Silent Awakening: Sign-In To Destiny

A low mechanical hum reverberated through the subterranean walls of the simulation chamber as rows of embedded lights activated in sequence. Asher Raven stood at the heart of the room, his body relaxed, his breathing measured. The smooth floor beneath him shimmered faintly as the environment began rendering around him. What had once been cold alloy transformed into a crumbling city street, complete with flickering fires, toppled street lamps, and faint echoes of distant sirens.

> \[Simulation Loaded: Urban Hostile Encounter Scenario]

> Difficulty: Ascending

> Objective: Survive 30 Waves

The system's voice echoed calmly within his mind.

> \[Reminder: Monitor core vitals. Engage all reflex channels. Use the armour sparingly unless absolutely necessary. You are training for stamina under constraint.]

"Yeah, yeah," Asher murmured, rotating his neck until a satisfying pop cracked the silence. "Start the simulation."

The moment the first wave activated, Asher moved. Three holographic figures flickered into existence in front of him—bald men in tattered body armour, wielding electrified batons. Their movements were smooth but predictable. He dashed forward, his stance sharp, his footwork a blend of fluid martial form and calculated aggression.

He ducked low beneath the first baton swing, sweeping his leg across the floor. The hologram fell backward, dissipating the moment it hit the concrete. Asher rose smoothly, grabbed the second by the wrist, and twisted it into an armlock before driving his elbow into the phantom's chest. Another burst of light.

The third came in fast, blade in hand. Asher twisted aside, gripped its forearm, redirected the strike into a shattered lamppost, and delivered a pinpoint strike to its throat. As it vanished, he exhaled calmly.

> \[Wave 1: Complete]

> \[Wave 2 Begins in 10 Seconds]

"Give me real opponents, not crash test dummies," he muttered.

> \[Tone noted. Adjusting difficulty curve.]

Wave 2 shimmered into being. This time, they had firearms.

Bullets ripped through the simulated air, and Asher immediately dropped into a slide behind a broken-down taxi. He activated Silent Fall and dashed to the left flank, his footsteps soundless. The closest shooter had no chance to react. Asher's palm connected with the gun barrel, redirected it, and jabbed two fingers into the hologram's throat. One down. The other two turned, too slow. He swept one off its feet with a spinning kick and delivered a bone-shattering palm to the final one.

> \[Wave 2: Complete]

He moved to the edge of the arena, rolling his shoulders.

> \[Comment: Your reaction time has improved 0.06% since last simulation.]

"Huh. Small steps. How long until this data can be used for real-time predictive defense algorithms?"

> \[With another 200 sessions and a neural link upgrade, the data will be sufficient. Recommend adding more unpredictable environments.]

Asher nodded. He didn't mind starting small.

By Wave 5, the arena shifted to a narrow factory interior, rusted pipes steaming, catwalks above creaking with every step. Enemies now used coordination, voice commands, and dual tactics. One charged while the others flanked.

Asher launched into the air, twisted sideways with Inertial Redirection, and rebounded off a wall. He landed behind them, disabling one with a kidney shot. The second tried to grab him. He used his smaller frame to slip beneath its arm and counter with a knee to the groin.

> \[Wave 5: Complete]

> \[Vitals Nominal. Endurance Level: 87%]

He paused and reached for a water bottle nearby, not out of need, but habit.

> \[Reminder: Infinite Energy ability is active. Hydration is not physiologically necessary.]

"Still tastes good," he replied, wiping sweat from his brow that wasn't really there. "System, how's my form?"

> \[Grappling sequences efficient. Striking power inconsistent. Suggest dedicating next training block to joint manipulation techniques and focused explosive output.]

"Duly noted," he said, and walked back to the centre.

Wave 10 came.

They were faster. Stronger. Smarter.

One feinted left while the other dove low. Asher took a calculated step back, pivoted on his heel, and used the enemy's momentum to redirect them into one another. He used only 30% of his Diamond Body's active reinforcement. Enough to absorb hits but not so much to get lazy.

> \[Wave 10: Complete]

> \[Simulation Mode Paused for Manual Review]

He dropped into a seated position on a broken bench that wasn't really there.

> \[System Task Reminder: Today's regimen still includes three hours of Kenjutsu, two hours of Savate, and five hours of Wushu variations. You are behind by 16 minutes.]

"Alright, alright. Start playback of the last three dodges in Wave 10. I want to tweak my evasion timings."

> \[Affirmative. Displaying motion paths and kinetic overlays.]

As the translucent overlays played in front of him, Asher watched the angles of attack, the frames where he delayed just a heartbeat too long. His movements were improving, but the margin for perfection was microscopic.

He stood again, eyes narrowing.

"No wasted motion. No showboating. Reset simulation. Begin again."

The lights dimmed, then flared.

> \[Wave 1: Initiating...]

And Asher danced into the storm again.

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To be continued...