I Thought I Was Bullying a Nobody, But He's a Martial Arts Genius - Chapter 8

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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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Unknown Genius Fighter Gets Bullied 008
A cramped apartment room.
Seo Jun lay alone on his mattress, staring into the void.
‘The speed at which my legs get caught.’
His eyes moved with sharp focus, tracing patterns against the ceiling.
Jin Hyeok’s movements played through his mind hundreds of times over.
That split second when he vanished from his field of vision.
His warped dynamic visual acuity decomposed even that brief trajectory with crystal clarity.
‘His shoulder dropped first. Then his front leg slipped right between mine.’
As the imagined Jin Hyeok drove forward, Seo Jun twisted at the waist.
Whip!
The blanket thrashed roughly through the air.
A takedown slammed to the ground with no room to defend.
Then came the pressure of a choke, cutting off his breath.
‘I can’t give up space. I have to block his neck.’
The mental simulation didn’t stop all night long.
Etching what his eyes saw into his brain, linking it to his body’s reflexes.
It was a relentless effort that carved away even his sleep to review and repeat.

* * *
The next day, at Team Jjajak Gym.
Seo Jun stopped mid-punch on the punching bag and fixed his gaze on the mat.
Members were in the midst of grappling sparring.
“Coach.”
“What is it? More questions?”
Do Yoon, a towel draped around his neck, replied with a tone of mild annoyance.
Yet his eyes gleamed with quiet approval.
“Why does the person on the bottom thrust their hips up so hard?”
“That’s the Shrimp Escape. You push away the opponent’s weight and create space to get out.”
Do Yoon lay down on the mat himself and demonstrated the hip twist.
Tap! Snap.
“Like this. Ground fighting is ultimately a brutal game of territory—you eat space or you’re eaten.”
“Space…”
Seo Jun murmured the word low, his eyes drinking in every detail of the movement.
The placement of the stance feet, the angle of the hips, the twist of the shoulders.
He crammed it all into his mind without missing a single element.
Seo Jun immediately moved to an empty mat and began practicing the Shrimp Escape alone, over and over in silence.
“Does that guy ever get tired?”
Tae Soo, watching from a distance, clicked his tongue.
It was an obsession that bordered on frightening.
The beaten-down, bullied newcomer was nowhere to be found.
Tae Soo scratched his jaw, then strode onto the mat with purpose.
Tap.
“Hey, Seo Jun.”
Seo Jun stopped moving and lifted his head.
“What good is grinding against empty air? Ground fighting you only understand by contact—body on body.”
“Tae Soo.”
“Don’t get it twisted. I’m doing this to pay back the strike I took, fair and square.”
Tae Soo said it bluntly, then planted himself on top of Seo Jun in full mount position.
It was his way of coolly accepting defeat and lending his strength to help his junior grow.
“Full Mount. Try what you just learned from the coach. Make that space.”
“Yes, understood.”
Seo Jun’s eyes turned razor sharp.
He thrust his hips hard, roughly pushing Tae Soo’s weight away.
Thud!
“No! Use your hips, not your arms!”
“Again!”
The grappling training between the two truly began in earnest.
Seo Jun found himself pinned, twisted, and choked—again and again.
But he never gave up.
Every night he replayed Jin Hyeok’s movements in his mind, and every day he collided with Tae Soo and Do Yoon to hone his instincts.

* * *
Two weeks slipped away without mercy.
“Hah, hah……!”
On the gym mat.
Seo Jun and Tae Soo were locked in fierce grappling sparring.
“There—an opening!”
Tae Soo hooked Seo Jun’s right arm and swiftly rolled his body down.
In an instant, Seo Jun’s upper body was pulled along with him.
It was the same flawless angle of the armbar Jin Hyeok had caught him in two weeks prior.
‘I’m caught.’
Victory bloomed across Tae Soo’s lips.
Whip!
Seo Jun’s body twisted with unnatural fluidity.
Just before Tae Soo’s legs could cover his face.
Seo Jun folded his elbows inward with sharp precision, sealing the gap completely.
“What?”
Tae Soo’s legs grasped at empty air.
Seo Jun seized the moment, driving his weight down in a crushing press.
“When the hell did you learn this……!”
As the armbar failed, Tae Soo twisted his upper body hard, pivoting away.
He snaked behind Seo Jun’s back, aiming for the neck like a serpent.
Rear Naked Choke.
The terrible pressure he’d felt from Jin Hyeok was about to replay itself.
Slap!
Seo Jun’s hands clamped down on Tae Soo’s forearms with iron grip.
Simultaneously, he drew his chin tight against his collarbone, shielding his carotid artery perfectly.
The space for the choke to take hold was sealed shut.
“Ugh! Why won’t it work!”
Tae Soo gritted his teeth and forced more strength, but it was useless.
Seo Jun ripped away the defending arm and spun his body like a top.
In an instant, he stole Tae Soo’s top position.
Thud!
“……hah.”
Tae Soo lay flat on his back, breathing heavily into the mat.
Seo Jun held his upper body pinned with total control.
“How did you even do that.”
Tae Soo stared at the ceiling, muttering in disbelief.
Two weeks. Just two weeks.
In that short span, Seo Jun had collided with the armbar and choke again and again, perfecting his defense against both.
“It’s thanks to you continuing to apply the techniques, senior.”
Seo Jun caught his breath and pushed himself upright.
Do Yoon stood with his arms crossed, watching the scene unfold in silence.
A hard worker blessed with talent.
The most fearsome kind of gift was blooming fully on the mat before him.
‘If we’re measuring pure speed of growth, is he the fastest in this gym right now?’
Do Yoon’s gaze shifted to the sheet of paper in his hand.
[AXIS Korea Rookies]

* * *
“Good work. That’s enough for now.”
Do Yoon clapped his hands sharply, signaling the end of sparring.
Seo Jun lifted his weight off Tae Soo’s upper body and got to his feet.
The two men, breathing hard, reeked of sweat.
“Hah, hah…….”
Seo Jun swept his sweat-soaked bangs back.
Just two weeks.
In that short period, relentless training had burned the defensive systems of grappling into his body.
Do Yoon, having witnessed the overwhelming rate of growth with his own eyes, gave a nod of approval.
‘Your defense is acceptable. Your striking sense is already at a level ready for real combat.’
Do Yoon stepped out of the ring.
He returned from the office moments later, carrying a stack of papers.
Tap.
Do Yoon tossed the documents lightly onto the ring floor.
“Pick it up.”
Seo Jun bent down and retrieved the papers.
Large bold characters printed in serif font caught his eye first.
[AXIS Korea Rookies Competition Entry Form]
“AXIS… Rookies?”
Seo Jun’s eyes widened slightly.
AXIS—the world’s premier mixed martial arts stage where Do Yoon had fought bloody battles.
The document bore that magnificent name.
“It’s an amateur tournament. An official event directly sanctioned by AXIS Korea’s domestic branch,” Do Yoon explained, leaning against the ring ropes.

“It’s no casual neighborhood bout. It’s a mandatory elite pathway to reach the AXIS pro stage. Get noticed here, and a pro contract comes straight to you.”
Seo Jun’s heart began to thunder wildly in his chest.
The words flowing from Do Yoon’s lips were rules of a vast world Seo Jun had never once imagined.
“Competitions are divided by age bracket—middle school, high school, and adult divisions.”
“So I’d compete in the high school division?”
“Right. But the weight classes follow AXIS pro rules exactly.”
Do Yoon looked Seo Jun up and down.
“Your current fighting weight is around sixty-eight kilos, yeah?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Then you’ll need to pick either Featherweight at sixty-five-point-eight kilos, or Bantamweight at sixty-one-point-two kilos. I’d recommend Featherweight. Cut too much water weight right from the start, and your strength drains away.”
Weight cut, weight class, Competition Entry Form.
Everything felt unfamiliar, yet a fierce heat kindled in his chest.
All those days pounding the Punching Bag and sweating through training.
A real stage to prove that effort had finally materialized before his eyes.
“I’ll do it.”
Seo Jun answered without a moment’s hesitation.
Seeing that resolute gaze, Do Yoon smiled faintly.
“Good determination. Now flip to the back page of that form.”
Rustle.
Seo Jun turned the page.
At the bottom, a blank space marked off with a thick border appeared.
[Legal Guardian (Parent) Consent Form for Minors Competing]
“Minors can’t even get near the cage without parental consent,” Do Yoon said.
His voice grew more serious.
“Fighting is a brutal sport where blood spills and bones break. Your parents won’t easily permit their son to take hits in the ring.”
……
“Go home tonight and explain it to them properly. No signature on that consent form—no competition.”
Do Yoon’s judgment was absolute.
Seo Jun held the papers quietly and nodded.

* * *
That night.
The narrow One-room Apartment was filled with the aroma of stew simmering on the stove.
Bubble-bubble.
A mother and son seated across from each other at the table.
His mother looked weary, yet a faint smile crossed her face as she watched Seo Jun devour his rice with gusto.
“Our son has taken a real liking to his meals since training, hasn’t he?”
“Yes. It tastes wonderful.”
Seo Jun emptied his rice bowl and set down his spoon.
The Competition Entry Form tucked inside his bag kept nagging at his awareness.
He’d rehearsed how to bring it up dozens of times in his mind.
‘I should just tell her honestly.’
Seo Jun drew a deep breath.
Then he opened his bag and pulled out the neatly folded papers, placing them on the table.
“Mom. There’s something I need to ask you.”
“A favor? What do you mean?”
His mother set down her spoon and wiped the broth from her fingers before taking the papers from him.
Her eyes traced down to the title.
Mixed Martial Arts Competition Entry Form.
As she read the words, her pupils trembled faintly.
“Seo Jun. Are you really saying you want to compete in an actual fighting tournament?”
“Yes. It’s an amateur competition, but it’s the first step toward becoming a professional.”
Her hands began to shake slightly.
Terrible memories from the past.
Her own body covered in bruises from her ex-husband’s relentless fists, and the image of her young son trembling beneath the dinner table—these visions overlapped like phantoms.
Violence had been the force that destroyed her life most completely.
“Isn’t it dangerous? What if you get hurt? I heard people bleed and break bones.”
Her voice was thick with worry.
His mother wanted to stop him.
But Seo Jun did not look away.
“That’s true. When I step into the ring, I’ll get hit, and I could be injured.”
“Then why go at all? If you just want to get stronger, isn’t training enough?”
“Mom.”
Seo Jun carefully took his mother’s calloused hand in his own.
“Before, I was afraid of being hit. I only knew how to run and hide. I only thought about how to get hit without pain.”
……
“But the ring is different. It’s not one-sided violence—it’s a sport where we fight fairly, following rules together.”
Seo Jun’s voice carried unwavering conviction.
“I won’t hide anymore. I want to prove to myself in the ring how much the sweat I’ve shed is worth. Please, give me your permission.”
His mother’s words caught in her throat.
Her son’s eyes, looking directly at her.
Not a trace of the past’s shadow or fear lingered there.
Only fierce, resolute will shone clearly—the determination to break free from his shell through his own strength.
‘My Seo Jun has become so strong.’
The worry and anxiety remained.
But she understood she had no right to crush that light in her son’s eyes.
Rather, she ought to cheer him on.
A long breath.
His mother exhaled softly and picked up a pen.
Scratch. Scratch.
On the last page, in the guardian field, her name was written without hesitation.
“But promise me one thing.”
“Yes, Mother. What is it?”
“Don’t worry about getting hurt—but never, ever give up. Once you’re in that ring, fight all the way through and come back a winner.”
Her voice carried profound weight.
It was more than mere permission—it was the most powerful encouragement a mother could give.
Seo Jun’s eyes grew red.
His chest swelled with sudden warmth.
“Yes. I will come back victorious.”
Seo Jun carefully held the signed documents close to his heart.

* * *
The next morning.
Seo Jun was running through the pre-dawn air.
“Huff, ha!”
His breathing was rough, but his stride lighter than ever before.
He clutched the Competition Entry Form tightly, careful not to crease it.
‘I’m going in. An official tournament.’

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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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