The door slid open without a sound.
Garen entered slowly.
It was an average-sized cylindrical room with silvery grey walls that had pipelines all over them.
In the center of the room was a huge silver ball of light formed by countless silver strands.
If you looked carefully, you would see that there were numerous data formula symbols circulating within the silver ball. There was also something that looked like planetary rings moving in a reversed flow.
Garen approached it. Uncountable minuscule white laser light bulbs suddenly lit up from the floor and shone at the ceiling above, forming several thin white beams of light.
Garen stopped in his steps and observed the laser lights on the floor.
Hiss… The countless laser light beams instantaneously distorted and formed a silver humanoid.
This humanoid had the same height and size as him but without any facial features, skin, hair or clothes, as if it was a fluid robot made out of molten silver.
“First stage of simulation begin…”
The female computer voice sounded from above.
Garen’s pupils constricted. In just a split second, the silver humanoid was charging at him in long strides, causing the ground to quake.
He suddenly felt an immense pressure coming down on him, suppressing his strength constitution to an ordinary person’s level and his Level Four Crouched Eagle Talon Willpower to Level One standard.
The silver silhouette’s arm bent forward and ferociously elbowed Garen’s face.
Boom!
Silver fluid splattered as Garen blocked the elbow with a single arm. A storm of attacks followed. The silver humanoid’s violent way of attacking was, in fact, his most frequently used attacking style.
Elbow tip, palm knife, side-kick and forward stomp. Every move was a basic combat technique, but when chained together, they gave off a wild and ferocious feel.
Boom boom boom boom!!!
Numerous deep explosive sounds reverberated. Garen and the silver humanoid exchanged more than ten strokes. Both parties took a few steps back and charged towards the opponent without any hesitation, attacking continuously.
Fist against fist. Palm knife against palm knife.
Garen’s face did not change. He paid close attention to his own style of attack and began to comprehend how this martial arts simulation could help correct his flaws.
The way this simulation quantum computer worked was by creating another self so that one could observe the exchanging of strokes and learn the pros and cons of one’s martial arts.
Both of them exchanged a flurry of blows. Not a single one showed any flaws. Garen’s martial arts had been thoroughly refined and tempered endless times, and so there would not be any loopholes. Since the silver humanoid was a computer simulation, the machinery would not show any weak points as well. It was a draw state as two flawless powerhouses competed with each other.
“Without flaws… this is my martial arts?” Garen gave another blow to the silver humanoid, “Wrong. My martial arts can’t be this shallow… I can create flaws despite there being none!”
He bellowed as both of his arms warped like spirals and transformed into dozens of fictional and real palm shadows.
Twelve Flying Dragon Fist!
Because he did not want to expose the true depths of this combat technique which he had taught Celine, he could only use this type of ordinary technique.
The silver humanoid was not tricked by the fictional moves and instantly produced many phantom fists. In the midst of all the phantom images, two fists collided with precision.
Bang!
The returned seismic energy caused both of them to be unsteady and forced them to fall back a number of steps.
Garen’s Crouched Eagle Talon willpower exploded abruptly. The air shook. With arms like a hawk, he suddenly charged forward and struck the silver humanoid’s epigastrium with a punch.
Splash…
The humanoid disintegrated and vanished completely.
“This is martial arts simulation? Battling with a flawless silver humanoid to grasp where my weaknesses and strengths are? Still, it was only a virtual figure simulation. Just a simple simulation as such is not enough to build combat awareness. Countless plots and schemes are needed as well.”
Garen let out a breath and felt that he did not gain anything.
“Second stage of simulation, begin…” the female computer voice sounded again.
The silver humanoid reappeared with a different look. He seemed stronger this time.
A punch came swiftly accompanied by the sound of whistling wind.
Garen still had the body constitution of an ordinary person. Staring at that fist, his heart skipped a beat. This humanoid had twice the attributes of an ordinary person. He himself was suppressed and was forced to fight with someone who was stronger than him!
His mind promptly spun and he made a similar punch. Halfway through, he changed his fist to a palm move and cut at the edge of the silver humanoid’s fist to make it go sideways.
Though in an instant, the counterpart abruptly released a mighty Willpower which struck the edge of his palm where it met the fist.
That was Level Four Crouched Eagle Talon Willpower as well, and it rushed out from their contact point.
Garen mustered up his Willpower to confront it. The power technique of high-level martial artists, Quake, was fiercely launched.
After several buzzing sounds, the silver humanoid’s Willpower broke off and it collapsed into a puddle of mud.
The power of Quake, a high-level technique that Secret Technique practitioners must practice, was not something that could be easily simulated. This was because it involved extremely complicated coordination control of the spirit and the body.
The computer did not have a spirit. The simulation of Willpower was programmed by someone beforehand because otherwise, it would not be able to produce even the slightest bit of Willpower. That was why this kind of simulated Quake was incapable and could only be defeated.
“Second stage finished. Would you like to enter the third stage? Willpower is advanced by one level, and the physical body by two levels with an additional Mad-blast attribute. Please take note, extreme attribute, the third stage would be to simulate the practitioner’s theoretical strongest form,” the female computer voice sounded again.
“Oh? My theoretical strongest form?” Garen was piqued. “Come on then.”
He was getting a little excited.
The silver humanoid formed once again. This time, it had a unique, half-transparent fluid body.
Whoosh… An explosive willpower energy field burst forth all of a sudden. It was Level Five. The humanoid’s body randomly made some hand-strokes and it tore the air instantly, creating ear-piercing sounds.
“Come on!” Garen smirked and initiated the attack, “Twelve Flying Dragon Fist!”
Dozens of fist shadows were sent forth in a barrage of fists. But in a flash, a violent and forceful energy field spread out. Without any movement, the humanoid simply stood on the spot, lifted his hand and flicked it at Garen.
Boom!!
Everything was wiped out.
Garen suddenly opened his eyes.
He was still standing in front of the huge silver light ball. There was nothing else around. No silver humanoid, no countless laser lights. It was as if he had just entered and fallen asleep standing.
“Silent hypnosis… or illusion system?” Garen closed his eyes. Scene after scene of what just happened clearly appeared in his mind.
“What a fascinating technology…”
“Congratulations on passing the second level. You are rewarded with Intelligent Robot Beginner Skill.”
A tiny half-transparent virtual chip appeared before him. Garen reached out his hands and lightly touched it. The chip immediately disappeared to becoming countless black lines which wormed into his terminal watch.
“Martial arts simulation correction ended. Evaluation result – Your martial arts are perfect without any loopholes. Martial arts simulation correction is not of much use to you,” the female computer voice concluded.
“Em… Besides me, how many have made it to the second level?”
“Up ’til now, one thousand two hundred and eighty-six people.”
“How ’bout the third level?”
“The third level is a theoretical battle model. Only one has made it through.”
“Alright…”
Exiting the simulation battle room, Garen did not receive any suggestions from the computer. Usually, when people left the room, they would receive suggestions from the quantum central computer regarding the strengths and weaknesses of their martial arts. The conclusion for him, however, was perfect and flawless.
Nonetheless, Garen was concerned about the third level because there actually was someone who made it through. Despite the huge difference in Willpower and the body, someone managed to break through this level. What a rare sight it is.
This was a pure power suppressing technique. And so, it was no longer an issue of technique. When a person could not even approach the opponent, what kind of battle method could he employ to win?
The Willpower in the third level had reached the peak of Level Five. When the energy field was dispersed, you could not even go near the body. Garen could not think of a way to defeat that state of himself.
Walking out of the simulation room, he still tried to ask.
“Could you tell me the name of the person who passed the third level?”
“A hundred and twenty-four years ago, Gero Kavis.”
Gero Kavis?
Garen repeated this name in his heart. This was the first time he realized that there was someone who could beat him in martial arts combat.
Fighting against a stronger opponent was never his way of martial arts. Yet, he admired the ones who could make it on this path.
After exiting Eagle’s Nest, a call came in.
“Nono, this is the latest news. The Great Light Mech of White Light Organization had declared war against Blackboard Academy at East Fate City. They have announced that they will take over East Fate City and have dispatched dozens of Shining Mechs. All of them are Level Five pilots! How imposing! What’s more, the capabilities shown by those Great Light Mechs surpass half of the Level Five pilots! They have defeated dozens of Black-Clothed Generals!”
“Doesn’t that mean this is an act of war?!” Garen was shocked.
“I’m afraid so. An instructor from the academy had set out with a team. It’s an Inheriting instructor, Thomas Andrew of Genre Red Whale. This is the first time an Inheriting pilot has been dispatched. I am already prepared to go and watch the battle. Are you going or not!?” Celine spoke quickly, “If you’re coming then come to Yellow Rose area, elevator-platform number four.”
“I’m coming now!”
Garen replied promptly.
“Remember to bring your Mech! This time, it’s not going to be peaceful.”
“Understood.”
Garen nodded.
As he finished the call, there was a trace of complicated emotions in his eyes.
“White Light dared to declare war against the whole of Blackboard Region. With this kind of capability, there surely won’t be just one Great Light Mech!”
A battle at Inheriting level… Regardless of everything, this was the top level battle strength of this world. He had to go and see for himself. This was a one in a million chance!