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Chapter 24 — Steel in Reality
The world felt… different.
Not because Floating Cloud City had changed.
Because I had.
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The Test
I didn't mean to look for trouble.
But sometimes trouble doesn't wait for an invitation.
A merchant's shout caught my ear near the city square.
Two men — thugs by their stance and the cheap blades at their waists — had cornered an apprentice smith, shaking him down for unpaid debts.
Normally, I would've walked away.
But today, my hand brushed the hilt of my wooden practice sword — and I felt the hum of perfect control in my veins.
I stepped forward.
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Engagement
The first man lunged with a sloppy slash.
Slow. Predictable.
I sidestepped, pivoted, and brought my blade down — not hard, just precise — across his wrist.
The blade clattered to the dirt.
The second thug hesitated, then rushed me.
This one was faster, his movements tighter.
But my body moved on instinct — simulation reflexes guiding every step.
A parry.
A twist.
A sweep to the ankle.
The man crashed to the ground, winded but alive.
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Aftermath
The onlookers whispered.
The thugs fled.
And I walked away, heartbeat steady, every sense sharp with the quiet thrill of control.
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System Notification
> [Skill Integration: 78%]
[Combat Performance: S]
[New Option Unlocked: Rank-Up Simulation — Pending First Breakthrough]
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Rank-Up Prompt
That night, the System pulsed with a new message.
> [Notice: Cultivation Threshold Approaching]
[Upon breakthrough to 1st Level Nascent Profound Realm, Rank-Up Simulation will become available.]
[Reward Pool Includes:]
Rare Bloodlines (Draconic, Demonic, Celestial)
Unique Skills or Techniques
Legendary Items or Fruits
Exclusive System Upgrades
I stared at the glowing text, a slow grin spreading across my face.
Every rank-up was no longer just power.
It was an opportunity.
A gamble.
And when the time came, I'd be ready to take it.
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