Chapter 122
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: Doesn't It Matter?
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Doesn't it matter?
"Really, men..."
Catherine's lament reached his ears.
Jim Miller glanced briefly at Catherine and the other fighters who had already given up and were now just spectating.
He agreed with her sentiment.
'Yeah, that's true.'
Boxing was a sport, sure, but conditioning training wasn't meant to be competitive.
The true purpose of conditioning was to battle your own limits, without giving a damn about anyone else.
Unfortunately, "men" were creatures who turned everything into a competition.
Especially the uneducated bruisers who just swung their fists without any real technique.
- Hah, haaah-!
The sound of ragged breathing.
The men sprinting back and forth across the 200-meter track ran as if beating each other was the goal of their entire lives.
Even as they gasped for air like they might collapse any second, they'd sneak glances at the guy next to them, steel themselves, and explode forward the moment the whistle blew.
The boxers heaving for breath—and mixed in among them, Jung Woo-jin.
"Incomprehensible level of cardio... Incredible. Truly incredible."
But no amount of mental grit could sustain that fierce rivalry forever.
One by one, those who'd hit their limits started vomiting pathetically and dropping out.
Before long, only three remained on the track.
Beep-!
And the moment another whistle blast rang out...
Thud.
"Tsk tsk. What an idiot."
Kevin, who had pushed way beyond his pace, didn't even make it off the starting line before collapsing to his knees.
He braced himself against the ground, panting heavily for a long while before finally lifting his head.
"Hoo, huu... This is insane."
Everyone nodded in agreement with his words.
Now, just two were left.
Beep-!
Aaron Radley, nicknamed the "Raging Bull" for relentlessly pressuring opponents with high-volume punches even into the 10th round.
And Jung Woo-jin, who was apparently filming some drama with Catherine.
Beep-!
Even after Kevin, the last of the final three, tapped out, Miller kept blowing the whistle.
He alternated his gaze between Aaron and Jung Woo-jin.
Beep-!
Even in this monster-filled scene, Aaron was top-tier when it came to cardio. He huffed heavily but never bent at the waist.
However...
'He's nearing his limit...'
Jim, who'd watched Aaron for years, could tell at a glance that he was overdoing it.
His pupils were glazing over, making it unclear what he was even looking at. He propped his hands on his hips like he had some reserve left, but they trembled faintly.
His pride was keeping him upright, but he'd be lucky to squeeze out another three or four laps.
In contrast...
'What the hell is that guy...'
Jung Woo-jin defied explanation.
As if he hadn't shown his full hand last time, he matched the "Raging Bull" stride for stride, all while looking utterly relaxed.
Not some fake composure like Aaron's—this was the real deal.
He was breathing hard, sure, but his body remained completely under his control.
Jim Miller couldn't even guess how many more laps he could go or where his limit lay.
"Is this even possible...?"
One of the gym staff muttered, and Jim could only nod.
If his first visit had been surprising...
What Jung Woo-jin was showing now was utterly incomprehensible, venturing into the inexplicable.
In just one week.
How was anyone supposed to accept that human stamina could improve so dramatically in a mere week?
Growth.
Sure, growth was often likened to a caterpillar shedding its husk to become a butterfly—a sudden leap after accumulation.
But stamina didn't work that way.
It was an attribute that could never, ever spike like that.
Even Jim was starting to doubt himself.
Had he really collapsed from acting on his first visit? Or was he just in bad shape?
If it was acting, then Jung Woo-jin was a heavenly actor for fooling a guy who'd spent his life in gyms.
So he wanted to believe it wasn't.
'Pointless...'
Acting or bad condition—it didn't matter. The takeaway was crystal clear.
The stamina Jung Woo-jin was displaying now was his real capability.
'And yet, without a single excuse, he shows up to prove it again...'
Was the guy bold, or just brimming with self-confidence...?
Jim Miller wiped the sweat beading on his forehead without realizing it and blew the whistle again.
Beep-!
The race's end choked the breath out of runners and watchers alike.
In an atmosphere hotter than ever, the interval training's victor was ultimately Jung Woo-jin.
The "Raging Bull" Aaron Radley put on a hell of a show too.
He'd outlasted Jim's estimated limit by a full two laps.
But...
In the end, even the "Raging Bull" couldn't hold out against Jung Woo-jin and buckled at the knees.
As Jung Woo-jin rushed to support the exhausted Aaron—who clearly had gas left in the tank—Jim wanted to scream.
Let go of him right now and keep running.
I want to see where your limit is.
A coach existed to make athletes recognize their limits—and then shatter them.
After two sessions together, still not grasping someone's ceiling...
That was torture for any coach.
What held him back was the last thread of his rationality.
"Move! Don't touch him—back off!"
He bolted out in case of emergency, but luckily Aaron's eyes fluttered open quickly—no need for first aid.
"Wha—me, I...?"
After forcing Aaron—who wore a dazed expression, unable to process his situation—to rest, Jim approached Jung Woo-jin.
"Hey..."
Even drenched in sweat and steaming with heat from head to toe, Jung Woo-jin wore a relaxed smile.
For a split second, Jim thought he didn't look human.
Jung Woo-jin quipped at the momentarily stunned Jim.
"I pushed like hell to beat Aaron, but it's impossible after all. My head was spinning too—I was just about to quit."
The words "don't lie" burned on Jim's tongue.
But then, catching the smile tugging at Jung Woo-jin's lips...
A single thought flashed through Jim's mind.
'No way...'
Something was off about Jung Woo-jin.
That unflagging "ease" in any situation.
A "detachment" that seemed oblivious to everyone gunning to beat him.
A "transcendence" you wouldn't expect from someone who could flaunt his skills.
'Does he just see this as natural...?'
Like an adult not gloating after beating a preschooler in a race.
When the gap was so vast that comparison felt pointless, people often showed astonishing magnanimity.
Throwing the match on purpose, matching their pace...
Grit.
But that attitude was unacceptable.
At least not here in the ABA.
It might seem childish, but clawing desperately to win was better for growth.
Maybe that's why.
Jim Miller found himself blurting out a proposal to Jung Woo-jin.
"How about some sparring?"
A suggestion that could come off as rude—or absurd.
Stamina wasn't just about lasting longer.
The leeway from conserved energy granted a broader field of vision and steadier mindset.
It wasn't just stamina, either.
A+ Precise Body Control, A-grade Flexibility, A-grade Focus, A-grade Balance Sense.
Even in the frenzy of running, they nudged me toward more natural form.
More efficient, more springy strides.
The saved energy let me register Jim and Catherine's voices amid the chaos, even glance around at how Aaron Radley and the others ran—plenty of bandwidth to spare.
That's how I picked up their techniques and ran with even better form.
A staggeringly broad, solid foundation.
I couldn't say if I had real "running" talent, but faking it at that level was no problem.
"How about some sparring?"
Boxing sparring proposed by Jim Miller to someone like me—who'd never trained properly, only run laps and flailed at the heavy bag since arriving.
A wildly out-of-left-field offer.
Doesn't it matter?
To me right now, it was plenty intriguing.
The coach glaring daggers, hands shaking with frustration.
It gave me an inexplicable thrill.
"Sounds interesting. Sure, let's do it."
I'd never done it myself.
But A+ Exceptional Memory and acting insight down to the tiniest facial twitch.
Based on everything I'd observed...
I vividly pictured the stance, movements, and footwork I needed.
And as I said before.
The rock-solid foundation from countless talents would make my body execute it.
Of course, that might not be enough.
But if it wasn't...
Well, what could I do?
Covet more talents and try again.
"Follow me and gear up..."