Combat

Earlier, the anticipation hung thick in the air as Zorha or Lu Tang prepared to attack Nei Lee without warning. The two combatants faced each other, ready to engage in a fierce battle.

On the opposite side of Nei Lee, Lu Tang was already bouncing on the balls of his feet, moving like a boxer warming up before a fight. 

Zorha's mind raced with thoughts of strategy and tactics. 

He knew that he could not match the main character in hand-to-hand combat, and he muttered to himself in frustration.

"I cannot beat this main character in hand-to-hand combat."

Zorha had been trained in the Asura realm to fight with a shield, sword, and spear, but hand-to-hand combat was not his specialty. 

If he was going to engage in physical combat, he would need the aid of his trusty sword, spear, or shield. 

Yet, he didn't have weapons now. 

Despite his years of experience as a combatant and his time spent fighting in the war, Zorha realized that attacking the main character with his knowledge alone would be foolish. 

He had to find a way to use his skills as a warrior to gain the upper hand.

It was like watching a professional mixed martial artist face off against a seasoned army veteran, but with one key difference - no weapons. 

The army veteran was trained in hand-to-hand combat, but he knew that he was not prepared to face off against a professional mixed martial art fighter. 

Fortunately, Zorha remembered the story of a boxer that kept appearing in his head since he got the gaming pod. 

The boxer had trained himself all his life and won thirty-two professional fights with four losses, but he had given up his dream of becoming a professional boxer due to an injury he sustained while saving a little girl.

Zorha's voice trailed off, his eyes filled with respect and a little sorrow as he spoke the final words of the tale. 

"He became depressed and all he did was play games, read novels and stay in his room all day, month, years, decades long until he died in the gaming pod itself." 

Suddenly, Zorha froze when the main character spoke, interrupting him from his thoughts.

"Isn't it basic etiquette to introduce themselves first?" 

The words were laced with a hidden meaning, a subtle mockery that cut through Zorha's defenses like a knife. 

The curse inside him pulsed with anger, beating like a heart as Zorha struggled to regain his composure. 

Earlier, he heard and knew that the main character knew him, and he felt like he was being toyed with. 

The thought made him even more furious, and he could feel the curse boiling inside him, threatening to consume him entirely. 

At that time, Zorha's body moved on its own as the curse decided to take over. 

So there he was right now, in front of Nei Lee with sound following his punch. 

Break!

It wasn't a loud bang, but to Nei Lee, it felt like a bolt of lightning had struck him. 

The punch landed squarely on his jaw, and he could feel the electricity flowing through his body, making him momentarily stunned.

As he stood there, dazed and confused, Nei Lee saw another punch coming at him from below. 

An uppercut! 

His mind screamed at him to move, to defend himself, but his body was slow to respond. 

He raised his arms to defend his chin, but it was too late.

"Defend yourself!" 

Nei Lee thought desperately, but his body felt heavy and sluggish. 

The punch landed with a sickening thud, and he could feel his head snap back from the impact. 

His arms had only done a little to defend him, and he knew that he was in trouble.

The sound of the punch echoed in his ears, drowning out all other noise. 

It was like a gunshot, loud and final. 

Nei Lee felt his body start to give way, but he refused to fall. 

He wouldn't give his opponent the satisfaction.

And then he felt it. 

The warm, sticky sensation of blood flowing from his nose and the corner of his lips. 

Nei Lee's head was thrown up in the air by the force of the blow, and he could feel his body start to sway.

His body was massive and heavy, but his head felt light as a feather. 

It started to fall back down towards the ground, slowly and inexorably. 

Nei Lee fought to stay conscious, to stay upright, but he knew that he was losing the battle. 

The world started to spin around him, and he felt himself falling into darkness.

Nei Lee's vision was blurry, and his body felt heavy. 

He knew that he was losing consciousness, and he couldn't find the strength to defend himself. 

Suddenly, another fist was hurling towards his face, and he could feel the impact before it even landed.

With his eyes half-closed, Nei Lee felt a warm sensation on his stomach. 

It was like a voice screaming at him;

"Wake up! Wake up!"

With a surge of energy, he opened his eyes just in time to see the fist coming towards him.

On the other side, Zorha or Lu Tang was preparing to strike again. 

He had already landed a devastating uppercut, and he could see the fear in Nei Lee's eyes. 

He raised his right hand, ready to deliver another blow, followed by a left hook.

But just as his fist was about to make contact with Nei Lee's jaw, something stopped him. 

It was like a force field had appeared out of nowhere, preventing him from landing the punch.

Zorha was confused and disoriented. 

He didn't have time to think because his body was moving on its own. 

He felt a pressure spreading throughout his body, like a giant hand squeezing him from all sides. 

It was like he was being pushed away from Nei Lee.

And then, with a booming sound, Nei Lee and Lu Tang were sent flying across the opposite side. 

The impact was so loud that it echoed throughout the yard of the academy, and for a moment, everyone was stunned into silence.

Four shadows, concealed from the students, intently watched the battle unfold before them. 

The tension in the air was palpable, and their eyes were wide open like their mouths.

Inside the academy, the crystal ball projected an image of the fight, and the onlookers were equally stunned. 

"I have never seen anything like this," the scar face exclaimed. 

The students who were witnessing the battle were equally amazed, their mouths hanging open in disbelief.

"What happened?" 

One of the students asked, breaking the silence. 

They had all seen Young Master Lu Tang overpower Nei Lee, but when he was about to deliver the final blow, his fist suddenly stopped mid air. 

Suddenly, a powerful force erupted, and both combatants were flung in opposite directions. 

The impact was so great that the ground shook beneath their feet.

"I don't know." 

Another student replied, still in shock. 

"Perhaps the teachers will have an explanation."

The commotion had attracted the attention of the academy's staff, and the students were confident that they would soon arrive to sort things out.

The academy had strict rules against fighting in the yard, and they knew that whoever had broken them would be in for severe punishment.