Gone Too Far

"Is that... a bottle of water?" The examiners and trainees standing beside the arena exchanged puzzled looks, unable to guess what Jos was planning.

They had all expected him to pull out some kind of weapon or equipment, yet instead, he produced a bottle of mineral water. Yes, the kind you get from a vending machine for a dollar.

"Could it be that he has the ability to control water?" Jason’s gaze became more cautious as he looked at Jos.

With his vast combat experience, Jason knew all too well that his own physical enhancement powers were at a significant disadvantage against elemental manipulation. Controlling water to flood one’s airways or condensing it into weapons for attacks—just the possibilities Jason could imagine were enough to make him uneasy.

"Don’t worry, I don’t have any water manipulation abilities," Jos declared the next moment, flatly denying their guesses. Then, raising his arm, he tucked the bottle of water into the hood resting on his back.

"I just think fighting you head-on is too boring, so let’s make this more interesting," Jos continued, folding his arms across his chest and looking at Jason with unshakable confidence. "If you can make this bottle of water hit the ground, I’ll consider it your win."

"After all, if that bottle gets knocked off, I’d definitely lose immediately," Jos silently added to himself. A battle with water at his back—carrying water could double his fighting power!

This was exactly what Jos had come up with during the break, aside from collecting his rewards. This was the true nature of his ability!

But the spectators knew none of this; all they could sense was an overwhelming aura of bravado.

A bottle of water placed in his hood, and he’d concede the moment it hit the ground? This would affect not just the fight, but even the most basic movements and shifts between attack and defense. After all, there was nothing to secure the bottle in the hood—it could fall out at any careless movement.

"Is that even possible?"

"Just having a bottle of water in your hood would throw off your balance, wouldn’t it?"

The onlookers buzzed with discussion, unable to fathom Jos’s intentions.

Jos ignored their chatter, his eyes fixed on Jason as he spoke calmly, "Did you know that in the ancient East, there’s a story called 'Slaying Hua Xiong with Warm Wine'? It tells of Guan Yu, who, after returning from battle, found the wine in his cup still warm. Today, I’m telling you—when I’m done with you, this cold water… it will still be cold."

"If the water falls, you lose? You’re nothing but a show-off! I’ll tear you apart and show you what real power looks like!" Unable to endure Jos’s constant taunts, Jason suddenly roared, his massive body exploding with power as he threw a punch, channeling all his strength directly at Jos.

After witnessing Jos’s superior combat skills, Jason had realized he couldn’t match him in technique. He had to end it with his first blow!

"No matter how skilled you are in grappling, what can you do against this kind of strength?"

Jason already knew Jos wasn’t as strong as him. No matter what Jos was up to, there was no way he could outmatch Jason now that he’d unleashed his power.

"Oh? Testing brute force, are we?" Facing Jason’s all-out attack, Jos didn’t dodge. Instead, he subtly lowered his center of gravity, dropped his shoulder, and rammed straight back at Jason.

"Iron Mountain Slam!"

A torrent of force erupted as Jos and Jason crashed together without any finesse. Even the arena platform beneath their feet shattered and exploded from the impact.

"Argh!" Jason spat out a mouthful of blood, while blood also trickled from the corner of Jos’s lips—neither looked to be in great shape.

Yet, contrary to everyone’s expectations, Jos’s relatively "slender" frame did not go flying. Instead, he held his ground, locked in a stalemate with Jason.

In this collision, Jason failed to gain the upper hand!

The two, now locked together, didn’t separate—instead, they launched into close-quarters combat, trading blow for blow.

Both the examiners and the surrounding trainees were familiar with Jason’s strength, yet none of them had anticipated that Jos’s fighting prowess would be just as terrifying! Though Jos wasn’t Jason’s equal in raw strength or endurance, he had no weaknesses—his strength, speed, and stamina were all impressive.

Combined with his vastly superior combat technique, neither man could gain the advantage.

"This is unreal! He’s going toe-to-toe with Jason?"

"Who would have thought Jos was hiding his true strength? This is unbelievable!"

All discussions now centered on Jos—no one doubted his abilities anymore. Yet a new question arose: Who was truly stronger, Jos or Jason?

But this uncertainty didn’t last long. The battle’s tide soon shifted, and to everyone’s shock, it was Jason who was being pushed back!

Their combat abilities had been close, but Jason’s power appeared to consume a great deal of his stamina, making it unsustainable for long periods. In contrast, Jos’s "battle with water at his back" could be maintained as long as he carried the water—regardless of whether the method was clever or foolish, it barely consumed any energy.

With Jason’s strength fading and Jos’s remaining steady, it was only natural for Jos to take control.

"I surrender!"

Suddenly, an unexpected shout of defeat silenced everyone. All eyes turned to the source, stunned to see that it was Jason who had raised his hand in surrender.

Perhaps having foreseen his inevitable loss and unwilling to be utterly defeated, the once-arrogant Jason conceded without hesitation.

[Host’s Recklessness Degree increased by 20 points, total: 33 points.]

"Hmm? Why did my score go up after he surrendered?"

Jos, who had just caught his breath, was left dumbfounded by the system’s notification.

With a mixture of confusion and wariness, Jos glanced at Jason and found his gaze wild and bloodthirsty, though he forcibly suppressed his anger. Given the battered state of both men, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

"Something’s not right… It’s normal for him to be angry, even to have killing intent, but with his power, could he really pose that much of a threat to me? And why did I gain twenty points at once—more than all the previous points combined?"

Through trial and error, Jos had deduced that his "recklessness degree" quantifies the level of danger he faces after taking certain actions. While the exact mechanics still needed testing, it was clear that Jason’s power alone didn’t merit such a terrifying score.

"Wait—if he poses such a threat, does that mean he’s still hiding his true strength? A man who can reach the top three on raw combat alone, yet goes out of his way to conceal his true power during a fight with someone he clearly despises?"

Thoughts raced through Jos’s mind, and in an instant, he considered countless possibilities. Suddenly, a chilling realization struck him.

"No way… this never happened in the original… If that’s the case, I have to expose him…"

The more he thought about it, the more convinced Jos became. Without hesitation, ignoring the examiners and other trainees, he launched himself at Jason with a flurry of taunts.

[Host’s Recklessness Degree increased by 19 points, total: 52 points.]

Hearing the system’s notification, Jos knew he’d gambled correctly.

Already prone to anger, Jason was now truly furious—his eyes burned with barely contained rage. After another round of Jos’s mockery, Jason’s fury finally shattered his restraint. He threw his head back and roared, pounding his fist against his chest.

Boom!

A deep, resonant sound, like a massive war drum, echoed throughout the testing grounds. With that, Jason’s body began to grow even larger and more muscular.

Spinal bones morphed into spikes, piercing through his skin, which turned a deep, monstrous green. Amidst his savage roar and before everyone’s eyes, Jason transformed into a creature nearly three meters tall.

"What the hell is that? The Hulk?" Nick Fury, who had arrived unnoticed by the arena, stared wide-eyed in shock at Jason’s transformation.

"No… That form—it looks just like the Abomination the U.S. Army developed… But that doesn’t make sense…" Black Widow, Natasha, also hurried over, her expression grim as she eyed Jason.

"If you two have time to chat, maybe you should call the Avengers over," Jos said, taking advantage of Jason’s transformation to retreat to their side. "This time, things have really gotten out of hand…"

"Aaah… why bother with such tedious undercover games? If I just kill all of you right now, S.H.I.E.L.D. will be finished!" Jason’s voice was now a deep, terrifying rumble as his blood-red eyes locked onto Jos and Nick Fury. Then, throwing his head back, he let out a mighty roar.

"Hail Hydra!"