I Thought I Was Bullying a Nobody, But He's a Martial Arts Genius - Chapter 24

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Fighting Genius Unaware, Bullied by All 024
Oh Geon-woo’s legs gave way.
His knees wavered inward.
His guard was still up, but his eyes had already begun to glaze.
Seo Jun did not rush forward.
He did not chase.
One step.
Another step.
His blood-drenched face closing the distance with deliberate slowness.
Oh Geon-woo clenched his teeth.
“Hack…….”
He drove his feet down to keep from crumbling.
He was a veteran.
His instincts remained.
What you could do even while beaten and reeling.
What had been drilled into your body longest.
Wrestling.
Oh Geon-woo’s upper body suddenly collapsed forward.
Both arms shot out ahead.
A last-ditch effort.
Two Leg Takedown.
“He’s going in!”
A shout erupted from Oh Geon-woo’s corner.
Oh Geon-woo charged like a beast.
Head lowered.
Shoulder driving.
Every remaining ounce of strength funneled into his legs.
The distance was short.
There was almost no time to escape.
The roar from the crowd died down for an instant.
Seo Jun’s right eye caught Oh Geon-woo’s descending shoulder.
His left was half-obscured by blood.
Still, he saw.
The angle of the lowering shoulder.
The moment the jaw opened.
The line just before the head would drive beneath his chest.
‘Now.’
Seo Jun did not step back.
He twisted his torso—small, precise.
His left foot scraped the canvas.
His knee dipped low.
His lower body sank until it nearly touched the mat.
Below the trajectory where Oh Geon-woo’s head was coming in.
Seo Jun’s left hand vanished.
And then.
It erupted upward.
Crack!!
Left Uppercut.
It met Oh Geon-woo’s full-force charge head-on.
The fist bored through the underside of his jaw.
The impact detonated upward.
Oh Geon-woo’s head snapped back.
His neck bent.
Both arms never even reached Seo Jun’s thighs.
He simply stopped.
For one instant.
Just one instant.
The focus drained from Oh Geon-woo’s eyes.
Like a machine with the power cord pulled.
Click.
It was as though an invisible switch had been flipped.
Oh Geon-woo’s knees buckled.
His upper body crumpled forward.
Thud!
His face slammed into the mat.
He didn’t move.
“Stop! Stop!”
The Referee dove forward.
Just as Seo Jun took another step in, the Referee threw himself between them.
He swung both arms wide.
“End of match! It’s over!”
The Octagon erupted.
Roaaaaaaar!
The crowd leaped from their seats.
Flashes erupted all at once.
[It’s finished!!]
The commentator’s voice cracked with strain.
[Seo Jun! Seo Jun ends it!!]
[A cut from the Elbow Strike, dragged to the ground, his vision compromised—and yet it’s a 1st Round Knockout victory!]
[Following his performance in the Axis Rookies, Seo Jun secures a 1st Round Knockout in his professional debut as well!!]
[This isn’t just one-dimensional striking! He survived on the ground and countered a veteran Wrestler’s final tackle with devastating force!]
Oh Geon-woo lay motionless on the mat, face-down.
Medical staff rushed in.
The Referee pushed Seo Jun back.
Seo Jun exhaled roughly.
“Hah… hah….”
Blood continued to pour from the corner of his left eye.
It ran down his cheek and dripped from his jaw.
Drip.
Drip.
But his right hand slowly rose.
His fist clenched tight.
The Gloves on his knuckles glinted under the lights.
His name erupted from the stands.
“Seo Jun!”
“Seo Jun!”
“Seo Jun!”
Outside the Cage.
Do Yoon gripped the chain link fence with both hands.
His lips curved upward.
“Crazy bastard.”
Tae-soo shouted from beside him.
“Yeahhh! He won! He won it!”
A-yeon covered her mouth with both hands.
Her eyes had turned red.
One section of the stands.
Choi Tae-san stood with his arms uncrossed, smiling.
“He actually did it.”
Seo Jun stood slowly in the center of the Cage.
His face caked with blood.
His eye split open.
His cheek swollen.
Yet his gaze remained undimmed.
If anything, it burned brighter.
He raised his fist even higher.
The roar exploded anew.
Roaaaaaaar!
Seo Jun.
Debut Match.
1st Round Knockout Victory.
That name was now being etched into the professional stage for real.

* * *
The broadcast switched to slow motion.
Oh Geon-woo’s jab came first.
Targeting the corner of Seo Jun’s left eye.
The gash that had split open.
Vision obscured by blood.
To anyone watching, it was clear that Oh Geon-woo had landed.
On screen, the jab drove straight into Seo Jun’s face.
Crack.
Blood spray erupted.
But in the next frame.
Oh Geon-woo’s chin snapped sideways.
Just barely.
The camera caught up and zoomed in.
Seo Jun’s right hand.
In that exact moment as blood scattered, a Right Counter had buried itself flush against Oh Geon-woo’s chin.
No.
It wasn’t a graze.
It had landed perfectly.
The chin.
The thinnest, most vulnerable point.
[Do you see it now?]
The commentator’s voice rose.
[Oh Geon-woo’s jab comes in first. Seo Jun’s left vision was completely blocked by the blood.]
The frame slowed even further.
Oh Geon-woo’s left hand.
Seo Jun’s face.
The spray of blood.
Through it all, a right hand folded tightly.
[But the moment he takes that jab, Seo Jun’s Right Counter comes out at the same time. This isn’t a counter he saw and evaded.]
[They land almost simultaneously, though?]
[They appear simultaneous, but he’d laid it down in advance, timed to Oh Geon-woo’s rhythm as he came in. His vision was completely obscured by blood. He didn’t see this and dodge it.]
The commentator caught his breath.
[Pure instinct.]
A moment of silence.
[The fighting sense of an absolute monster!]
The other caster’s voice climbed.
[That single counter shot dropped Oh Geon-woo’s legs, and the follow-up One-Two and Uppercut ended the match! Seo Jun has truly stamped his name into professional boxing with his debut!]
The broadcast cut back to the Cage.

* * *
The center of the Octagon.
Seo Jun stood beside the Referee.
The cutman had hastily applied Vaseline to the corner of his left eye.
Still, the bleeding hadn’t stopped completely.
His cheek was swollen.
His lip split open.
But he stood upright.
The caster approached with a Microphone.
“Seo Jun.”
The crowd erupted in cheers.
“Seo Jun!”
“Seo Jun!”
The caster grinned and continued.
“Congratulations on your pro debut victory. That’s a 1st Round Knockout win, just like with Axis Rookies, now here at KCR. How do you feel?”
Seo Jun looked toward the Microphone.
He took a moment to catch his breath.
“It was hard.”
Laughter and cheers erupted simultaneously from the audience.
The caster laughed as well.
“That was an incredibly difficult match. You allowed a takedown early on, and then the cut appeared. Especially with the blood—your left field of vision seemed significantly obscured throughout.”
Seo Jun nodded.
“Yes. I couldn’t see well.”
“Yet that decisive Right Counter still came through. You couldn’t have seen it—how did you manage to throw your punch with such perfect timing?”
Seo Jun didn’t answer immediately.
He glanced briefly toward where Oh Geon-woo had been carried out.
Then he turned back to the Microphone.
“Oh Geon-woo was consistent in his rhythm when he attacked my left side.”
The caster’s eyes widened slightly.
Seo Jun’s voice remained measured.
“He’d circle toward the wound, and the timing of his jabs was always the same.”
“You read that during the fight?”
“Yes.”
Seo Jun looked down at his blood-stained Gloves.
“I just extended my fist waiting for that timing.”
Outside the Cage.
Do Yoon stopped in his tracks when he heard that.
‘Just?’
The corner of his mouth twisted into something like a bitter smile.
He’d read the attack rhythm of a pro veteran with ten fights under his belt.
In his first professional bout, no less.
With one eye obscured by blood.
Pinned on the ground, taking Elbow Strikes, his breath driven up into his jaw.
‘He did all that while crying tears of blood?’
Do Yoon lowered his head slightly.
A laugh escaped him.
“Ha.”
It was absurd.
But it wasn’t a bad kind of absurd.
This wasn’t something you could teach.
You see.
You see even when you’re hit.
You see even when blood flows.
And you use what you’ve seen immediately.
‘That’s genuinely insane talent.’
The caster asked again.
“And that final Uppercut—was that calculated too? It came up exactly as Oh Geon-woo committed to that last tackle.”
Seo Jun exhaled sharply.
“I trained for that too.”
“Wrestling defense training, correct?”
“Yes.”
Seo Jun’s gaze shifted toward Do Yoon.
“My coach taught me that.”
The camera caught Do Yoon.
He grimaced immediately.
Laughter burst from the audience.
The caster spoke with a smile.
“It sounds like you’re giving credit to Coach Do Yoon.”
Seo Jun paused to consider.
Then he nodded.
“That’s right.”
Do Yoon turned his head away.
“This bastard.”
But the corners of his mouth were already turning upward.
The caster posed the final question.
“Seo Jun, you’ve cleared the first gate of the KCR Featherweight Tournament. What’s your next goal?”
Seo Jun tightened his grip on the Microphone.
His left eye was swollen, and his face was covered in blood.
Yet his gaze never wavered.
“The next match.”
He paused to catch his breath, then spoke.
“That’s all I want to see.”
The crowd erupted again.
Roooaarrr—!
The caster raised Seo Jun’s hand.
“That was Seo Jun!”
Under the lights.
A blood-streaked face and a raised fist filled the screen.
Axis Rookies champion.
Professional debut match, 1st Round Knockout.
One question mark had been erased.

* * *
KCR Featherweight Tournament.
Seo Jun advances to Round of 32.
Immediately after the match, sports media outlets mobilized.
Headlines poured in.
<Featherweight’s rising star Seo Jun puts veteran Oh Geon-woo down in the 1st Round!>
<End of the one-dimensional striker debate: Seo Jun escapes the ground and delivers a Knockout>
<The bullied boy delivers a 1st Round Knockout in his professional debut>
<All Axis Rookies matches ended in 1st Round Knockout; KCR debut also 1st Round Knockout>
View counts climbed rapidly.
Comments exploded.
-Seriously insane. Oh Geon-woo dropped in the 1st Round?
-Even with his eye slashed open, landing that counter. Chills.
-If the bullied kid turned out like this, it’s not a movie, it’s real life.
-From Rookies until now, every single one’s a 1st Round Knockout, right?
-They said he was one-dimensional, but he survived the wrestling and got up.
-The way he did that interview with blood all over his face was so cool.
-This one needs backing. He’s got the narrative, the skill, the star power.
YouTube Shorts moved even faster.
[Counter drenched in blood ㄷㄷ]
[Seo Jun lands a clean uppercut against Oh Geon-woo]
[The bullied boy’s professional debut Knockout]
[KCR Featherweight’s greatest rising star emerges]
The clips kept cycling.
Oh Geon-woo’s jab.
Blood drops.
An invisible right counter.
Legs giving way.
And finally, the left uppercut.
The comment section moved almost as one.
-This is a star.
-Face covered in blood but his eyes don’t die.
-When’s the next match?
-I’m only waiting for Seo Jun’s matches now.
-If the bullied-to-combat-genius thing is based on a true story, that’s insane.
Broadcast panelists were electrified.
[Seo Jun didn’t simply win today. He erased a question mark.]
[You mean the ground question mark?]
[Exactly. He allowed Oh Geon-woo an early takedown, but he escaped from it. And even with blood flowing, he turned the fight around with a counter.]
[Would you say a star was born today?]
[It’s already begun.]
The world cheered.
The name Seo Jun climbed the search rankings.
Bullied.
Axis Rookies champion.
Every match ended in a 1st Round Knockout.
Professional debut victory.
Those words crystallized, and something ignited within him.

* * *
Hospital examination room.
The silence inside was absolute.
A world away from the roar beyond the walls.
Seo Jun sat in the examination chair.
Temporary dressing covered the left side of his forehead.
His cheek was swollen, and one corner of his lip had split open.
Do Yoon stood beside him, arms crossed.
His expression was grim.
The doctor enlarged the image on the monitor.
Above the torn eyebrow.
The swollen eyelid.
X-ray images.
And detailed scan results.
The mouse wheel scrolled slowly downward.
Click-click.
Do Yoon asked first.
“The bone?”
The doctor checked the screen once more.
“No fracture.”
Do Yoon’s shoulders dropped, just slightly.
But the doctor’s expression didn’t ease.
“However, there is significant soft tissue damage around the eye. The laceration is deep. The swelling is severe.”
Seo Jun listened quietly.
“What about vision?”
The doctor picked up a small penlight.
“Open your left eye for me.”
Seo Jun opened it.
His eyelid rose heavily.
The doctor shone the light.
“Does it sting?”
“A little.”
“Is everything blurry?”
“Yes.”
The doctor examined the wound above the eyebrow again.
When he peeled back the dressing, raw flesh appeared beneath.
Do Yoon’s jaw tightened.
“How many days to close?”
“With proper care, the wound itself will heal.”
The doctor removed his gloves.
But he didn’t set down the chart immediately.
“The question is how much time remains before your next fight.”
Do Yoon’s eyes narrowed.
“A little over three weeks.”
“The swelling is unlikely to disappear completely in that time. If you take another blow, it could tear open instantly.”
“What about protective guards?”
“During competition, they’re useless.”
The doctor’s answer was final.
The examination room fell quieter still.
Seo Jun asked calmly.
“What happens if I fight?”
Do Yoon looked at him.
“Hey.”
Seo Jun didn’t turn away.
The doctor looked directly at Seo Jun.
“The wound will reopen. There could be considerable bleeding, and if your vision gets blocked, the referee may stop the match.”
“Is there a risk of blindness?”
Do Yoon’s voice dropped.
The doctor paused for a moment.
“Current examination shows no significant damage. However, repeated heavy impacts to the same area could become dangerous.”
Do Yoon’s jaw tightened.
The doctor closed the chart.
Click.
It was a small sound.
But in the clinic, it echoed loudly.
The doctor looked between Seo Jun and Do Yoon in turn.
His expression was grave.
“Light exercise is possible.”
A moment of silence.
“However, I don’t recommend sparring or competing in actual matches.”
Do Yoon’s hand curled into a fist.
The doctor spoke firmly.
“In this condition, the next match—”
The words settled heavily in the clinic.
“I’m afraid it won’t be possible.”
Do Yoon’s face went rigid with shock.
Seo Jun sat in silence.
Above his eyes, where the bleeding had stopped, only white Dressing sat quietly in place.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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