Chapter 22 - Rematch

After training with Mico for three hours, Vernon rested in the locker room with Tony and Antonio.

Vernon sat down, drinking cold water, with a small towel wrapped around his neck.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed in the room, filling the silence. Vernon, Tony, and Antonio all turned their heads toward the door, assuming Mico had come to give feedback on their training.

But it wasn't Mico. Instead, a man with red hair and his trademark smug grin walked in.

Tony and Antonio immediately moved behind Vernon, seeking protection. Vernon understood their fear, especially after their friend ended up in a coma because of Oliver.

"Why are you here? Did you get lost?" Vernon mocked coldly. "This isn't the locker room for B-rank fighters."

"I heard your friend is in a coma because of me. Is that true? What a shame, I didn't even mean to hurt him," Oliver said with a smirk.

Vernon's expression darkened as Oliver mentioned Tian. There was no remorse in Oliver's face, only pride.

"Get out of here," Vernon said flatly, trying to contain his anger. He feared he wouldn't be able to control himself if he stayed too long in front of the man who had put Tian in a coma.

"Let's finish the fight we never got to finish," Oliver challenged.

"I'm not interested," Vernon responded indifferently. He quickly headed for the exit before things escalated.

But before Vernon could reach the door, Oliver swung a roundhouse kick. Vernon ducked just in time. A loud crash echoed as Oliver's foot dented a metal locker.

Tony and Antonio, both just 19 years old, trembled in fear. They couldn't believe Oliver's kick was powerful enough to dent metal. No wonder Tian ended up in a coma after taking one of those kicks.

"I don't want to fight!" Vernon shouted, frustrated by Oliver's stubbornness.

"Why? Are you afraid you'll screw up again like you did with your friend?" Oliver taunted.

'How does he know about that?' Vernon was shocked but kept his face unreadable.

Vernon ignored him and continued toward the door, but then he heard a loud thud followed by agonizing groans.

Antonio and Tony were lying on the floor, covered in blood.

"You bastard! What did you do to them?!" Vernon yelled furiously. Oliver had moved so quickly that Vernon hadn't even seen what happened.

"I was just playing around with them." Oliver grinned, his face now splattered with Tony and Antonio's blood.

"That's what happens when someone rejects my challenge," Oliver added.

"You're insane!"

Instead of getting offended, Oliver laughed even harder, as if Vernon's insult was a compliment. He looked like a psychopath.

"If you keep refusing, I'll kill your friends here instead. So, will you fight me, or not?"

Vernon was torn. He feared making another fatal mistake, but if he refused, his friends would die. He knew Oliver wasn't afraid of anyone, not even Robinson. Oliver would carry out his threat, even if it meant getting kicked out.

Worse, this fight felt different. Vernon could sense a strong killing intent in Oliver's aura and see hatred in his eyes.

"Hurry up. I hate waiting, bro." Oliver twirled the locker key around his finger with a smirk.

'This bastard is really cunning!' Vernon had no choice but to accept, especially since Oliver had taken the exit key.

But doubt crept in. Could he really beat Oliver with his limited abilities?

"Fine. I accept your challenge."

Oliver's grin widened. "Good."

***

"I heard Oliver challenged Vernon again," Marino, a B-rank boxer, reported to Colin and Adam as they worked out in the training room.

"Shit! How dare he go against my orders!" Colin stood up abruptly, but Adam held him back.

"Why are you stopping Oliver from fighting when you hate Vernon so much?" Adam interrogated.

"Let go of me! I need to stop this!"

Marino grabbed Colin's arm. "Don't! Let them fight. This will be a great match, different from before. Vernon won't hold back after what happened to his friend. We'll finally see his true strength."

Colin paused, considering Marino's words. He was intrigued.

"Aren't you pissed that Vernon humiliated you in front of everyone by pretending to lose?" Marino tried to further poison Colin's mind. "Have you forgotten how Robinson tricked you?"

Colin sighed heavily. He had no choice. He was curious about Vernon's abilities, especially since Vernon had withstood all his attacks without serious injury.

"Alright. I'll go watch."

***

Vernon sat in the bathroom, staring at the transparent blue screen in front of him.

"I need to come up with a strategy," Vernon murmured anxiously as he opened his profile stats.

[Host Profile]

Name: Vernon Baxlor

Age: 27

Nationality: New York, United States

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 143 pounds

[Physical Stats]

Punch Strength: C

Punch Speed: D

Agility: D

Stamina: B (UP)

Endurance: C

System Evaluation: Your body is weak

Advice: Train harder or complete daily quests to improve your stats.

[Achievement Stats]

Wins: 4

Losses: 0

Opponents Defeated: 4

Rank: Nothing

[Mental State: Stress]

[Card System Collection]

Rare Card System (1)

[Skills]

Boxing

Vernon's eyes locked onto the words "Rare Card System." He sighed softly, disappointed.

'I have no choice but to use it.'

On the other hand, he was curious about the card's power since it was ranked "Rare."

'I hope this card gives me the strength I need to beat Oliver.'

"Open Card."

The card spun rapidly, glowing blue before revealing its message.

[Congratulations! You have unlocked Level 1 Muay Thai skills!]

Vernon's eyes widened with excitement. 'Muay Thai?'

[Do you wish to activate it?]

[Yes/No]

'Yes!'

Suddenly, Vernon felt knowledge and skills of Muay Thai flooding into his mind and body. It was as if he had mastered the martial art in an instant.

'This is incredible! It's like a cheat code in a video game.'

Vernon clenched his fists, feeling more confident. "I know I can beat Oliver now."

As he stepped out of the bathroom, he was surprised to see Mico waiting for him.

"What are you doing here, Coach?"

"You're making a big mistake again."

"No. This time, I made the right choice by fighting Oliver."

Mico frowned, noticing the burning determination in Vernon's eyes.

"But you know the difference in your skill levels. You should accept that you're not on Oliver's level, not challenge him to a rematch."

"You're wrong. In the last fight, I didn't give it everything I had." Vernon grinned mysteriously, leaving Mico puzzled.

Mico sighed heavily. "Whatever you say, but you need to accept that you might miss the Vagon tournament in five days."

"Don't worry about it. Trust me."

Mico had no choice but to support Vernon, though he was still curious about what Vernon was truly capable of. Today, he would finally get his answer.

Vernon walked into the ring, each step resonating with confidence and determination.

"So, you finally showed up," Oliver smirked mockingly. "I thought you ran off scared."

"I never run."

Vernon climbed into the ring, wearing black shorts and boxing gloves. His upper body was bare, revealing his toned muscles.

Oliver, on the other hand, had a physique carved like stone, every muscle rippling with power.

The atmosphere grew tense as the two fighters faced each other. The Vagon boxers were both excited and anxious to see the match between "The Flash" and the F-rank boxer.

The referee stepped into the ring and laid out the rules. "Mr. Morgan, the head of Vagon BootCamp, only allows you to knock each other out, not kill. If anyone breaks this rule, they will be eliminated from Vagon BootCamp forever."

Oliver and Vernon stared daggers at each other, ignoring the referee's words.

Vernon wasn't relieved by the lighter rules. He knew Oliver wouldn't care and still intended to kill him.

'I need to be careful of his speed, tactics, and strikes.'

The bell rang sharply, and in an instant, Oliver was on the attack. He unleashed a flurry of punches at Vernon, a relentless barrage of power and speed that felt like a storm hammering down on him.

Vernon tried to block with all his strength, but Oliver's speed overwhelmed him. Each punch and kick forced Vernon backward until he was cornered against the ropes.

'Damn it! He's more aggressive than before.'

'If this keeps up, I won't last,' Vernon thought, panicking as he searched for an opening amid Oliver's onslaught. He knew that if he didn't find a way to counter soon, he would be finished.

BUM!

Oliver landed a heavy combination, sending Vernon staggering back.

Vernon reeled, his vision spinning as he tried to shake off the blow. His chance came when he managed to land an uppercut, forcing Oliver to jump back, creating some distance between them.

"As I thought. Oliver can read my attacks and dodge them easily," Vernon said to himself. He was amazed by how fast Oliver's reactions were—faster than most humans.

Typically, people respond in about 200 milliseconds, but Oliver did it in just 10 milliseconds.

'No wonder they call him The Flash.'

Vernon and Oliver circled each other in the ring, exchanging sharp looks, trying to read and predict the next move.

'I need to attack him too, or I'm going to die if I keep letting him strike. But how can I attack without getting hit by one of Oliver's kicks?'

If Vernon rushed in recklessly, Oliver would hit him with an incredibly fast kick, one he couldn't avoid.

The only way to stay safe was to keep a distance from Oliver.

"Why aren't you attacking me? Are you scared to come closer?" Oliver taunted, then threw a kick at Vernon's ribs, but Vernon dodged it.

Oliver followed up with a back kick, but Vernon quickly ducked and shifted behind him, staying out of reach to avoid any more attacks.

Fighting a Muay Thai expert was incredibly frustrating. Their speed and technique made them dangerous both from a distance and up close, unlike boxing, which had more limited movement.

Seeing Vernon not attacking for several minutes, the other Vagon fighters started mocking him.

"How long are you going to just stand there circling?"

"Even a baby could do that!"

The taunts and jeers broke Vernon's focus, ringing painfully in his ears.

"If you won't attack me, then I'll go first!" Oliver raged uncontrollably. He unleashed a storm of punches, kicks, and elbows, cornering Vernon and making it impossible for him to escape the onslaught.