[Lucian "The Viper" Kael]
Veteran of 21 underground fights. Muay Thai specialist, cold and precise.
He cracked his neck and gave me a look that said: I've already killed you.
[VCP COMBAT MODE: ENGAGED] Threat Level: D+
Win Probability: 47%
Fighting Style: Muay Thai (Clincher, Elbow Specialist)
Weakness Identified: Rear Leg Vulnerability After Clinch Reset
The bell rang.
Round One – Begin
Lucian moved like smoke.
No wasted motion and no hesitation. Every strike was a probe, a whisper of violence.
He opened with a sharp low kick.
I checked it. Barely. My shin burned.
Then came the high feint, the real low kick. It smashed against my thigh.
I bit down, forced myself to return fire—a hook kick.
Sloppy.
He punished me instantly. Stepped in. Front knee to the gut.
I doubled over, caught my breath mid-drop. Blocked the follow-up elbow.
[VCP ALERT: Critical Impact Avoided]
Backed off.
He smiled. Snake-like.
Stay calm. Read him. He wants control. Give him chaos.
I danced back. Let him chase.
Lucian pressed forward. His elbows were like scalpels. His knees, like a battering rams.
He feinted low, and came high with a slicing elbow. I ducked, and heard the air split.
Sweat blurred my vision.
He grabbed the clinch.
Pulled me in.
I tightened my guard, stomach tight, breath shallow.
Two quick knees into my ribs.
Pain. Real pain.
[VCP STRATEGY SHIFTING]
Adapting to clinch pattern... Suggested move: Sweep counter from inside leverage
I let my body sag like I was folding.
He leaned in, smug.
That's when I twisted my hips and reaped his rear leg.
BOOM.
He slammed into the canvas.
I mounted.
Fists rained down. His arms barely covered up.
One. Two. Three.
Blood.
He bucked and rolled. I let him.
Back to our feet.
He came slower now.
'He's rattled. He didn't expect the sweep and didn't expect the counter.'
'But a cornered snake strikes wild.'
'I can't give him rhythm. No beat to follow.'
'Break him and beat him at his own style.'
Lucian circled now, throwing probing jabs with elbow threats layered behind.
He launched a spinning back elbow.
He missed.
I pivoted on my lead foot then gave a rear straight.
CRACK.
It landed. Clean.
His lip split.
I tasted blood that wasn't mine.
Lucian looked shaken.
He rushed in with a flurry, but his strikes were less crisp. Less surgical.
He tried the clinch again.
I stepped inside. No hesitation.
Planted a brutal knee to his ribs.
He gasped. Dropped his guard.
That was it.
One elbow.
A tight arc. Right to the jaw.
THUD.
He collapsed.
The ref dove in.
"STOP!"
[VCP UPDATE]
[VICTORY ACHIEVED] Lucian "The Viper" Kael – Defeated
XP +1200 Trait Unlocked: "Clinch Execution" Combat Rank: D → D+
The Aftermath
Silence fell for a breath.
Then applause. Not loud. Not wild.
But... respectful.
Carlos stepped into the cage, clapping slowly.
"Well, shit. I thought he'd school you for at least two rounds."
I wiped blood off my mouth with my forearm. "He tried."
"You embarrassed a vet," Carlos said. "This changes things."
He handed me a card. Heavy. Gold trim.
Apex Holdings.
"Their CEO wants a word. Says you fight like a hunter with knives."
I raised an eyebrow. "Is that a compliment?"
Backstage – Medical Checkup
I sat on a bench, and my knuckles are wrapped in ice. My ribs throbbed, but nothing cracked, lucky.
Jess appeared with Eli in tow. Her eyes locked on my face.
"That elbow at the end... brutal."
"He clinched too much and got predictable."
"Yeah, well, you're full of surprises."
Eli held up his phone. "You're already trending. Someone streamed the whole thing. It's blowing up."
"Wonderful," I muttered. "Nothing like illegal fights to boost your academic record."
Jess grinned. "You looked alive in there. Like... more than usual."
I looked down.
"It felt like I was supposed to be there. Like the cage made more sense than a lecture hall ever did."
She didn't answer.
She didn't need to.
Later That Night – Dorm Room
I stared at the Apex card.
It shimmered under the lamplight.
Carlos said this would lead to real money. Corporate money and sponsorship. A chance to move beyond local fights and into the elite tier.
[VALKYRIE SYSTEM UPDATE - NOTIFICATION]
Objective Unlocked: Secure Corporate Sponsorship
Estimated Timeline: 3–7 Days
New Module Unlocked: [Negotiation Simulation – Business Tier 1]
"Looks like this hunter needs to wear a suit now," I whispered.