ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝟙𝟙𝟞: 𝔗𝔥𝔯𝔢𝔢 𝔸𝔰𝔰𝔢𝔰𝔰𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔰【𝟑/𝟑】ⓇⒺⓋⒶⓂⓅⒺⒹ

----------------------------------------

Everyone stared at the crimson-haired figure opposite Henry, their confusion evident. None of them recognized the man standing there, exuding an ominous presence. The exceptions were Olivia and Sergei, whose eyes narrowed in understanding. They knew exactly who it was—the same man who had guarded Kay during their arrival at the airport.

What the others didn’t realize was that this wasn’t just some simulation created by MJ using the man’s fighting style. It was Moro himself, controlling his virtual avatar directly from Earth.

Like Jay’s siblings, Moro had been granted access to MJ’s Virtual Space. However, unlike the others who used the Virtual Space to train against Trial World monsters to gain combat experience, Moro used it for something deeply personal.

Jay had arranged for MJ to create a simulation of Moro’s childhood—a time when his family was alive, his little sister laughing alongside their parents, and they were all happy. These simulations served as a form of therapy, helping Moro stabilize his mind and control the overwhelming hatred he harbored, reducing his dependence on Jay’s influence.

As for combat training, Moro didn’t need it. His War Asura bloodline granted him unparalleled expertise, and with Jay having maxed out Moro’s║Minor Blood Mastery║, his combat abilities were unmatched.

When the first assessment was about to end, MJ contacted Moro through the second prototype wristband and requested his presence in the Virtual Space. Despite the time flow difference between Earth and the Trial World, MJ solved the issue by restricting the second assessment’s conditions.

Everyone’s stats were limited to match those of a peak Tier-2 individual, a threshold that aligned perfectly with Moro’s adjusted time perception, which operated at six times the speed of an average human.

MJ’s adjustments made it possible for Moro’s real-time actions to match the Virtual Space dynamics seamlessly. Though MJ couldn’t manipulate time within his A.I. Space yet, such capabilities might be possible once║Soul A.I.║skill grade advances further.

As the group continued speculating about the crimson-haired man, MJ’s voice rang out, declaring the duel’s start.

Moro opened his eyes, his crimson irises flaring with a bloodthirsty intensity that sent an involuntary chill down Henry’s spine. In that split second of hesitation, Moro moved like a blur, rushing forward with inhuman speed.

His first strike—a swift and devastating blow aimed directly at Henry’s head, barely missed as Henry managed to dodge at the last possible moment.

Henry quickly tried to gather himself and counterattack, but his confidence began to crumble. Moro’s movements were relentless, his punches and kicks striking with surgical accuracy. Each blow forced Henry onto the defensive, leaving him no openings to retaliate. No matter how much he adjusted his stance or tried to predict Moro’s attacks, it was as if Moro could read his every move before he made it.

The onlookers were stunned. They had expected a close duel, perhaps even one where Henry held the upper hand. After all, Henry wasn’t just any skilled fighter—he was a three-time Boxing World Champion, heralded as one of Earth’s greatest boxing prodigies. Yet here he was, barely holding his ground, completely overwhelmed by a stranger’s assault.

Like a machine, Moro’s punches and kicks flowed seamlessly, each one calculated to keep Henry on the defensive. The cumulative impact of the blows began to take its toll, and Henry could feel his body nearing its limit. Desperate, he decided to gamble everything on a single, all-out attack.

With a fierce determination, Henry launched a powerful right-handed punch aimed directly at Moro’s head, fully aware that it meant sacrificing his left shoulder’s defense. His eyes burned with the hope that this one decisive strike could turn the tide.

But what happened next left everyone, save MJ, utterly stunned.

Moro didn’t dodge or block the incoming punch. Instead, he calmly stepped into the strike, his left hand snapping forward to meet Henry’s attack. At first, it appeared as though he intended to nullify Henry’s punch with sheer force. But in the next instant, it became clear that this was no simple counter.

Moro’s fist struck the inner side of Henry’s forearm, redirecting the punch with impeccable timing. Using Henry’s own momentum against him, Moro rotated his body, sending his redirected fist crashing into Henry’s face.

The move was executed so smoothly and within such a minuscule fraction of time that it seemed almost impossible. The group seated near the platform, their enhanced time perception as those at Tier-3, could clearly observe the details of Moro’s counter.

Even so, those among them proficient in close combat—Sergei, Brandon, and Kensei—were left in awe. The precision required to perform such a maneuver under the intense pressure of combat was staggering. They understood how impossibly difficult it was to achieve such flawless execution.

What they didn’t know was that Moro wasn’t relying on thought or strategy. His War Asura bloodline provided him with battle instincts so refined that he acted without hesitation, bypassing conscious calculation entirely.

With Henry’s defense shattered, Moro seized the opening to unleash a flurry of rapid punches and sharp chops aimed at the back of Henry’s neck. The final strike landed cleanly, knocking him unconscious and ending the duel.

As Henry’s virtual avatar respawned on the platform, he stared at Moro in a mixture of disbelief and awe. To Henry, Moro was no mere opponent—he seemed like a ‘God of Hand-to-Hand Combat.’ Every strike Moro had delivered during their duel was so perfectly placed that Henry had been left with no option but to defend, utterly unable to mount any kind of offense.

For someone like Henry, whose expertise in pure hand-to-hand combat surpassed even that of Sergei and Brandon, this was an overwhelming experience.

Predicting an opponent’s movements based on subtle shifts in posture and body language was already a challenge, but to do so with Moro’s level of precision bordered on the impossible.

While Henry sat on the platform, still processing the duel, MJ’s voice broke the silence. “I must admit, your result is borderline impressive. You managed to remain on your feet for 58 seconds, earning Stage-5 in this assessment. For reference, each stage represents 10 seconds of survival. To reach Stage-10, you would need to endure for 100 seconds without being defeated.”

Despite MJ’s praise, Henry paid little attention to the result. His focus remained on Moro. Lifting his gaze, he asked, “Just… who are you?”

Moro didn’t reply. His crimson eyes, once blazing with intensity, now closed as he resumed his calm, indifferent demeanor. It was clear he was waiting for the next challenger.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Henry eventually made his way back to the seats beside the platform, where the others waited in uneasy silence. Unlike the first assessment, where volunteers eagerly stepped forward, no one was willing to be next after witnessing Moro’s overwhelming display of combat expertise.

MJ, growing impatient, began selecting participants one by one. The duels continued as the group faced Moro in turn, the time passing as each of them completed the second assessment. The outcomes varied, but the sheer difficulty of the challenge left a lasting impression on everyone.

Once the final duel was over, MJ waved his hand, projecting the cumulative results of the second assessment onto a large screen. The names, stages, and survival times of each participant were listed in order, providing the group with a clear picture of how they had fared against Moro.

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

Second Assessment Results

1. Henry: 58 seconds ⧼Stage-5⧽

2. Brandon: 52 seconds ⧼Stage-5⧽

3. Sergei: 51 seconds ⧼Stage-5⧽

4. Kensei: 45 seconds ⧼Stage-4⧽

5. Kasim: 33 seconds ⧼Stage-3⧽

6. Olivia: 25 seconds ⧼Stage-2⧽

7. Gabriel: 19 seconds ⧼Stage-2⧽

8. Min-soo: 17 seconds ⧼Stage-1⧽

9. Andrea: 14 seconds ⧼Stage-1⧽

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

At first, the group had marveled at Moro’s terrifying close combat prowess from the sidelines. But it wasn’t until each of them faced him directly that they truly understood the depth of his skill.

What Henry had managed to achieve—lasting 58 seconds and reaching Stage-5—now seemed even more remarkable. None of them had been able to land a single hit on Moro, but more than that, none had managed to survive as long as Henry had under Moro’s relentless assault.

Brandon and Sergei, both more experienced in hand-to-hand combat than most of the group, reached Stage-5 as well, but fell short of Henry’s survival time. Their defeats came quicker, highlighting just how well Henry had performed.

Kensei, on the other hand, lacked professional-level expertise in close combat, having dedicated himself entirely to the way of the sword. Even so, his refined reflexes and discipline carried him to Stage-4, a commendable effort given his lack of specialization.

Olivia lasted 25 seconds, reaching mid of Stage-3. Her success came from her consistent combat training under Sergei and her occasional use of the Virtual Space Chamber facility at the Earth’s Foothold.

Gabriel, Min-soo, and Andrea, however, ranked the lowest. Having only recently begun close combat training, they struggled to adapt to Moro’s unmatched expertise. Despite their lack of experience, they managed to last more than 10 seconds.

Their high Spirit Attributes, which enhanced their learning speed, undoubtedly played a key role. From an ordinary human perspective, their progress was extraordinary, even if it paled in comparison to their more experienced peers.

Once the results were displayed, MJ floated above the group and spoke again. “The next assessment is the final one,” he began. “It will be even harder than the second. This time, you will face the virtual avatar of my Master himself.”

The room fell silent, the weight of MJ’s words settling over the group. MJ continued, “Unlike the first two assessments, this one is a pure display of power. You will be able to use everything at your disposal—no restrictions on your abilities, stats, or talents.”

The revelation left everyone wide-eyed and uneasy. The prospect of facing Jay, even virtually, was daunting. Min-soo, his voice shaky, timidly raised a hand. “This… Great Venerable,” he stammered, “isn’t the third assessment too hard? I mean, we wouldn’t even last 10 seconds against Mr. Jay. Doesn’t that mean we can’t even reach Stage-1?”

His words struck a chord with the others. Memories of Jay’s power flashed in their minds—his effortless suppression of the Tier-3 High-Phase Storm Eagle while in INVERSE mode had been a sight to behold, far exceeding even his earlier feat of killing a Tier-3 Ogre.

The gap between their abilities and his had felt insurmountable then, and now, after a few more days of growth, they couldn’t begin to fathom how strong he had become.

The group exchanged uneasy glances. If Jay’s strength had evolved even further since then, the challenge ahead seemed impossible.

MJ's tiny form seemed to bristle with annoyance as he threw his Santa cap right at Min-soo’s face, the soft fabric landing harmlessly but adding to the humor of the moment.

In his high-pitched baby voice, MJ yelled, “Just let me finish! Why do you fellas keep interrupting me? Ahh! This is so frustrating!”

The group tried to stifle their laughter, but it was hard to take his words seriously when he looked like a child throwing a tantrum. Despite their efforts, a few muffled chuckles escaped, adding to MJ’s exasperation.

Seeing his mood sour further, Olivia stepped forward, her calm presence soothing him. “Alright, MJ, calm down,” she said gently, patting his tiny shoulder. “We’ll listen. Go on.”

MJ huffed but collected himself before continuing. “Of course, I’ve already taken that into account. This assessment isn’t about how long you can survive against my Master at full strength. That would be absurd! Instead, at each stage, you’ll face a virtual avatar of my Master that has only a portion of his power. The higher the stage, the stronger the avatar will be.”

He paused before elaborating. “For Stage-1, you must defeat my Master’s avatar with 10% of his full power. In Stage-2, the avatar’s power will increase to 20%, and so on. Each stage will test how far you can push yourselves against his scaling strength.”

Relief and excitement rippled through the group. The weaker Alpha Chosen, like Gabriel and Min-soo, exchanged nervous glances, wondering if they could even clear Stage-1.

Meanwhile, the stronger members, like Olivia, Brandon, and Henry, seemed eager to begin. For them, this was a rare opportunity to measure themselves against Jay’s strength, even if it was only a fraction of his full power.

Unbeknownst to themselves, Jay had become their benchmark for strength. In their time in the Trial World, they had yet to encounter anything or anyone that could rival him. His feats, from effortlessly dispatching Tier-3 monsters, had left an indelible impression on them.

Just as MJ began to initiate the third assessment, he suddenly froze, his expression turning uncharacteristically serious. After a moment of silence, he sighed and announced, “My Master is currently preoccupied with something. Since he’ll be personally controlling his virtual avatar instead of leaving it to a simulation, the third assessment will be postponed for a few hours.”

The group glanced at each other, curiosity flickering in their eyes, but none of them voiced their questions. They trusted that Jay was handling something important. MJ floated closer to the group and suggested, “Why don’t you all exit the virtual space for now? Rest up, or resume your training. I’ll notify you when the assessment is ready to begin.”

The Alpha Chosen nodded, understanding the necessity of the delay, and one by one, they exited the virtual space. While none of them asked MJ what Jay was preoccupied with, they had a general idea.

They knew Jay and Dante had ventured into other trial zones, seemingly in search of something. Whatever it was, it must have demanded Jay’s attention.

Their assumptions were correct. In the eighteenth trial zone, Jay had uncovered something deeply disturbing—a discovery that demanded immediate action.

----------------------------------------