From Bullets To Billions Chapter 637 - 2 Billion Man (Part 1)

At the arena's heart, Max positioned himself, the phone in his pocket weighing like an anchor to an alternate world. Time was short to ponder exactly how he'd swayed a giant like Dennis Stern into approving that massive transfer. He'd vowed repayment with interest, yet without lingering to nail down precise conditions, he sensed impending complications ahead.

A predator through and through, Dennis wouldn't rest content unless Max repaid at least twice the borrowed sum eventually. That challenge belonged to tomorrow, to a Max who endured this evening. For now, as the figures updated and the Vow registered his boosted net worth, unprecedented strength coursed through him.

Screen figures stood irrefutable. His overall fortune hit a fresh summit:

$2,006,380,000

Precisely one billion marked Max's initial funds at this odyssey's start. Incredibly, defying underworld improbabilities, he'd doubled it. As Vow power swelled to align with the updated total, Max first tasted true superhuman might.

Compared to enduring legends forged over decades or survivors of endless conflicts, he remained somewhat feeble, yet he'd crossed a vital line. Gone was the man from his former existence. Past vulnerabilities yielded to the unyielding wealth in his holdings.

A precarious standoff gripped the bout, with neither combatant claiming superiority. Max and Ramon circled warily, predator-like, inching nearer with each step. Springs wound tight, they awaited the opponent's initial strike.

Silence shattered as Ramon launched from his rear foot. The exoskeleton whirred, propelling his leg at startling velocity that surprised Max anew. That mechanical surge remained Ramon's edge; the suit bypassed muscular warmup.

Metal-clad leg plunged into Max’s gut, yet the outcome shifted this round. Max seized the incoming limb, soaking most of the impact. Vow enhancement bolstered all aspects—endurance, bodily resilience included. Unyielding, he flung the leg aside with a strained grunt before lunging forward.

As Ramon swung his armored fist, Max executed a precise deflection, diverting the arm outward. Flowing with the motion, he seized it from the rear, wrenching into a savage joint manipulation. Muscles straining against the frame, he geared to snap Ramon's elbow.

Max heaved, sparking Ramon's alarm. Despite exoskeleton aid, his natural power faltered against Max’s amplified might. Struggling the hold, Ramon desperately activated vertical thrust, yanking his arm skyward and hoisting Max airborne.

Ramon smashed downward, aiming to pulverize Max onto the platform, but Max proved nimbler. Mid-flight, he twisted free, landing solidly. Feet hitting timber, Max unleashed a broad sweeping kick. It smashed Ramon's ankles, toppling the scientist flat.

Rearing his leg skyward, Max hammered his heel downward like an anvil. It struck dead-center on Ramon’s chest plate. A shrill mechanical screech echoed as metal dented from the blow. As Max raised for another descent, Ramon flailed away in panic, scrambling upright.

“Haven’t you noticed?” Max growled, voice sinking to a menacing tone. Now dominating, he whipped his leg in a lofty curve, aiming for Ramon’s temple.

Ramon parried the assaults, seizing a brief gap to counter with a direct jab. Max repeated his tactic seamlessly. Ducking the punch with minimal head shift, he trapped the outstretched arm, channeling full might into a single thrust. He bore down, shattering the exoskeleton's innards in a burst of sparks. Beyond the machinery, Ramon’s flesh-and-bone arm suffered grave harm too.

“Ahh!” Ramon howled in torment. Wildly, he lashed his free arm back, floundering to strike Max and gain distance. Effortlessly, Max raised his arm to repel the frantic blow.

Even though blocking the heavy metal blows still caused pain, Max had grasped the full potential of his upgraded body. He would endure this ordeal. The pain was something he could bear, and even with minor fractures, his body mended them rapidly in this form.

After parrying the strike, Max crouched down and unleashed a sharp, precise hook directly into Ramon’s chest. He kept dodging every incoming attack, landing tight punches over and over at the identical spot on the armor. He battled exactly like Na, concentrating all his power on one pinpointed area.

With one last strike, a resounding crack boomed across the arena. It was chased by shrill electrical whines and bursts of harsh black smoke puffing from the chest module.

"That’s two parts of your exoskeleton suit broken now," Max declared, eyes icy cold. "You’re getting weaker than you were at the start of this fight!"

"No... no! This is the suit that was meant to beat them all!" Ramon shouted, his voice thick with desperate refusal. "I can’t fall to a nobody like you!"

Perfectly timed, Max whipped his leg around, smashing the forearm of the opposite exoskeleton arm. The identical gruesome whine of dying circuits rang out as the limb dangled uselessly.

"This fight was over the moment the playing field became equal and it became about skill," Max stated, striding past the smoking ruins of the suit. "You’re done for, Ramon."