The referee was dumbfounded. Do you even know how to box? With such a perfect opportunity, why aren't you throwing heavy punches? What's with this constant nose-jabbing?
Even Brown and Raul at ringside couldn't understand what was going on.
"What is he doing? Isn't he just giving the opponent a chance?"
But Jason Luo continued doing his own thing—relentlessly jabbing at Durant's tall nose bridge. Unfortunately, his jabs lacked enough force; after all that poking, he still couldn't make the man bleed...
As Jason Luo intentionally slowed the pace, Durant gradually regained his senses and started to counterattack. Jason Luo grinned inwardly. Good. Once you recover, I can start throwing heavy punches again.
When Jason Luo resumed his fierce assault, Durant backed off immediately. That earlier heavy blow had shown him just how terrifying Jason Luo's power was. There was no way he'd trade punches head-on now.
He retreated quickly, trying to widen the distance, but Jason Luo didn't give him the slightest chance. In Jason Luo's eyes, only Durant's nose existed—every punch aimed straight at the center of his face, leaving Durant unable to defend himself.
Jason Luo didn't even realize that by focusing entirely on Durant's nose, his punch accuracy had skyrocketed. Coach Brown, watching from the corner, noticed it immediately.
"Strange... how did this kid's accuracy suddenly get so high?"
Ever since Durant stood back up, Jason Luo had kept him pinned, raining punches nonstop. Durant's arms were locked in tight defense around his head—he couldn't even think about countering.
Meanwhile, Jason Luo was growing frustrated. Durant's nose seemed immune to bleeding... after all those hits, still nothing! How annoying!
Fine, he thought. If the nose won't bleed, I'll switch targets.
The brow bone above the eyes—thin skin over hard bone—was another good spot. A solid punch there could easily split the skin.
People can be strange. Once Jason Luo fixated on making Durant bleed, everything else—defense, tactics—just faded away. His entire body began radiating confidence, his gaze sharp and predatory.
To Durant, the look in Jason Luo's eyes now was terrifying—like a carnivore studying its prey, deciding where to bite first.
Jason Luo adjusted his aim and kept attacking, but it wasn't going well. Durant's guard protected his brow effectively—it was harder to target than that prominent nose.
As the first round neared its end, Jason Luo grew impatient. I've got to pull his guard down!
He feinted with two heavy body shots to Durant's abdomen. Durant winced and dropped his elbows to protect his ribs. The moment Jason Luo saw an opening, he launched a rear heavy punch straight at Durant's brow bone.
Durant, to his credit, reacted fast. Seeing the blow coming, he twisted his head desperately. Jason Luo's punch barely grazed him.
Jason Luo felt a flicker of frustration at the miss—but then noticed something: blood was streaming from Durant's brow!
Even though the punch hadn't landed cleanly, the speed of Jason Luo's glove combined with Durant's sudden head movement had torn the skin open. Blood immediately spilled out, dripping onto Durant's torso.
Finally—blood!
Jason Luo exhaled in relief. Now I can finish this fight properly.
But the referee couldn't stand watching any longer.
From his perspective, Jason Luo could've ended the match ages ago. He'd completely dominated the round—Durant hadn't even mounted a real counterattack. The fight had lost all meaning.
Now Durant was bleeding badly, his vision compromised. Seeing Jason Luo about to attack again, the referee stepped in and shielded Durant, signaling the end of the bout. Jason Luo had won by TKO.
Just like that, Durant—who had arrogantly vowed to finish Jason Luo within three rounds—didn't even survive the first.
"Ding! Congratulations… You've gained: Punch Speed +4, Footwork +2, Reaction +2, Coordination +2, Vitality +1. Please check promptly."
Jason Luo smirked. So Durant really wasn't that strong—only 11 Attribute Points. And he thought he'd take me down in three rounds?
Overestimating himself!
Thinking of the media vultures waiting to see him fail, Jason Luo's anger flared. He rushed to the ropes, raised his right arm, and showed off the coiled dragon and pagoda tattoo, shouting toward the cameras, "Come on! That's the first one!"
Some reporters looked uneasy, but the rest eagerly snapped the moment—it would definitely make headlines soon.
...
Although Jason Luo had ended the fight in the first round, Coach Brown still scolded him afterward in the locker room.
"What were you thinking? You were fighting so well—why didn't you take the chance to finish him when he got up? Jason, that kind of decision will cost you one day."
Jason Luo couldn't explain. Brown wouldn't understand why drawing blood mattered—it was about collecting Vitality. He could only nod and play along.
"Sorry, Coach. I just felt really good today, got caught up in the flow... I guess I enjoyed it too much."
Brown frowned thoughtfully. "Oh? Then tell me—what kind of state were you in? Your punches were landing incredibly well, and your rhythm was excellent."
"Nothing special," Jason Luo replied. "I just blocked out all distractions and focused completely on his nose, instead of watching for his rear-hand punches like I usually do."
Brown nodded. "Hmm. Makes sense. But remember—that approach won't always work. Against stronger opponents, you need to protect yourself first. Stay adaptable."
Jason Luo nodded again, relieved to have an excuse.
Raul laughed. "Travel all the way to Finland and win in under three minutes? That's not bad at all! Too bad the first knockdown didn't end it—would've been even scarier."
Brown stayed calm. "Actually, that's normal. In higher weight divisions, both fighters hit hard enough to cause serious damage. Things like this happen all the time. Jason, take it as a warning—never drop your guard in the ring. Someday, the same thing could happen to you."
Jason Luo nodded again, though deep down he knew the truth. Maybe a powerful opponent could knock him down someday—but now that he had the Victory in Adversity talent, as long as he had enough Vitality, no one was knocking him out within three rounds. Anyone claiming otherwise was just full of it.