Gary hadn’t had the chance to call or text Kai to come and pick him up. Honestly, his mind was still trying to comprehend everything that had happened with Xin, especially the sudden kiss on his cheek at the very end. He was still rubbing his face to the point that the side had become redder than before.
It would definitely become a memory he would never be able to forget. Unfortunately, it seemed destined to become a melancholic one, since he had no idea when he would even be able to see her the next time. Were they even allowed to keep their phones in the AFC? Were the two of them actually even a couple, or was it best for him to just forget about her and try to move on?
What’s worse, Jayden seemed to insist for the two of them to have their conversation.
“What exactly do you want to talk about?” Gary asked since he had no idea. There were so many topics the Altered might have in mind, none of them good…
Instead of answering, Jayden walked off to an annex that was on the property. Another building not too far away. “Come on, you'll find out inside, why don't we finish off what we started.”
Hearing this, the teenager was a little worried what those words exactly meant. Was the Altered challenging him to another fight? If that was the case, Gary didn't mind too much. There weren't many chances where one was able to fight with someone as great as Jayden.
However, based on the day before yesterday when he had seen Jayden’s anger take hold of him, he was worried that the Altered might just want to get rid of him, especially after the little show of affection from Xin and what had been found in his pocket.
‘Hang on, Jayden still has that, right?’
“Come on!” Jayden rushed him. “I'm not going to kill you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Gary gulped, but he sighed the next moment. Xin’s brother was right, if he wanted to kill the teenager, he could probably do it. He also would likely avoid doing so on his parent’s property.
‘Besides, Jayden isn't a gangster in the first place. I guess I’ve just been hanging around dangerous people for too long.’ Gary shook his head.
Following after Jayden, the high schooler found himself in what could only be described as a training room. There were mats on the floors, bags on the side and even a ring on one side of the room. It was the setup which any Altered fighter would have dreamed to have in their own home.
While Gary was still being amazed by all the training equipment, Jayden threw him a pair of red gloves. “Put them on, and we’ll go for a round or two, alright?” Despite his tone, it didn’t seem like the Werewolf was actually given much of a choice. The Altered was already wearing a pair of white gloves.
“Wait, are you serious? But we already fought before, and you're… well, Jayden Tiger. What chance do I stand against one of our country's top 50 Altered fighters? Fighting you is just asking for a beating.” Gary argued. He wanted to fight, but not if Jayden was to go full Altered on him.
“Don’t worry, last time I attacked you because I mistook you for one of those goons. It’s just a friendly spar, so I won't go all out on you. Since you managed to take on a few of my hits, I’m curious to see how good you truly are. You said you like fighting, right? Why not take this as an opportunity to learn. And if you need extra incentive, how about I give you my autograph if you manage to win?”
Hearing this from one of his idols, Gary started to put on the gloves. Since this was just going to be a friendly spar, and he didn't think Jayden would be going on him as aggressively as before, he agreed. The autograph reward was also enticing. He was sure it would be worth a lot of money if he were to sell it. Maybe he could use that as an excuse for them moving into a different apartment even.
‘I fought the Pincers and my stats have improved since the last time the two fought. It might also be a good chance to see whether that one Pawn Point towards my next Grade gave me any benefits I’m not aware of. Let’s see the gap between the two of us.’ Gary thought, as he got into a fighting stance.
Meanwhile, Jayden was standing there relaxed, with no type of form or anything. The young adult was jumping up and down on his toes, seemingly he was warming up. However, seeing this sent shivers down Gary’s spine.
‘I thought he was going to take it easy on me, so why the hell is he doing what he does in all of his official matches?’
Before Jayden was fully warmed up, the teenager decided to interrupt him. He moved forward, and then, once he thought he was close enough, he sprinted ahead at full speed. The burst of sudden movement caught Jayden by surprise, which was what Gary had been going for as he threw out his fist.
“Clever, but you should take into account our ranges before throwing out a punch.” Jayden lectured the teenager, as he lifted his leg up and made use of the Werewolf’s momentum, to kick him in the chin. It was a strong hit, the system had told him so.
[-14 HP]
‘My Endurance has increased, and he's not even using his Altered body… I can't tell how strong this guy is!’ Gary thought.
Recovering, the teenager tried to throw out a punch again. He covered himself in case Jayden would retaliate further. Gary was able to bear the pain, but for some reason when he did throw a punch it was a little off target and missed his opponent’s head completely.
“You should take the time to recover.” Jayden advised. “Your sense of balance has shifted. I’m impressed you weren't knocked out by that counter. Even if you can stand up again, it will take a few moments before you’re back to normal.”
Rather than use the opportunity to punch Gary, Jayden grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt. Immediately, Gary grabbed his arm, and used all his strength to rip it off, tearing part of the suit away.
‘Sh*t… that thing must have been expensive! Let's hope it’s possible to mend it.’ Gary thought, as he quickly went to deliver a kick, swinging his leg outward.
It was strange because based on the movements from Jayden so far, Gary had expected for Jayden to avoid the kick. Instead, his arm was already raised, seemingly expecting the Werewolf’s action, and it looked like he was going to block it instead.
‘So you think I'm that weak, huh? Well, you're in for a surprise!’ Gary thought as he put all of his speed and power into the kick.
[Skill activated Controlled Transformation]
His leg slammed into the side of Jayden’s arm, and it caused his feet to skid a little. The Altered’s arm was throbbing, but before the high schooler could react, Jayden grabbed onto the leg that had kicked him, and used his strength to push Gary to the point where he was off balance.
The teenager was hopping on one leg for a second before a kick suddenly swept it away, causing him to fall on his back. Closing his eyes, he winced in pain, and the next moment, he could see Jayden’s fist coming towards his face.
‘This is going to hurt.’ Gary thought as he braced himself… but the punch never connected. Opening his eyes, he could see the fist inches from his face.
“Well, it looks like it’s my win. If you feel like you can do better, we can go for another round, but I already got what I wanted.” Jayden stated as he offered the teenager a hand.
“Oh I see, so you were just using me, telling me I could learn something from this. All I learned was you can easily kick my arse.” Gary replied in a snarky manner, a little upset that he didn't fare better in the fight. That was the second time he had lost to Jayden now, and he wasn’t even sure just how wide the gap between them was.
“So, what exactly did you get out of this? Revenge from me having raided your fridge?”
Jayden turned around and grinned. “Well, there’s that too, I suppose, though after all my teasing during dinner I’d say you’re already off the hook. There’s no shame in having lost, especially since you lost to one of the best fighters out there.
“Besides, it’s hardly a fair fight seeing as I’m older than you and have a lot more experience. Still, for someone your age, you really are a skilled fighter, though I can tell that your fighting style is not exactly orthodox. With more training, I’m sure you could grow up to be an excellent fighter, which brings me to what I wanted to talk with you about.
“You really like my sister, don't you? I mean, not just anyone would have gone up against a colour gang to get her back. If you want to chase after Xin… how about joining the AFA as well? Like I said, you're talented, and it would be a shame to waste all of that potential.
“Don’t you think that would be the perfect place for an Altered like yourself?”