Chapter 24 - Suspicion

'Fu*k! How could this bastard read my moves?' Oliver was shocked and angry. His reputation as The Flash, which he'd built over years, was shattered in an instant.

Vernon grinned mockingly as he caught the frustrated look on Oliver's face. He must have been wondering how Vernon could predict every move he made.

"Did you guys notice something?" Marino whispered to Colin and Adam. "Oliver's movements are slowing down."

Colin noticed it too. Could it be because Oliver was hurt? That made no sense. The blows Vernon landed were hardly anything to Oliver, since only a few punches had actually hit him.

His friend had been in more brutal and intense fights than this and still came out victorious without serious injuries.

'What's really happening?' Colin wondered.

Oliver attacked Vernon again, using a Muay Thai combo—elbows, kicks, punches—but Vernon easily dodged them all.

"Damn it!"

Oliver raged, throwing wild punches. He wasn't going to hold back anymore. Today, he would kill Vernon!

But Vernon blocked and dodged with ease, as if those attacks meant nothing.

Oliver stopped, panting heavily. He was completely drained, something that rarely happened to him in a fight.

None of his attacks had landed.

Oliver clenched his fists, furious at the mocking expression on Vernon's face. A wave of anger surged through his body.

A burning question filled Oliver's mind: How was Vernon avoiding his deadly moves like he could read them before they even happened?

'Calm down. Don't rush it,' Oliver tried to clear his mind.

Vernon stopped mocking him as he realized Oliver was getting serious, signaling that he was about to give it his all.

Vernon glanced at a transparent screen in front of him.

[Slow Effect Item]

[Description: This item slows down the opponent's movements for several minutes]

[Usage Time: 5 Minutes]

[Time Remaining: 3:24:09]

'I can't waste any time!' Vernon moved in, landing a hard kick to Oliver's left leg, making him groan in pain.

Vernon also struck Oliver's face with a jab—straight punch.

Oliver's head jerked back. As he stumbled, Vernon immediately delivered a low kick, aiming at his right leg, sending Oliver crashing to the ground.

His pained groans filled the tense air.

Vernon smirked silently, satisfied. Now, Oliver wouldn't be able to use his Muay Thai kicks anymore.

Vernon threw another low kick, targeting Oliver's face. Oliver quickly blocked the kick but cried out as his arm broke.

"You fool! I wasn't aiming for your head!" Vernon spat.

Now, Oliver couldn't stand or use his fists.

The referee started counting down. Vernon hoped Oliver would surrender so the fight would be over.

Blood and sweat pooled on the ring floor.

The crowd watched Oliver, waiting to see if he would rise again or give up.

Time after time, Oliver struggled to stand, but he fell back down. He growled in frustration, pounding the floor in anger.

His pride was shattered.

"The winner is Vernon!" The referee raised Vernon's hand high.

Vernon smiled proudly, looking around at the frozen faces in disbelief.

But there were no cheers or applause. The room was dead silent, as the other fighters couldn't believe what had just happened.

Only Tony and Antonio cheered with joy. They climbed into the ring, congratulating him.

Mico smiled proudly from outside the ring, crossing his arms. He hadn't expected Vernon to win a fight that seemed impossible for an F-rank fighter.

Colin climbed into the ring and congratulated Vernon. "You haven't changed, bro. You've always been amazing."

"Thanks."

Vernon turned to see Oliver being helped by Adam and Marino. He approached and extended his hand to Oliver with a smile as a peace offering.

But Oliver spat in Vernon's face. "This isn't over. I'll make sure you die in the Vagon tournament."

Adam and Marino quickly helped Oliver out of the ring, and the medical team arrived to place him on a stretcher and take him to the hospital.

All the Vagon fighters left the arena with mixed expressions of shock, anger, and confusion.

"I can't believe you crippled that bastard!" Tony shouted enthusiastically, spitting in Vernon's face.

"I clearly saw you break his leg with that Muay Thai technique!" Antonio added, mimicking Vernon's earlier kick.

Vernon just laughed at their antics. A sense of pride washed over him. Finally, he had earned respect in front of all the Vagon fighters.

"Who taught you Muay Thai?" Mico suddenly appeared, interrogating him. Vernon always managed to spark his curiosity.

"I-I…" Vernon stammered.

"Can't you see that Vernon's hurt, Coach? We need to treat him before you interrogate him," Tony suggested.

Mico grumbled but couldn't refuse his student's advice.

"Take Vernon to the rest area. I'll send another medical team."

"Why didn't they have a medical team ready for Vernon?" Antonio clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"We're just F-rank fighters with no achievements, so the Vagon higher-ups and Robinson won't care if we die."

"This is bullsh*t!"

Vernon didn't care about the unfair treatment from Vagon BootCamp. What mattered was that he had earned his dignity in the eyes of all the Vagon fighters. At least now, they would never underestimate him again.

***

Oliver sat silently on his bed in his room, his arms and legs bandaged after the doctor confirmed they were broken. His face looked grim as he remembered being overpowered earlier.

"Did you notice it?" Marino broke the silence in the room.

"Notice what?" Oliver glared at him.

"You suddenly got weaker during the fight," Marino replied. "What really happened to you back there? Were you seriously injured by Vernon's attacks? Because you weren't fighting like you usually do." Marino was curious.

"Weaker?" Oliver's eyebrows furrowed. He was surprised. So it wasn't that Vernon had gotten faster or stronger, but that he had weakened?

But how? When Vernon hit him, he felt fine, with no major injuries.

'This is strange.'