The blueprint was in my head. The work came next.
I was still on the floor of the derelict Court 7. My head throbbed, a dull echo of the migraine the analysis had caused. My MP meter was a flat zero. But the notification in my vision was a beacon of hope.
[Data Integration: 10% Complete.]
I had the knowledge. Now, I had to teach it to my body. My weak, clumsy, rank-zero body.
"System," I thought, pushing myself to my feet. "How do I increase the integration?"
[Data integration is achieved by synchronizing motor functions with acquired data. Replicating the physical and aetheric mechanics of the skill will increase the integration percentage. A practice module is now available for 'Power Shot' (Basic).]
"Activate practice module."
The world shifted subtly. A translucent, blue wireframe figure appeared in front of me. It was my own height and build, a ghost of myself. It moved, executing the first part of the Power Shot—the stance and the wind-up—with perfect, efficient form. It was the version I had seen in the analysis, but corrected, without any of the flaws from Jax's technique.
[Match your movements to the data model to increase synchronization.]
This was the first step. The physical motion.
I tried to copy the wireframe ghost. It looked simple enough. I planted my feet, twisted my core, and swung my arm.
A red X appeared over my shoulder on the HUD.
[Incorrect shoulder alignment. -0.2% Integration.]
My integration percentage actually went down! This system was a brutal teacher. It didn't reward sloppy effort.
I tried again. And again. For what felt like an hour, I did nothing but practice that one single motion. The world narrowed to my own muscles and the silent, perfect ghost in front of me.
My muscles, used to their old, inefficient habits, fought me every step of the way. They screamed in protest. Sweat dripped into my eyes.
[Correct hip rotation. +0.5% Integration.] [Data Integration: 15%]
[Premature wrist flexion. -0.1% Integration.] [Data Integration: 14.9%]
It was a grueling process. Two steps forward, one step back. But slowly, painstakingly, the number began to climb. I learned to feel the difference between a 15-degree hip rotation and a 20-degree one. I felt how a tiny shift in my foot placement could channel energy up from the floor, through my legs, and into my core.
I was learning the grammar of my own body.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, a notification chimed.
[Biomechanical Synchronization: 100%] [Data Integration: 40% Complete.]
I had mastered the physical swing. I stumbled back, gasping for air, my body drenched in sweat. But there was no time to rest. The wireframe ghost changed. Now, it held a pulsing ball of Aether in its hand as it swung.
The next stage had begun. Aether Control.
This was the part I dreaded. My Aether Control stat was a 5. It was the single lowest stat I had, the primary reason I was "Unranked." Controlling the raw energy of the universe didn't come naturally to me.
I held out my palm, just as the ghost did. I focused, trying to pull the ambient Aether particles from the air, trying to shape them into a sphere. I remembered the feeling from the analysis, the way the energy was supposed to converge.
A pathetic little spark, the size of a dying ember, sputtered in my hand and vanished.
I tried again. I focused until my head started to hurt again, channeling all my mental energy into my palm. A slightly bigger spark appeared. It lasted for two seconds before fizzling out.
This was going to be impossible.
But the system had given me the blueprint. I didn't have to guess. I just had to follow the instructions. I closed my eyes and focused on the memory of the analysis. The image of the "leaks," the wasted energy from Jax's technique. I focused on preventing those. I built a mental container, shaping my will into a sphere, and tried to pour the Aether into it.
Slowly, something began to form. A tiny ball of light, no bigger than a marble, but it was stable. It wasn't sputtering. It was a solid, self-contained sphere of energy.
[Aether shaping successful. +1% Integration.] [Data Integration: 41%]
The feeling was electric. I held it for a moment, marveling at it, before it dissolved. I did it again. This time, the ball was slightly larger.
[+1.5% Integration.]
For the next few hours, that was my entire world. Building and dismissing tiny balls of energy. Each success pushed the integration percentage higher. With each percentage point, my control seemed to grow just a little bit better. The size of the Aether ball I could form grew from a marble to a golf ball, then to a tennis ball.
It was working. My Aether Control might be low, but with the perfect technique, I could make it do things I never thought possible.
[Aetheric Synchronization: 100%] [Data Integration: 80% Complete.]
Now for the final step. Combining the two. The perfect swing with the perfect energy ball.
The wireframe ghost performed the full motion. It was beautiful. Fluid. Powerful.
I took my position, mimicking the stance I had spent hours perfecting. I gathered the Aether, forming a stable, baseball-sized sphere in my palm. I took a deep breath, and swung.
The ball of energy shot from my hand and flew wildly to the left, crashing into the wall nowhere near where I was aiming.
[Synchronization mismatch. Improper release timing. -0.5% Integration.]
Of course. It wasn't enough to do the parts right; I had to do them together, in perfect harmony.
I tried again. This time the ball flew straight, but it wobbled and died out halfway to the far wall.
[Unstable energy projection. Insufficient follow-through. -0.3% Integration.]
The frustration was immense. It was a thousand times worse than just practicing. To have the perfect knowledge in your head but be unable to force your body to comply was a special kind of hell.
My energy was nearly gone. My body felt like a dead weight. The tryouts were getting closer with every passing minute. I felt a familiar despair creeping in. Maybe this was my limit.
No. I shook my head, growling at my own weakness. I didn't come this far to give up now.
One last shot.
I poured every last ounce of my focus and remaining stamina into it. I ignored my screaming muscles. I ignored the pounding in my head.
I raised my arm. I gathered the Aether. The ball felt solid, stable. I planted my feet, twisted my core, and swung my arm, following the perfect arc of the wireframe ghost. At the exact apex of the swing, I released the energy.
It wasn't a thunderous blast like Jax's. It was a crisp, clean hiss. A small, compact ball of brilliant blue light shot across the court. It didn't wobble. It didn't waver. It flew in a perfectly straight line and hit the far wall with a solid, satisfying THUMP.
A triumphant chime, clearer and louder than any before, rang in my mind.
[Data Integration: 100% Complete.][New Skill Unlocked!]
The Skills section of my status screen, which had always been empty, now had its first entry.
SKILLS > Power Shot (Basic) - LVL 1 (0% Proficiency) Description: Fires a foundational Aether projectile in a straight line. Cost: 5 Stamina Damage: Based on Aether Control stat.
I stared at the words until my vision blurred. I had done it. My first skill. My very own weapon, forged through pain and perseverance.
I looked at the skill again. Damage: Based on Aether Control stat.
My Aether Control was still 5.
I had the perfect software now. A flawless, efficient skill. But my hardware was still junk.
The elation of my victory was instantly tempered by a cold, hard reality. I had a weapon, but I didn't have the strength to wield it effectively. I needed to raise my stats. But to do that, I needed Attribute Points. And to get those... I assumed I needed to level up. Or spend MP I didn't have.
My path forward was brutally clear. I had to get into a real game. I had to earn more MP.
I had to get through the tryouts.