]
[Would you like to use it, Host?]