The title "Little Madman of the Ring" granted him +1 Stamina and +1 Explosiveness, giving Jason Luo just enough to go toe-to-toe in a reckless slugfest.
This time, when Gossagen charged in with his crazed assault, Jason Luo met him head-on with everything he had. At first, Jason stayed composed, defending while countering, but as the title's negative effect took hold, he grew more and more unhinged. It was as if Gossagen's madness had infected him—turning him into a lunatic himself…
Gossagen wasn't alarmed. If anything, he seemed delighted. The two fighters soon abandoned defense altogether, trading blows with no regard for their bodies.
Just like that—one madman became two! Commentator Wollers froze with the mic in hand, mouth wide open, unable to say a word…
The crowd was the same. They'd never seen anyone dare to meet Gossagen head-on like this!
At ringside, Pedro's cane shook in his grip, his lips trembling. Raúl clung to the ropes, practically leaning into the ring, muttering, "Hang in there, Jason! Knock him down and I'll give you a big reward…"
But even though Jason Luo was fighting with his life on the line, Gossagen's offense didn't slow—it actually grew fiercer, climbing to a whole new level!
Jason Luo, already at a disadvantage in a slugfest, began to falter. His left eye swelled shut, vision blurring, while his nose had been smashed twice, sharp pain and numbness flooding his head.
Gossagen's own head was swollen, but it didn't seem to bother him at all. To Jason, it felt like brawling with a mummy—maybe the guy couldn't even feel pain!
This couldn't go on.
Even with his emotions spiraling, Jason hadn't lost all reason. If the fight continued this way, he'd clearly be the one to break first.
If you've got a trump card, now's the time to use it!
Jason timed his move perfectly. As Gossagen's heavy punch came crashing in, Jason dropped to the canvas!
The fall was so sudden it stunned everyone. It didn't look natural at all. The director immediately cut to a replay—yes, Jason had taken Gossagen's punch. Sweat flew from his forehead on impact, proof enough of the power.
But here was the odd part: Jason hadn't reacted right away. The punch landed, Gossagen pulled back, and only then did Jason suddenly collapse. Suspicious, to say the least.
Was it a dive? Was he giving up?
The crowd buzzed with speculation.
The referee, idle for two whole rounds (after all, these two maniacs weren't clinching, weren't fouling—just bashing each other senseless), finally had something to do. He rushed forward to check, but before he even arrived, Jason Luo was already back on his feet!
That wasn't good. Sometimes intracranial bleeding caused fighters to act unnaturally energetic before crashing. The ref immediately checked him—no bloodshot eyes, pupils normal. Just badly swollen lids, which was to be expected.
"Walk two steps straight," the ref ordered. Jason did—no problem.
Alright then.
A little disappointed, the ref realized the fight had to continue. So much for an early night…
With Unyielding Body activated, Jason Luo's stats recovered and surged by 15%. Power flooded through him—he felt stronger than ever!
At the ref's command, both fighters charged in, hurling heavy punches. Both connected. This time Jason only staggered back half a step, while Gossagen reeled, head thrown back, stumbling three or four steps before stopping. When he lowered his head, his forehead was split open, blood pouring down!
The madman actually licked his own blood and grinned. He lunged again, only for the referee to block him.
The fight was paused for Gossagen's wound to be treated. Reluctantly, he let his corner patch him up.
The swings in momentum were insane. Jason Luo had just collapsed, and moments later, the slightly dominant Gossagen was bleeding from a fresh wound, injured by the man who had just risen?
The arena erupted.
"Gossagen's hurt? Could the kid actually win?"
"No way! He went down first—it had to be a fluke."
"I'm putting fifty bucks on Gossagen!"
"Hell with that—I'll put a hundred on the kid!"
…
Wollers finally found his voice again. "Damn! I forgot I was supposed to be commentating! This fight is insane! I still don't understand why Jason went down earlier, but it clearly doesn't matter—the fight goes on, and that's all that counts!"
"That punch after he stood up—unbelievable. Who would've thought it'd force the Swedish fighter Gossagen onto the back foot? The forehead cut might not stop the fight, but mentally, it's bound to shake both of them. Where this fight goes from here? Impossible to predict…"
Just as Wollers said, Jason Luo felt a weight lift from his chest. After all, this guy was just flesh and blood. He could get hurt, he could bleed. Maybe his only edge was his insane willpower…
Gossagen, his cut hastily treated, reentered the ring. The two went right back to tearing into each other!
Jason Luo went all out, burning through his stamina and strength with reckless abandon.
Gossagen was still a monster. After all this, his energy hadn't dipped at all—he kept charging, kept swinging with relentless force.
But Jason's 15% boost made the difference. His punches were faster, heavier, his defense tougher, his Reaction sharper. Bit by bit, the tide turned—Gossagen began to crumble.
The reopened cut bled again. His lips split against his mouthguard, blood gushing. His body, no longer obeying him, kept staggering back.
Jason had the edge, but he wasn't unscathed. An old wound at his left eye split open again, blood trickling down. Luckily, his eye was already so swollen it kept the blood from flowing in, sending it instead down his chest.
In the brawl, blood sprayed from both fighters, indistinguishable whose was whose.
At this point, the referee didn't intervene. What was the point? They were destroying themselves.
Everyone could see it—the fight was nearing its end.
"God above, is this really just an elimination bout? This feels like a championship war! And if I'm not mistaken, it's Gossagen retreating! This man who lives for offense is backing away. It's a miracle! Go, Jason! Maybe you'll write another miracle tonight…"
Gossagen, unwilling to back down, roared and charged again!
But Jason Luo reacted instantly, ripping a hook into Gossagen's ribs. Gossagen's body convulsed, pitching sideways, but he clung to the ropes to stay upright.
Jason pressed forward, refusing to let the chance slip, unleashing a wild flurry!
Gossagen, still conscious but wracked with rib pain, could only cover up and defend.
Jason knew the second round was almost over. If it dragged into the third, he'd be in real danger. Even burning another precious Free Attribute Point might not be enough.
This time, Jason Luo went all in for the finish.
Every punch targeted vital spots!
The crowd was on its feet. Some screamed encouragement, others begged Gossagen to hold on.
Pedro shouted twice before collapsing into coughs. Raúl rushed to steady him, horrified to see blood at the corner of his mouth…
In the ring, five seconds passed. Gossagen's forehead cut tore wide open, raw flesh visible. Still he refused to fall!
Jason hesitated, unwilling to keep striking, but he couldn't stop either. He shifted his attack. Three more seconds passed. Gossagen's counters were completely powerless now, yet his fists still rose stubbornly toward Jason…
What the hell was the ref doing?
Did he want blood on his hands?
Jason roared at the ref, then stopped punching himself!
To be fair, it wasn't easy. As long as Gossagen kept swinging, the ref had no grounds to stop it. And with an opponent this stubborn, an inexperienced ref would hesitate.
Thanks to Jason's shout, the ref finally noticed. Gossagen was leaning on the ropes, eyes unfocused, throwing weak, empty punches that had no strength at all.
The ref pulled Jason back. Gossagen kept swinging at nothing.
Only when the ref grabbed his arm and checked his eyes did Gossagen finally collapse, body giving out…