Chapter Three: Three Minutes, Thirty Days

[Reward: one conditioning skill draw. Failure: Reputation resets to zero.] From the back of the crowd, Han Zheng tossed over boxing gloves. “Legal target zones only. No knees, elbows, or attacks on a downed opponent.” Ghost tilted his head. “You make the rules?” Han merely looked at him. The swagger vanished from Ghost’s face. He had recognized something only fighters understood. Lin Ran put on the gear. Three minutes appeared on the clock. The bell rang. Ghost’s first punch was no probe. His right drove toward Lin Ran’s chest like a nail gun. Lin Ran deflected, but the graze burned through his guard. A low kick crashed into his thigh before his foot settled.