Chapter 8 - Matrix Simulation
Looking at the skill descriptions, Lucas pondered. While there wasn't any specific skill for survival and medical care, he understood that such knowledge likely fell under the broader umbrella of
"Seems like fighting takes priority," he mused, noticing that combat-related abilities were explicitly listed.
Shifting his attention, he glanced at Chloe and Samantha. They were still immersed in their books, flipping pages with intense focus. Lucas figured this was a good time to handle something he had been putting off.
'Rewards,' he thought. As if responding to his unspoken command, three glowing orbs materialized before him, hovering silently in the air. These were his rewards for gaining first place in the previous quest.
He reached for the first orb. The light dissipated as his fingers touched it, revealing a blue ticket with a sword and shield emblazoned on its surface.
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Uncommon Equipment Selection
Rank: Uncommon
Tear the ticket to select a piece of uncommon equipment of your choice.
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"Nice," Lucas murmured, setting the ticket aside before touching the second orb. Another blue ticket appeared, this time adorned with an open book symbol.
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Uncommon Skill Book Selection
Rank: Uncommon
Tear the ticket to select an uncommon skill book of your choice.
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Finally, he turned to the final orb and tapped it, watching as the light faded to reveal a wooden case on the ground.
Inside the case were twenty test tubes neatly lined up. Ten were filled with an orange liquid, and ten with a blue liquid.
Lucas crouched down to inspect the potions, nodding approvingly. "Now this is what we need for later."
"Hey, Lucas?" a voice called out, pulling him away from his thoughts as he studied the rewards.
"Yeah?" Turning around, he saw Chloe walking toward him curiously.
Her gaze dropped to the items scattered on the ground. "What are those?"
"Rewards from the second quest," Lucas replied honestly, gesturing to the tickets and potions. "Tickets for equipment, skill books, and some potions."
A mischievous grin spread across his face as he picked up the equipment ticket and held it to her. "Here, I'll give you this for five pecks on the cheek."
"What?!" Chloe yelped, her cheeks instantly flushing as she stared at him in disbelief.
Widening his grin, Lucas teased, "I'm serious. If you want it, the price is just five kisses. Think of it as a fair trade."
Chloe sighed dramatically, clearly trying to suppress her embarrassment. Instead of arguing, she leaned in, pressing a kiss to his cheek before pulling back with a smile. "They're yours. I'm sure you can make better use of them than I could."
Taken aback by her sudden boldness, Lucas felt his face heat up. He coughed awkwardly, trying to recover. "O-okay, if you say so."
Watching him stumble over his words, Chloe giggled softly, clearly enjoying his reaction.
"By the way, how's the book?" Lucas asked, clearing his throat in an attempt to steer the conversation away from his flustered state.
The mention of books caused Chloe's eyes to light up. "It worked! After I finished reading that book on fighting, I suddenly got two skills, Knowledge and Combat Fundamentals. I can clearly remember everything from the book, almost word for word, and I can even visualize some of the techniques!"
"It's crazy how vivid it is. It's like those moves and concepts became a part of me, like muscle memory but for the brain!" Chloe exclaimed, her excitement palpable.
As her gaze swept across the seemingly endless shelves of books, she mused aloud, "I wonder how much we can push this. If a book on martial arts for dummy can do this, what about something more advanced?"
"Good question," Lucas said, sharing her curiosity. "But for now, let's stick to the basics and build a solid foundation. No point in biting off more than we can chew, especially when we're still figuring out the system’s rules."
Chloe nodded, a grin spreading across her face. "Fair enough. But if reading books can do this, I can't wait to see what else we can unlock."
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
With that, she returned to her spot, excitement rekindled, and eagerly opened the second book in her pile, diving into its contents with renewed vigor.
Lucas refocused on his rewards. For the potions, he decided to distribute them evenly among the group to ensure everyone could recover from any potentially threatening damage.
As for the equipment, he hadn’t decided what he wanted yet, but when it came to the Skill Book, he already had something specific in mind.
Without hesitation, Lucas tore the Skill Book ticket, and instantly, a system screen materialized before him.
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Please select one Skill.
Crushing Blow
Burst Slash
Burn Cleave
Lighting Chain
Freezing Lance
…
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Scrolling through the extensive list, Lucas observed a wide variety of options, ranging from physical techniques and spells to buffs, debuffs, and self-enhancement abilities.
Despite the overwhelming choices, he already had a specific skill in mind, a skill perfectly suited to his Talent and the path he intended to follow.
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Matrix Simulation
Rank: Uncommon
Active
Creates a virtual space within the mind, enabling the execution of complex calculations, detailed simulations, and strategic deductions.
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Satisfied with the skill's description, Lucas mentally confirmed his selection. Then, the skill list dissolved into glowing white particles, which then surged toward him merging seamlessly with his body.
A sharp jolt, like a burst of electric current, coursed through him. It wasn't painful, but it was enough to make him tense for a moment. Soon, a new entry appeared in his Skill section, glowing faintly.
Without hesitation, Lucas activated
“So this is the so-called virtual space,” Lucas muttered, his voice echoing softly in the void. “Alright, let’s see if it works the way I think it does.”
Focusing his thoughts, he visualized a humanoid figure. Slowly, the space responded, and a featureless white man materialized in front of him. Its form was smooth and blank, devoid of any details, like a mannequin waiting for purpose.
“Well, it actually worked,” Lucas said, a mix of awe and excitement coloring his tone. “Let's see if we can push it further.”
Next, he focused on the fighting book he had read earlier. He visualized the pages of the book and as if answering his thoughts, a physical replica of the book materialized in his hand. Flipping through the pages quickly, he confirmed it was an exact match to the one he had just read.
“Interesting,” Lucas murmured, inspecting the book in his hand before glancing at the featureless white figure. He then began to picture one of the punching techniques described in the book. To his amazement, the white figure immediately began executing the punch. It was precise and clean, exactly as described in the book.
Intrigued, he decided to carry out a test. He thought of a goblin, the one he had been fighting, with all the grotesque details he could recall. The air shimmered, and before him, a goblin materialized, down to the cysts and bumps on its face and the crooked posture in its stance.
Then, he focused on the white figure again and mentally willed it to engage the goblin using the techniques from the book. All of the techniques available and described in the book, punching, kicking, grappling, blocking, and moving.
The white figure complied instantly. It entered combat with the goblin, its bare fists striking with textbook techniques, alternating between punches, kicks, and blocks. The movement was deliberate and smooth, following the instructions from the books as if it were part of the figure’s inherent programming.
Although the white man's techniques were somewhat poorly executed, he still managed to defeat the goblin without much issue. The goblin fell, its lifeless body crumpling to the ground as the white figure stood victorious, its movements stiff but effective.
Watching the fight unfold, Lucas muttered to himself, "Decent, but it could be better." He wasn’t satisfied with the lack of fluidity in the figure’s movements, and the small errors he saw in its technique. It was a good start, but far from optimal.
Continuing, he willed the virtual space to optimize the entire fighting process. He closed his eyes for a moment, mentally focusing. “Keywords. Efficient, swift, minimal strikes,” he muttered under his breath.
Instantly, the scene in front of him rewound and reformed. The goblin charged in frantically with its club raised high, eyes full of rage. But this time, the white figure didn't act rigidly. It sidestepped the attack with a fluid motion. Without any pause, it jabbed its fist into the goblin's throat, causing the creature to stagger backward while gasping for breath. Then, the figure shifted behind the goblin, it delivered a heavy punch to the goblin's neck.
The strike was precise, and the impact snapped the creature's spine with a crack.
“That's more like it,” Lucas nodded, feeling impressed. The difference was night and day. No wasted motions, no unnecessary attacks. With just two strikes, the white figure took down the goblin.
The white figure still adhered to the techniques in the book, but the system optimized them to be more efficient and much cleaner.
Then, he attempted something ambitious. Closing his eyes momentarily, he recalled all the moves he had watched on videos, films, and shorts, the countless hours of content he had absorbed. From the fighter moves, their stances, and even the comments given by the commentator. Everything.
He then willed the virtual space to carry out a simulation. His intention was clear. It was to test how well the system could synthesize the fragmented techniques from his memories and somehow create a fighting style personalized to him. One that he could execute effortlessly with his current physical state, no matter what kind of scenario he was facing.
Suddenly, the white figure began moving. Each punch flowed into the next, each kick transitioned seamlessly, and each step felt solid as if they were part of a proper martial art. The movements were smooth, efficient, and undeniably lethal.
Staring in awe at the figure, Lucas was captured by its precise execution. The more he watched, the more impressed he became. It was at that moment, a phrase abruptly appeared in his mind as he blurted, “That's rad!”
Without thinking, he visualized himself performing the same moves. Instantly, the world around him shifted as he realized he was no longer watching the white figure. Instead, he was the white figure.
His arms moved instinctively, delivering a sharp jab followed by a fluid kick. His feet slid effortlessly into the correct positions as if he were guided by an unseen hand. Each motion felt foreign yet familiar, as though the moves had been part of his muscle memory all along.
Marveling at how real the sensation felt, Lucas mumbled, “This is crazy.”
“Alright,” he said to himself, stretching his arms. “Time to take this to the next level.”