The Universal Mindscape shifted again.
Alex stood upright—barely. His legs trembled, his arms burned, and sweat trickled down his face even though the space around him still lacked heat. The infinite stone floor dimmed, replaced by a ring of shallow terrain: dirt, boulders, and swirling clouds like a storm was building in every direction.
Aang stood in front of him, more serious than usual. Oogway rested off to the side, silently observing with a small smile.
"Alright," Aang said, spinning his staff once before planting it beside him. "You've drilled basics. You've hit dummies. Now it's time to apply pressure."
Alex raised a hand, still panting. "Hold up. What does that mean?"
"It means," Aang replied, stepping into a light stance, "we fight now. Not spar. Not drill. You need to learn how to think while reacting. You need to get hit and not freeze. You need to see danger and flow with it. And you're going to do it now."
Oogway's staff tapped the ground once. "Begin."
Alex flinched.
Aang disappeared.
No—he moved. He launched forward so quickly it blurred—staff spinning low toward Alex's ankles.
Alex yelped and jumped. Too late.
Whack.
His legs went out from under him and he hit the ground with a grunt. "Ow!"
"Get up!" Aang called, already circling.
Alex scrambled to his feet, stance wobbly. "You could've warned me!"
"Warning you defeats the point," Aang said. He lunged again.
This time Alex sidestepped—barely. The staff grazed his sleeve.
Alex ducked, backpedaled, dropped to the ground to sweep Aang's legs—and missed.
But Aang smiled.
"You're adapting."
Another swing. Alex caught the movement and threw up an arm. It connected with his forearm—and while it stung, he didn't fall.
A small chime echoed in his head.
Micro-Skill Detected: Reactive Guarding – Rank F
Improves instinctual blocking when under duress.
"Okay," Alex muttered, teeth gritted. "Okay, I can do this."
He struck forward—a jab, an elbow, a spinning backfist. Nothing pretty, but it made Aang backstep, parry, and raise his brow in approval.
"Your body's learning."
System pinged again.
Synapse Spark Initiated: Combat Flow State Engaged.
Fusing: Momentum Retention + Muscle Memory + Mild Panic
New Skill Acquired – Combat Repetition Drive:
Once a sequence is performed correctly three times, it becomes automatically optimized for future use. Muscle memory efficiency boosted.
Alex felt it—his movements smoothing. Less wasted energy. He could still feel every bruise and sore spot, but he was starting to move like someone who might win a fight, if the stars aligned and the opponent tripped on a banana peel.
Aang upped the speed.
They exchanged real blows now—fast jabs, dodges, weaving. Aang never truly went full strength, but he didn't baby him either. He landed hits that stung, forced Alex to move, to respond. And with each exchange, Alex got faster.
He started using his environment—vaulting over boulders, kicking off walls that hadn't existed seconds before, twisting in mid-air to redirect his own momentum.
And then he hit Aang.
Just once—a clean, sharp elbow to the ribs after baiting a strike and sliding under it.
Aang grunted, slid back, and grinned. "There it is."
Alex blinked. "Wait, that landed?"
System pinged like a jackpot machine.
Technique Milestone Achieved: Practical Counterstrike
Achievement: First Clean Hit on a Named Trainer
Reward: Reflex Threshold Boost – Nervous System Response Delay -10%
"Did I just—"
"You did," Aang said. "Don't let it go to your head."
"Too late."
They clashed again.
Time warped.
Alex no longer stumbled. He slid into angles, redirected strikes, remembered to breathe, to pivot, to rotate.
And then something cracked.
Not his bones—something else.
The air shimmered around him. His hands glowed faintly—not chakra, not yet—but something primal surged in his limbs.
Oogway stood slowly. His eyes narrowed. "Interesting."
System blared.
Warning: Latent Instinct Surge Detected.
Combat Skill Threshold Breached.
Unlocking Passive – "Predator Response":
In combat situations, user gains a temporary 15% boost to speed and perception against single targets.
Alex's pupils narrowed.
He struck again—and this time, he was fast.
Aang had to block.
"Ooooh my god I'm doing anime things," Alex shouted mid-flurry.
Oogway chuckled. "He is progressing."
Aang nodded, then shot forward in a blur.
Alex barely kept up, ducking under the final swing, and drove a rising knee into Aang's chest.
The air cracked.
Then everything froze.
System alert chimed again, gentler now.
Combat Threshold Reached. Ending Simulation Mode.
Stamina depletion: 84%. Mental fatigue: 73%.
Recommendation: Rest in 3… 2…
Alex collapsed, breathing like he'd just run a marathon uphill while being chased by fireballs.
Oogway helped him sit. Aang knelt nearby.
"That," Aang said, "was real combat."
Alex panted, smiling like a drunk boxer. "I… I didn't die."
"No," Oogway agreed, nodding. "You lived. Well."
"And I punched a monk."
Aang smirked. "Try it again tomorrow."
System chime.
Daily Objective Complete: Survive High-Speed Combat Simulation
Bonus Objective: Impress Both Mentors at Once – Completed
Reward: Access to Tier 2 Summon Slots Now Available
Alex blinked. "Wait. I get to bring in another teacher?"
System replied: Correct. Choose wisely.
He slumped back. "Oh man… I need a nap and a juice box."
The Mindscape faded slowly into soft light.
And somewhere in the distance, the next door began to open.