[15th of April]
White Room — Temporal Training Chamber.
My plan worked.
After countless beatings and bruises, I'd finally found a rhythm—a way to fight that actually felt like mine.
Three mirror-born figures stood before me, their bodies identical to mine, yet their eyes burned with malice. One of them still had a deep gash running across his cheek, the mark of my last desperate strike.
Despite the exhaustion in my limbs, I was grinning.
Why? I didn't even know. It just… came out. It felt wrong. Almost thrilling.
'What's happening to me?' I thought, forcing my expression still.
Even in this illusory battlefield, my heart was racing like it was real.
"Focus, Rey. Don't drift," I muttered, gripping the sword tighter as the three charged in unison.
Steel clashed against my defenses, their movements mechanical but deadly.I parried, stepped back, and countered with instinct rather than thought. It was almost like my body remembered something my mind didn't.
Each exchange was faster than the last. My blade was heavy, my breathing uneven, but for the first time… I wasn't afraid.
After several minutes, all four of us—me and my reflections—were running on fumes. My sword arm trembled. Their movements slowed. Fresh cuts covered their torsos where I had managed to land a few lucky blows.
"Looks like you've found your rhythm, haven't you?"Victor's voice echoed across the empty chamber like thunder rolling over a silent sea.
"Can you shut up for once? I'm literally trying not to die here!" I snapped, barely blocking another swing. My palms burned under the pressure.
"Huh, but you seem to be smiling an awful lot for someone fighting for their life," Victor teased.
I touched my face—and froze.He was right. I was smiling.
The realization distracted me for half a second—long enough for one of the clones to smash his fist into my jaw.I flew backward, landing hard enough to make my bones ache. Dust and crimson droplets scattered across the white floor.
But before the next blow came, I was already on my feet, sword raised.
The fatigue vanished beneath pure adrenaline. My blade swept in a sharp diagonal—A single strike that tore through one clone's chest.
He fell like a puppet with its strings cut, crimson blooming across the ground.
The remaining two stopped for a heartbeat, staring at their fallen counterpart. Then they turned toward me—eyes glowing with a feral rage.
"Alright," I muttered, raising my sword again. "Let's finish this."
The next few seconds blurred into motion.One lunged, the other tried to flank me, but I'd already learned their rhythm. I ducked, kicked the first one's leg, and spun. My blade found his throat.
The final one rushed me. I didn't wait. I dropped low and swept my sword across his chest. Both bodies collapsed almost simultaneously—silent and still.
And then… it was over.
I stood alone, chest heaving, drenched in sweat and blood that wasn't really mine.
"Well, well," Victor's voice rang again, laced with amusement. "Impressive, isn't he, Aiden? He just beat three copies of himself—each one stronger than him, by the way."
"What?" I blinked in disbelief. "They were stronger?"
Aiden's calm voice followed, colder than Victor's playful tone."I didn't tell you on purpose. If you knew, you'd start getting arrogant. I wanted to see what you'd do when pushed past your limits."
"Arrogance kills," he added. "Ignorance feeds it. I'd rather have you crawling forward than standing still with pride."
Victor chuckled. "Fair enough. Still, the boy has bite."
He snapped his fingers. Instantly, the blood vanished. The corpses sank into the floor like ink being absorbed into paper. My wounds closed. Pain disappeared.
I felt whole again, though the memory of exhaustion lingered faintly in my mind.
"Alright, I'm done. I'm not doing another round," I shouted.
"Of course not," Victor replied smoothly. "Until the day someone stronger comes knocking. When your friends scream and your family dies, maybe then you'll wish you'd trained harder."
His words hit deeper than I expected. I hated how true they sounded.The world outside was changing—and there was no guarantee I could protect anyone yet.
"…Fine," I said quietly. "But at least let me check my progress first."
A translucent blue screen appeared before me as I called for my stats.
Weapon Mastery
Sword: F- [0%]
Dagger & Knives: F [2%]
Spear: F- [0%]
Shield: F- [0%]
Bow: F- [0%]
Greatsword: F- [0%]
Hand-to-Hand: F [8%]
Gun: F- [0%]
Hammer: F- [0%]
Katana: F- [0%]
"Huh? What the—where's my progress?!" I yelled.
Victor was already laughing. Aiden, however, spoke with a blank tone."Maybe because you trained here, inside a simulated realm. The system might have categorized it as a dream. And since you don't possess the
"Dream Trainer… what?" I asked, completely lost.It sounded like the kind of thing a protagonist should have—but of course, I didn't.
"You can't just gain that talent. It's either inherited, unlocked during awakening, or obtained from rare loot," Aiden explained. "You weren't born with it."
"So… I'm talentless?" I muttered. My shoulders slumped. "Perfect."
Aiden sighed. "Not quite. You can purchase special talents from the system shop—eventually."
My head shot up. "Then why didn't you start with that!?"
But before I could complain further, the world around me began to fade.The glowing chamber dissolved into darkness, pulling me backward like a tide.
"Hey! I wasn't done talking—!" I shouted as my voice echoed through the void.
Then I opened my eyes.
The white room was gone. Morning sunlight streamed through my bedroom window. Birds sang softly outside. Everything looked peaceful again.
But inside, my thoughts were heavy.
Because for the first time, I understood just how fragile my strength really was.
—To Be Continued—
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