106 104. His Core Talent, A Bloody Show, A Clever Ad and Farming Favor.
Disclaimer: The story takes place in an Alternate Earth with a slightly different timeline of events. So people may be born early, some may be born a few years later or maybe not at all.
This gives me more freedom to write characters as I want, also the characters in my story are obviously not an accurate portrayal of their characters.
Please remember that this story is a wish fulfillment story set in Urban Hollywood with some Fantasy elements because of the system's shenanigans so please don't take it too seriously.
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Opening Author's Note:
Sorry about being a day latein the upload but I was occupied with some IRL stuff (had to take my mum for check-up). There are things in this chapter that I did for the first time so I am not sure how it turned out but I hope that you guys will like it.
Also I am very happy to say that 4 new patrons have joined my pat. reon page for which I am very thankful for. After this chapter I will also be uploading an exclusive and also the next chapter for my Naruto fanfic which for now will remain an exclusive post on pat. reon.
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Recap of the Previous Chapter –
Nicole helps Tom Cruise understand that all isn't lost yet but then finds out that it might just be. The pov then changes to Eva who tells Mark to reconsider his plan, Mark calms her down and gets to just trust his plan and judgment. Mark then unveils the charity event and talks about the problem behind women's health.
He announces the establishment of the White Lotus Foundation that will be working towards improving women's health through their acceptance in clinical research. By funding the education of poor sections of society in medicine and researching the cure for diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's while also developing cheap and better performing prosthetics for the people with disabilities.
He then performs numerous songs and even gives away their right of fair use. So that he can raise money for charity. The songs include – Experience, Ashes on the Fire, Sadness & Sorrow, Invincible, The Only Thing They Fear Is Him, Somewhere Only We Know, Memories, It's you, Come thru and The Final Dance.
Mark did this with the intention of not just raising money but also favorability points. He realized in Japan that if he artificially boosted people's positive feelings towards him then he can get favorability points from that person. It is this idea that led him to do this performance.
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~ Quote of the Chapter ~
"The best fighter is someone who never has to fight, because they can handle the situation with just their words."
"The more you sweat in practice the less you will bleed in battle."
– Bruce Lee.
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~ Mark Spencer's POV ~
(The Protagonist)
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Date: Sunday, 28th October, 1990.
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Time: 07:49 pm.
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Last time on Hollywood Head-Hunting System. Chapter 103 –
The raw admiration and respect that bubbled forth in the hearts of audiences couldn't be contained. The moment Mark's steps halted and his voice stopped reverberating, the entire crowd in the auditorium stood up and gave a standing ovation. They clapped and cheered for his stunning performance.
Now continuing –
Mark slowly straightened up and brought his partner to a stand, he turned towards the audience and the two together bowed to show their gratitude.
Once again, Rose and Monica took to the stage, the background dancers left the stage as their work was done. Mark pretended to be a little out of breath as he drew in deep breaths.
Once again the auction was done and this time an even bigger amount was raised, but Mark paid it no heed as he looked at the stat points of his singing and dancing skills.
[Singing Skills: 69 → 73]
[Dancing Skills: 58 → 65]
He was quite satisfied with those numbers, as it had been achieved in a one time event. The [Transcendent] title was truly a godsend, if he could activate it at will it would have been game breaking.
But he was still happy with it, till now it had only activated twice but it had provided him with great benefits both times. He took a look at the notifications for a second and found it flooded with Favorability Point increase messages.
[Favorability Point: +3]
[Favorability Point: +2]
[Favorability Point: +4]
[Favorability Point: +3]
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…
It brought a smile to his face, but the thought of what he was about to do next only widened it. As the bidding came to an end, Monica announced the top 3 bidders and congratulated them on the win.
She tallied the total money they had been able to raise, and it amounted to 19.6 million dollars. It was an impressive sum of money but to achieve the mission statement of the [White Lotus Foundation], it still fell short by a bit.
Mark took a look around the gathered crowd, all eyes were on him, people expected him to be sweating and panting. Yet, all it took was a few deep breaths for him to catch his breath.
"20 million dollars, it's an impressive sum of money, a life-changing sum even, but it's still a bit less than what I had expected. Though I guess, the show must go on, but before I do so."
"I would like to ask a question to all of you. The person who gives me the correct answer will be rewarded with a million dollars."
That statement made the eyes of almost every person in the hall to widen a million dollars for just 1 correct answer sounded like an absurd offer. They were waiting for Mark to drop the catch.
"But for each incorrect answer a hundred thousand dollars will be donated by the answerer. I think it's only fair."
They nodded in understanding, accepting that as the catch.
"So, are you ready?"
The crowd cheered and shouted, "YES!!"
"What art form do you think I am the most talented in? I have written novels, made a movie, sang for you all and even danced."
"So, which art do you think my core talent lies in?"
"That is the hint, it is considered an art form."
"If you feel confident enough, then all you need to do is press the button on your device. At the press of the button, a crew member will go up to your seat and hand over a mic. When you're given the permission, just speak your answer into it."
The moment Mark's speech ended a button had already been pressed multiple times. But the crew members maintained order and allowed the people to speak only one by one.
The people at first gave their heartfelt gratitude towards Mark for starting such a noble cause and praised him for his efforts. They then gave their answers one by one.
"Literature. Ah.. I mean fiction writing."
"Too obvious. Unfortunately, that's incorrect, but I thank you for the contribution towards our cause." Mark replied cheerfully.
"Painting."
"Unfortunately, that's incorrect, but I thank you for the contribution towards our cause."
"Dancing."
"Unfortunately, that's incorrect, but I thank you for the contribution towards our cause."
"Filmmaking."
"Unfortunately, that's incorrect, but I thank you for the contribution towards our cause."
"It can't be something obvious like fiction writing or singing, it has to be something obscure that the public doesn't even know you do. I choose cooking or the culinary arts."
Mark didn't reject his answer immediately, instead he gave the woman an eye smile and said, "I commend you for thinking out of the box. But unfortunately you guessed wrong Mrs. Weaver, though I thank you for participating and contributing towards the Foundation."
But with her words of wisdom and Mark himself praising her for her out-of-the-box thinking, the people soon began naming arts that Mark wasn't even known to practice.
"Sculpting."
"Nope. Thanks for contributing though."
"Architecture?"
"Thanks for contributing, Next."
A black man stood up, he was quite young, he had been one of those that Mark wanted to foster a good relationship with so they would support him in the future.
"Hmm, despite the suit, just by looking at your physique I would say you have been diligently training for years." He said after analyzing Mark's physique from top to bottom.
"And your answer is..?" Mark asked, hoping he would be correct.
"Martial Arts." a young Michael Jai White said, in a firm voice.
The crowd waited with bated breath, but Mark didn't reply, rather he took off the tie and loosened his collar. He made a signal that got the crew members moving again.
"Then you would be correct, congratulations on winning a million dollars, Mr. White. Though I must say, you look like a martial artist yourself."
"You're kidding. I really won?!"
"Absolutely."
"I would like to donate a hundred thousand to the Foundation." He said, wanting to do his own fair share.
"Thank you."
As Micheal sat down, he shook in excitement over his win. He couldn't help but think of how this money would allow him to open up a gym of his own, where he could provide guidance to the misguided young teenagers and show them a better path.
"You know, I have been training my body from a very young age, but I didn't do it for martial arts. I was just obsessed with the stories about Batman." Mark spoke again, explaining his reasons behind exercising so diligently.
Meanwhile, the crew members worked non-stop in the background placing down foam mattresses to create a proper stage.
"It started off with the simple dream of a 6-year-old child, who asked himself, "If I train hard enough, will I also be able to become a hero?""
"Sadly, he was disillusioned pretty soon. But he didn't give up training his body, as he also learned the benefits of having a healthy and strong body."
"After all, a sharp mind resides in a healthy body."
"And this is the result of that hard work." He casually took off his suit and dress shirt to reveal what looked to be a compression shirt he had worn underneath.
"This is the new offering from [UnderArmor], a company that I have recently invested in." His muscles well clearly defined under the shirt, his biceps, pecs, abs, shoulder delts, all were in perfect display.
So much that both Arnold and Stallone who were in the crowd couldn't help but admire his physique and respect the amount of work he must have put in to gain a body like that.
[Favorability Point: +4]
[Favorability Point: +5]
"It's still a prototype, but it is the next generation of body armor that even the civilians can buy and use for better protection." He turned around to show off his wide, muscular back, which invoked a sense of safety and security in the female audience that gawked at his godlike physique.
"It won't stop a gunshot, though it will slow it down and protect your vitals.
But what it really excels in.. is protection against cuts and stabs. It is highly resistant to heat and flexible, yet breathable, making it perfect for firefighters."
"Crap.. Sorry, I went into Commercial Ad mode for a moment there." He chuckled with an apologetic smile that they couldn't see but felt embarrassment through his body language.
"Anyways, bring up contenders for the final show of the night." As he said that, Eva walked onto stage, followed by 7 men that were dressed in the same kind of clothes as Mark.
They all looked like they could take on 10 men each and come out on top, they exuded the aura of a martial artist. Maybe in casual baggy clothing they could hide themselves.
But in their current attire it was easy to distinguish that these weren't just your average martial arts practitioner but rather masters of their own martial art.
"Let me introduce you to our contenders for tonight's final show."
"The first is Takeshi Nakamura-san from Japan, a master in Shotokan Karate. He has been training since the age of 5, and he is 27 and is currently the youngest to achieve mastery in the art."
Mark proudly announced, as Takeshi-san stepped forward, gave a half bow to the audience and then Mark.
"Up next is Ji-hoon Kim from Korea, a master of tactical taekwondo. He might look ordinary but make no mistake he is a monster of a fighter. A single kick of his can easily crack bones and tear muscles."
Ji-hoon stepped and gave a friendly wave towards the crowd before doing a bow towards Mark that he returned.
"Any sports fans here must be aware of Mr. Miguel O'Hara, a rising star in the world of boxing, nicknamed as The Hammer because of his brutal uppercut."
Miguel beat his chest twice and showed that he was number one by holding up his index finger.
"This is Brandon Lee, yes. He is the son of the legendary Bruce Lee and a master in Jeet kune do."
Brandon stepped forward and gave a bow to Mark and then the crowd.
"Please welcome Mr. Machida, a master of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He has come all the way from Brazil to be in this event. It is an honor to have you here, sir."
The man looked to be in his late 30s and was the oldest person in the group but also the most experienced and had an illustrious list of wins to his name.
"Mr. Hiroshi Handa, the first pupil of the current reigning grandmaster of Judo in Asia, has joined us tonight as well."
"And finally, considered by many as the most brutal and deadly martial art in the world. This man is a master in Muay Thai. Please give me a hand in welcoming Mr. Nongkhai Phrombut."
"So this was the last performance Marc was talking about.. let's see how this turns out." Mr. Turner murmured to himself in excitement as he saw Mark introduce the masters.
The crowd was intrigued to see what would happen next, was Mark gonna make them fight against each other, and they would be betting on who would win?
"Now that the introductions are out the way, Monica over here will be explaining the rules of the last event of the night, so please do pay attention." ending his piece, he moved to join the masters who stood in a line.
The crew members were wrapping their fists, taking extra care with the judo and jujitsu masters, as they would need more nimble movements of their fingers to perform the holds and flips.
As they were wearing wrap given padded gloves, Monica had wrapped up explaining the rules of the fight.
"We will be doing a bidding once again, but this it's not for a song but rather these fighters. The top 3 fighters with the highest bid will be the only 3 participating in the event."
"The event is a single elimination, with Mr. Spector going first, along with the fighter with the highest bid. If he wins, he will move onto the next opponents who had the second-highest bid and then the last."
"If Mr. Spector wins all three rounds; then the money put up for the bid will be donated to the Foundation."
"All the non-winning bids will directly be accepted as donations."
"But if Mr. Spector were to lose to a fighter they will be rewarded with twice the money bid on them and the person who has placed the bid will also be rewarded with twice the amount."
"For example: If you bid 2 million dollars on Mr. Tanaka, and he wins in the fight against Mr. Spector, then you will win 4 million dollars and Mr. Tanaka will win 4 million dollars as well."
"If Mr. Spector loses only loses the last fight, then he will only be covering the double charge of the last fight. But if he loses in the first fight, then he will be covering the double charges of all three fights."
"Also, the order in which Mr. Spector introduced the fighters are their numbers. You press the number, and then you press the amount of money that you want to bid on them."
People went ballistic after hearing such an absurd bet that Mark was placing on himself. If she lost even a single fight, then he would lose any money that he could be making from this event.
They knew that Mark proclaimed that "Martial Arts" was the one thing that he was the most talented in.
But still how could a man who had such a busy life being an author, director, singer, and musician win against these masters who have dedicated their whole life to their art.
Some of them had doubts that Mark may have paid off the masters to lose on purpose. But this notion was dissuaded early on because winning would net the winners 4 million dollars.
If Mark had to pay extra to cheat and keep their mouths shut, then he wouldn't even be saving much.
Then someone else came up with the theory that the person in the mask wasn't even Mark, but that conspiracy theory was shot down even faster.
Mark from the very first song of the night had always been in front of the audience's eyes.
He hadn't stepped off the stage for a second, even the lights hadn't gone dark or dimmed so much that they could replace Mark with a body double who is a martial expert.
Even Eisner himself had been tempted to bid this time. For the first time in the night he was placing a bid, he wanted to see Mark get beat up.
So, he asked his assistant what was the most lethal and brutal martial art of all that these masters practiced.
Muay Thai was the answer he had gotten, he wanted to ensure that Mark had to fight the man who looked like he could take on a bear in a fist fight and win.
Mark just calmly stood back, having finished his conversation with the masters. He was happy to see Brandon accepted his offer, he wanted to rope the man on his bandwagon.
It would not only protect him from his unfortunate end but also earn him a gifted fight choreographer.
He hadn't taken a break or stopped much in between the performances, except for the few minutes it took to set up for the next song and the bidding. But he didn't feel any of the physical or mental fatigue, instead he hadn't felt more alive.
This feeling of anticipation before the fight was making his heartbeat accelerate. He felt happy, even though no one could see it, a smile came upon his face.
Eva came up on stage to talk to him about his fight, but what he said put her heart at ease.
He moved away from the fighters, as he didn't want anyone hearing this conversation. The fighters were now getting mic'd up so that the impacts of hits can be recorded.
"You were right, Eva." He chuckled, "you always are."
"I was right about what?" She asked with a smirk.
"That I was being stupid. I was gonna take a few hits on purpose, even bleed a little to make the fight a bit more dramatic and up the stakes, make it look.. believable, you know."
"But it is not worth it. It is not worth making Jess get sad over me getting beaten up."
"It's good that you finally came to your senses. Who cares if they think that the fighters were paid off. Fuck them."
"Oh, they won't think that, this is still gonna be a bloody show, it's just that blood spilled won't be mine." He replied confidently.
"I will wrap this up soon." He said, ending the conversation as moved back in line.
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"The first fighter, the one with the biggest bid of the night, it's the Master of Muay Thai — Mr. Nongkhai Phrombut, weighing 234 pounds (106.14 kg) and with a height of 6.74 ft (2.05 meters)."
"Competing against him is our boss, Marc Spector. It's unknown how many Martial Arts he has learned, weighing 211 pounds (95.71 kilogram) with a height of 6.4 ft (1.95 meters)."
"There is an expert team of EMTs on standby just in case, any emergency arises. Let the best man win." saying that, she left the stage as Mark and Mr. Nongkhai took up their stances.
A referee came in between them and told them that the match would only end with either a knockout or tap out. Each round lasts 4 minutes with 1-minute break in between them.
In the bustling auditorium, the crowd roared with anticipation as Mark faced off against the renowned Muay Thai master, Nongkhai Phrombut. As the referee made the call, the two warriors locked eyes, a silent understanding passing between them before the battle commenced.
Nongkhai wasted no time, immediately going full throttle, as he unleashed a barrage of thunderous kicks, each strike fueled by years of his training in the art of Muay Thai.
The audience was shocked by the brutal impacts that Nongkhai laid out on Mark. It immediately dispelled any doubts in their minds that the fights would be faked. Instead, they were in awe of the dizzying speed at which the two fighters exchanged blows.
They winced at the loud impacts of the punches and kicks, but Mark stood firm, his focus unwavering as he deflected each blow with precise timing, using his elbows in a display of his mastery over Wing Chun, a defensive Chinese Martial Arts.
Drawing on his extensive repertoire of martial arts, Mark seamlessly transitioned between styles, fluidly weaving in and out of Nongkhai's brutal attacks. With the agility of taekwondo, he countered with lightning-fast kicks of his own, forcing Nongkhai onto the defensive.
As Nongkhai attempted to close the distance going in for a knee strike, Mark effortlessly redirected his momentum with the grace of judo, sending him stumbling off balance.
In the blink of an eye, Mark flowed into a series of strikes borrowed from karate, his movements crisp and efficient.
After blocking Mark's barrage of attacks, sensing an opening, Nongkhai launched a flurry of punches, his fists a blur as he sought to break through Mark's defenses.
But what he didn't know was that the opening was given by Mark on purpose, so he could counter Nongkhai's attacks. He did so because he could see that his barrage of attacks wasn't that effective against the man.
Seeing him try to take advantage of the opening, Mark drew up on the principles of Jeet Kune Do, evaded each strike with calculated precision, slipping effortlessly out of harm's way.
Wait for the right moment to strike as he used his elbows to block his monstrous blows. The fight raged on, the sound of the impacts of the fists landing on flesh, echoed throughout the arena as Mark and Nongkhai exchanged dozens of blows.
But despite the ferocity of his opponent's attacks, Mark remained composed, his resolve unshakable. With each passing moment, it became clear that Nongkhai's efforts were in vain.
As Mark's defenses remained impenetrable against the attacks of a Muay Thai master, his movements were a symphony that displayed his mastery over multiple martial arts.
And before the final bell rang, Mark had landed a decisive blow that jarred the equilibrium of his opponent. He took advantage of those few precious seconds to take down his opponent.
The crowd went crazy at the sight of Mark's flurry of moves that ended with a roundhouse back kick that was so fast and struck so loudly that the audience felt like a shotgun had been fired.
They watched in disbelief as Nongkhai, who was even heavier than Mark himself, was flung into the air from the impact of his kick. Thankfully, the other masters were waiting on the sidelines with a cushion mat to catch him and break his fall.
The cheering of the crowd was deafening as they went absolutely ballistic over Mark's victory. It looked straight out of a martial arts movie but it was way more cooler, realistic and powerful, they had goosebumps on their skins as their blood boiled.
[Favorability Point: +3]
[Favorability Point: +6]
[Favorability Point: +4]
[Favorability Point: -1]
[Favorability Point: +3]
[Favorability Point: +3]
Watching this crowd of hundreds of people go absolutely wild was Mr. Ted Turner, who himself felt like Marc had just opened his eyes. Wrestling in the WCW was fine but this had some serious potential, obviously he understood the drawbacks as well.
As he looked at the paramedics rushing towards Mr. Nongkhai to check on his injuries, though it seemed like it wasn't required, as the giant of a man just got right back up. As if he hadn't taken that haymaker from Mark straight to his belly.
Meanwhile, Eisner was seething, he had just wasted 2 million dollars over nothing. The hulking brute couldn't even land one decent blow on that scumbag Spector.
Monica came back on stage to announce Mark's win.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the first round match was won by Mr. Spector right before the bell could strike and end the round. I hope it was entertaining for you all as well, but that fight must have been exhausting, so Mr. Spector is no–."
"Monica, change of plans, announce the next fight. I'm running a bit low on time.
"But sir do–." She tried to dissuade him, worrying about him.
"I'll be fine, Monica. Thanks for caring" He reassured her and thanked her.
"It's my job to take care of all your needs' sir." She replied with a pleased smile, happy to see her efforts be recognized.
She brought the mic close to her again, and spoke out, "Change of plans everybody. Mr. Spector has announced his intention to fight immediately, so the next round will be starting now. I hope you guys enjoy the next fight just as much as you enjoyed this one."
The crowd cheered again, this time in anticipation for the next fight.
"Let's get on with the second fight of the night. Give it up for the fighter with the second highest bid of the night, it's the Master of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu — Mr. Machida, weighing 212 pounds (96.16 kg) and with a height of 6.2 ft (1.89 meters)."
"Competing against him, in his second fight of the night is Marc Spector. We've already seen our boss use various martial arts like - Taekwondo, Wing Chun, Judo, Jujitsu and even Karate. But does he have any more aces hidden up his sleeve?"
Weighing 211 pounds (95.71 kilogram) and a height of 6.4 ft (1.95 meters)." With that introduction she left the stage as the referee came in between them.
"Let's keep this professional. Both of you already know the rules." He said reminding the two of them, they just nodded back, not even looking at the ref for a second.
As Mark faced off against the legendary jujitsu master, Machida, their eyes were locked in a silent challenge. Machida, who was known for his lightning-fast strikes and unparalleled grappling techniques, exuded an aura of confidence as he prepared to test more of Mark's skills.
He wasn't holding back a single bit, he had already seen that the American writer/director fought like he had been doing it for ages. The moment the ref gave the signal for them to begin, Machida made his move.
To the audience it looked like he almost teleported, the explosive speed of his lunge was insane. As Machida lunged forward with a lightning-quick jab, Mark swiftly sidestepped, countering with a crisp jab-cross combination straight from his boxing repertoire.
The punches came like thunder, each blow finding its mark with precision, his movements were a dance of combat. As they seamlessly transition from one martial art to another, always keeping the jujitsu master guessing with each unpredictable strike.
Mark attacked with powerful yet precise elbow and knee strikes to keep the jujitsu master at an arm's length, showing his experience Muay Thai moves, during this he would also throw in axe kicks and the hook kick from taekwondo.
In the end finishing it off with a devastating roundhouse kick, borrowed from Muay Thai, aimed squarely at Machida's midsection, which unfortunately was expertly blocked.
The master, impressed by Mark's agility, once again attempted to close the distance, seeking to initiate a grapple and score a win with a takedown. But Mark was one step ahead as he smoothly transitioned into a clinch and unleashed a series of knee strikes, a technique borrowed from Muay Thai known as the "plum clinch."
As Master Machida attempted to break free, Mark seamlessly shifted his weight, executing a flawless hip toss straight out of judo, sending him crashing to the mat with a resounding thud.
But he was not one to stay down for long, quickly regaining his footing and launching a ferocious counterattack
This time succeeding with taking Mark in a flying triangle choke that he honestly wasn't expecting. Even though he could have dodged it, he didn't want to win just by brute forcing it with strength and speed, rather he wanted to win with technique.
As he tried to get out of the hold that master Machida had on him. Mark was partially successful as he had gotten him off of his neck. But the man was able to smoothly transition into an arm bar and pin him down.
It looked like it was over for Mark and Mark sincerely admired Machida for he was able to force him to use more strength then he was going to allow for the night. Mark felt respect for the man's skills and experience.
Machida felt like he was gonna win, he had Mark in the perfect armbar hold. His opponent couldn't bend his elbow so he couldn't use much of his strength. But then he heard Mark speak to him in Spanish.
"Master Machida, you're truly the best of the fighters we gathered tonight, I'm sorry."
"I admit, I lost to you in experience but I can't afford to lose this fight. So, I will be going all out now, I sincerely apologize for holding back before." As he finished speaking Mark let out a roar and used his other arm as leverage as pulled with just half of his actual strength.
Obviously he wasn't gonna use his full strength, he just acted like he was, as he slowly dragged Machida along as he got up. The crowd couldn't help but gasp in disbelief, it was an insane show of strength.
Machida tried to let go of Mark and find a more advantageous position but Mark was done playing around, armed him by the leg and started spinning.
The blood flow to Machida's head was too much and he felt dizzy, at that moment his legs that were wrapped around Mark's arm loosened just a little bit.
But that little bit was all Mark needed to twist and execute the perfect judo throw, with the force of the spin. The impact was so loud and devastating that some of the ladies in the audience winced and looked away.
The referee came forward to do a countdown.
"1."
"2."
"3."
"4."
.
..
"10." The crowd chanted alongside the ref and broke out into cheers and applause. They were in awe of Mark's martial prowess but even more at his monstrous stamina.
He had just fought two rounds of high intensity combat and yet the only evidence of exertion was a slight sheen of sweat on his brow.
Mark pulled the bottom of his t-shirt to bring it up to his forehead to wipe off the sweat. In doing so he "unknowingly" exposed his chiseled abs and tapered V waist.
[Favorability Point: +3]
[Favorability Point: +5]
[Favorability Point: +4]
[Favorability Point: +3]
[Favorability Point: -1]
Mark knew that some people wouldn't appreciate this brutality and violence or maybe it was a jealous man who couldn't handle seeing him get all this attention.
But as long as the majority of the audiences were liking him more and more, he was okay with it. After all, he was here to farm favorability points as much as possible.
This time Eva came forward, along with a few representatives from UnderArmor. They were informing the audiences about how the anti cut technology of their fiber helped spread the damage of the impact suffered by the body.
Mark knew it wasn't super high end but as it was something that could be worn under baggy clothes and remain undetected it would be a huge seller. After all there was nothing better than selling armor to the people in a country like America where violence was common.
He couldn't wait till they were able to create bullet proof armor like that of John Wick from the movie. Because when that would happen he knew he would have a game changing product in his hands.
And if that product could be sold for cheap and helped in saving the lives of hundreds of Americans then the amount of goodwill that he will earn from these people wasn't a trifling matter.
After the demonstration was over the UnderArmor reps left while Eva did the introduction of the third fight.
"Ladies and gentleman, it is the final fight of the night. I wish I could say we had saved the best for last but with these masters of martial arts. It really can't be said with certainty who is better than the other."
"So please give a warm welcome to the fighter with the third highest bid tonight. The Rising Star - Mr. Miguel O'Hara. A new legend in the world of boxing, weighing 218 pounds (99 kg) and with a height of 5.11 ft (1.8 meters)."
"Competing against him in his third fight of the night is Marc Spector. We've already seen the boss of Eidolon use - Taekwondo, Wing Chun, Judo, Muay Thai, Jujitsu and even Karate."
"Though it still remains unknown just how many Martial Arts he has learned, weighing 211 pounds (95.71 kilogram) and a height of 6.4 ft (1.95 meters)." With that introduction she left the stage as the referee came in between them.
Mark decided to finish it in one move, he was practicing that move he had used on bodyguard Tom before that put his arm in a cast for a week. He decided to dial down on the strength and focus on the speed.
As the referee was finishing up his customary words, Mark started to hop on his toes, as the ref's words stopped. So did he, this time standing on his toes.
Mr. Kim and the rest of the guards that were in the audience immediately knew what move Mark was about to perform.
The moment the ref finished his words, Mark spoke up, "I'm sorry, but someone's waiting for me. So, I'll be finishing this quickly."
Usually, such arrogant words would have inflamed him but after seeing Mark's monstrous performance up close. He knew he would have to remain cautious and not lose his cool if he wanted to have any chance at winning.
The moment the ref said, "go."
Mark slammed his heel and launched himself like a missile towards Miguel. The moment he was in striking distance, he slammed his foot on the ground again.
He threw a feint with his right, knowing that using his supposed dominant arm for a feint had a higher chance of success. Unfortunately Miguel wasn't a master for nothing, he read through the feint and stood his ground calm and composed.
Though he made one mistake, he waited for Mark's attack so he could counter. After the feint, Mark immediately straightened his body and twisted his hips and he threw a perfect punch with all his body's weight and momentum.
The punch was so fast that he could barely see it coming, only his instincts that was ingrained in his body from years of experience saved him from immediately losing the fight. Or at least he thought so, as Mark's knuckles just barely hit his chin.
But the force of the swing was enough to immediately jar him, as his internal equilibrium was shaken as he started to lose his balance.
Mark instantly capitalized on his mistake as he lunged forward, grabbed his arm and turned around and threw him in a one handed over the shoulder throw.
But he didn't stop there as he kept holding on to the right arm and brought that around his head and locked him in a triangle chokehold.
Miguel tried to get out of the hold and even tried to punch Mark with his left arm that was still free. But in a display of flexibility that seemed impossible on his hulking muscular body, Mark used his leg to wrap around his left arm and restrained him completely.
The boxing prodigy knew when he was beaten, his mistake of underestimating Mark's speed and reach had cost him the match. He tapped out as he sighed, that 4 million would have helped out a lot but some losses he just had to take.
Feeling him tap out on his bicep, Mark immediately let him go and stood up. Feeling victorious but remaining humble, Mark extended a hand to his fallen opponent, acknowledging Miguel's resilience.
And as they exchanged a nod of mutual respect, it was clear that in this battle of martial arts titans, Mark had emerged victorious, proving himself to be truly a master of combat.
[Favorability Point: +3]
[Favorability Point: +5]
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..
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Eva came onto stage to declare Mark as the ultimate winner of the fight.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it fills me with joy to announce that all three matches were won by Mr. Spector."
"The fighters who had fought against Mark will be duly compensated and rewarded with 250,000 dollars, for participating and medical expenses."
"As for the fighters who didn't get to fight but came all this way, we will compensate you with 75,000 dollars each."
"I am proud to say that we were able to raise 5.8 million dollars with this final performance of the night and successfully reaching our goal of 25 million dollars."
"For making these generous contributions I would like to thank all the people gathered here from the bottom of my heart from Eidolon and the White Lotus Foundation."
"And also to Marc Spector, for putting on the performance of a lifetime and for entertaining all of us present here with a kind of show that I don't think we will get to see for years to come."
The crowd got up and clapped to show their appreciation for all the hard work that Mark put in for this night.
"And also I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you all to the president of the White Lotus Foundation. The one who is going to be in charge of this operation. Ms. Rebecca Ferguson."
A middle woman walked out on to the stage, she had been vouched for by David. So, Mark knew he could trust her but he would still be taking precautionary measures as it never hurt to be safe.
"Marc, please do the honor and hand over this cheque to Ms. Ferguson."
"Ms. Ferguson, Marc Spector." He said introducing himself, even though after his performance tonight, no-one in the audience will ever be able to forget him or his deeds.
"I don't mince my words, you came highly recommended by a friend, whom I consider an excellent judge of character."
"But as I've said before, 50 million dollars is a life changing sum of money."
"Mr. Spector, I think you made a mistake. It's 25 million dollars, not 50."
"Ah, I felt like I was forgetting something. Before this event started I had already decided that whatever amount of money I was able to raise with the help of these lovely audiences. I would donate the same amount in the name of Eidolon to your Foundation."
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"So, the amount being donated is 50 million dollars. Now, that truly is a life changing sum of money and I am not a very trusting person especially with millions of dollars on stake."
"So monthly an auditing team will come to check if all the operations are being done properly or not. To see if everything is above board and the money is properly utilized in places that were promised by the foundation."
"Its, totally understandable, Mr. Spector."
.
..
.
Mark had changed out his clothes and taken a shower to freshen up, there were a few bruises on his arms, chest and thighs but thankfully none on his face.
He quickly wore a white shirt and jeans, he left behind his mask as he won't be needing it and hurried to Anne's and Jess' room. They were staying on the same floor as him within the Eidolon HQ.
Upon reaching the door to their room he rang the bell, he could hear hurried steps behind the door as the moment Sarah opened the door.
Jess came out running towards, calling his name, "Mark. Mark. Mark."
Just hearing her call out his name, made his mental exhaustion go away as he felt an inner happiness and peace envelope him.
"How is my little princess?" He asked as he took her in his arms.
"I have been good." She nodded as she tried to see behind Mark.
"What are you looking for?" He asked, confused.
"You said you'll bring me a gift the next time we meet." She said, with a sad look on her face, seeing him empty handed.
"Ah.. you remember?"
"Hmm, yes. Did you forget my gift?"
"I am sorry. I was just joking. Don't cry."
Her crocodile tears immediately stopped as she laughed and shouted, "yay gift. Gift. Gift."
"Thanks for looking after her, Sarah."
"It was fun. I gotta go though, bye Mark."
"Bye, Sarah. Dinner tomorrow?" Mark asked her as she was leaving.
"Dinner." She nodded with a smile and left.
"Did you have fun with her ?" He asked as looked down at Jess with a kind smile.
"Yup. We drew so many things." She replied with an excited smile, wanting to show Mark her drawings.
"You did? That's great." Mark replied as he closed the door behind him and headed in.
So what gift did you get me Mark?
"Did you forget what my job is?"
"Nope, you said you tell stories."
"Yep, I am a storyteller. So I brought your story, sweetie." he replied as kissed her head and put her down.
"What is it about?!" She asked, feeling happy, she loved hearing Mark's stories.
"It's called [The Lion King]. It's not a happy story at the start so I will need you to be brave okay?"
"I can do it. I'm not scared of anything."
"That's my girl."
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..
.
Mark took her to bed, she showed him the coloring book in which she drew stuff. Mark went through it as he told her the story of the Lion King, he got half way through as he saw her eyes get too heavy and she fell asleep.
He pulled the blanket over her and kissed her, "good night and sweet dreams. Sweetie."
She mumbled something in her dreams but he couldn't make it out.
He put on the night light so that she wasn't scared and quietly made his way back to his own room where Eva was waiting for him.
— To be continued…
In the next episode of L̶e̶g̶e̶n̶d̶ o̶f̶ t̶h̶e̶ N̶o̶r̶t̶
Cough* *Cough*
I meant in the next chapter of Hollywood: Head-Hunting System.
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Word Count: 7.1k words (without the authors note, recap and disclaimer.)
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{Closing Author's Note: Thanks for reading my work, here on pat. reon. I know many people want to read the Killing joke part of the story and I have been dragging it out. But something needs to be built up so that we can enjoy it later on. It is the same here.
This chapter is the second last build up chapter towards the Killing joke from the next chapter. The killing joke arc of the story will begin. I hope you will like it as much as you did this one.
The Killing Joke arc has already begun on pat. Reon if you would like to immediately read it and can't wait then just send me a friend request on discord. My username is theramenlord I will add you and give you the link to my pat. Reon if you can't copy paste the link.
The link is also psoted on the author's thoughts section.
Thank you to all my patrons, who are supporting my passion, I hope you are doing good and have a beautiful day.}
