I Thought I Was Bullying a Nobody, But He's a Martial Arts Genius - Chapter 69

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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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Unaware He’s a Combat Genius, Bullied · Episode 69
Bang!
The pads snapped backward.
Ryu Tae Hwan’s feet slid across the mat.
Screech.
Baek Seojun immediately closed in.
Left foot.
Diagonal angle.
Cut off the exit.
The moment Ryu Tae Hwan tried to slip right—
Baek Seojun’s lead foot claimed the space first.
Step.
Then his right hand.
Bang!
The pads exploded again.
“Good.”
Ryu Tae Hwan spoke tersely.
“Once more.”
Baek Seojun steadied his breathing.
Exhale.
Advance again.
Jab.
Snap.
Angle to the left.
Right Straight.
Bang!
Ryu Tae Hwan retreated.
Baek Seojun did not pursue.
He cut off the front.
He sealed the side.
Corner of the Cage.
Ryu Tae Hwan’s back touched the Steel Cage.
Clang.
Baek Seojun’s Left Hook drove into the pads.
Thud!
Do Yun laughed from outside.
“Now it’s starting to look like something.”
A Yeon never lifted her eyes from the Tablet.
“His pressure success rate’s gone up too.”
Do Yun watched Baek Seojun’s footwork.
“He used to tangle his feet chasing his opponent around.”
This time was different.
He blocked the path before his opponent could move.
He didn’t wait for a Counter.
He pushed first.
He broke first.
Ryu Tae Hwan lowered the pads.
“That’s it.”
Baek Seojun dropped his guard.
Sweat streamed down his back and shoulders.
His chest heaved with exertion.
Do Yun spoke.
“Conditioning’s sharp.”
A Yeon nodded in agreement.
“This is the best he’s looked.”
Baek Seojun said nothing, simply clenching his fist once.
It was solid.
* * *
Kang Tae Jin’s training camp.
The atmosphere was the complete opposite.
There was no music.
No chatter.
Only the sound of the Heavy Bag swaying.
Thwack.
Thud.
Thwack.
Kang Tae Jin threw his fists at the same measured pace.
A flawless Jab.
A short Straight.
A Low Kick.
Then back to the beginning.
On one side, the coaching staff studied a Tablet.
The screen displayed Baek Seojun’s recent training footage, broken down into fine detail.
Footwork.
Pressure.
Angle of entry.
Fence control.
One coach spoke up.
“Baek Seojun’s Infighting ratio has increased.”
The footage shifted to another angle.
Seojun cuts off his opponent’s escape route.
Forces him toward the Steel Cage.
“His Counter reaction time has decreased.”
A finger pointed to the numbers on the screen.
“Initial pressure selection probability: above eighty percent.”
Kang Tae Jin’s fists went still.
The Heavy Bag swung back slowly.
He wiped the sweat from his face with a towel.
“As expected.”
The coach asked the question.
“Plan A alone may be difficult to sustain.”
Kang Tae Jin glanced at the Tablet once.
Seojun’s face frozen on screen.
The moment his eyes filled with killing intent.
Kang Tae Jin’s expression did not change.
“It doesn’t matter.”
He set the towel down.
“When he comes in.”
A brief silence.
“I’ll break him with Plan B.”
The coach nodded.
“Takedown followed by Pounding.”
“Yes.”
Kang Tae Jin stepped back in front of the Heavy Bag.
Thud.
Jab.
One step.
Low Kick.
Crack.
Distance again.
What expression Seojun wore.
How brutally he trained.
How much stronger he’d become.
None of it mattered to Kang Tae Jin.
In his eyes, Baek Seojun was not a man.
Pattern.
Data.
Variable.
And.
An equation to solve.
Kang Tae Jin’s right arm extended.
Bang!
The Heavy Bag folded precisely at its center.
* * *
The day before the fight.
Weigh-in and Media Day venue.
The stage was packed with reporters and fans.
Camera flashes erupted without pause.
Click.
Click.
Kang Tae Jin stepped up first.
The scale’s display stopped.
<65.7㎏>
Baek Seojun climbed on next.
<65.8㎏>
The official raised his hand.
“Both fighters have passed weigh-in!”
Applause erupted.
Interviews followed immediately.
Kang Tae Jin took the microphone first.
His face was expressionless.
His voice remained calm.
“As for Baek Seojun,”
Seojun’s gaze lifted.
“he won’t make it through five rounds like he did in the last title fight.”
The venue fell silent.
Kang Tae Jin continued without hesitation.
“Either his jaw breaks from my punch within two rounds,
or
he gets knocked out on the mat in the third.”
A low murmur rippled through the crowd.
The audience stirred.
Reporters’ fingers flew across their keyboards.
Seojun’s brow narrowed.
Kang Tae Jin saw the reaction.
His pupils didn’t waver.
The hand holding the microphone remained steady.
A reporter asked carefully.
“That’s quite a strong statement. Are you trying to provoke Baek Seojun?”
Kang Tae Jin spoke.
“No.”
A pause.
“I was simply stating the expected outcome.”
Boos and cheers erupted simultaneously.
Seojun’s jaw tightened.
His fists curled slowly.
Below the stage.
Do Yun watched it all.
“That bastard.”
A Yeon fixed her gaze on Kang Tae Jin as well.
Do Yun spoke quietly.
“He’s doing it on purpose.”
“That’s what I think too.”
A Yeon replied.
Do Yun’s eyes narrowed.
“He’s trying to get under Seojun’s skin, make him come in aggressive from the start.”
A Yeon turned on the Tablet.
Kang Tae Jin’s previous fights appeared on screen.
The opponent gets excited and rushes in.
Kang Tae Jin slips back half a step.
Takedown.
Bang.
His opponent crashed to the mat.
A Yeon spoke.
“He’s not trying to provoke a brawl. He’s making the opponent bring the brawl to him first.”
Her finger swiped across the screen.
“Then he devours that opening.”
Do Yun clicked his tongue.
“He’s even using trash talk as data.”
On stage.
Baek Seojun took the microphone.
The reporter asked.
“What are your thoughts on Kang Tae Jin’s remarks?”
Baek Seojun glanced at Kang Tae Jin for a moment.
“I heard them.”
“Doesn’t it anger you?”
Baek Seojun didn’t answer right away.
He studied Kang Tae Jin’s face.
Too composed.
No smile.
No sneer.
Eyes devoid of feeling.
Only then did Baek Seojun’s fist relax slightly.
“I’ll confirm it tomorrow.”
Kang Tae Jin’s eyes narrowed—barely perceptibly.
Baek Seojun handed back the microphone.
Face-off.
The two walked toward center.
Face to face.
Kang Tae Jin stood motionless.
Baek Seojun didn’t move either.
Flashes erupted.
Click.
Kang Tae Jin’s lips moved with minimal motion.
“Come in first.”
Baek Seojun’s eyes went cold.
Kang Tae Jin continued.
“I’ll be waiting.”
Baek Seojun didn’t respond.
He didn’t yield an inch.
Watching from a distance, A Yeon’s finger stopped over the tablet.
Do Yun, arms crossed, glared at them both.
Kang Tae Jin had already begun.
Calculating Baek Seojun’s first step since the day before the fight.
* * *
Immediately after the weigh-in ended.
Baek Seojun’s phone rang.
The caller.
Lee Woo Sung.
After a brief call.
Baek Seojun headed straight for University Hospital.
* * *
Hospital Room.
The moment he opened the door, the smell of disinfectant hit him first.
On the bed.
Lee Woo Sung sat propped up.
One half of his face was completely swollen.
The area around his eyes was wrapped in gauze.
Surgical scars were still visible.
Baek Seojun paused.
“Senior.”
Lee Woo Sung watched Baek Seojun with his remaining eye.
The corner of his mouth twisted.
“You came.”
Baek Seojun sat in the chair beside the bed.
His gaze drifted naturally toward the bandages.
Lee Woo Sung spoke.
“I look like hell, don’t I?”
……
“Don’t make that face.”
He leaned his back against the headboard.
“I’m not going to make excuses.”
His remaining eye darkened.
“That bastard’s a real monster.”
Baek Seojun listened quietly.
Lee Woo Sung tapped his bandages with a finger.
“Orbital fracture. Surgery’s done, but I won’t be able to spar or take proper hits for a good while.”
Baek Seojun’s fists clenched on his knees.
“What about your fighting career?”
“Don’t know.”
Lee Woo Sung was matter-of-fact.
“The doctor said to take the long view.”
He looked at Baek Seojun.
“But you didn’t come here worried about me.”
Baek Seojun lifted his head.
Lee Woo Sung’s remaining eye flashed with an edge.
“Kang Tae Jin.”
The name fell into the Hospital Room like a stone.
“He’s not without weaknesses.”
Baek Seojun’s attention locked.
Lee Woo Sung spoke slowly.
“That guy is a perfect machine.”
His fingers folded one by one.
“Everything follows an order.”
Baek Seojun asked.
“You mean there’s a pattern?”
“More precise than a pattern.”
Lee Woo Sung continued.
“It’s closer to an algorithm.”
Baek Seojun’s eyes narrowed.
“If his opponent comes in one way, he knows what to do. If they slip out, he knows which exits to cut off. If they go groggy, he’s already decided what happens next. He has an answer prepared for every possible scenario.”
Lee Woo Sung’s hand gripped the hospital sheet.
“I moved within his answers. That’s why I lost.”
The corner of his mouth beneath the bandages twisted bitterly.
“And this is the price.”
Baek Seojun said nothing.
Lee Woo Sung leaned forward slightly.
“But a machine——”
His remaining eye narrowed with sharp intent.
“If the algorithm and plan it’s built glitches, it always fails.”
Baek Seojun’s fingers stirred.
“Do something unexpected.”
Lee Woo Sung spoke tersely.
“Throw him something he doesn’t have an answer for.”
His voice dropped lower.
“Shatter his plan.”
A moment of silence stretched.
“Then you’ll see the opening.”
Baek Seojun looked at Lee Woo Sung lying on the bed.
A broken face.
Bandages.
One eye that wouldn’t move.
The answer he’d earned directly from Kang Tae Jin’s fists.
Baek Seojun’s fists clenched tight.
“I understand.”
Lee Woo Sung let out a soft laugh.
“You came all this way just to say you understand?”
Baek Seojun stood up.
He bowed his head.
“I will win. Definitely.”
Lee Woo Sung’s laughter faded.
His remaining eye fixed on Baek Seojun.
“Yeah. You better. I’d hate to lose face.”
The corner of Baek Seojun’s mouth lifted slightly.
“I’ll be waiting. Once you recover, we’ll fight again.”
Lee Woo Sung exhaled a hollow laugh.
“Cocky bastard.”
“I’ll be waiting for you first.”
“As Champion?”
Baek Seojun didn’t answer.
Instead, he walked toward the door.
Just before he reached for the handle.
Lee Woo Sung’s voice cut through from behind.
“Baek Seojun.”
Baek Seojun turned his head.
“Don’t move the way he expects.”
His remaining eye turned cold.
“Make it so even you don’t know what you’ll do until the end.”
Baek Seojun nodded briefly.
Click.
The door swung open.
As Baek Seojun left the hospital room, his fists remained clenched.
* * *
The next day.
Axis Korea main event.
The arena lights went dark.
The murmuring crowd erupted in an instant.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Baek Seojun’s entrance music thundered through the speakers.
His face appeared on the massive screen above.

“Yaaaaaaaa!”
At the end of the walkway.
Baek Seojun emerged.
His upper body was sculpted, defined.
His thighs had grown thicker, more powerful.
Lower body forged through thousands of footwork drills.
His steps were light, swift.
His eyes were different now.
A coldness settled over his gaze—wild, untamed.
The crowd’s hands rose in unison.
“Baek Seojun!”
“Go, Champion!”
Baek Seojun didn’t raise his hands.
He looked only straight ahead.
The Cage.
The Belt.
Kang Tae Jin.
The body check was complete.
The steel door swung open.
Baek Seojun stepped into the Octagon.
Tap.
Tap.
He settled into a light footwork rhythm.
Do Yun called out from beyond the Steel Cage.
“Start with his legs.”
Baek Seojun nodded.
Then.
The lights cut out again.
The music shifted.
Cold. Relentless. A steady beat.
Champion Kang Tae Jin emerged from the darkness.
The gold Belt gleamed around his waist.
The crowd erupted.
Mixed with jeers that cut just as sharply.
“Boooooo!”
Kang Tae Jin gave no reaction.
His head didn’t turn.
Not a single muscle twitched.
Following the prescribed line.
At the prescribed pace.
Stride.
Stride.
Like an android walking a programmed path.
He headed straight for the Cage.
The steel door shut behind him.
Both fighters were called to center.
Baek Seojun.
Kang Tae Jin.
Face to face.
Baek Seojun met the Champion’s gaze.
Lee Woo Sung’s voice echoed from the Hospital Room.
‘Break his Plan.’
‘Don’t move the way he expects.’
Baek Seojun’s toes pressed into the Mat.
Across from him.
Kang Tae Jin was not looking at Baek Seojun’s eyes.
Chin.
Solar plexus.
Lead foot.
His gaze traced only the target zones.
As if he’d already decided the order of his attacks.
The Referee issued his final instructions.
“Follow my commands, watch the back of the head, and keep it clean.”
Neither fighter moved.
“Glove touch.”
Tap.
The Gloves made contact.
Baek Seojun stepped back.
Kang Tae Jin withdrew to his corner.
Do Yun gripped the Steel Cage one last time.
“Baek Seojun.”
Baek Seojun turned.
“Don’t fight like a machine.”
Do Yun’s mouth curved upward.
“Break him like a beast.”
Baek Seojun answered quietly.
“Yes.”
A Yeon spoke.
“From the first step, exactly as we planned.”
Ryu Tae Hwan had only one word.
“Exit.”
Second out.
The corner men slipped outside the Steel Cage.
Click.
The Octagon door locked shut.
The roar of the crowd faded steadily away.
Inside the Cage.
Only two remained.
Baek Seojun lowered his center of gravity.
Kang Tae Jin raised his guard as well.
Their eyes met again.
A beast.
And a machine.
The Referee stepped between them.
After checking each face once, his arm rose.
And then.
It came down hard.
“Fight!!”
Snap!
Bang!
Before the Referee’s hand even fell away.
Baek Seojun and Kang Tae Jin simultaneously drove off the mat.
Two shadows exploded toward the center of the Cage.

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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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