Chapter 9 - Zhang-laoshi's Teachings
He willed the virtual space to materialize a goblin. The green-skinned creature snarled and lunged at him with its crude wooden club raised high. Its movements were wild and predictable.
Lucas dodged easily, delivering a precise punch to its throat before ending it with a solid kick to its head that sent it sprawling to the ground.
“Too easy,” he muttered. With a mental command, two more goblins appeared. They rushed in simultaneously with the movements as chaotic as the first.
Despite their numbers, Lucas weaved through their attacks, dismantling them with swift strikes and counters. Neither goblin managed to land a single blow.
“Let's crank this up a notch,” he said as he willed the virtual space to summon three more goblins, but this time he decided to tweak their specs a little.
The new goblins formed with a noticeable shift in demeanor. They were still the same green midgets with a club, but their postures were no longer hunched and erratic. Instead, they stood tall and alert, their stances were firm. Lucas had imbued them with the knowledge from the same fighting book he had read.
This time, they didn't charge recklessly. They moved with an eerie sense of coordination, flanking Lucas. One goblin feinted an overhead strike, while another aimed for his legs. Each of the goblin's movements were deliberate and their strikes were launched to exploit any openings in his defense.
Even with his optimized fighting style, the fight with the trio of goblins was grueling. Their teamwork and tactics nearly overwhelmed him. At one point, they cornered him, forcing Lucas to rely on his superior raw strength to break through their formation.
Eventually, he managed to defeat them, but not without taking some painful hits in the process. As soon as the final goblin dissolved into white particles, Lucas took a moment to inspect himself. His body bore scratches and bruises from the battle. However, as soon as the fight ended, the injuries faded into nothingness.
“Simulating injuries too?” Lucas muttered, flexing his fingers to ensure he was unharmed. But the burning feeling of exertion from the previous fight still lingered, a complete difference to the absence of any real damage.
He couldn't help but smile, “This is great! If I can train like this in the virtual space, I can perfect my style without needing a real sparring partner. Better yet, no bruises!
Thrilled by the possibilities, Lucas dove deeper into the simulation. He began visualizing increasingly complex scenarios, lone goblins became groups, human fighters replaced them eventually, and wild animals like wolves and bears joined the fray. Some simulations even had groups of various creatures, creating chaotic and high-pressure fights.
Each time he failed, the virtual space rewound the entire fight, playing it back from start to finish.
Lucas would watch intently as the simulation analyzed his movements, pinpointing every misstep and inefficiency. Then, it will optimize his actions, showing him how to refine his technique, adjust his timing, or change his positioning for better results.
Over and over, he repeated the process. Failing, learning, and improving. Each simulation sharpened his instincts and mind further.
Hours seemed to pass within the simulation, but Lucas felt no fatigue. Instead, he was invigorated by the process he was making. “At this rate, I'll be able to hold my own against any opponent,” he grinned widely.
Finally, he willed the simulation to pause, taking a moment to reflect on his growth. “This skill is just like one of those AI chips the protagonist has. It's broken,” Lucas chuckled, “and I already can think of various ways to use it.”
“Now, I too, am a man with a cheat code!” the man declared delightfully before the white space dissolved and his consciousness returned to reality.
***
Returning to reality, Lucas glanced at his hands and curled them into fists. The vivid sensations from the simulation still lingered in his mind. The weight of his punches, the rhythm of his footwork, and even the resistance from the imaginary opponents.
He threw a quick jab at the air and was pleased by how fluid and natural it felt, just like in virtual space.
A small, satisfied grin tugged at his lips. Turning his attention to the girls, he noticed they were still deeply engrossed in their books with their brows furrowing in concentration.
“Hard at work, huh? Good,” he muttered, giving them a nod of approval.
Curious about how much time had passed, Lucas pulled out his phone. To his surprise, only ten minutes had elapsed since he first activated
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, he murmured, “So one day in the there equals ten minutes in here. That's a 144 times difference if I convert it to minutes, right? Am I counting it right?”
He paused a bit and chuckled, “I’m a disgrace to the entire faculty of applied maths and science.”
Despite his self-deprecating comment, Lucas couldn't help but smile. The prospect of such an incredible time-dilation effect opened up endless possibilities.
“Right, since the girls are working hard, I should too,” Lucas muttered, heading toward the shelves brimming with books. He scanned the titles until his eyes landed on one about basic swordsmanship techniques.
Grabbing it, he smirked, “More knowledge means more variables to add to the creation of the ultimate skill. Feels kinda like that one protagonist with a library in his head.”
As he flipped the book in his hands, a sudden thought struck him. “Yeah, just like that one protagonist! His ability lets him collect books just by touching them and access everything in his mind instantly. Can mine do something similar like that?”
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He frowned as he was unsure how to proceed. “How should I even begin? Just focusing and hoping it will happen?” he mused as he stared at the book.
Deciding to give it a go, Lucas flipped through the book while simultaneously activating
Blue rings began glowing faintly in his eyes as his eyes scanned the pages. His fingers moved with an uncanny speed, turning each page in a blur. Words, diagrams, and illustrations imprinted themselves in his mind as if being downloaded directly into his consciousness.
Within seconds, Lucas closed the book. His thoughts were buzzing with fresh information. “Done,” he muttered, surprised at how effortless it felt. “A hundred pages in under ten seconds. And I remember everything.”
Every single word from the books was as clear as crystal in his mind.
Testing his newfound knowledge, Lucas's vision shifted into the familiar white space of
With a mental command, he instructed the figure to demonstrate the techniques he had just absorbed. The figure complied and began wielding the sword accurately, performing each technique described in the book perfectly.
Watching the white figure, Lucas's excitement bubbled over as he muttered, “Wow, Zhang-laoshi, your teaching transcends time and space, even the very fabric of reality itself. This humble half-student of yours thank you for your magnanimity.”
As he muttered, something caught his eye. It was a book lying on the clean ground of the virtual space. It was an exact replica of the one he had just read. Curious, he willed a bookshelf into existence. He then carefully placed the book on the shelf with its title gleaming brightly as it slid into place.
A grin spread across his face as he admired the shelf. “This is just wild. If I can replicate the entire library's collection here, I'll have an arsenal of knowledge at my fingertips and effectively become a walking Wikipedia. Once again, this half-student of yours from another reality thanks you for your generosity, Zhang-laoshi,” he declared with exaggerated reverence.
Returning to reality, Lucas was ready to go on an Any% library speed run, trying to absorb as much knowledge as he possibly could as he was now fueled by the octane of his newly discovered ability.
***
Time flew, and soon the final sixty minutes before the third quest arrived. By then, Chloe and Samantha had completely digested the books they had been reading.
Searching for Lucas, they finally found him in one of the room's corners. To their surprise the man was flipping through books at an astonishing speed like a madman, tossing them aside before grabbing the next one.
That spot he was in was a chaotic mess, with stacks of books piled around Lucas like miniature towers. Almost every shelf in the section had been emptied, leaving behind barren rows of steel.
“Hey, man. What are you doing?” Samantha called out, blinking in disbelief at the mess the madman had created.
Yet, the madman himself was oblivious to her words. His focus was solely locked in the book in his hands. The blue rings glowing faintly in his eyes hinted at his active use of
Chloe and Samantha exchanged bewildered glances. Finally, Chloe sighed and stepped forward, gently patting Lucas on the shoulder. “Lucas?”
Startled by the touch, Lucas flinched and looked up. His concentration broke as his glowing eyes dimmed, refocusing on reality. “Oh, hi. What's up?” he asked casually despite his frenzied surroundings betraying his recent intensity.
“What's up?” Chloe repeated incredulously, gesturing to the mountain of books around him. “I should be asking that to you right? Did you decide to rob a library or something?”
Looking at the mess, Lucas scratched his head sheepishly. “Uh… speed-running books? I might've slightly gone overboard.”
“You're weird, man,” Samantha chided while approaching the duo, taking in the chaotic scene. “Did your talent make you go crazy and salivate for books?”
Lucas shrugged with a grin tugging his lips. “Hmm, well, gotta admit, it is kinda fun when you can somehow understand the contents you're reading. I suppose you also have the skills?”
Samantha nodded, crossing her arms. “Yeah, two skills. Knowledge and Combat Fundamentals. I must say, your 'unique’ set of knowledge is rather helpful. Some of those fighting techniques actually clicked for me.”
Lucas smirked at her words. “Well, that 'unique’ set of knowledge is going to power us through the upcoming mess. I'm just getting us ready for what's next.”
Chloe, still staring at the towering stacks of books around him, tilted her head. “So, what exactly were you doing just now? Besides, you know, emptying half of the library?”
Glancing at the chaotic piles of books, Lucas let out a chuckle. “Mimicking a teacher's way of learning,” he answered cryptically.
“What teacher? Who teaches like this? Dump all the knowledge into their brain at once and hope it sticks?” Samantha retorted as she stared at Lucas’s foolish antics.
Leaning against the wall, Lucas crossed his arms. “A teacher beyond our fabric of reality. Trust me, it works… if you're built differently, like me.”
Rolling her eyes, Chloe lightly punched his arm, though a small smile played on her lips. “You're impossible sometimes, you know that, right?”
“I thank you for your generous compliment,” Lucas replied with a mischievous grin. Then, standing up, he dusted himself off. “Anyway, I've got something for you girls.”
He pulled out the potion case he had set beside him earlier. Opening it, he gestured to the neatly arranged test tubes. “Here are some potions. The orange ones are stamina potions, and the blue ones are mana potions. Drink them if you've got internal damage, and apply them to the wounds if it's external. Just don't dump the whole thing at once okay?”
Lucas handed the potions to the girls, dividing them equally. “Three stamina and mana potions for each of you. Is that okay?”
Fiddling with the test tube, Samantha asked as she inspected the liquid inside, “Where did you even get these?”
“From the last quest. Remember I got first place?” Lucas smirked.
Samantha clicked her tongue, “So you've been hiding treasures behind our backs. How's Chloe going to feel now that she knows you've been keeping secrets from her?”
Raising his brow at Samantha's theatrics, he admitted, “Well, I would feel bad about it… except for the fact that she already knew I had them earlier!”
“Sorry? I guess?” Chloe said with a sheepish shrug, her tone making it clear she wasn't sorry at all.
Gasping exaggeratedly, Samantha placed her hand over her head. “Traitors, both of you!” She huffed for the effect but then grinned, “Anyway, thanks. I'll use them wisely.”
“Alright, check your gear and make sure it's in good condition. We are probably heading into a boss battle soon,” Lucas instructed as his tone got rid of any foolishness from before.
The girls nodded and began making their own preparations. While Lucas opened his status window.
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Lucas Kun
Level 4
Class: None
Title: Forerunner
VIT - 6
POW - 8
AGI - 10
INT - 10
WIL - 6
Talent: Avid Reader
Skill:
Knowledge - Lv 4
Combat Fundamentals - Lv 3
Matrix Simulation - Lv 1
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