The holographic battlefield stretched endlessly in every direction.
Massive trees towered over the arena, their branches forming a dense canopy that allowed only thin beams of light to pass through. The ground was rough and uneven, covered with fallen leaves and scattered stones. It was a perfect environment for combat.
This was the AI Forest Expanse, a simulation created by the holographic game.
Standing in the middle of the battlefield was Rylan.
He rolled his shoulders slowly before glancing at his two children.
Jade and Nora stood a few meters away, both ready for the sparring match.
But before the fight began, Rylan made a small adjustment.
The system flashed briefly.
Rylan had reduced his fitness to that of a normal human and sealed most of his powers.
If he fought them at his true level, the match would end instantly. This way, it would be fair—and more importantly, educational.
Rylan smiled calmly.
"Alright," he said.
"Come at me."
Jade and Nora exchanged quick glances.
Nora was the first to speak quietly.
"I have a plan."
Jade leaned closer.
"What plan?"
"Act as bait."
Jade frowned.
"Bait?"
Nora nodded.
"You keep him busy. I'll find an opening."
Jade sighed.
Trust Nora to come up with a risky strategy.
But before he could complain, Nora pushed him forward.
"Go!"
Jade stumbled forward slightly and immediately launched into action.
He rushed toward his father and began throwing a barrage of attacks.
Punches.
Kicks.
Quick strikes.
His movements were fast and aggressive.
Rylan raised his arms calmly and began blocking everything.
Every punch Jade threw was intercepted.
Every kick was redirected.
Despite the speed of Jade's attacks, Rylan handled them effortlessly.
But something interesting happened.
Rylan didn't attack back.
Instead, he remained purely defensive.
Inside his mind, he was observing.
His reflexes have improved…
Jade's movements were quick.
His timing was surprisingly sharp.
Even when Rylan slightly shifted position, Jade immediately adjusted his attacks.
Impressive, Rylan thought.
Because of Jade's relentless attacks, Rylan was forced to remain defensive.
Meanwhile, Nora watched carefully from behind.
She was impressed.
Jade is actually holding Dad back…
She glanced at the life bars floating above them.
Jade: 100
Rylan: 99
Jade had actually managed to land a light hit earlier.
Nora smiled slightly.
Perfect.
Her plan was ready.
She moved silently behind Jade, using him as cover.
Jade continued attacking relentlessly, unaware of Nora's exact position.
Then—
Nora saw it.
An opening.
While Rylan was focused on blocking Jade's punches, he momentarily forgot something important.
He had two opponents.
Nora dashed forward.
Without warning—
BAM!
Her fist slammed directly into Rylan's ribs.
The impact made him stagger backward.
Before he could recover, Nora jumped into the air.
Her body rotated gracefully.
Then—
WHAM!
Her leg struck upward in a powerful uppercut kick.
Rylan's eyes widened slightly.
If he released even a fraction of his real power, he could easily dodge.
But he had suppressed his strength.
So the kick connected.
The impact sent him flying backward.
Nora landed gracefully on the ground like a trained martial artist.
She brushed imaginary dust from her shoulder.
Above Rylan's head, his life bar dropped dramatically.
50
Rylan slowly stood up.
A small smile appeared on his face.
Well done.
But before he could speak—
Jade rushed forward again.
Jade aimed a powerful punch at his father.
This time, Rylan moved quickly.
He dodged sideways and suddenly launched a barrage of attacks toward Jade.
His fists moved rapidly.
Left punch.
Right punch.
Hook.
Straight strike.
Most of the attacks were aimed at Jade's stomach.
Jade reacted quickly.
He dodged several of them.
But surprisingly—
He allowed some hits to land.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
His life bar dropped slightly.
But Jade didn't seem concerned.
Because he wasn't just fighting.
He was observing.
He watched his father's movements carefully.
The rhythm.
The positioning.
The angles.
Nora attempted to attack again.
But Rylan reacted instantly.
With one arm, he grabbed Nora's wrist and stopped her attack.
With the other arm, he continued striking toward Jade.
Jade suddenly noticed something strange.
His father's attacks felt…
controlled.
It was as if every punch forced Jade into a specific reaction.
If he dodged, he moved exactly where Rylan wanted him to move.
If he blocked, his arms moved exactly where Rylan expected.
Jade's eyes widened slightly.
Wait…
It wasn't just combat.
Rylan was guiding the battle.
He was controlling the flow of the fight.
Even Jade's reactions were being manipulated.
Suddenly everything clicked in Jade's mind.
His face filled with realization.
Rylan noticed immediately.
He smiled.
"So," he said calmly.
"Do you understand it now?"
Jade nodded slowly.
"Yes."
Rylan grinned.
"Good."
Then—
BAM!
He punched Jade straight in the chest.
Jade was sent flying backward.
His life bar dropped sharply.
20
Meanwhile, Nora was still being held by Rylan.
She looked confused.
"What are you two discussing?"
She narrowed her eyes.
"You've been fighting silently the whole time."
Rylan replied calmly.
"I use action… not words."
Then suddenly—
Rylan felt a sharp pain.
Right in his groin.
Nora had taken advantage of the moment.
She drove her knee upward with brutal precision.
Rylan gasped.
His life bar dropped again.
29
Nora smirked.
"Action works both ways."
Rylan immediately rushed forward toward Nora.
But Nora moved beautifully.
She performed a perfect backflip over her father.
While flipping—
SMACK!
Her foot struck his back.
Rylan was genuinely shocked.
Her technique…
Above her head, Nora's life bar remained untouched.
100
Rylan flew backward again.
This time he landed near Jade.
Jade immediately stood up.
Without hesitation—
BOOM!
He punched Rylan directly in the chest.
Rylan's life bar instantly dropped.
0
The system voice echoed.
"Player Titan eliminated."
Rylan disappeared from the battlefield.
He reappeared in the spectator area provided by the holographic game.
Now the final battle remained.
Jade vs Nora.
Jade rushed forward immediately.
He wanted to finish the fight quickly.
But Nora simply ran away.
Then she jumped high into the air.
Her body twisted.
She appeared behind Jade.
Jade blinked.
Her jumping skill…
Before he could react—
THUD!
Nora kicked him.
Jade fell forward.
His life bar dropped.
14
Nora's remained untouched.
100
Jade slowly stood up.
Nora jumped again.
This time she aimed another leg uppercut.
But Jade reacted differently.
He jumped too.
Their bodies collided in midair.
BAM!
Jade kicked Nora.
She was sent flying backward.
From the spectator seat, Rylan stared in shock.
He copied her movement…
Nora hadn't expected that.
She thought Jade would stay on the ground.
Her life bar dropped.
79
Jade didn't stop.
He rushed toward her and began attacking relentlessly.
Punches.
Kicks.
Pressure.
Nora was forced onto the defensive.
She studied his attacks carefully.
I almost understand his rhythm…
But just as she began grasping the pattern—
Jade changed it.
Suddenly she couldn't dodge properly.
Even when she dodged, it felt like something was controlling her movement.
She tried to grasp the skill again.
But before she could—
Her life bar dropped.
0
The system voice spoke.
"Player Demon eliminated."
Silence filled the battlefield.
Jade had won.
For the first time.
And he had defeated Nora.
The simulation ended.
The forest disappeared.
Jade, Nora, and Rylan returned to the real dojo.
Rylan looked genuinely surprised.
He hadn't expected Jade to grasp the core principle of the technique so quickly.
The technique was called:
Mind Deceiver.
Its core principle was simple but powerful.
When you attack an opponent, they must block or dodge.
But a skilled fighter can make it appear as if they are controlling the opponent's reactions.
Once fear appears in the opponent's eyes, their decisions become sloppy.
And that is when the fighter attacks even harder, forcing the opponent to make mistakes.
Rylan crossed his arms proudly.
"Good job."
"You both made me a proud father."
Jade smiled.
"Thank you, Dad."
Nora stretched her arms.
Then she looked at Rylan.
"Dad."
"When you get the chance… spar with me again."
"I want to learn more skills like the one you taught Jade."
Rylan chuckled.
"Fine."
"You still have one more year before your system trial."
"So we have plenty of time."
After the training, Rylan went to freshen up.
When he returned to the living room, Jade and Nora were already there.
They were watching television.
On the screen, two fighters battled intensely.
The title displayed above the broadcast:
Initiate Championship.
It was similar to the Elite Championship, but this tournament was meant for fighters of a lower rank.
Jade sat beside Nora.
Both siblings watched the match carefully.
Meanwhile, Rylan glanced at the screen briefly.
Then he closed his eyes.
His consciousness returned to the Spiritual Realm, where he continued repairing the Citadel.
Behind him, the television echoed with the sounds of combat.
And Jade watched closely.
Because soon…
He would enter the world of real trials himself.