The students were visibly surprised when Hale stepped into the ring.
"He’s actually going to fight?"
"I haven’t seen him spar with a newcomer before."
Even Anton moved closer to watch.
Max waited while Hale tightened his gloves. He’d watched the instructor correct students throughout the session, but he hadn’t seen him fight yet.
"What rank are you?" Max asked.
"D-rank. Does that change your mind?"
"Nope. Just curious."
Hale nodded and took his position.
"Three points to win. Clean strikes or controlled takedowns. Ready?"
Max raised his padded gauntlet.
"Ready."
"Begin!"
Max approached first, testing Hale with a quick punch toward his chest.
Hale deflected it and immediately countered. Max leaned aside, avoiding the strike, but the instructor was already following with another.
’Fast!’
Max retreated two steps, then ducked beneath the next attack and drove his gauntlet toward Hale’s ribs.
The instructor twisted away, narrowly avoiding the hit.
"Good," Hale said. "Again."
Max smiled.
He attacked with greater speed, but Hale handled his strikes with practiced ease, blocking or redirecting them before Max could reach his body.
Then Hale caught his wrist and attempted a throw.
Max planted his foot and resisted. When Hale tried pulling harder, Max twisted with the movement and struck toward his exposed side.
Hale released him and jumped backward.
"He forced Hale to retreat!"
Several students began talking excitedly.
Max barely heard them. His excitement was growing, and without realizing it, he’d begun lowering his stance.
His feet spread farther apart, his shoulders relaxed, and the upright movements he’d been using against Daren and Talia gradually disappeared.
Hale noticed immediately.
’What kind of stance is that?’
Max lunged.
WHOOSH!
He shot forward, coming in low beneath Hale’s guard. The instructor blocked his first strike, but Max twisted and attacked from another angle before he could counter.
Hale raised his other arm.
Max changed direction again, slipping around his side and striking toward his back.
Hale barely avoided it.
For several exchanges, the instructor found himself defending against movements unlike anything he’d expected.
Max attacked from low positions, changed directions without warning, and recovered from awkward angles with remarkable ease.
His movements were becoming increasingly difficult to predict.
’Feral Instinct.’
Max grinned. This was much better.
Hale attempted another counter, but Max ducked beneath it, briefly touched the mat with one hand, and sprang toward his exposed side.
The instructor twisted away just in time.
’He’s getting faster?’ Hale wondered.
But Hale wasn’t an instructor for nothing.
Instead of chasing Max’s movements, he tightened his guard and stopped giving him the openings he’d been exploiting.
Max lunged again.
This time, Hale waited until he entered striking distance before delivering a short counter directly to his chest.
TAP!
The whistle sounded.
"Point to Hale! One to zero!"
Max stepped back.
’He figured it out.’
Hale had adapted to his fighting style surprisingly quickly.
"Continue."
Max attacked again, changing his rhythm to avoid becoming predictable. He slipped beneath Hale’s first counter and tried circling behind him.
But the instructor turned with him.
Before Max could withdraw, Hale caught his forearm and shoved him backward.
His boots slid across the mat.
’Oh?’
The strength behind that movement was completely different from anything he’d felt earlier.
Hale advanced, and Max found himself retreating under a series of strikes that were becoming increasingly difficult to avoid.
The instructor had been holding back his physical abilities.
’So this is a D-rank.’
Max lowered his stance.
He wasn’t finished yet.
Hale stepped forward to intercept another attack, but Max suddenly changed direction.
’Burst Step!’
WHOOSH!
Mana surged through his legs, carrying him around Hale’s guard at tremendous speed.
The instructor’s eyes widened.
Max appeared beside him and thrust his padded gauntlet toward his chest.
BAM!
Hale barely managed to block the strike. But before Max could recover, the instructor caught his arm, stepped behind his leg, and threw him onto the mat.
THUD!
"Point to Hale! Two to zero!"
Max stared up at the ceiling.
’He actually stopped that?’
Hale released his arm and offered him a hand.
"That movement skill is impressive. You nearly caught me."
Max accepted the help.
"Nearly."
He was beginning to feel the difference between them. His instincts allowed him to anticipate attacks, and Burst Step gave him incredible speed in short bursts.
But Hale possessed the physical strength and agility to respond even when Max caught him by surprise.
"One more?" Hale asked.
"Of course."
Max lowered his body again, his eyes fixed on the instructor.
This time, he didn’t waste energy testing Hale’s guard. He attacked aggressively, slipping beneath one counter and immediately following with another strike.
Hale blocked, but Max kept coming.
For a moment, the instructor was forced backward again.
Then Hale increased his speed.
Max saw the counter coming and tried to avoid it, but the instructor moved faster than his body could respond.
One hand caught his wrist. The other secured his shoulder.
Max planted his feet and struggled against the grip, but Hale’s superior strength overwhelmed him.
THUD!
He landed on the mat again.
"Three to zero! Winner, Instructor Hale!"
The match was over.
Max remained on the ground for a moment, catching his breath.
Then he smiled.
’If my stats were higher, that would’ve been a different fight.’
He’d managed to pressure Hale with Feral Instinct, and even surprised him with Burst Step. But when the instructor began relying on his superior physical abilities, Max simply couldn’t keep up.
Hale helped him to his feet.
"Interesting fighting style you’ve got there," he said. "Took me a while to adjust."
"Yeah, thanks. That was fun."
"You’ve got potential. Keep developing what works for you."
Max nodded.
Around them, the students were still discussing the match. Several had been surprised by how long an F-rank Player had lasted against their instructor.
Talia approached with her round shield tucked beneath one arm.
"That movement skill you used," she said. "Is that your class ability?"
Max hesitated.
"It’s an ability I have."
Talia studied him briefly but didn’t press further.
"Well, you certainly gave Hale something to think about."
"Still lost."
"He’s D-rank, Max. And you made him work for it." She smiled. "You should’ve seen some of the other students when you started moving like that."
Max glanced toward the spectators. A few were still watching him.
"Are you coming back?" Talia asked.
"Maybe. I’ve got some other things I want to do."
"Fair enough."
She took out her phone and held it toward him.
"Give me your number, then. In case you decide to come back."
Max entered his number, and Talia sent him a message immediately.
"There. Now you’ve got mine too."
"Thanks."
"See you around, Max."
"See you."
***
Outside the Academy, Max opened his System panel.
[Feral Instinct Mastery: 100%]
He’d already mastered Feral Instinct, and the fight had confirmed something important.
His fighting style wasn’t the problem.
He needed more Strength. More Agility. Better Stats to support everything his body could already do.
And unlike ordinary Players, he had a way to acquire them without relying entirely on leveling up.
Devour.
Max smiled as he took out his phone and opened the Association’s Gate listings.
There was one Gate in particular he wanted to visit again.