The void hung silent, fragments of streets, walls, and neon signs drifting at impossible angles. Gravity pulsed unpredictably. Shadows warped unnaturally. Nothing was solid. Nothing predictable. Eiden didn't fall. He didn't float. He hovered, eyes scanning every fragment, every angle, every subtle motion.
[Tutorial Initiated]
Phase One — Physical Capability Test
[System Switching to Number Display]
[SYSTEM INTERFACE]
Name: Eiden | Title: The Unknown | Level: 1 | Rank: Initiate | Class: UNKNOWN
Abilities: Unknown | Unique Trait: Can use skills of every class (changes according to users situation User can "SAVE" skills to avoid certain skills from getting changed)
Stats: Strength 9, Agility 12, Perception 11, Vitality 11, Reflexes 9, Intuition 12, Luck 1, Mental Capacity 12, Spatial Awareness 10, Adaptability 12, Willpower 11, Creativity 10
Skill Slots: 1/5 – Basic Telekinesis (temporary)
Environmental Awareness: Extreme | Observation Mode: Active | Health: 100/100 | Character Summary: Unknown
He flexed his fingers, testing the invisible pull of gravity on each fragment. Edges vibrated subtly, surfaces shifted with minor imperfections. Every micro-movement would matter. Every tilt, wobble, or rotation demanded attention.
Finally, he exhaled, letting a grin slip out. "Alright… let's see what you've got."
A fragment beneath him tilted sharply. He twisted midair, gripping it as a wall-turned-floor, adjusting foot placement, handholds, and shoulder alignment. Muscle memory, reflexes, and intuition guided him; mental capacity calculated angles and trajectories in fractions of a second.
A metallic beam swung toward him. Pain flared as it grazed his shoulder. "Seriously? That's the opener?" he muttered, gritting his teeth. Instinct kicked in—he nudged it telekinetically, redirecting it just enough to avoid a shard slicing across his arm. Blood welled. Warm and real.
[SYSTEM]: Injury detected — Shoulder & Arm Lacerations. Health: 90/100. Probability of critical injury: 80%.
He leapt to another fragment. Gravity inverted midair. Foot placement, handholds, shoulder rotation—every micro-adjustment precise. Another metallic panel swung at him. He twisted, nudged it telekinetically, letting it collide harmlessly with a fragment below. A shard grazed his cheek. He muttered under his breath, "Ow… not gentle, huh?"
Shimmering duplicates of himself flickered briefly, representing hundreds of possible trajectories compressed into milliseconds. He observed, calculated, adjusted, landing safely on a fragment teetering on the edge of chaos. Pain flared, but he continued. Every micro-adjustment tested strength, agility, perception, reflex, and spatial awareness.
The fragments didn't relent. A swinging panel slammed toward him. He twisted, telekinetically nudged it just enough, stabilizing it. Another shard grazed his cheek. The hum in his skull pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat.
And then he felt it: the warmth in his blood and muscles as the pain of minor cuts dulled. A tingle spread across his shoulder, the lacerations stitching closed almost before he realized it.
[SYSTEM]: Completion: 98%. New Skill Acquired — Enhanced Regeneration. Wounds heal faster than normal. Skill Slots: 2/5.
Eiden flexed his fingers experimentally, watching the last drops of blood vanish, warmth suffusing his shoulder and arm. He exhaled, letting a small laugh escape. "Well… didn't see that coming." The fragments hovered silently, motionless for a brief moment. His body had been tested. His reflexes, strength, and adaptability recorded. He had survived—and earned something extra.
He let the void settle around him, observing each fragment in detail. Gravity shifts, wobbling surfaces, rotating platforms—everything would feed into the next phase. He adjusted his stance, ready for whatever the simulation threw at him next.
Phase Two — Cognitive & Environmental Challenge
The fragments around him shifted almost imperceptibly. Walls stretched, compressed, pulsed with neon light, while hovering street segments swayed like leaves in a wind he couldn't feel. Gravity remained unpredictable, alternating subtly between surfaces. Nothing collided—yet every slight movement demanded attention.
Eiden floated in the void, scanning. Edges too sharp, surfaces vibrating off-rhythm, fragments rotating slightly faster than expected—every anomaly caught in his perception. Percentages flickered across his vision, predictions forming and dissolving as his mind calculated dozens of possible outcomes.
He tilted his head. "Alright… What's the lesson this time?"
A fragment drifted toward him, moving at an angle that shouldn't have been possible given previous momentum. Not a trap, just a test. He adjusted midair: toes found footing on nothing solid, hands gripped surfaces that weren't really there. Micro-adjustments guided him, calculating spin, trajectory, and counterbalance.
The fragment froze mid-turn as if acknowledging his presence, responding to the subtle currents of his telekinetic influence.
[SYSTEM]: Observation: 95%. Adaptation: 90%. Cognitive Load: Increasing.
A stray shard spun near his eye. Enhanced Regeneration pulsed lightly as scratches from Phase One healed completely. He smirked, muttering, "Lucky me… or maybe not." Even with minimal luck, his adaptability and intuition compensated.
Another fragment shifted unexpectedly beneath him. He pivoted, arms and legs flailing in apparent chaos—but every movement was precise, controlled. Reflexes guided him instinctively; mental capacity calculated probabilities, spatial awareness predicted collisions. He rolled midair, toes touching phantom edges, fingers gripping fragments that appeared only in his perception.
The fragments continued their slow dance, testing patience and perception. Subtle distortions forced him to track multiple trajectories at once: arcs, distances, angles, rotational forces. Time stretched in his mind, moments compressed into calculations.
He allowed himself a soft laugh. "Okay… this is weirdly fun."
Yet no time for amusement. Another fragment drifted unpredictably, forcing him to adjust midair without colliding with nearby shards. Each adjustment required tiny recalculations—weights, velocities, and angles of contact—overlapping multiple predictive models simultaneously. He felt his mind strain, the hum in his skull thrumming louder, yet steady.
He flexed fingers, testing the limits of Enhanced Regeneration subtly: small cuts healed immediately, bruises fading as he guided fragments and avoided collisions. His body and mind worked in tandem, stats balancing each other: agility, perception, reflexes, intuition, adaptability. Even luck—almost nonexistent—was compensated for by sheer calculation and observation.
Finally, fragments stilled. Walls straightened. Streets aligned. Neon lights blinked predictably. A brief pause allowed him to exhale. Focus first, adjust second—the simulation had trained his mind as rigorously as his body.
[SYSTEM]: Phase Two — Completion: 100%. Cognitive & Environmental Challenge Complete. Skill Slots: 2/5. Observation: 100%.
Eiden hovered briefly, scanning each fragment once more. Every surface, every edge, every potential deviation recorded in his mind. He allowed himself a grin, letting tension slip. "Not bad… not bad at all."
The void remained silent. For now, nothing moved on its own. But Eiden knew better than to relax completely. Observation and preparation were eternal. Every micro-adjustment, every subtle reaction, every second of adaptability had been recorded—and would feed directly into the next challenge: combat.
Phase Three — Combat Challenge
The fragments hung suspended, motionless for a heartbeat, but Eiden's instincts told him it was only calm before the storm. The hum in his skull was steady now, a low vibration that threaded through his thoughts. His fingers flexed, feeling the residual warmth of healed cuts. He could almost feel the environment waiting for him, testing patience as much as reflexes.
[SYSTEM]: Phase Three — Battle Challenge Initiating. Combat Simulation Active. Observation: Continuous. Skill Slots: 2/5. Health: 100/100.
Shadows erupted from the void. They were unpredictable. Some humanoid, others abstract—angular slivers of dark shapes that defied conventional physics, moving with unnatural speed. A few hovered at impossible angles, spinning midair in patterns that twisted perception. Platforms beneath them tilted violently, shards of floating streets swung like pendulums.
Eiden exhaled slowly. "Alright… let's see what you've got."
The first shadow lunged. He twisted instinctively, rolling midair. Reflexes guided him; his body anticipated the strike before his eyes fully tracked it. A shard grazed his shoulder. Pain flared briefly, then diminished as Enhanced Regeneration pulsed subtly, knitting torn flesh together. His shoulder was still sensitive, but the injury would not hinder him.
[SYSTEM]: Minor Injury Detected — Shoulder Laceration. Health: 98/100. Critical Probability: 60%.
A fragment swung toward him at a diagonal he hadn't predicted. Foot placement, handholds, and even micro-adjustments of balance were calculated in milliseconds. He pushed off, rotating midair, and nudged the fragment telekinetically to slow its swing just enough to avoid collision.
Another shadow approached from the side, moving in tandem with an incoming shard. He flung a fragment at it, telekinetic force splitting it upon impact. Sparks flickered as the shadow fractured, disintegrating midair. The collision displaced other fragments; Eiden recalculated, adjusting trajectories of five other pieces in near real-time.
He grinned despite the stress. "Okay… okay… you're fast, but not that fast."
[SYSTEM]: Minor Injury Detected — Arm & Leg Lacerations. Health: 95/100. Critical Probability: 65%.
Wind gusted unpredictably. Fragments spun, platforms tilted sharply. Eiden rolled midair, dodging a swinging shard, then nudged two fragments telekinetically to block a third. Every strike, every movement, every micro-adjustment became a series of probability calculations: angles, force, speed, mass.
Even his low Luck stat tried to make things harder, sending near-misses and unpredictable spins—but reflexes, perception, intuition, and adaptability compensated. Every injury was minor. Every collision avoided was a balance of calculation and instinct.
A shadow lunged from above. Eiden twisted midair, flinging a fragment upward with telekinesis. It collided with the attacker, splitting it into pieces that spun off into the void. One shard clipped his cheek, but Enhanced Regeneration closed the scratch almost immediately. He flexed fingers midair, adjusting to the subtle changes in gravity as the fragments moved unpredictably.
[SYSTEM]: Minor Injuries Detected — Shoulder, Face, & Arm Lacerations. Health: 92/100. Critical Probability: 70%. Skill Slots: 2/5.
The next wave approached, larger, faster, more chaotic. Shadows coordinated in patterns he hadn't yet seen. One swung toward him horizontally while another dove from above. Platforms tilted beneath them. A shard flew past, clipping the edge of a wall fragment, displacing it dangerously.
Eiden didn't hesitate. Telekinesis flared, nudging three fragments into stable positions, redirecting momentum, shielding himself. Reflex guided his movements—dodging, twisting, pushing against phantom gravity—but his mind was already scanning the next three threats.
"Alright… let's focus," he muttered. Every micro-movement was deliberate. He calculated angles, speeds, weight distribution, distances, rotation, and momentum. He predicted the shadows' likely paths based on subtle hints in their motion. Patterns emerged briefly—then shifted. Nothing was constant.
[SYSTEM]: Cognitive Load: High. Observation: Continuous. Adaptation: Required. Health: 90/100. Critical Probability: 70%.
A fragment spun beneath him, rising too fast, threatening to throw him off-balance. He leapt, gripping the edge with his toes, pushing with telekinesis to stabilize it. At the same time, he redirected a swinging shard with precise force, sending it into a shadow approaching from below. The shadow fragmented into angular splinters, scattering across other floating fragments.
He barely had time to breathe, yet a small, wry grin tugged at his lips. "Huh… not bad, simulation. Not bad at all."
Another shadow lunged from the side. He twisted, then used Enhanced Regeneration to absorb a minor scratch across his arm, the pain dissolving immediately. His mind was moving in multiple streams: predicting next attacks, stabilizing fragments, redirecting shards, and monitoring injuries.
[SYSTEM]: Minor Injuries Detected — Arm & Leg Lacerations. Health: 88/100. Critical Probability: 72%. Skill Slots: 2/5.
One shadow moved faster than the rest. Eiden calculated its trajectory, predicting a micro-gap in its path. He flung a fragment telekinetically, hitting precisely, breaking it apart. Sparks flew. A fragment he had just stabilized tipped dangerously, requiring an immediate second adjustment. His mind balanced calculations of movement, force, probability, and injury recovery simultaneously.
He allowed a quiet chuckle. "Okay… maybe I amgetting the hang of this."
The final wave of shadows approached, overwhelming in both number and speed. Platforms tilted violently. Fragments spun unpredictably, colliding with one another. Every attack required anticipation, calculation, and adaptability. One wrong move meant injury. One miscalculation could send him plummeting through the void.
His eyes tracked the clusters. Micro-gaps appeared—small, fleeting opportunities. He flung a fragment, striking multiple shadows in a chain reaction. Others collided naturally with fragments already in motion. Sparks erupted across the floating city fragments. Gravity adjusted subtly; wind gusts challenged his balance.
[SYSTEM]: Minor Injuries Detected — Shoulder, Face, Arm, Leg Lacerations. Health: 87/100. Critical Probability: 70%. Observation: Continuous. Skill Slots: 2/5.
He rolled midair, landing on a slightly tilting fragment, toes finding micro-footing on impossible angles. Every motion was deliberate; every thought mapped to probability and outcome. Enhanced Regeneration pulsed subtly, keeping minor cuts from accumulating. Reflexes, perception, and adaptability guided the rest.
Finally, the last cluster of shadows collapsed, fragments collided and stabilized. Sparks faded. Gravity stilled. Platforms hung suspended. Silence returned. The void itself seemed to pause.
[SYSTEM]: Phase Three — Completion: 100%. Battle Challenge Concluded. Observation: 100%. Skill Slots: 2/5. Health: 87%.
Eiden exhaled, brushing off his clothes despite the lack of real gravity. He flexed fingers, feeling the warmth of his minor injuries healing. Reflexes, cognition, adaptability, endurance—they had all been tested. He allowed a small, satisfied smirk.
"Alright… tutorial, you've got some moves. But I've got the rhythm now."
The fragments hovered silently. No further threats emerged. For the first time, Eiden felt a small sense of triumph—nothing else mattered. Observation, calculation, adaptability, skill: survival had been earned entirely through him.
The hum in his skull persisted, steady, a pulse he now recognized. The tutorial had completed its purpose. And Eiden knew, in that quiet moment, that the real challenges were only just beginning.
Eiden hovered among the silent fragments, letting the stillness sink in. Every motion, every calculation, every micro-adjustment had been recorded, analyzed, and mastered. The hum in his skull no longer felt like a warning—it was a steady rhythm, a reminder that he had endured, adapted, and emerged intact. For now, the void held only quiet. No shadows, no shifting platforms, no tests. The tutorial was over, but Eiden knew this was only the beginning. The real world—whatever it was— it was waiting, and he was ready.