Chapter 16
"This is the Muscle Divine, seeing is believing, he's even more formidable in person than the rumors suggest," Doppo Orochi (Baki The Grappler) commented, then looked in Rei's direction. "And the young man who sparred with him, he's holding his own quite well."
"It truly is the era of young people," Doppo remarked, observing Rei in his school uniform, inevitably recalling the 18-year-old Baki who defeated him in the underground arena.
Rei also seems to be only twenty-five.
Sigh, thinking about it makes me frustrated. When I was their age, I was still chopping wooden stakes in the dojo.
[[Arm Wrestling] Proficiency 15%]
[[Arm Wrestling] Proficiency 13%]
[[Arm Wrestling] Proficiency 17%]
[Skill [Arm Wrestling] reaches level 3]
[Strength: 30->31]
Thirty-one points of strength!
As soon as he received the bonus, Rei fully unleashed his strength through the talent of the Divine Hand of God.
Machio widened his eyes, becoming even more focused.
With a "poom," Machio's arm emitted an explosive sound. His already incredibly robust arm widened even further, veins popping.
Rei's mouth twitched. Is he some sort of Frieza? He even has a second form.
After this prolonged struggle, Rei could roughly gauge Machio's level. According to the system's standards, this guy definitely has strength above 35.
I'm not sure about the rest, but anyone capable of wielding such immense strength surely must have decent endurance.
With the blessing of the Divine Hand of God, Rei can hold his own for the time being.
The Advantage is mine!
Actually, scratch that, System! Give me some points!
"It's been five minutes! Does arm wrestling really take this long?" Riko calculated the time and commented.
Sakura nodded, finally calming down Akemi, who had been gripping her tightly. She wiped the sweat from her forehead. "It feels like two excavators wrestling."
"As expected, Machio's strength is superior. Although I can win, it won't be by much," Doppo objectively assessed.
Little did he know, at this moment, Machio's heart surged like a tsunami. Every time he thought he was on the verge of victory, Rei's hand would exert even greater force, like an endless abyss. No matter what, he couldn't completely suppress him.
[Skill [Arm Wrestling] reaches level 4]
[Strength: 31->32]
Thirty-two strength. Combined with the Divine Hand of God, Rei suddenly surged, seizing the advantage and pressing Machio's arm back a bit.
This subtle difference, except for the parties involved, only Doppo saw the clues. "Looks like I spoke too soon. This young man harbors even more strength within him. It seems I'm fortunate enough to witness the Muscle Divine's defeat today."
[[Arm Wrestling] Proficiency 2%]
The skill proficiency was soaring, but compared to the speed at which it upgraded with the earlier attempts, it was now dozens of times slower.
[Skill [Arm Wrestling] reaches level 5. Congratulations, Host, for unlocking the talent: Iron Wrist]
[Iron Wrist: Your wrist is like steel, capable of exerting two hundred percent of your strength]
[Strength: 32->35]
[Agility: 28->29]
[Endurance: 36->37]
Rei's face lit up. In a short time, his arm wrestling skill had been elevated to level 5. With thirty-five strength, combined with Iron Wrist and the Divine Hand of God, Rei felt he could even punch an elephant to death.
In an instant,
He suddenly exerted force, and all the skills were maxed out. Thus, this contest could be concluded.
"Crash! Bang!"
The entire metal table, unable to withstand the weight, collapsed.
Riko was so amazed her jaw almost hit the ground.
"Wow! Rei, you're incredible! Not only did you hold your own against Coach Machio, but you even broke the table!" Riko handed Rei a clean towel prepared by the gym, excitedly speaking.
Even Rei, now drenched in sweat, couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. This was the first time since he transmigrated that he exerted himself to the fullest. He took the towel from Riko, then promptly removed his upper garment and the short-sleeved summer school uniform underneath.
Revealing an extraordinarily well-built upper body, he draped the towel around his neck and approached Machio.
Upon seeing Rei remove his shirt, Akemi immediately perked up, a surge of energy coursing through her. She shot off at a speed even a rampaging bull couldn't match. Unfortunately, the one trying to restrain her was Sakura, also known as the "Fang of the Royal Cherry Blossom!"
"Amazing abs! Amazing triceps! Amazing chest muscles! Amazing... Just seeing these muscles makes it hard for me to breathe, like I'm..."
"Soryuin-senpai? Soryuin-senpai? Akemi!!!" Akemi had a nosebleed and promptly fainted into Sakura's arms.
Preliminary diagnosis: excessive blood loss.
"Coach Machio, arm wrestling with you was truly exhilarating," Rei extended his hand, expressing his goodwill.
Machio did not respond.
He stood frozen in place.
"Coach Machio?"
"Coach Machio?"
Rei approached, shaking Machio's's field of vision.
In the next moment, Machio's massive body stiffened and toppled backward, a dull thud echoing as he hit the ground.
"Machio!" Doppo exclaimed
The gym's coaches immediately rushed over. Kagehira was the closest. After checking Machio's condition, he spoke, "He's fine, just fainted. Arm wrestling is quite physically demanding, and these two have been at it for an hour."
Doppo shook his head slightly.
He explained to everyone's surprised gaze, "It's not due to physical exhaustion, but because in the final move, this young man unleashed an exponentially greater force. He directly overwhelmed Coach Machio, who was already on the brink. I originally thought that in the realm of arm wrestling, Coach Machio had reached the pinnacle. I never expected there'd be someone even more valiant than him."
Doppo's words directed everyone's attention towards him.
Soon, exclamations were heard.
Fujio opened his mouth, unbelievingly saying, "You're... the founder of the Shinshinkai Karate School! The man who's said to have barehandedly hunted tigers, the martial god, Doppo Orochi!"
"I never expected a figure like you would appear in our gym."
"Not only did we witness the duel between Coach Machio and Rei, but we also witnessed the arrival of the martial god. Today is truly fortunate!"
"Haha, it's just a reputation," Doppo waved his hand without much airs and said, "I just returned to Tokyo City and happened to see this match. It's quite a stroke of luck for me as well."
Saying that, Doppo walked up to Rei. "Young man, are you interested in joining the Shinshinkai Karate School and becoming my disciple? With your talent, it would be a waste to only participate in those children's sports."
He could see that Rei was physically strong, but in terms of combat, he was undoubtedly a novice. This guy didn't exude the aura of someone who's fought for their life. Looking at it from a different angle, he was a perfect piece of jade! As long as he's polished properly and doesn't stray off course, he'll definitely surpass even himself!
Akemi and Sakura, who were on the side, were also eagerly awaiting Rei's agreement. After all, this was the martial god!
Upon hearing Doppo's invitation, Rei didn't feel much. He only needed to increase his proficiency to become stronger. Why would he want to apprentice under someone he's destined to surpass?
"Sorry, but I'm not interested for now. After all, I just paid for three months of gym membership," Rei directly refused.
"I see... in that case, let's exchange contact information. If you have the time, you can come to our Shinshinkai Karate School and take a look at the Daoist temple," Doppo wasn't particularly surprised. In his eyes, genius comes with pride. It was normal. He was also very high and mighty in his youth, not placing anyone in his eyes. Then he got beaten to a pulp by Baki, that guy.
"It will happen. I'll come by in a while."
"Haha, I'll be looking forward to it. Well, it's getting late. I have an appointment with another old man. I'm leaving." Doppo, seeing Rei's response, showed a satisfied expression, then headed straight out of the gym without looking back.
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