Nightmare Despair

Chapter 10 Targeting?

It's approaching noon.

The air inside the boxing gym was somewhat hot and dry, mixed with the smells of sweat, disinfectant, and rubber mats.

Zhou Kai was singled out.

"You, step forward."

"Today, you will be the teaching assistant and give everyone a demonstration."

After Chen Ping finished speaking, he clapped his hands and gathered everyone together for the final demonstration of the morning's techniques.

"Many people believe that modern mixed martial arts has left the flashy moves of ancient martial arts far behind."

"Theoretically, there's nothing wrong with that statement."

Chen Ping, hands behind his back, paced back and forth, solemnly proclaiming:

"But ancient martial arts never talk to you about science."

"What does mixed martial arts strive for? It's about using every usable part of the body to inflict maximum damage with minimal effort. This demands a high level of strength, agility, and reaction time from you."

"But in real combat, there is something more important than all of these."

Chen Ping beckoned to Zhou Kai: "Come here and stand in front of me."

"Don't be nervous, I'll hold back."

Zhou Kai stepped forward as instructed, raised his arms, and assumed a standard defensive stance.

He could sense that Chen Ping's aura had changed.

Chen Ping slumped his shoulders slightly, his center of gravity seemingly sinking into the ground. The sharpness was no longer in his eyes, but rather seeped from his entire body, making it hard to breathe.

"The most important thing in actual combat is timing."

"All your usual back-and-forth attacks and defenses are nonsense. When true masters clash, they wait for an opening that can kill the enemy in one fell swoop."

He abruptly changed the subject, his voice suddenly booming: "Zhou Kai, your vigilance is terrible!"

Before he finished speaking, in the instant Zhou Kai was listening intently, Chen Ping caught the moment when his breathing changed.

He suddenly ducked and sprang out like a cheetah!

Zhou Kai instinctively inhaled to defend, but that fraction of a second of physiological reaction became a fatal opening.

Chen Ping had already moved close to him.

boom!
A muffled sound rang in my ears; it wasn't something I heard, but rather the resonance of my sternum.

Chen Ping's iron-like arm was already across his chest, with his other hand following closely behind, like a shadow.

"Heavy hand, penetrating force!"

"Remember, it's not a contest of strength, it's gravity!"

As Chen Ping explained, he used his waist and hips to twist Zhou Kai's center of gravity sharply to the right.

He controlled his strength perfectly; the arm that should have been choking him landed on his chest, and the knee strike to the ribs was omitted.

Even so, Zhou Kai was like a sandbag that had been stripped of all its weight, easily flipped to the ground, and his back slammed solidly onto the mat.

It's important to know that the moment Zhou Kai was knocked down, he subconsciously activated all his skills.

But Chen Ping's strength, or rather, his method of exerting force, was truly bizarre.

The two were about the same height, with Chen Ping even appearing thinner, but when they actually started fighting...

Zhou Kai felt like he was a ball of cotton, while the other person was a piece of iron that had been forged through countless trials.

'Is this the secret martial arts technique of the boxing gym?'

A storm raged within Zhou Kai's heart.

'It's not about brute force, but the ultimate in skill and timing. Mixed martial arts is just a tool; this... is the real killing art!'

He lay on the ground symbolically for a few seconds, then sprang to his feet with a somersault, stood with his hands at his sides, and waited patiently for instruction.

Chen Ping glanced at him and continued to address the crowd: "The human body is sometimes very fragile. A single fall can completely render one unable to resist."

"Therefore, in unrestricted combat, a clean and decisive throw often means the end of the fight."

"And for your attack to be effective, timing is everything! The moment your opponent clenches their fist, the pause in their speech, or even the gap in their breathing... these are all opportunities to kill."

He put his hands behind his back again, and after all that movement, he wasn't even out of breath or red-faced, as if he had just dusted off some dust.

Chen Ping walked down the aisle in the trainees' formation, frowning. "What are you all standing there for? Pair up and try it yourselves! The movements are very simple; if you can't learn them, you can start over!"

The members suddenly realized what was happening and immediately began practicing in pairs, bowing and scraping.

Lu Yan and Ma Yifan peeked around in the group, their eyes constantly glancing at Zhou Kai, clearly wanting to join his team.

But Chen Ping seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, stopping Zhou Kai who wanted to rejoin the team, his voice sounding very friendly: "You have good talent, and you learn routines very quickly."

"I'll personally train with you before the break."

……

"What's that guy surnamed Chen up to? He knows you're not fully recovered yet, and he still throws you around like a punching bag." Lu Yan treated everyone to dinner, and as they walked, she was still indignant on Zhou Kai's behalf.

"To me, it seems like he's deliberately targeting you."

"Hey, Xiao Kai, tell me honestly, did you offend him somehow?"

Zhou Kai's gaze fell on the empty space in front of him, where a line of subtitles that had just appeared had not yet faded away.

[You've engaged in some intense sparring and seem to have gained some insight.]

[Mixed Martial Arts Experience +2]

The half hour of sparring with Chen Ping was actually more effective than five or six hours of intensive practice on my own...

If you have this kind of "special tutoring" every morning and evening, plus your own extra practice...

Who knows, before entering Nightmare the day after tomorrow, I might be able to reach level three in mixed martial arts.

If this is considered targeting, then please intensify your efforts and target them relentlessly!

Zhou Kai smiled slightly: "Perhaps Coach Chen has a discerning eye and values ​​my talent?"

"Tch, you?"

Lu Yan snorted dismissively, a purely habitual rebuttal.

Having spent the last few days together, she knew better than anyone that Zhou Kai's progress was simply unbelievable.

Zhou Kai was in a great mood and enjoyed bickering with her.

"Otherwise what? The mini-test is the day after tomorrow. If I pass, what will you say, Sister Yanzi?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yan clicked her tongue and began to think seriously, resting her chin on her hand.

A moment later, her eyes suddenly lit up: "If you pass, how about I introduce you to a job?"

She ran up to Zhou Kai in a few steps, placed her hands on his shoulders, and scanned him from top to bottom again and again, as if she were examining a product.

“You’re finally starting to look like a normal person again… Your sister has told me everything about you.”

"It's just a job that matches your major, leave it to your sister Yanzi!"

She patted her somewhat flat chest and assured him.

But as soon as she finished speaking, she scratched her head and asked with a puzzled look, "Wait a minute, what did you major in in college again?"

Zhou Kai looked speechless, then said with a playful tone, "Classical Studies, Language and Literature."

"Holy crap." Lu Yan was stunned on the spot.

Zhou Kai had anticipated her reaction.

My major is such a dead end, it was really quite despairing a while ago.

But now, the situation has completely reversed.

If I hadn't studied those dry ancient Latin texts in college, how could I have possibly understood the Morning Star Journal?
Lu Yan lowered her head and muttered to herself for a long time before finally gritting her teeth and saying, "Don't worry, even if you've studied grave robbing, I'll find a way!"

"In short, you should focus on passing the assessment and becoming a full-fledged member of Falcon Wing!"

"Oh, right, I've already transferred the money to you. Go eat by yourself, I have to go now!"

Before Zhou Kai could even try to stop her, she had already hailed a car and disappeared in a flash.

Before I knew it, my phone had received a transfer of 300 yuan.

Zhou Kai sighed softly and clicked to claim.

Prices in Xishan City are not high. Even if he eats out every meal, as long as he doesn't spend extravagantly, he won't spend fifty yuan a day.

Lu Yan casually handed over three hundred, enough for him to eat for six days.

Thinking of this, Zhou Kai raised his hand to his forehead, chuckled to himself, and said, "To live off a woman is a skill in itself. But this kind of life will soon be over."

More than three months after graduation, I am plagued by nightmares, on top of that, I started my career in an unpopular major with a disastrous start.

Reality, like a hammer, has indeed shattered my childhood dreams into pieces.

"I hope Sister Yanzi is reliable. Making money... is such a troublesome thing..."

"Ok?"

As Zhou Kai sighed, a thought flashed through his mind like lightning. He slapped his forehead, annoyed by his previous foolishness.

……

That night, inside the rented room.

I stared at the second hand of the clock on the wall, ticking away, waiting for the nightmare to begin.

Zhou Kai was so angry he almost laughed.

I didn't find any gold or jewelry, the kind of hard currency that can be directly converted into cash, in that godforsaken place... but who says that only these things are valuable?

Those tables, chairs, and benches were indeed worthless because they were damp and rotten.

But surely there must be some explanation for the antique ornaments, silver tableware, and those decorations whose purpose is unknown in the house?
After the survival crisis was temporarily relieved, Zhou Kai realized that, in a sense, he, who was being chased by nightmares, was also being favored by a huge treasure trove.
(End of this chapter)