Sparring the Counter Master
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“Minami!”
Smith bellowed toward the back of the dojo in a thunderous voice. A woman in a black dobok emerged.
She had white hair, stood about 155 cm tall—petite—and had fair skin typical of an East Asian. The name Minami suggested she was Japanese.
Lucky!
My dick twitched on reflex. A total babe. Never expected to run into one here. If I play it right, I could use the spar as an excuse to rub up against her. Of course, with all these eyes around, I'd have to be careful. Even a little skinship would be nice.
The girl called Minami looked utterly out of place in a martial arts dojo, but if Smith was calling her out with such confidence, there had to be a reason. I eyed her and asked Smith.
“Your disciple?”
“That's right. My prized pupil, destined to dominate the World Martial Arts Tournament within ten years.”
“Didn't you have another disciple who competed in the last one?”
“That guy's beyond what you could handle. Minami might look delicate, but she's one of my favorites. She came over from Japan, and her understanding of martial arts is on another level. Even as Master Kim's disciple, beating her won't be easy.”
He was goading us into a spar with that sly tone. Catching his intent, Minami turned to me and bowed.
“I'm Oosawa Minami. Pleased to meet you.”
Her English was a bit clumsy, but understandable. I hadn't even agreed yet, and the match was already on. Fine by me. Experiencing AHC firsthand wouldn't hurt.
“Baek Jaesung.”
I returned a light bow. Arms crossed, Smith stepped to the center of the dojo.
“It'll be good for Minami to experience KHC too—for her future. Alright, let's see what Master Kim's disciple can do. Need anything?”
I shook my head at Smith's question.
“This is fine.”
“Good man. A true warrior's always ready. Rules are simple: Freestyle with martial arts and mana. No strikes to vitals or lethal blows, obviously.”
Just like the World Martial Arts Tournament rules. Minami assumed her stance facing me. Her ready position was impressively refined.
Perfectly balanced low center of gravity, fists clenched and slightly tilted toward me. Easy switch between offense and defense.
“Both ready?”
““Yes.””
“Begin!”
Smith gave the signal with gusto. Minami charged at the same instant. Aggressive style, not matching her delicate looks.
Whoosh!
Her fist grazed my cheek. The straight punch was blindingly fast—like a nimble flying squirrel.
I tilted my head slightly to dodge, nullifying it. She seamlessly followed with a kick.
But my agility was superior. Before her swift attack landed, I could trace its path in my mind. Basic fighting from Han Kangwoo.
Read the opponent's body and predict the next move!
Minami's attacks were sharp and fluid. The gap between AHC and KHC was crystal clear. KHC developed around raw power at its core.
Not that its technique was inferior—no way. Otherwise, it couldn't have swept the body arts division of the World Martial Arts Tournament countless times.
In KHC, technique was the conduit to full power. AHC prioritized technique itself.
More attacks focused on countering my power than amplifying her own.
Maybe this stemmed from the practitioners. Korean dungeon hunters learning KHC had top-tier global stats, so the art evolved toward raw enhancement.
Meanwhile, American hunters—lower quality overall, though still elite—developed counters.
Of course, it wasn't a hard rule like 'KHC=power, AHC=counter.' Just my take. Could be Minami's personal style.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
I dodged Minami's flurry like petals from a blooming flower in full chaos. Hard to spot patterns at first, but they grew familiar, revealing rhythms.
My movements loosened up. Dodges shrank from three steps to two, one, half a step. Anxiety flickered on Smith's face.
“As expected of Master Kim's star pupil? Beyond imagination. Oh my God!”
Minami's left fist sliced empty air. Heavy mana drain from enhancements slowed her for the first time. Perfect counter window.
“Here it comes.”
[A straight punch strikes like a viper targeting prey, aiming for Minami's upper arm.]
My extended fist targeted her upper arm like a venomous snake. Minami twisted away in a hurry.
A counter exploiting her gap, but her composure exceeded expectations. The straight punch stabbed air. Still, I chained seamlessly like her.
[A flashy barrage mixes feints and real strikes toward Minami. Even 'real' blows target thighs and arms in this spar.]
Even against equal agility, the complex trajectory—hard to read—felt like navigating fog-shrouded paths with no countermeasures in sight.
Minami yielded ground bit by bit. Two thigh hits, four to her right elbow. Hurt, but she retreated, then surged back with renewed vigor.
Huh?
Her movement shifted. Smith, arms crossed and watching, chimed in.
“Minami's ability is Counter Mastery. She's getting serious now.”
Counter Mastery.
First I'd heard of it. But the name was self-explanatory—a technique ability specialized in counters.
Maybe her style comes from the ability, not just AHC.
Suddenly, Minami vanished. I furrowed my brow, scanning. No teleport—just a low duck into my blind spot.
So swift, anyone less agile than me would've sworn it was instant movement.
“Sharp Jab.”
Ducking low, she lunged in, thrusting her right hand. Different from before. Mana thickened her fist like a massive awl.
The biggest difference in hunter arts like KHC or AHC was mana usage. Similar-looking techniques varied wildly in power and function by mana flow.
To an outsider, it mimicked a KHC straight punch—but fundamentally different.
Straight punch feels like a sledgehammer smash; this is an awl stab.
[Leaves an afterimage while pulling back—no need to take pointless hits.]
No need to block. I left an afterimage and retreated. Minami ignored it, homing in like a guided missile.
[A heavy kick smashes her pursuing shoulder.]
A dull kick deflected her shoulder. She tilted right but didn't collapse. Even taking a mana-enhanced kick, she pressed forward.
“Action Blow.”
The gap between us closed instantly—like acceleration ability. Leaning in dynamically, she twisted, channeling rotation into her fist.
Powerful punch. I could've dodged, but crossed my arms to block.
Thud!
I slid back slightly. Mana-packed, the power was no joke. But manageable—two levels below Yeonji's punches, objectively.
True KHC - Shield Strike 3Lv (C-rank)
↳Consumes inner energy to transition from defense to offense. Gains attack power equal to defense.
From defense to offense in a flash. The arms blocking her punch swung like a hammer at her.
My instant counter created an opening. Off-balance, she lurched right.
Thud!
She raised her left arm in defense, but it connected solidly. Her feet slid back two steps. Watching Everett cheered gleefully.
“Great job, darling! You're winning!”
But Smith, arms crossed, smirked.
“Not yet.”
[Spin and extend leg to seal the deal on her unbalanced stance. Dodge too late—only block possible.]
Far stronger than a roundhouse, but Minami stayed calm.
“Nigate Attack.”
Her extended arm brushed my leg. Feeble—no power. Couldn't block even a basic kick.
But the instant it touched, the massive physical force and mana in my leg melted away.
Her ability?
Not equal force negation. Complex mana unraveled my power entirely. Definitely Counter Mastery technique.
“That's it!”
Smith shouted excitedly.
“Damage Condenser.”
Different mana surged from her straight fist—too much for a sudden burst.
She's been charging mana from the damage I've dealt her? Annoying.
Perfect for martial tournaments. But our base stats were worlds apart.
[Mana blade forms on hand edge. Diagonal downward slash from upper left disperses mana clump in her fist.]
Thud!
Minami tilted sideways. I aimed a hand blade at her neck.
“You lose.”
She acknowledged defeat.