Dreams on the line

Choi had skillfully countered every move Lin made during the tournament, leaving him unable to land a single blow. The memory of the concussion-inducing strike that Choi had delivered replayed in Lin's mind, causing him to gulp nervously as he approached his opponent.

"Ready for another round?" Choi asked, closing the distance between them.

"How do you predict my moves before I even make them?" Lin inquired, hoping for a friendly tip before they engaged in combat.

"I am blind, remember? The Faire just happened to heighten my senses incredibly. So, are we going to do this or what?" Choi maintained a positive attitude, even though he knew he held an advantage over Lin. During their previous encounter, Lin wasn't able to land a clean blow.

"Systems are good to go, Lin," Zen's voice resonated in Lin's head.

Zen proceeded to pull up Choi's stats.

[Name: Choi Kahuna]

[Age: 17]

[Ability Level: 4]

[Sect: War]

"You've faced Choi numerous times in the dream construct, and you've already devised effective combinations against him. There's absolutely nothing to worry about," Zen reassured Lin.

"Yeah, I came up with countermeasures against Choi in the dream construct, but this is real life," Lin debated with the voice in his head.

"Attaboy, you've got this. By the way, your stats are way more impressive than his. You won't lose," Zen concluded.

Lin clenched his fist, wiping his nose defiantly. "Bring it on, Pinky Blinder," he mockingly taunted Choi.

"It's on!" Sergeant Malcolm shouted, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle of students putting their dreams on the line.

The small crowd that had already gathered, chanting and cheering for the combatants.

Lin and Choi assumed their stances, circling each other, their determination evident in their eyes. The air was charged with anticipation as they prepared to unleash their skills in a fierce and exhilarating fight.

The crowd held their breath, eager to witness this clash of extraordinary talents. Some began betting their credits on who would win.

"Lin stands no chance. I mean, he lost devastatingly in their last encounter. He couldn't land a single hit," a cadet in the crowd said, betting his credit on Choi for the win.

Some others saw the sense in what he said and betted for Choi to win.

As the battle commenced, Lin darted forward, his movements swift and precise. He weaved through the air, utilizing his agility to his advantage, while Choi remained calm and centred, relying on his heightened senses to anticipate Lin's every action.

"No kidding, my agility has actually improved. I really do feel light on my feet. Does this really mean I actually got an ungrade after the encounter in the lab? This is no time to think," Lin cleared his mind, focusing on the fight as he closed the gap.

Lin swirled his body to the left, shifting his weight to the left... He was about using one of his combinations.

"It is no use, I know you will try feinting to the right to confuse me, then throw out a fist. I don't only predict your moves, I also predict the precise outcome," Choi said, as his prediction was being played out by Lin.

"That is even impressive to me," Lin scoffed, not breaking a sweat. He still had an arsenal of combinations to use, at least before Choi got the chance to deal him any damage.

The crowd went wild cheering for Choi. The noise attracted more students who were interested in watching the fierce fight.

Lin launched a flurry of strikes, his fists, and his feet a blur in motion. Yet, Choi evaded each attack effortlessly, dodging and sidestepping with uncanny precision. It seemed as if he possessed a sixth sense, always one step ahead.

"I told you, I can see it all. I will play with you for a bit. When I get bored, I will have to send you to bed again," Choi said mockingly.

"Choi is so amazing!"

The audience would shout as Choi invaded Lin regardless of how fast Lin was.

"Are you tired already?" Choi mocked as Lin stepped back, creating distance between them.

"Are you scared? He is scared!" Choi began laughing. Some people from the crowd joined him.

"You are wrong. A Hori doesn't run from a fight. I was just trying to observe and see if you have improved since our last encounter. Well, it seems like nothing has changed," Lin said, a smirk now visible on his face.

With that, he muttered, "Juice," under his breath.

Lin felt a surge coursing through his veins. Lin's speed increased by 100%. Followed by that, he froze time in place with his chronostatics.

Time stood still as Lin entered his frozen state. He charged in at Choi with an incredible speed.

With the seconds frozen in time, Lin seized the opportunity. He executed a lightning-fast series of strikes, delivering blows with pinpoint accuracy.

Choi, momentarily caught off guard, found himself unable to predict Lin's moves in this altered state. He felt himself unable to move as Lin closed in.

Lin became extremely fast for him to evade.

As time resumed its normal flow, Choi staggered backwards, his arms around his ribs where the punches had connected.

Surprise etched on his face. Lin's onslaught had caught him off balance, disrupting his ability to foresee the attacks.

"I could sensed his moves, but I couldn't react, I barely had time to react," Choi thought to himself, "There is no way cadets got biocore transfusion."

Before Choi could snap out of his thoughts and back to the fight, Lin harnessed his agility and quick wit, Lin continued his relentless assault, combining swift strikes and evasive man

He weaved in and out, exploiting every opening. Choi, despite his exceptional abilities, struggled to keep up with Lin's blistering pace.

"Oh my God! I am on fire," Lin screamed in excitement.

The students who had bet against Lin stood shocked as their champion was continuously assaulted.

"This is definitely how a revenge fight should be," one of the cadets screamed in response.

Lin had some questions on his mind, but he would rather get the answer after he was done handing Choi's ass to him.

As Choi was struggling to keep up, Lin's confidence soared.

The juice skill was already in cooldown, but Lin already had an upper hand after inflicting bruises on Choi.

Lin tapped into his training, recalling the effective combinations he had devised against Choi in the dream construct. With each calculated move, he pushed the boundaries of his own limits, surpassing even his own expectations.

Choi refused to simply take defeat. He had worked so hard even with his condition to get into seal squad. Losing now could mean waiting for another opportunity. Who knows when the next opportunity will avail itself.

The crowd erupted in cheers, their excitement building as Lin's dominance became evident. His agility and strategic prowess proved too much for Choi's predictive abilities to handle.

Choi managed to get off the ground. He was determined not to lose.

"Not today, not now," Choi muttered.

Choi took a deep breath, trying to find his focus. He bent down and placed his two palms on the floor, enhancing the reading he felt.

Lin rushed at Choi to finish him up, but Choi was now fully aware of his environment.

Choi dodged docked, dodging Lin's fist and delivering a choke slam in return.

Lin slammed to the floor back first. He thought Choi was out of breath and had attacked too fast, put an end to him, and had committed to leaving his guard open.

Lin coughed, trying to recover from the hurt as he tried pulling himself up.

Immediately, Choi moved to Lin with no intention to let him regain his stance. With him arms around Lin's neck, he tried forcing him into a submission.

Lin was struggling to breathe when Zen's voice broke out in his head.

"Use your elbow," Zen whispered.

With that, Lin started throwing his elbow fiercely at Choi, who was choking him out from behind.

Choi's gripped loosened, and he backed away.

Lin unleashed a powerful finishing strike, landing it squarely on Choi's chest. The impact sent Choi sprawling to the ground, gasping for air, and unable to get up.

"The transport leaves tomorrow by 8am," Sergeant Malcolm shouted as he called the duel.

As the cheers reverberated through the crowd, Lin picked up his backpack and gave Draco a proud wink. They had both secured a spot to Grenguard. Their dreams were gradually falling into place.

The crowd erupted in applause, celebrating Lin's incredible victory as they gave way for him to the bus.

As Lin walked out of the training centre, he saw May standing like she was waiting for him. She had a sad smile on her face. She went ahead and ran into Lin's arms.

"I was worried for you. And now you have earned a spot into Grenguard, I can't help but worry more," May said, her head buried in Lin's chest.

Lin held her for a while,"You know I will be just fine. The training at Grenguard will only be for a few months, I will be right here with you before you know it."

May held Lin for a while before placing a kiss on May's forehead.

"I am certain our paths will cross again," Lin whispered to May.

"Till then, promise me, you would take good care of yourself and not die out there," May said, concerned.

"I promise"