Chapter 99: The Black Tiger ( PLAT )

After Instructor Jaeger effortlessly dodged his opening salvo, he countered. A leg lashed out, the movement a blur of disciplined muscle, and kicked Ethan squarely in the stomach. The force of the blow was a solid, gut-wrenching impact that drove the air from his lungs. Ethan felt his stomach churn violently, a wave of nausea washing over him, and he almost threw up the breakfast he had just eaten. He clutched his midsection in pain, stumbling back several steps, his vision swimming.

At the same time, Marcus launched a sneak attack from Jaeger’s blind spot, charging like a bull. However, the instructor seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. He sidestepped the charging attack with impossible ease and, in the same fluid motion, followed up with a powerful sweeping leg kick that took Marcus off his feet. The force sent Marcus flying horizontally through the air. Then, Jaeger kicked him hard in the stomach again while he was airborne, launching him more than ten meters away where he crashed in a groaning heap.

Seeing this, Seraphina leaped high into the air, attempting to use her momentum to land a powerful, arcing kick on Jaeger's face. But he moved with a swiftness that defied his size, his hand shooting up to grab her attacking leg mid-flight. He then spun her around on the spot, using her own momentum against her, and unceremoniously threw her to the ground right next to the dazed Marcus. From this brutally efficient series of actions, it was clear that while Instructor Jaeger might possess some gentlemanly demeanor in his daily life, it certainly wasn't much.

Ethan struggled to his feet, clutching his pained stomach, his mind racing. This won't work. His combat skill, his experience… it's on a completely different level. No matter what moves we use from the standard combat system, he predicts them before we even start. If this goes on, we'll never land a single hit.

His eyes darted around as he desperately sought a new strategy. He can predict our moves because we're all using the same set of combat skills Mr. Gordon taught us. He's a veteran; he’s more familiar with this system than we are. Since that’s the case… then I don’t need to use those combat techniques.

Ethan's mind couldn't help but drift back to an old anime from his previous life, one he’d particularly loved. He remembered one character especially—a large, powerful enforcer named Ah Fu. His ridiculously named martial arts moves had left a deep, indelible impression on him, so much so they were even adapted into a popular song.

He had firmly memorized those dramatic, nonsensical moves in his mind, but due to the limitations of his ordinary human body, he had never been able to actually perform them. But now… now the situation was completely different.

Ethan looked at Instructor Jaeger with a new, excited expression, his eyes flashing with a wild, almost unhinged anticipation. Feeling his student’s fervent gaze, Jaeger couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

With a sudden burst of power, Ethan shouted, “Flying Crane Pounces on a Shrimp!” He lunged forward, not with a punch, but with a bizarre grappling maneuver, grabbing Jaeger's waist and using his own strength to spin him around once, throwing the instructor completely off balance.

Jaeger stumbled but righted himself, only to be met by a series of attacks so bizarre and unpredictable they defied classification.

“Cat Lands! Cat Turns! Bear Paw Strikes!” Ethan shouted, his moves seeming to have no discernible pattern, yet they were cleverly linked, making it difficult to grasp his rhythm. Then, he used another series of strange moves, his voice ringing out with each one: “Mantis Fist! Snake-style Step! Lotus Floats! Scorpion Palm!”

Most of these were things Jaeger, a master of modern military combat, had never seen before. He knew a little about the ancient Mantis Fist, but he had never thought it could be used in such a strange, almost comical, yet surprisingly effective way.

Ethan's endless stream of bizarre moves left Jaeger dazzled. Seizing this opportunity, Ethan suddenly burst forth with power and shouted loudly, “Black Tiger Snatches the Heart!” His two fingers jabbed forward like a striking snake. The move came so fast that Jaeger didn't have time to react fully. He only heard a thud as Ethan’s follow-up headbutt struck him hard on the forehead. The blow made Jaeger dizzy, his vision going dark for a second. His hand, which had been about to block, faltered.

And Ethan did not stop. “Antelope Leaps!” he shouted, leaping nimbly and landing steadily on Jaeger's broad shoulders. Then, he yelled, “Two Dragons Play with a Pearl!” Two fingers shot out like lightning, aimed directly at Instructor Jaeger's eyes.

Just at this critical moment, Jaeger reacted with a veteran's instinct and, with one hand, snatched Ethan's jabbing fingers, stopping them just centimeters from his face.

This thrilling, bizarre scene made the surrounding students’ jaws drop. They were all so shocked they didn't dare make a sound. Marcus couldn't help but ask, “Where in the world did Ethan learn so many slick, weird moves?” Seraphina was also at a complete loss.

The battle, however, was not over yet. Before Jaeger could recover his senses, Ethan, still perched on his shoulders, used his other hand to deliver a solid punch right to Jaeger's left eye.

“Instructor Jaeger,” Ethan asked from his perch, his voice cheerful, “do you want to continue?”

Jaeger, feeling tired, utterly bewildered, and now sporting a rapidly swelling black eye, waved his free hand in surrender. “No more fighting, no more fighting. I really don’t know where you, you little brat, learned so many strange, nonsensical moves from. My head is about to explode.”

Ethan chuckled. “These are all my exclusive, secret techniques! Today was just a small test of my skills.”

Marcus came over, his eyes wide with curiosity. “Ethan, man, where did you learn all these moves? Why have I never seen you use them before?”

Ethan gave a mysterious smile and said in a low voice, “This is my secret weapon. I don't usually tell people about it!”

Seraphina rolled her eyes at him. “Tch, if you don't want to say it, then just don't. Why be so mysterious?”

Ethan leaped nimbly off Jaeger's back and landed lightly on the ground. He then looked at his instructor. “So… did I pass?”

Instructor Jaeger rubbed his new black eye and sighed, a reluctant, impressed smile on his face. “Yes, you brat. You passed. All three of you can consider yourselves graduated from my class for the rest of the year.” He then looked at Ethan with a new respect. “Just… try not to use those ‘secret techniques’ on me again.”