The wind blew gently, rustling the leaves in the empty field. Yuan Jin stood with his fists clenched, his heart pounding. Across from him, Aether floated slightly above the ground, her golden eyes watching him with amusement.
"The rules are simple," Aether said. "You land a clean hit on me, you pass."
Yuan Jin narrowed his eyes. "That's it? Sounds easy enough."
Aether smirked. "Oh? Then let's see if you can do it."
Without warning, she vanished.
"What...?!"
A sudden force struck Yuan Jin's side, sending him stumbling backward. He barely managed to stay on his feet as pain flared in his ribs.
Aether reappeared behind him, her arms crossed. "Too slow."
Yuan Jin gritted his teeth. He had expected this to be tough, but this was on another level. He barely even saw her move!
"Focus, Yuan Jin," Aether's voice echoed. "Relying on just your eyes won't be enough. Use your energy, feel your surroundings."
Yuan Jin took a deep breath, activating the Core Breath Technique. He tried to sense the movement of energy around him.
Then, he felt it—Aether's presence shifting behind him again.
"There!"
He spun around and threw a punch—only to hit nothing but air.
"Close, but not close enough."
A sharp strike landed on his shoulder, sending him tumbling to the ground.
"Damn it…" Yuan Jin groaned, pushing himself up. He had never fought before, and it showed. Aether, even while holding back, was completely overwhelming him.
"Think, Yuan Jin," Aether said, watching him calmly. "Charging blindly won't work. Adapt."
Yuan Jin wiped the sweat from his brow and steadied his breathing. He had to do something different.
Then, an idea formed in his mind.
---
Adapting to the Battle
Yuan Jin slowly raised his hands, keeping his stance loose. Instead of attacking immediately, he focused on the flow of energy around him.
Aether smirked. "Good, you're learning."
This time, when she disappeared, Yuan Jin didn't react with his eyes but with his senses. He felt a disturbance behind him and twisted his body to the side—just in time to see Aether's attack passing by.
"Nice dodge," she said.
Yuan Jin grinned. "Not so fast this time, huh?"
He quickly stepped forward, throwing a punch toward Aether's face.
But at the last second, Aether vanished again.
Before he could react, he felt a tap on his forehead.
"Too predictable."
With a light push, Yuan Jin was sent rolling back onto the ground.
"Damn it!" He slammed his fist into the dirt. He was so close!
Aether sighed. "You rely too much on single attacks. Power means nothing if you can't follow up."
Yuan Jin forced himself to stand again. "So… I need to create openings?"
Aether nodded. "Exactly. A real battle is not just about strength but also strategy. Now, try again."
---
Aether's Test
Yuan Jin took a deep breath. This time, he wouldn't just react—he would anticipate.
Aether disappeared again.
But this time, instead of just dodging, Yuan Jin took a step forward, swinging his arm—not at Aether's last position, but where he predicted she would go next.
BAM!
For the first time, his fist connected.
Aether's eyes widened slightly before she stepped back, rubbing her shoulder.
"Not bad," she said with a smirk. "You actually hit me."
Yuan Jin grinned, panting. "So… I pass?"
Aether chuckled. "Barely. But you're improving fast."
A system notification suddenly appeared in front of him.
---
[Training Task Completed!]
First Combat Training Passed
Reward: Initial Physical Boost Unlocked
---
Yuan Jin felt a sudden surge of energy within him. His body felt lighter, stronger. The exhaustion faded slightly, and his breathing became more controlled.
"This… this is incredible!"
Aether nodded. "This is only the beginning, Yuan Jin. If you continue training like this, one day, you might truly become the strongest."
Yuan Jin clenched his fist, feeling the power coursing through him.
He had taken his first real step toward strength.
And this was only the beginning.
---
After his intense training with Aether, Yuan Jin felt more confident. His newfound strength gave him a better understanding of his body, and he was eager to test it in real combat.
"So, what's next?" Yuan Jin asked, looking at Aether, who was floating lazily in the air.
Aether grinned. "You've learned the basics of combat, but theory alone isn't enough. Now it's time for a real test."
Yuan Jin frowned. "A real test?"
Aether snapped her fingers, and suddenly, a blue light enveloped Yuan Jin.
"Wait, what are you doing?!"
In an instant, the world around him changed. Yuan Jin found himself standing in the middle of a foreign forest. Towering trees surrounded him, and the air was thick with the scent of damp earth.
"Where is this?!"
Aether's voice echoed in his mind. "This is the Trial Forest. Your objective is simple: survive and defeat the first enemy I assign to you."
Yuan Jin clenched his fists. "So this is some kind of training mission?"
"You could say that," Aether replied. "But remember, if you fail, you could die here."
Yuan Jin swallowed hard.
---
The Enemy Appears
It didn't take long for Yuan Jin to sense something strange in the air. A gust of wind swept through the trees, followed by the sound of snapping twigs in the distance.
"Looks like my enemy is here…"
From behind the trees, a Shadow Wolf emerged—a pitch-black creature with glowing red eyes. It bared its fangs and growled menacingly.
[Shadow Wolf – Level 8]
Strength: High
Speed: Extremely Fast
Ability: Shadow Attack
Yuan Jin gritted his teeth. "Level 8?! I just started!"
Aether chuckled. "You want to be strong, don't you? Then face this challenge."
The wolf wasted no time. With incredible speed, it lunged straight at Yuan Jin.
"Damn!"
Reacting on instinct, Yuan Jin dodged to the side. The wolf's claws missed him by mere inches, but the force of the attack was strong enough to make him stumble.
"It's fast!"
Yuan Jin knew that if he only dodged, he would lose sooner or later.
"I have to strike first!"
Clenching his fist, he channeled his newfound power and dashed forward. With all his strength, he threw a punch straight at the wolf's head.
BAM!
His fist connected, sending the wolf skidding backward.
However, something felt off. His attack should have been strong enough to knock it out, but the wolf merely shook its head and got back up.
Aether's voice rang in his mind. "This creature has regeneration abilities. Normal attacks won't be enough to defeat it. Use strategy."
"Strategy…" Yuan Jin thought quickly. "I need to find its weak point!"
The Shadow Wolf lunged again. This time, Yuan Jin closely observed its movement patterns. He noticed that every time it attacked, it relied on its speed to vanish into the shadows and reappear behind its opponent.
"If I can predict its movement, I can take it down!"
As the wolf disappeared into the shadows, Yuan Jin closed his eyes and focused on sensing the energy around him.
Then...
"There!"
He spun around and launched a kick just as the wolf reappeared from the darkness.
BAM!
His kick landed squarely on the wolf's jaw, making it stagger.
But it still wasn't enough to finish the beast. Yuan Jin didn't waste time. He charged forward, activating Core Breath Technique, enhancing his attack power.
"Break!"
With a powerful punch, he struck the wolf directly between its glowing red eyes.
CRACK!
The Shadow Wolf let out a painful howl before collapsing to the ground, motionless.
[Shadow Wolf Defeated!]
- Experience Gained!
- Yuan Jin's Level Increased to Level 5!
Panting heavily, Yuan Jin stared at the wolf's body, which slowly faded into tiny particles of light.
"I… I did it?"
Aether's voice echoed in his mind. "Yes, you did. But this is just the beginning."
---
The Path to True Power
A blue light once again enveloped Yuan Jin, and in the blink of an eye, he returned to the real world.
Aether floated before him with a satisfied smile. "You passed your first test. But many more challenges await you."
Yuan Jin clenched his fists. He could feel his strength increasing, and this was just from one battle.
"I'm ready for more tests."
Aether smirked. "Good. Because your journey is just beginning."
To be continued...