He could only moan from the pain, his mouth wide open, his face turning red as every vein in his face bulged and trembled.
His mind couldn’t process everything as Jakol stood above him, unmoving. After enduring the pain for ten agonizing seconds, Jeff felt like he was on the brink of losing consciousness.
The system then appeared, and Jeff felt his body clearing. Jakol was back in his original position, and this time, his heavy aura had disappeared.
Finally freed from the endless torture, Jeff gasped for air as he collapsed to the ground, kneeling with his forearms resting on the floor.
His face was drenched in sweat, as if he had just taken a cold shower. His mind felt traumatized, and for a brief moment, he felt blank, struggling to comprehend the intensity of what had just happened.
Seeing this the system tilted its panel with a look. [-_-]
[Maybe I went a bit too far] - the system uttered.
Jeff remained there, his heartbeat racing and pumping blood furiously. His breathing was still heavy as he used his right hand to clutch his chest, where his heart was thundering wildly.
Feeling the rapid beat, he gripped his shirt tightly, trying to calm it down. After a minute, his heart finally slowed, and his mind began to return to normal.
He stood up straight, then looked at the system. His face no longer held any anger, as he realized just how weak he actually was. Not only in strength but in will as well.
This realization made him feel disgusted with himself. He had been complaining and complaining, but never putting in the effort to improve or push himself.
[So you must have felt the gap, right? If you want to know, the other Omega agents trained by Jakol couldn’t even move for 3 weeks.]
Hearing what the system said sent a shiver down his spine, and a sigh escaped his lips.
"Not moving for 3 weeks? I guess every bone in their body must be broken into pieces to not be able to move for 3 weeks straight," he said, clenching his fist.
"But there’s something I want to ask," he continued, his tone curious.
"In some novels and movies I’ve watched, during training, they can be taught first before getting beaten up. Why is mine so different?" he asked, feeling there was something that needed to be answered.
[That is because pain is the only true instructor, Host]
Hearing the system response his mind was blanked, as the system continued.
[Techniques can be memorized the styles can be copied. But instinct the real combat instinct can only be born in pain]
[If you want to know every Omega agent that stood where you stand went through this exact trial. Instructor Jakol does not teach first because movement without pressure is meaningless]
[When the body is pushed to its absolute threshold and when pain becomes memory, and memory becomes reflex, that is when you begin to learn and understand the meaning of pain]
[This very training itself burns weakness from the flesh. It resets your survival instincts, awakens dormant reflex pathways, and forces your muscles to remember what your mind cannot yet understand]
[So, you are not being taught a style, but rather you are being remade into a weapon]
Hearing what the system said, Jeff closed his eyes for a moment, absorbing the information and processing it in his mind.
When he opened his eyes again, they were filled with resolve. He realized he needed to man up this time and at least try to overcome the challenge in front of him.
If it were related to studying or academics, it would have been easy, but this was completely different.
This was something he had never faced before, and he knew he had to use everything he had to push through.
[Now that you understand, I’ll continue the battle now]
Then the battle started again. Jeff took a stance, his mind focused like an eagle staring at its prey.
He made sure to position himself in a solid defense, memorizing every movement, etching it into his mind, ready for his counterattack.
Jakol moved, but this time the system had set things back to normal, so it wasn’t as overbearing or deadly.
However, even without the crushing aura, Jakol was still a monster. Every movement, every strike, carried an immense power that Jeff could feel deep in his bones.
And with that the distance was closed in just half a breath with its foot sliding in with zero movement. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢•𝕟𝕖𝕥
Jeff saw that lead step, its shoulder rotated and the way the elbow shifted.
"Is he going to feint? No, is he going to change the angle" he ran his mind.
He did not finished planning in his mind yet as a hook came faster than what he had expected, it slipped between his arms smashed into his cheekbone.
Making his vision exploded in sparks, Jakol didn’t stop as a palm strike landed on his chest, stealing the air from his lungs.
It was then followed by a sweeping leg kick that knocked him off balance, "Oh no it’s the familiar feeling," he uttered with blood on his lips.
And he was right as a rising knee collided with his abdomen, folding him again. This made him hit the ground with a grunt, as he coughs violently.
His mind was red, but his mind was absorbing the lesson from the battle and the pain it gives him.
"That first step, it’s always the same."
"His hip drops, but the attack comes high clearly he must be redirecting his weight and was not leading with it."
His eyes slowly opened as the pain began to fade, and the white room reset.
His bones were aligned as his bruises from the attack just now disappeared. But just from this exchanged of blows he had absorbed some ideas.
His perception had greatly increased from the battle.
"I get it now. He’s not just fast, but clearly he’s efficient. He’s excellent at controlling the flow, just like my gaze from where I look, so I never see what really hits me."
With this realization, he adjusted his stance, changing his approach.
This time, he focused on studying Jakol’s movements, trying to predict what kind of attack he would throw at him next.
His eyes were sharp making his mind clear as the ocean, with that he was ready to adapt from whatever that may come in his way.
Special thanks to ’Meiwa_Blank👑’ – the GOAT for this month, for the Golden Tickets! Love you, brotha!
Special thanks to ’Devon1234👑’ – the GOAT for this month, for the Gifts! Love you, brotha!