I looked at her. "You knew this could happen."
"Yes."
"And you still brought me."
I swallowed.
The system notification rang instantly inside my head.
[ Mission Target Localized ]
The updated quest information unfolded before my eyes.
[ Destroy Fury–Lycaon ]
[Location: Underground decommissioned transit infrastructure
Partner: Aria Louka
Rewards:
• $10,000
• 2,000 XP
• Aegis Shield]
"Did you get an update to your mission window too?" Aria asked.
I looked at her, puzzled.
"You didn't even know my level," I said. "Why did we go there if you knew how powerful that thing would be?"
She didn't hesitate.
"Honestly?" Aria said. "I didn't think you'd be this weak."
She flicked her gaze to her system screen.
"Usually the system matches players of similar strength."
That stung.
"It was unfortunate," she continued calmly. "But now we know the mission location."
She met my eyes.
"You're in no condition to go down there. You'll get yourself killed. And I'm not babysitting you."
I was offended—but I couldn't argue.
She was right.
We stood there longer than necessary, the city flowing around us like nothing had changed. Cars passed. People laughed. Somewhere above us, life went on—unaware that something broken and furious was buried beneath their feet.
"So what now?" I asked.
Aria turned without answering and started walking.
I followed.
We moved fast, cutting through side streets and narrow alleys, away from the lit avenues and into parts of the city that felt forgotten. The air changed. Less noise. Less people. Everything older.
"You're not going to like this," she said after a while.
"I don't like being useless either," I replied.
That earned me a glance.
"Good," she said. "Then maybe you'll survive."
We stopped in front of what looked like an abandoned service entrance—rusted metal doors half-swallowed by concrete, a faded municipal warning sign barely visible under grime.
"This isn't on any map," I said.
"It is," Aria replied. "Just not yours."
She pressed her palm against the wall beside the door.
The world shifted.
Not visually—not fully—but like pressure changing in my ears. The air thickened, then folded inward. The rusted door peeled away, revealing something that absolutely did not belong beneath New York.
A wide, circular chamber. Smooth black stone. No dust. No decay.
A symbol glowed faintly on the floor.
"What is this place?" I asked.
"A private training room," Aria said. "One of the old ones. Before the system went public."
I stepped inside—and immediately staggered.
My body felt heavier. Denser. Every breath required effort.
"What's wrong with me?" I said, steadying myself.
"Nothing," she replied. "Time flows differently here."
She turned to face me fully now.
"One hour outside," she said, "is roughly ten here. Enough to fix your fundamentals."
"Without leveling?" I asked.
She nodded.
"Stats can grow without levels. Levels just unlock ceilings."
That… made sense.
"First lesson," she said, her voice hardening. "Your body is lying to you."
She stepped forward and struck me in the stomach.
I barely saw it happen.
Pain exploded outward, dropping me to one knee.
"You hesitate," she said. "You rely on perception instead of reaction. You think instead of moving."
I coughed, trying to breathe.
"Stand up."
I did.
She hit me again—lighter this time, but faster.
"Again."
The third time I used my perception. I saw her muscles twitching, I could feel the direction of her blows.
I blocked. Barely.
Something shifted inside me.
Not a level-up. No fanfare. Just a quiet tightening—like my body was finally being forced to listen.
My system flickered.
[ Strength +1 ]
[ Endurance +1 ]
Aria noticed. Her eyebrow lifted in surprise.
"Maybe that's your style. Use that perception then, let's train it to fight. Let's translate that understanding..." She hit me again, faster than I could respond.
"Into movement."
Hours passed.
I got hit more times than I could count.
The girl in front of me was a beast. I couldn't fight back, I couldn't even respond.
But after a while I could get out of the way.
Every movement burned. Every mistake was punished. But slowly—painfully—I stopped freezing. Stopped overthinking. I followed my perception.My body learned to avoid her hits instinctively without my mind keeping up.
My stats ticked upward in silence.
No celebration. No relief.
Just preparation.
After a while I could see movement lines. Faint echoes of the probable traces of her hits.
I evaded more. Not better. Just more.
I was still clumsy. But I was getting hit less and less even though my head was about to burst.
Finally, Aria stepped back.
"That's enough for today," she said.
I collapsed onto the stone floor, breathing hard.
"Will it be enough?" I asked.
She didn't answer immediately.
"No," she said at last.
"But now you won't die in the first second."
She turned toward the exit.
"Rest," she added. "Tomorrow, we'll actually begin the training."