Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 643

Owen called a timeout and handed Mira a bottle of water. "If you can beat York, I'll tell the master to officially promote you to a fifth-degree black belt in Taekwondo."

"If I beat him, are my skills really at a fifth-degree level?"

"Absolutely. He's genuinely strong."

Since her rebirth, Mira's strength and speed had far surpassed her previous life; otherwise, her martial arts wouldn't have improved at such a terrifying pace.

But even now, she hadn't truly entered the ranks of the elite masters. It just proved there was always someone better out there.

Stepping back onto the mat, York asked, "Are you dead set on beating me?"

"I don't have to win, but I have to give it my all.

Owen said that if I defeat you, my skills are at a fifth-degree level."

"Fair enough. So I'm just your stepping stone?"

"Shouldn't we cherish every chance to spar with a worthy opponent?"

"True. It's incredibly rare for a girl your age to reach this level of combat proficiency."

"If I want to be the best, I have to put in the work."

They traded blows as they spoke.

"Can we be friends after orientation is over?"

"Sure."

"Want me to cheat a little and let you win?"

"Absolutely not."

...

An hour later, they were still deadlocked.

"It seems we're evenly matched. Let's call it a draw, Instructor."

York's technique was flawless. Mira couldn't gain a single advantage, forcing her into a stalemate. But handling her relentless assault had clearly taken its toll on York as well.

"Don't you want your fifth-degree belt?"

"If I'm not ready, I'm not ready. Haste makes waste.

To be honest, I only earned my black belt this summer. It's impossible to jump to a fifth degree this quickly.

If my skills aren't there yet, I shouldn't force it. I'll just train harder."

"Great mindset."

York felt a deep sense of admiration for the student he had been training for the past two weeks.

Then, Owen addressed the massive crowd. "On behalf of my friend Mira, I'm gifting everyone watching today fifty dollars in EcoRide credits. My assistant will hand out the cards shortly."

"Long live Mira!"

"Long live Owen!"

The crowd erupted in euphoric cheers. They got an epic show and free stuff to boot.

Fifty dollars might not sound like much, but in 2009, it was a solid amount of money. Most ordinary workers didn't make that in a single day.

Right now, fifty bucks was enough for a college student to eat well for several days.

Fifty dollars a person, for a crowd of well over a thousand, meant Owen had just dropped tens of thousands of dollars on a whim.

Tens of thousands of dollars was a massive fortune in this era.

When the news hit the campus forum, the students who had skipped the event were devastated.

"Let's head to the Solflare Grand Hotel for dinner."

Owen suggested to York and Callum.

"We'd be honored."

"I'll drive you guys today! We went there last time, so I know the way perfectly."