Kaiden stood in the center of the training room, shirtless, with his hands resting on his hips. The faint hum of the facility's machinery buzzed in the background as he stared at his reflection in one of the mirrors. His mismatched eyes glinted with determination.
"Alright, let's get this right today," he muttered, exhaling sharply.
Over the past days, Kaiden had grown stronger, but strength alone wasn't enough. His encounter with the golden ape had been a brutal reminder of that. He needed precision, control, and mastery—not just brute force.
Perfecting Transparent World
Activating Transparent World, Kaiden felt the familiar sensation wash over him as his vision shifted. The world around him became translucent, every detail of his body now visible to his eyes. He focused inward, examining himself like a mechanic inspecting a machine.
He scanned his muscles, tracing every fiber, every line of tension and movement. He knew this exercise well. It was something he'd started after realizing that even the smallest weaknesses in his body could be exploited in a fight.
His eyes narrowed. Everything looked good—his legs were strong, his arms well-developed, and his core solid. But when his gaze moved to his face, he froze.
"…My nose?" he muttered, his brow furrowing.
The muscles around his nose were faintly visible, underdeveloped compared to the rest of his body. He blinked in confusion. "How the hell do I even train that? Flare my nostrils or something?"
Kaiden couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. "Great. The universe decided I'd have a weak nose. That's gotta be worth something, right?"
Still, he filed the observation away. Not every weakness could be trained away.
Training Vanguard's Grip
Shaking his head, Kaiden deactivated Transparent World and turned his focus to something else—Vanguard's Grip. He'd learned the forms from Garin, but he hadn't used them much in real combat. That needed to change.
"Time to move up a rank," Kaiden muttered. He was currently an Apprentice in the style, but he was determined to reach Journeyman today.
Starting with First Form: Ironclad Defense, he planted his feet firmly, holding his arms in a defensive stance. He imagined an opponent's strike coming toward him, but as he moved to block, he noticed his balance was slightly off.
"Too much weight on the back leg," Kaiden muttered, shifting his stance. "Gotta keep the center steady."
Next, he moved into Second Form: Gale Step, using a series of quick, light steps to maneuver around an imaginary opponent. His movements were fluid, but he noticed his strikes lacked precision.
"I'm hitting too high. Focus, Kaiden. Aim lower—center of mass."
With each form, he repeated the motions, correcting his mistakes and fine-tuning his technique. Third Form: Blade of the Phoenix, Seventh Form: Berserker's Fury, and even Tenth Form: Sovereign's Wrath—Kaiden practiced them all, analyzing every movement.
For three hours, he pushed himself, sweat pouring down his body as he worked through the forms. His muscles burned, his mind sharp with focus.
The Battle: Level 5 Bot
Satisfied with his practice, Kaiden called out for the Level 5 Bot. He needed to test his progress.
The Bot materialized in front of him, holding a longsword. Its movements were smooth and deliberate, its eyes glowing faintly as it assessed him.
Kaiden grinned. "Alright, let's see what you've got."
The Bot struck first, its sword slicing through the air. Kaiden dodged to the side, activating Transparent World to analyze its movements. He saw the subtle tension in its arms, the slight shift in its stance before it attacked.
It's aiming high, Kaiden thought, ducking under another swing and countering with a sharp kick to the Bot's side. The impact made it stagger, but it quickly recovered, launching a flurry of strikes.
Kaiden switched to Second Form: Gale Step, his movements becoming faster and more fluid. He weaved around the Bot's attacks, his shortsword darting in and out like a serpent.
The Bot lunged again, but Kaiden parried with First Form: Ironclad Defense, redirecting the blade and countering with a slash to its shoulder. Sparks flew as the blade connected, but the Bot didn't falter.
"Not bad," Kaiden muttered, a grin tugging at his lips. "But let's kick it up a notch."
He channeled Flow into his legs, boosting his speed, and activated Third Form: Blade of the Phoenix. His sword glowed faintly as he struck with a series of fiery, high-speed attacks. The Bot tried to keep up, but Kaiden's strikes were relentless, overwhelming its defenses.
After several minutes of intense combat, Kaiden finally landed a decisive blow, his sword cutting through the Bot's core. It collapsed to the ground, sparks flickering from its damaged frame.
Kaiden stood over it, breathing heavily but triumphant. "Level 5 down," he muttered, wiping the sweat from his brow.
The Transparent World Experiment
As he rested, Kaiden's thoughts wandered back to Transparent World. He'd been using it to analyze his body and his opponents, but he wondered if he could do more with it.
If I can use Transparent World to see my body's weaknesses, can I use it to fix my Flow control?
He sat down, activating Transparent World again. This time, he focused on his Flow, watching the energy swirl through his body. He could see the uneven distribution, the places where it flowed too freely and the spots where it seemed to get stuck.
Kaiden tried to guide the Flow into his hands while maintaining it in his eyes, but the strain was immediate. Transparent World flickered, and within seconds, it shut down completely.
"Damn it," Kaiden muttered, frustrated. He clenched his fists, his body trembling slightly from the effort.
I don't have enough control yet. Not enough to use it in two places at once.
But instead of feeling defeated, Kaiden grinned. "Guess I've got more to work on. No big deal."
A Moment of Rest
After freshening up, Kaiden considered heading back to his room for the night, but the thought of walking all the way there felt like too much effort.
Instead, he slumped onto one of the benches in the training room, his body still aching from the day's exertion. He stared up at the ceiling, his mismatched eyes reflecting the faint glow of the lights above.
"This is fine," he muttered, closing his eyes. Within moments, sleep took him, the faint hum of the training room lulling him into a deep, dreamless rest.
End of Chapter 55
Kaiden's dedication to his training pushes him to new limits as he hones his skills in Vanguard's Grip and Transparent World. Though progress is slow, his determination remains unwavering. With Stage 2 of the trials looming, Kaiden knows that every moment spent sharpening his abilities could be the difference between victory and defeat.
To be continued...