Souls Online: Mythic Ascension
Chapter 203: Still Standing

Chapter 203: Still Standing

Leo could tell something was different about Greg the moment that he left his office. He seemed to be more..spirited as if he had made up his mind about something. It appeared that Luna recognized it too as she had a slight frown on her face.

Even Rachel seemed to pick up on the different vibe that he was giving up as she bounded up to him and with a fearless grin on her face asked

"Hey Old Man, What got you pumped up all of a sudden~? Did they announce it was gonna be Bingo Night early or something~?"

Swallowing the curses that were threatening to roll off his tongue, Greg simply took a deep breath before calmly replying

"Again... I am only 23..."

Rachel clicked her tongue as clearly that was not the type of reaction she was looking for.

"Tch! No fun."

’Huh...The more I look at her, the more my hand itches...’

Greg’s facial expression didn’t betray his inner thoughts as he turned to Luna who was giving him a dubious glance.

"You did something. Didn’t you?"

Greg averted his gaze, not looking Luna in the eyes.

"I have no idea what you’re talking about."

"Greg...Spill it!"

"Who are you to tell me what to do, my Mother?"

He snapped back with a grin, taunting her like he usually did without thinking too much. That was a problem as he momentarily forgot that she was MUCH stronger and faster than she used to be.

"It’s been awhile Greg. Let’s spar. You and me.."

Luna’s voice was frosty with annoyance which caused everyone to shudder slightly. Greg looked around for an excuse to avoid the spar but everyone refused to meet his gaze, Lily even went as far as clapping her hands together in prayer.

"Fuck..."

He muttered gloomily, trudging his way to a boxing ring like a prisoner off to the gallows.

The gym felt heavier with each step Greg took toward the ring. He was tall, broad, and carried the worn weight of a man who’d spent years in the fight game. But today, he wasn’t the apex predator.

Not anymore.

Luna climbed in after him, tying her hair back without saying a word. She looked small next to him, barely over five feet tall with a deceptively lean frame but everyone who had seen her stats knew size didn’t matter.

Not with her. As the two began to put on gear for sparring, the rest of the group gathered around the ring

Rachel leaned forward, eyes glinting. "This is gonna be good~."

Crystal crossed her arms. "He’s going to get eaten alive."

Aria tilted her head. "At least he’ll get a workout."

Leo said nothing, but his jaw was tight.

Greg gave one last glance at the gossiping and ’supportive’ audience, then raised his guard.

"Don’t go easy on me, Tiny Terror."

Luna’s eyes narrowed slightly, then she came forward.

It was like a switch flipped.

Greg barely had time to register her movement before she was already on him. She didn’t move fast, it was like she moved instantly. One blink and she was inside his guard, her fist slamming into his ribs. He twisted just in time to roll with the blow, but pain still flared sharp through his side.

She followed up without hesitation. A left jab, a step-in elbow, a feint, then a vicious uppercut that he blocked by pure instinct. His arms rang from the impact. She was holding back. He could feel it. But even her "light" was heavy enough to make his bones ache.

His footwork saved him. Years of muscle memory took over, guiding him as he slipped to the side and countered with a body hook.

He missed.

She had already moved.

Greg grunted and spun, bringing up his guard just in time to catch another flurry. His shoulders screamed with effort.

...But he stayed on his feet.

Luna was precise. Clinical. She never aimed for his face. Every strike was to the ribs, the arms, the legs. Places that would bruise but not break. Still, the pain was real. Greg could feel every inch of it.

What made it worse was how she moved. Not just fast, but smart. She kept slipping into the edge of his vision, vanishing just out of his good eye’s range. Every time she disappeared from view, his instincts screamed.

And then she struck.

A sharp blow landed just under his ribs. He shifted to absorb it, but she was already repositioning. Another shot hit his side, then a low kick swept at his shin. He danced back, heart pounding. His arms ached and his breath came heavier with each exchange, but his mind was calm.

She was targeting the blind spot. She knew. And she was using it.

Greg narrowed his focus. He had to rely on his experience. Patterns. Timing. Flow. He waited for the twitch in her shoulder, the shift of her weight. When it came, he stepped in and threw a jab.

It grazed her.

That was the first clean contact he’d made.

Luna raised an eyebrow.

"Not bad," she said quietly.

He smiled, teeth gritted.

"Just getting warmed up."

Luna tilted her head. "Then I’ll turn it up too."

She surged forward. Greg caught the motion late and blocked the first strike, but not the second. A short elbow dug into his side and a sweeping kick forced him to pivot. He rolled away and reset his stance. The pain was building, but he wasn’t falling.

She circled, fast but measured. Then she disappeared again. His left side screamed in warning.

Crack.

Another clean hit in the same blind spot. He staggered but stayed up. Sweat dripped from his brow. Luna backed off slightly, watching. Assessing.

Their eyes met.

Greg knew that look. She was testing him. Seeing how far she could go before he folded.

He answered by stepping forward.

He faked high and dipped into a tight body hook. Luna slipped it, but this time he followed with a shoulder bump. It made her stumble half a step.

A half step was a victory.

The others were quiet now. Even Rachel had stopped her commentary.

Greg kept his focus sharp. Every second counted. Every breath. Every footfall. He wasn’t going to win. But he could last. He could make her work for it.

And then, just as quickly as it had begun, Luna stopped.

She raised her gloves slightly and gave a small nod. "That’s enough."

Greg let his arms fall. He was drenched in sweat and aching in places he had forgotten existed.

"You sure?" he asked between breaths.

"Yeah...Even with all of the advantages I had on my side..I couldn’t take you out. Any more than this and it will be a fight. Not a spar.."

Luna shook her head and left the ring. While wiping off her sweat with a towel, she couldn’t help but think of the way that Greg fought. Even though she was faster, stronger and a smaller target, he was able to fight her surprisingly evenly with only one eye.

She glanced back at the man who continued to stand in the ring as he cooled himself off. She couldn’t shake the feeling that if his vision wasn’t impaired, she would never be able to beat him in hand to hand combat.