The hospital room smelled of antiseptic and burnt circuits. Jack groaned as he sat up, muscles still tingling from the Fusion Protocol. His body felt like it had been hit by a train and then danced on by a horde of robots.
Eve's hologram floated lazily beside him, arms crossed. "You look ridiculous."
Jack glared at her. "You think I feel fine after nearly dying?!"
"I didn't say that," she replied coolly. "I just said you look ridiculous."
Jack flopped back onto the bed. "You're impossible."
"And you're alive. That's what counts." Eve's glowing eyes softened slightly. "Lucky for you, all Photon Coins from the destroyed robots went straight into your system wallet."
Jack blinked. "I have… 500 coins?"
"Exactly," Eve said. "Now you can finally spend on proper upgrades instead of chewing Muscle Candy like a child."
Jack stared at the glowing floating menu of the Photon Shop. Several new items had appeared:
🍬 Power Candy – +5 Strength (150 Photon Coins)
🪞 Dummy Clone Training Partner – Summons a clone to fight beside you (200 Photon Coins)
🩳 Boxer Shorts of Titan Stamina – +10 Stamina (160 Photon Coins)
🤓 Glasses of Supreme Charm – +10 Charm (200 Photon Coins)
Jack snorted. "Dummy clone? Are you kidding me? I'm not some anime training montage character."
Eve's hologram rolled her eyes. "You are exactly that. Buy it or die next fight."
Jack scowled, then reluctantly purchased the Dummy Clone Training Partner. A shimmering figure popped into the room let's say exactly his size, his face, down to his panicked expression. The clone bowed. "Ready to train, Master Jack."
Jack blinked. "It… it copies me?"
"Yes," Eve said. "Every movement. Every punch. Every groin kick. You hit it, you hit yourself. You dodge, you dodge. Efficient learning."
Jack groaned. "This is insane."
"Do it anyway," Eve said, snapping her fingers. "I've already calculated that without training, you'll die to Luke's next wave. Statistically, you'll fail."
Jack hesitated… then swung at the clone. It blocked perfectly. Sparks flew as his staff clanged against the clone's. He staggered back. "Whoa… it's like fighting a mirror!"
"Exactly," Eve said. "Now think. You have three branches: Combat power physical attacks. Tech power hacking, digital attacks. Fusion power my predictive powers. Start with combat."
Jack nodded. He started landing blows, dodging, blocking, and using the staff's reach advantage. Eve guided him every step. "Left idiot no, right! Step back! Don't forget stamina!"
After ten minutes of frantic motion, sweat dripping from his forehead, Jack paused. He was still exhausted after the training but different. Faster. Stronger. His reflexes weren't perfect, but… usable.
"Not bad," Eve admitted. "You're finally starting to resemble a semi-competent human."
Jack wiped his brow. "Semi-competent? That's your compliment?"
"Shut up. Allocate your stat points," she said. "You're stronger now, but not enough. Your stamina is still pathetic."
He opened the menu:
[ Unallocated Stat Points: 50 ]
Jack's eyes widened. "Fifty points?!"
"Use them wisely," Eve said. "Stamina first. Strength next. Then speed. Charm last to maybe charm your girlfriend back if you survive."
He groaned but allocated points:
Stamina: 9 → 19/20
Strength: 9 → 25
Speed: 8 → 20
Charm: 2 → 12
Jack flexed. His body hummed with energy. "I feel… incredible."
"You're not done," Eve said. "We can push further. Fusion Protocol is still an option. Make it permanent, and you gain my combat algorithms. Prediction. Invisibility. Full humanoid hybrid abilities. But it's risky."
Jack blinked. "Risky how?"
Eve's eyes darkened. "Your nervous system could fry. You could lose control. Or worse, you could die."
Jack stared at her. "And you think… it's worth it?"
"Yes," Eve said simply. "Luke is watching. He's not sending low-tier units anymore. His next move? C-Class humanoids. Stronger. Faster. Deadlier."
Jack clenched his fists. "Then I need every advantage I can get."
Eve's hologram shimmered. "Good. You'll need it."
---
Outside the hospital, red eyes glowed in the darkness. Dozens of humanoid robots marched forward. But this time… they moved with a different rhythm, their formation tighter. Some carried heavy weaponry. Others were taller, faster, and more terrifying.
Jack felt a thrill. He looked at his clone, now sparring beside him. "Time to see what we've got."
The clone mirrored his stance. Staff in hand, Jack felt… confident. "Let's go."
Eve's voice filled his mind. "Remember: Fight smart. Use your Photon Shop items. Use everything you've learned. Luke's lieutenant is coming. Don't let him break you."
Jack grinned. "Then let's see if I'm worth your temporary fusion."
From the shadows of the hospital corridor, a massive humanoid approached. Its armor gleamed black with crimson edges, a cannon mounted on one arm. Its C-Class designation was visible: C-01.
"Boss quest incoming," Eve whispered. "Reward: 100 stat points. Rare photon item. Penalty: Fusion overload risk."
Jack tightened his grip on the Unbreakable Stick. His clone mirrored him. Eve's hologram glowed brighter than ever.
Jack inhaled deeply. "Alright, C-01… let's dance."
But wait where did fu..k did Luke even see materials to build this things
(End of Chapter 4)