Jade remained inside the underground dojo long after the system had finished speaking.
The room had gone quiet again.
The heavy machines stood silently in the dim lighting, their metal surfaces reflecting the soft blue glow from the training panels. Jade slowly walked toward a wooden bench placed near the wall and sat down heavily.
His body still felt warm from the pressure training.
His shirt clung to his back from sweat, and his muscles still trembled slightly from exhaustion.
But the physical exhaustion wasn't what bothered him.
It was the thought of the trial.
Jade leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
"Tomorrow…" he muttered quietly.
He wasn't even completely sure the system would truly send him tomorrow. But if it did, everything he knew about life could change in a single moment.
He had trained physically.
He had pushed his body through crushing pressure.
He had tested his speed.
He had strengthened his reflexes.
But now that he thought about it carefully…
He wasn't sure if he had trained mentally.
And sometimes the mind was more important than the body.
Jade closed his eyes slowly.
"If I enter the trial… what will happen?"
He began imagining different situations.
At first, the thoughts were dark.
He imagined being surrounded by terrifying monsters.
Creatures with sharp claws and glowing eyes.
Creatures faster than him.
Stronger than him.
Hungry for blood.
Then another scenario formed in his mind.
He imagined running through a dark forest while something massive chased him from behind.
Heavy footsteps shaking the ground.
Trees snapping as something gigantic pushed through the forest.
His heart beating wildly as he ran for his life.
But this time, Jade forced himself to change the way he imagined the scenario.
He stopped imagining himself dying.
Instead, he imagined something else.
Winning.
In his mind, he saw himself moving quickly.
Dodging attacks.
Finding weaknesses.
Striking at the right moment.
Escaping dangerous traps.
Outsmarting stronger enemies.
Jade opened his eyes again.
A determined light appeared within them.
Then he spoke aloud.
"System."
The invisible voice responded immediately inside his mind.
"Yes."
Jade inhaled slowly before asking the question that had been sitting inside his heart.
"What is the probability of me winning my trial?"
There was a brief pause.
Then the system replied.
"This time, the probability has changed."
Jade's eyes narrowed slightly.
"With all your recent improvements, you now have a 50% chance of surviving."
Jade blinked.
Fifty percent.
The system continued speaking calmly.
"However, this probability is not completely accurate."
Jade frowned slightly.
"Why?"
The system explained.
"The calculation is based only on your physical attributes."
"Strength. Speed. Endurance. Reaction time."
"We cannot measure your mental capabilities."
Jade listened carefully.
The system continued.
"You might possess a cunning mind capable of adapting to unexpected situations."
"You might make intelligent decisions during the trial."
"You might develop strategies under pressure."
"All these factors could increase your survival rate."
"But since those qualities cannot be calculated, they are not included in the probability."
Jade leaned back slowly.
"So… fifty percent."
Half chance of living.
Half chance of dying.
Jade thought about it carefully.
Strangely…
Instead of fear…
He felt relief.
Before tonight, he might have had far less chance.
But now—
He had a real opportunity.
"Fifty–fifty," Jade whispered.
A small smile appeared on his face.
"At least now… I have a chance."
Jade stood up from the bench.
It was still very late.
The clock showed it was slightly past 12 a.m.
Instead of going to sleep, Jade walked upstairs into the living room.
The house was quiet now.
Everyone had already gone to bed.
The only light came from the large television mounted on the wall.
Jade sat down on the couch and turned it on.
He began browsing through different combat training videos.
Many of these recordings were demonstrations of powerful techniques used by experienced fighters.
Jade watched carefully.
He wanted to learn something useful before morning arrived.
The first skill that caught his attention was called Devil Kick.
The video began playing.
It showed a fighter launching into a brutal sequence of kicks.
The fighter's legs moved like a storm.
Kick after kick after kick.
The attack continued endlessly.
The explanation appeared on the screen:
"Devil Kick is a continuous kicking technique that cannot be stopped until the opponent is defeated."
Jade watched the video carefully.
The fighter in the recording moved quickly and efficiently.
But after a few minutes, Jade shook his head.
"I don't like this one."
He leaned back slightly.
"It only uses the legs."
For Jade, fighting with both hands and legs felt more natural.
He preferred techniques that involved his entire body.
So he kept searching.
After scrolling through several recordings, another skill caught his attention.
The title read:
Sharp Punch.
Jade leaned forward slightly.
"This sounds interesting."
The video began playing.
A professional fighter appeared on the screen.
The instructor explained the technique slowly.
"Sharp Punch is a specialized attack designed to target an opponent's internal organs."
Jade watched with great focus.
Unlike normal punches, this technique did not rely on brute force alone.
Instead, it required precision.
The instructor continued explaining.
"To perform a Sharp Punch correctly, the fighter must first identify the opponent's weak points."
"Certain areas of the body allow force to travel directly to the internal organs."
"When executed correctly, the attack damages the inside of the body without breaking the skin."
The video then demonstrated proper body positioning.
The fighter adjusted his stance carefully.
His feet positioned for stability.
His hips rotated slightly.
His shoulders aligned perfectly.
Then—
He punched.
The punch looked simple.
But the force behind it was terrifying.
The demonstration dummy shook violently.
Internal damage indicators appeared on the holographic display.
Jade's eyes widened slightly.
"That's powerful."
He stood up from the couch.
He raised his hand slowly, mimicking the posture shown in the video.
He adjusted his feet.
Turned his hips slightly.
Focused his energy.
Then he punched the air.
The movement felt strong.
But something was missing.
Jade frowned slightly.
"I can feel power…"
"But it's just raw power."
Still, the technique fascinated him.
He had never realized something before.
His fitness level—his physical strength—could be converted into something more precise.
Something more terrifying.
Not just brute force.
But focused destruction.
Jade walked back down to the underground dojo.
The punching bag still hung in the center of the room.
He stood in front of it.
He remembered the video instructions.
Feet steady.
Body aligned.
Weak point targeted.
Jade inhaled deeply.
Then—
Punch!
The bag shook slightly.
He adjusted his stance again.
Punch!
Again.
And again.
Jade continued practicing.
Each punch became more precise.
Each movement became more controlled.
He trained without noticing the time passing.
His fists struck the punching bag repeatedly.
His breathing grew heavy.
Sweat returned to his body.
But Jade didn't stop.
He wanted his body to remember the movement.
He wanted the technique to become instinct.
Hours passed.
Finally, Jade glanced at the clock.
3:00 a.m.
He stopped punching.
His fists were sore.
His arms felt heavy.
But his mind felt clearer.
Jade walked back upstairs into the living room again.
He sat down on the couch.
"I should rest a little," he murmured.
The television was still playing combat demonstrations.
Different techniques appeared on the screen.
Sword styles.
Defensive maneuvers.
Combat footwork.
Jade tried to keep watching.
But his body had reached its limit.
His eyelids grew heavy.
His head leaned slowly against the couch.
Within minutes…
Jade had fallen asleep.
The television continued playing quietly.
Outside, the night moved slowly toward morning.
And the countdown to Jade's trial continued ticking away.