Alex stood in the center, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. His body was covered in bruises, and sweat dripped down his face. He looked exhausted... but as the seconds passed, his breathing gradually beca more stable, his powerful regeneration already working to restore him.
There was a calm, satisfied smile on his lips.
He slowly turned toward the four n and spoke with genuine appreciation in his voice.
"You guys really put in the hard work," Alex said, his tone respectful. "That coordination... that teamwork... it was no joke. I underestimated what four people fighting together could do. You pushed to my limits today. Thank you."
The four n looked at each other and let out embarrassed laughs. They had expected an easy victory, but the result was sothing none of them had anticipated.
"You’re sothing else, sir," Damien said with a grin, shaking his head in admiration.
Alex gave them a small nod, then turned his head toward the side.
Viktor was standing there quietly, arms still crossed, watching everything with a calm but focused expression.
Alex looked straight at him and asked, his voice steady:
"Viktor... do you find worthy enough now?"
For a mont, Viktor didn’t speak. He simply looked at Alex... at the bruises on his body, the calm look in his eyes, and the satisfied smile on his face. Then, a small, proud smile slowly appeared on Viktor’s lips.
He stepped forward and placed a firm hand on Alex’s shoulder.
"You are worthy," Viktor said calmly. "More than worthy."
He paused for a second, his eyes sharpening with admiration.
"Your combat sense... it’s really just too monstrous. The way you read movents, adapt in the middle of battle, and turn the tide so quickly... it’s not sothing you see often."
He paused for a mont, then added with a slight smile:
"I can guarantee... if you et that Adrian now, you can beat him in a single move."
Alex listened quietly, enjoying the praise. A small, proud smile appeared on his face.
"But..." Viktor continued, his tone becoming more serious.
"I still feel this is not yet your peak. You are unable to fully utilize all the potential your body and mind possess. Sothing is still holding you back."
Alex imdiately understood what Viktor was implying and gave a small nod.
Viktor looked directly into Alex’s eyes and continued:
"I’ve spent the last few days thinking about how to make you use everything you possess to its fullest. And I finally understood what you need."
Viktor’s smile widened slightly... not with arrogance, but with the quiet confidence of a teacher who truly wanted the best for his student.
"You need to be set free."
He stepped back and gestured toward the deeper part of the training hall.
"So co now," Viktor said, his voice carrying a new weight. "It’s ti I stop treating you like a student... and start training you like the fighter you’re ant to beco."
Alex’s eyes lit up with quiet excitent.
The atmosphere in the training hall shifted the mont Viktor stepped into the center of the sparring area.
He stood there calmly, arms relaxed at his sides, his posture relaxed yet radiating an invisible pressure. The sa man who had been quietly observing just minutes ago now felt completely different... like a predator who had finally decided to show his fangs.
Viktor looked directly at Alex and spoke in a calm, steady voice:
"Co at with everything you’ve got."
The four n exchanged glances. Without needing to be told, they quickly stepped back and moved to the side, giving the two of them space. Their eyes were shining with excitent. They had been waiting for this mont for days.
Finally, they were going to witness sothing interesting.
Alex took a deep breath, his heart pounding with a mix of nervousness and excitent. This was what he had been asking for. This was the real test.
’Finally...’ he thought, a small smile forming on his lips. ’I get to feel his power.’
He dropped into his fighting stance, eyes locked onto Viktor. His mind was already racing, analyzing every possible angle.
Without warning, Alex exploded forward.
He moved with incredible speed, throwing a sharp jab followed by a powerful cross. Viktor didn’t even move from his spot. He simply tilted his head slightly, letting the jab graze past his ear, and casually raised his forearm to deflect the cross like he was swatting away a fly.
Alex didn’t stop. He flowed into a low kick, then spun into an elbow strike, followed by a knee aid at Viktor’s midsection. Every attack was fast, clean, and well-tid.
But Viktor remained completely still.
He didn’t take a single step back. He simply moved his hands and body with minimal effort, deflecting, dodging, or redirecting every single strike Alex threw at him. It was like trying to hit a mountain with a stick.
The four n watching from the side had their eyes wide open. They couldn’t even properly track the movents.
"His speed..." Dimitri muttered in awe. "How is he this fast?"
"Yeah," Pavel added, his voice filled with respect. "No wonder the boss refused to let him go all out on us earlier. If we had faced this kind of speed, we couldn’t have handled even a few exchanges."
They finally understood why Viktor had been so strict. Alex’s growth was monstrous, and they were only now realizing just how far behind they truly were.
Back in the center, Alex’s breathing was getting heavier. He had thrown dozens of attacks... punches, kicks, elbows, knees, even a spinning backfist... but nothing had landed. Viktor hadn’t even broken a sweat.
’This is insane...’ Alex thought, his mind racing. ’He’s not even moving properly. He’s just reading everything I do before I even do it.’
But Alex refused to give up.
He took a deep breath and decided to go all in. He feinted a punch to the face, then dropped low and exploded upward with a powerful uppercut, aiming straight for Viktor’s chin.
For a split second, it looked like it was going to connect.
Alex’s eyes lit up.
Got him—!
But at the very last mont, Viktor’s hand moved like lightning. He caught Alex’s wrist mid-air, twisted his body slightly, and used Alex’s own montum against him.
Whoosh!
In one smooth motion, Viktor threw Alex across the training area like he weighed nothing.
Alex flew through the air and crashed heavily onto the floor, sliding several ters before coming to a stop.
The four n stared in stunned silence.
Even though they had expected Viktor to be strong, seeing him toy with Alex so effortlessly made them realize just how vast the gap between them truly was.
Alex slowly pushed himself up, breathing hard, but there was no frustration on his face. Instead, a wide, excited grin appeared.
He had failed.
***
Viktor walked up to Alex calmly. Without saying a word, he extended his hand toward him.
Alex looked up at him, then grabbed Viktor’s hand. With one smooth pull, Viktor helped him back to his feet.
For a mont, they stood face to face in the center of the sparring area.
Viktor looked at him with calm, steady eyes.
"You were quite good there," he said. "But you could have been much better."
Alex listened intently, still catching his breath.
Viktor continued, his voice low and asured... the voice of a man who had seen hundreds of fights.
"First... you move too much. Every ti you attack, your whole body shifts. Your shoulders roll, your hips turn, your feet slide more than they need to. All of that is telegraphing. I can see your punch coming before your fist even leaves your shoulder."
He raised his hand and demonstrated a small, tight movent.
"A good fighter doesn’t move his body to throw a punch. He moves only what’s necessary. The rest stays still. That’s how you hide your intentions."
Alex nodded slowly, absorbing every word.
"Second," Viktor went on, "you waste energy. That uppercut you threw at the end? It was powerful, but you put your entire body into it. You jumped. You twisted. You used three tis the energy you needed. Against soone like , that kind of waste gets punished instantly."
He stepped closer and placed a hand lightly on Alex’s shoulder.
"True power doesn’t co from how hard you swing. It cos from how efficiently you move. Maximum effect with minimum effort. That’s the difference between a strong fighter and a dangerous one."
Viktor paused, letting the words sink in.
"Third... and this is the most important thing I want you to understand right now."
He looked directly into Alex’s eyes.
"You react too much. When I moved, your body reacted before your mind decided. That’s dangerous. A fighter who reacts to every feint, every twitch, every small movent has already lost control. The one who stays calm, who waits, who only moves when he chooses to move... that’s the one who wins."
Viktor’s voice grew slightly firr.
"Calm is not weakness. Calm is power. When your mind is calm, your body becos efficient. When your mind panics, your body wastes energy and shows everything."
He took a small step back and gestured toward the center of the mat.
"Co. Let’s do it again. This ti, I want you to focus on three things only:
Move only what’s necessary.
Hide your intentions.
Stay calm and breathe."
Alex nodded, his eyes sharp with focus.
They returned to the center.
This ti, the fight was different.
Viktor didn’t go easy on him, but he also didn’t overwhelm Alex like before. Instead, he fought at a pace that allowed Alex to focus and improve.
Every ti Alex made a mistake, Viktor pointed it out imdiately.
"Too much movent. You’re wasting energy."
Alex adjusted. His next attack was tighter, cleaner.
"Too obvious. I can see your punch coming from a mile away."
Alex nodded and tried again. This ti, he hid his intention better.
"Reacting too fast. Breathe. Stay calm."
Alex took a deep breath and slowed down his reactions, letting Viktor’s feints pass without panicking.
They continued like this for the next thirty minutes.
Every round, Alex improved... not by a huge margin, but slightly. His movents beca more economical. His intentions beca harder to read. His breathing stayed steady even under pressure.
Viktor didn’t praise him much. He simply corrected, guided, and pushed.
But every ti Alex made a small improvent, a faint, satisfied smile appeared on Viktor’s face.
This was no longer just a fight.
This was real training.
And Alex was learning.
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