A day passed, and the focus in the gym shifted.
The day was devoted solely to training, sharpening skills, and preparing for the semifinals.
Since Damon just recently fought, his match with Kofi would come after Ivan and Brian's fight.
That meant Ivan got more attention from the coaches during the sessions, as they prepared him for what could be the most crucial fight of his career.
Damon, though still training hard, found himself in the background.
But that didn't bother him, it gave him time to reflect, to refine his own skills without the spotlight.
He knew that when it was his turn, all eyes would be on him and Kofi.
For now, he was content to stay in the shadows, watching, waiting, and preparing.
.
.
The gym went quiet for a moment, and Damon leaned back against the wall and took a big breath.
The coaches had stepped out, giving him a rare moment of solitude.
It felt good to rest, even if only for a short while.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he opened his status panel, his eyes widening slightly as he saw the 500 System coins that had been added for reaching the semifinals.
A grin spread across his face. He already had 102 coins saved up, which brought his total to 602.
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It was a good haul, enough to make some serious upgrades before his fight with Kofi.
He knew this was his moment to plan carefully.
He had considered how best to use these coins, knowing that he needed to stay balanced, not just physically but in his skills too.
Last time he checked, C-Rank Elixirs were priced at 200 coins each, which left him with plenty of room for more improvements.
If he bought one now, he'd still have 400 coins left.
But the question remained, should he push himself toward a higher rank, or stick to his original plan and build evenly?
He tapped his fingers against his knee, thinking it over.
"Here we go again," Damon muttered under his breath, pulling the elixirs from his inventory.
Holding the three small vials in his hand, he hesitated for a moment.
He'd never taken more than one at a time, and there was no telling if combining them like this would work, or worse, if they'd cancel each other out.
But he wouldn't know unless he tried.
He took a deep breath and removed his shirt.
His body, lean and strong, showed the hard-earned results of months of training.
His abs, though defined, never quite reached the full sculpted look, a mystery he chalked up to either stubborn genetics or a slower physical response.
Still, it was the least of his concerns right now.
One by one, he gulped down the elixirs.
The first one slid down his throat, and almost immediately, he felt a strange burn spreading through his chest.
The second went down a little slower, intensifying the sensation.
By the time he swallowed the third, the burn turned into something more, the sting on his tongue became a sharp, electrifying energy surging through him.
His muscles tensed, and his knees buckled as he reached out to grab the sink for support.
His breath came in quick bursts, and for a moment, he wasn't sure if he'd made a mistake.
But just as quickly as the burning started, it shifted into something else.
His body hummed with energy, his senses sharpened, and the discomfort began to fade.
He felt light, powerful, almost as if every muscle was vibrating with potential.
He sighed deeply, straightening up.
It felt like a rush, as if he'd been injected with pure adrenaline.
"Feels like I'm on coke... whatever that feels like," he muttered with a smirk, looking at his reflection.
His eyes were sharper, his posture more upright. He felt invincible.
Damon splashed cold water on his face, letting the sensation ground him for a moment. "Alright," he said to himself, pushing the energy down, focusing it.
Now, it was time to train harder than ever.