Showing his Mettle part 2

Unknown to both men just outside the door of the sparring floor was Zara and the group of gym members she brought. She was so furious with Naoki and his views of women that she was tempted to go in there and beat him down herself. However hearing Evan and his feelings she was blushing. It was hard to see through her skin tone but it was there and she was squirming in happiness at how Evan saw her. He just might get that date sooner than he thought.

She looked in and saw they were about to fight so she snuck in with the group of volunteers and hid them behind the rings and such in order for them to see the fight and be ready to step in at a moments notice.

As the two fists reached each other Evan and Naoki clashed hard. Their fists actually meeting each other evenly. The clash lasted a few seconds before kicks and other punches were thrown. A flurry of blows came out from both fighters, but neither could see to land a clean hit on the other.

Evan concentrated to keep up and use his many styles in tandem to throw his opponent off.

Naoki was using specifically Karate, Kick Boxing, and Muay Thai. And he showed his 4 years of experience in training with them.

Even noticed though that something seemed off about Naokis ability. He was well trained. His moves were polished and efficient. And his movements had minimal wasted efforts. But something irked him about his opponent that he couldn't place.

He almost lost concentration for a moment while thinking this and Naoki managed to get inside his guard. Evan gasped as his arm was blocked and Naoki was in his face and landing a devastating uppercut into Evans mid section.

The air leaves his lungs and Evan collapses to the floor. Given only a bit of time to recover Naoki goes for a hammer kick aiming to break 2 or 3 of Evans ribs.

Noticing this he pushed off the ground and rolled to the far side of the cage ring. Naoki stamped his foot on an empty space and silence reigns for a bit while an echoing slap of skin meeting solid matter resounded throughout the fourth floor.

Evan got up wondering why Naoki was still in his hammer kick finishing stance before he noticed a tear come down from one of Naokis eyes.

Naoki suddenly started hopping around the ring while holding his foot. Crying out, "Ouch! Argh! Why is it so hard! Agh you bastard! Don't dodge me! It hurts!"

Evan just sweat drops at this childish response form this grown ass man before he finally connected the dots about what felt off about Naoki. He voiced his question as Naoki was recovering from the pain of his missed stomp, "Have you ever actually pushed yourself in training to get used to the pain of striking things?"

His opponent stops hopping... then he turns away... then Evan went slack jawed when he saw the tips of his foes ears turn red.

Bruh.

It was true Naoki had trained specifically in shadow boxing to hone his movements. And he only hit the bags during training time. Never outside of it. He even only did the basic amount of weight lifting he needed to stay in shape. He never pushed himself. He was a well honed knife... made of a horrible iron that could break on its next cut.

Evan realizes he had the advantage here now. Naomi was used to taking down weaker opponents. And he had the upper hand as he was used to pain. Naoki was unconsciously holding back on his techniques to avoid putting too kuch damage on his own body. Evan thought for a moment while Naoki was snapping back to the fight and he had a thought that would work well.

He got into his Jujitsu stance and prepared for the next attack.

Naoki didn't disappoint.

He came in hoping to do an intercepter style that usually worked against throwing and submission styles like Judo and Jujitsu. Only problem was that he forgot Evan knew multiple styles.

As Naoki came in ready to counter throw or interrupt a grapple. Evan changed to his karate stance and went all in for a shoulder charge meant to break your opponents stance. And a few ribs if you hit them right.

Evans attack hit right on the sternum. Both fighters heard a sickening crack from 4 points. All those points breaking were felt by one fighter. Said fighter fell to the floor. And now Naoki was writhing in pain as he had felt his sternum crack, along with three of his ribs.

He tried to get up but as he was unused to pain he was stuck on the ground trying to breathe in a way that wasn't going to hurt his ribs.

He wasn't having much luck there.

Evan breathed out hard as he looked at Naoki then went to unlock the door and call for a medic from the staff.

He was intercepted by a smiling Zara who had glomped him and was hugging the living daylights out of him.

Two of the guys who came with Zara went to the currently downed Naoki who was still lying still and not even trying to get up.

Zara was praising Evan for his combat ability and adaptive style from switching between them before noticing the two men carrying the hurt fighter out of the ring. She let go of Evan and walked to the hurt individual and asked him, "So you see me as an object for your pleasure huh?"

Naokis eyes go wide as he realizes he was heard by his idol and crush. Before he tries to stammer out excuses despite the pain. Zara held up a hand and stopped him cold with a glare that could freeze fire.

She said to him in a down right terrifying tone full of ice cold malice, "You will be banned form this gym from now on. If you are seen around here again we will file all the sexual harassment reports we have compiled during your stay here. So either you stay away. Or you will enjoy some time behind bars. Your choice."

Naoki simply nodded with a scared silly expression on his face before Zara nods to the two men and they carry him to the infirmary in the gym.

Zara huffs and turns back to a blushing Evan. She wonders why before remembering how she glomped him and gave him a nice comfortable pillow between the valley of her chest. She grins and goes, "Well you've had an eventful first day. Got into the fighters group. Got some heavy training in. Took on two full contact spars. And even beat out of the reserve fighters! Pretty good! And you even got to feel how it was being between my breasts... Not bad Evan."

Evan is blushing redder by the minute as he stammers out trying to explain before Zara bursts into laughter at his expression and his potential reasons.

Evan sees her laughing before realizing the teasing he just endured. Then he joined in. Evan spent the rest of the day relaxing in the gym and getting to know the members and staff before retiring to his room for his items that Thomas and Derrick would be brining.

As he waited on his bed he checked the notifications he gained from his fight and from finally finishing off that book of Jeet Kune Do.

*Defeated a more skilled opponent than you! Congratulations! You may pick any one reward!

+1,000$

upgrade any skill no matter the rank

Learn a new martial art style.

You read through the beginner book of Jeet Kune Do and have earned rank I in the skill! bonus applied!

leveled up 3 times from beating a powerful foe!*

Evan was grinning at all of this news and the power he now wielded in his body. He had even filled out a bit more after those level up and his body was that of an average man who ate fine and went jogging or did some light exercises every day. His muscles were still there but now he had a healthy slim layer of fat back on him to show his growing health.

He grinned at this transformation as he looked at himself in the mirror. Though he was concerned about how he will look in the future. As his level ups and bonuses showed he can gain muscle definition and real world power through his stats. But if it grows in a way he doesn't want he hopes he can change it.

Say if he focused on strength specifically and suddenly became a body builder like many action stars. It wouldn't mesh well with his styles and needs for a martial artist. He hopes he remains lean and can stay in a well balanced muscle tone and flexibility for his fights in the future.

He at the very least hopes he looks more like this one man called Koetsuji Akisame who was a renowned Jujitsu master who forged his body into a rare substance called pink muscle. A substance that could use the long energy from white muscles with the empowering strength of red muscles. Making muscles that combine endurance and power.

He grins as he thinks to himself, 'Actually if i buy that skill in my skill board I should be able to get that body just by training normally while having my muscles become those through such a skill... Do I even have that option?'

He looks at the skill board and went to body empowerments.

[Empowerment skills (Permanent)]

[Enhanced human physique: Cost 5,000]

[Super human physique: Cost 12,000] (Locked)

[Demi god physique: Cost 30,000] (Locked)

[Saiyan physique: Cost 50,000] (Locked)

Evans jaw hangs loose at all of these announcements. He couldn't believe his luck. He had a lot of saving to do but he could get the anime physique of every nerds and otakus dream. Only one problem. He had to buy the previous level to get to the next level. If he wanted Saiyan Physique. He needed to buy every skill leading to it. He grinned. "As if I had to think on that. This will make my dream of becoming a champion of the international scale."

He went ahead and grabbed the ranking up of any one skill. And he decided to up grade his learning prodigy to grow faster than before. And he suddenly felt the power flow through him as he checked his stats and looked through them to see his new growth.

Name: Evan McLean

Race: Human

Level: 13

HP: 195/195

MP: Locked

Ki: 26/26

Str: 22 (+23)

Agi: 19 (+16)

End: 24 (+21)

Int: 37 (+7)

Sense: 26 (+9)

Skills:

Uncanny luck: Boosted luck that makes you seem like the luckiest guy in the world

Martial Prodigy: For each martial art you learn you gain bonuses to your stats based on each style and their rank. And you have the skill to match. Each rank in the martial art is equal to 1 year of training in them.

Karate II: +4 to str and end

Muay Thai II: +4 to str and end

Kick Boxing II: +4 to str and end

Tiger fist rank II: +4 to str and end

Jujitsu rank II: +4 to agi and sense

Dragon fist rank III: +3 to all stats

Tae Kwon do rank II: +4 to agi and str

Jeet Kune Do Rank I: +1 to all stats

Ki beginner: Gain ability to empower yourself with ki. 1 ki point add +1 to strength. Any amount of ki used only stays for 1 minute at a time until more ki mastery is gained

Tough stuff I: Your body grows healthier and is now tougher +4 to end, +5 to HP per level

Healing factor I: Regenerate 2 HP per minute

Learning Prodigy II: You are now able to learn things both body and mind related much faster! Your body is now closer to being a super human level of adaptation! X4 learning speed.

Gymnast I: Your body is way more flexible now! And you are more aware of your space, +2 agi +2 sense

Strategist I: +3 to int from thinking fast and better now!

Enhanced Reflexes I: React faster! +2 agi and +2 sense

Evan breathed out slowly while feeling the energy flow through him. He then checked through the possible options to gain more experience and more money to increase his skills ranks and start earning the physiques.

His door suddenly had a knock on it and he put back on his t shirt. He answered the door to see his two friends.

Thomas was an african american who was 6 foot 2 inches and was smiling like a crazy man. He had his usual after work attire of slacks and a t shirt with a random band he listens to on it. He was well built from his part time work in the boxing circuit. And he saw Evan as a little bro due to being a year older.

Derrick was a red head with his scottish background influencing that. He was a more average 5 foot 9 inches. But he was lean and toned from being the coach of a track and field team who met on the weekends and he constantly joins his students on the field to get his fitness needs met.

He soon welcomes them in as both men had his office supplies in the pair of cardboard boxes they were both carrying.

Thomas opens up with a whistle as he checked out Evans new apartment.

"Damn man! You really did get an upgrade! Here I thought Derrick and I would need to get you an air mattress at our places. But I now know that isn't needed."

Derrick followed up, "Yeah but I am glad you're doing better man. I hope you have your life on track to replace your job. Oh! Speaking of. We also brought your last paycheck with us."

Evan took the check and saw his full severance pay was there as well and brought up the check stating his bi monthly earnings from the last two weeks was: 3,200.

Evan chuckled and put the check through his system on his online banking app and put in a money order to get 3k back in cash when he went in morning for the money.

Derrick and Thomas were busy putting away the box contents in the spare room of the apartment for Evan. Evan came in to help them put them away. He then went to grab the laptop since it was work property. But Derrick stopped him leaving Evan confused.

"Don't worry man! Thomas and I bought that from the company! You can use it as your own now! We have you covered."

Evan checked by looking at Thomas who gave him a thumbs up. He teared up slightly and hugged his friends close. Both men returned it and then broke apart and asked, "So what are your plans now man? New job in the works?"

Evan grinned before explaining to them about his new position as a fighter for the gym. Both men gaped at him in shock at how he finally got back in the ring.

They both look at each other before smiles appeared on their faces as they finally saw the old Evan back on his feet from their college days before he lost Cassie.

They congratulated him before offering him their services as exercise buddies and sparring buddies in the case of Thomas.

Soon they were all making plans as Evans position as a fighter and as a Pro member allowed him to bring guests into the gym a limited amount of times per month.

Evan knew his life was looking up as he thought up ways to also get around his money needs. First though... He needs more scratch tickets.