CHAPTER FIFTEEN
May 6th, 2005
One month later.
The roar of the school gym was a memory now—like a dream Malik had once punched through.
But dreams weren't enough anymore.
Now he trained in a no-nonsense, concrete-walled wrestling academy—The Proving Grounds—a gritty facility known for shaping beasts, not boys. The mirrors were cracked. The ropes were stiff. And the trainers didn't care if you were a "local icon" or not.
"You're either ready… or you're replaced," said Coach Barker, a former WEW mid-carder turned BWF scout. His grizzled voice held the weight of truth.
Malik? He wasn't aiming for the indies.
He had his sights locked on the BWF Trials.
The Big Wrestling Federation.
The stepping stone to WEW.
The golden gate to WWE.
He wasn't chasing dreams anymore.
He was building a legacy.
🔥 SYSTEM LEVEL UP — LEVEL 12 REACHED! 🔥
📊 Updated STAT SHEET — LEVEL 12
• Strength: 25
• Agility: 22
• Endurance: 23
• Charisma: 53
• Technique: 20
• Intelligence: 10
• Money Maker: 5
🔸 Unspent Points: 55 → All Allocated
Malik split the 55 points with surgical precision:
• +5 Strength (Now 30)
• +5 Agility (Now 27)
• +4 Endurance (Now 27)
• +6 Technique (Now 26)
• +10 Intelligence (Now 20)
• +10 Money Maker (Now 15)
• +15 Charisma (Now 68)
📌 New Traits Unlocked:
• 🧠 Tactical Genius I: Gain 10% faster move-read in battle when Intelligence ≥ 20.
• 💵 Business Mindset I: 5% increase in sponsorship offers & merch income when Money Maker ≥ 15.
📌 Finisher Update!
• ⚠️ Previous Finisher "Skyfall Judgment" → Now Signature Move.
• 💀 New Finisher Unlocked: "CROWN CRUSHER (Head Stomp)"
"For when they kneel... and you remind them who rules."
The Weight of a New World
Training with former professionals was a brutal step up.
No chants.
No signs.
Just body slams and pressure.
Malik's cardio improved.
His technique sharpened.
His instincts grew predator-like.
He sparred with athletes from across the state—some stronger, some faster—but none hungrier.
"You move like you're chasing something," one opponent told him.
"I'm chasing the future," Malik replied.
The Stock of a King
Between training and ice baths, Malik stayed up late analyzing charts, candlesticks, and company forecasts.
$3,000 in tournament winnings wasn't a fortune.
But for someone who had studied finance and watched the market rise and crash in his last life… it was a weapon.
He split it:
• $1,000 into energy stocks he knew would explode in three months.
• $500 into a startup that would get a shoutout from a celebrity soon.
• $1,000 into swing trades using chart patterns he memorized.
• $500 kept as emergency capital—rule number one: never go all in.
💵 SYSTEM BOOST – MONEY MAKER STAT IN ACTION!
📈 +12% Return on Investment Within 2 Weeks
📌 Passive Unlocked: Side Hustler – "You earn while others wait."
The Vanessa Variable
They still texted.
But it wasn't like before.
She was distant lately. Focused. Maybe annoyed. Maybe… unsure.
After all, she placed third in the school tournament—and he had taken the whole spotlight.
Malik sent a message:
📱 Malik: "You ghosting me or just training like a demon?"
📱 Vanessa: "Both."
He stared at the screen for a while, then smiled.
He understood.
She was proud—and pissed.
A rival.
A maybe.
A wildfire in his heart he hadn't quite figured out how to put out… or light.
The Next Step: BWF Trials — 3 Weeks Away
It was time to go pro.
Time to leave the safety of high school behind.
He walked into the Proving Grounds that day with a duffel bag, bandaged wrists, and eyes that no longer looked like a teenager's.
Malik wasn't fighting for recognition anymore.
He had that.
He was fighting for his seat at the table of legends.
And when he got there?
He wouldn't sit quietly.
He'd flip the damn table.
[End of Chapter 15]