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Chapter 23 — Blades of Destiny
The Xiao Clan thought I was a ghost.
Let them.
While they wasted time hunting shadows, I was about to step into hell.
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Simulation Menu
That night, the System interface shimmered before me, its choices pulsing with quiet temptation.
> [Available Simulations]
Naruto — Advanced Taijutsu & Chakra Flow Control
Fate/Stay Night — Combat Scenarios & Projection Training
Demon Slayer — Breathing Mastery (Advanced)
Attack on Titan — Mobility and High-Pressure Combat
My gaze locked on the second option.
> [Simulation Selected: Fate/Stay Night — Combat Scenarios & Projection Training]
[Warning: High-Risk Environment — Mortality Penalties Apply]
[Duration: 3 Years Simulated = 30 Minutes Real Time]
I hesitated for half a second.
Three years.
Three years of fighting Servants, Magi, and things that had no business existing.
Then I accepted.
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Arrival
The world erupted in fire and steel.
I stood in a field littered with swords, the air sharp with the scent of blood and iron.
And before me, a man — tall, sharp-eyed, blades at his sides.
Archer.
"So," he said, voice flat, "another fool who thinks they can survive the Unlimited Blade Works."
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The Grind
The first year was pain.
Fighting Servants wasn't training; it was slaughter.
I lost count of how many times I died in those endless simulations, every mistake punished instantly and brutally.
But death here wasn't the end.
It was a lesson.
Every defeat etched itself into muscle memory.
Every mistake sharpened my instincts.
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Breakthroughs
By the second year, I could match the tempo.
Not win — not yet — but survive.
Dodge.
Counter.
Adapt.
Archer's lessons were merciless.
"Speed without control is suicide."
"Power without precision is useless."
"Every swing should have purpose, or don't swing at all."
And slowly, my wooden sword became an extension of my body.
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Projection Training
The third year unlocked something deeper.
Projection wasn't just about summoning a blade; it was about understanding it.
Shape.
Weight.
Balance.
The first time I successfully manifested a basic copy of Kanshou, Archer gave me the faintest nod of approval.
"Not bad," he said. "For a beginner."
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Integration
> [Skill Acquired: Adaptive Combat Instincts — Intermediate]
[Skill Acquired: Weapon Projection — Basic]
[Physical Control: +18%]
[Reaction Speed: +20%]
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Return
When the simulation ended, thirty minutes later, I collapsed onto my mat, sweat soaking my shirt, muscles trembling with phantom strain.
But beneath the exhaustion was a quiet hum of power.
Not the kind that shattered mountains.
Not yet.
But enough to know I could stand a little taller in this dangerous world.
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Resolve
The timeline was closing in.
Xiao Che's sixteenth birthday.
The engagement.
The first domino that would send this world spiraling into chaos.
And when it fell, I wouldn't be hiding in the shadows anymore.
I'd be ready to carve my own path — blade in hand.
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