116 LIGHTNING COLLAPSE
"New Feature Unlocked: Autonomous Combat."
Dan blinked. "Mind Core… that's the thing I absorbed when I freed Kail from the Nightmare Machine…"
But ever since that ti the Mind Core didn't activate any new function for him- until now. Perhaps it was because he never faced threats strong enough for its activation or simply because he recently updated his software.
Mind Core activates only on the new version.
Dan focused on the prompt.
Autonomous Combat: Toggle On.
In an instant, his body moved on its own.
Dan shot upward, streaking through the air. His movents blurred in a series of flash dashes that wove effortlessly between the falling teors.
Every impact missed him by inches.
"Holy hell… this is amazing! My body is reacting on its own," he shouted, exhilarated.
From the control room, Kalr's laughter faltered. "No way… we spent so much ti developing this simulator. Don't tell
you're about to break its record already?"
Soon, Dan cleared Level 1 of the simulator. The screen flashed red, and without pause, Level 2 began.
From the very start, two teors ca plumting toward him — one stacked directly over the other, doubling the impact zone.
Dan didn't even think.
His body moved on its own, twisting through the air as the twin teors smashed into the ground beneath him.
"I'm starting to get a hang of this Autonomous Combat," he thought, landing lightly on the scorched terrain.
The system didn't take control the way an AI might. It wasn't replacing him. Instead, it enhanced him — sensing threats, predicting trajectories, and executing what he would have done if he had perfect awareness.
It was his mind in control of his actions although perfected by the Mind Core.
"This is a major cheat," he muttered with a grin. "Almost like the Rewind skill of the Black Cockerel Assassin."
The challenges intensified with each level — heavier bombardnts, unpredictable teor patterns, shifting gravity. Dan pushed through all of it, working in perfect rhythm with the Autonomous Combat function.
He stayed on the simulator for two straight days, eating and sleeping beside the machine. Every hour, he grew faster, sharper, and more attuned.
By the end of the second day, the new ability had beco instinct — a seamless extension of himself.
Dan had mastered Autonomous Combat.
-----
The training room fell silent as Dan finally stepped away.
He'd pushed the simulator to its limit — and beaten it.
Lieutenant Kalr wasn't unhappy. The data from Dan's runs would be priceless for improving the machine and in training the soldiers.
Dan went to Lord Nicaesa's office. Captain Green was already there.
"Dan, your contact from the Aukuoma family kept their word," Captain Green said. "We received a full shipnt of equipnt — and more."
"Finally," Dan breathed.
The planned shipnt from Aukouma Industry was delayed and he's already contacted Zairgid about it. The hold-up wasn't Zolan Aukuoma's doing; it was Arom's.
Arom had been colluding with other house leaders, trying to squeeze the fortress for more concessions.
Zairgid arrived then, approaching Lord Nicaesa.
"Buddy, why are you here?" Dan asked when he saw him.
"I ca to deliver the shipnt myself in case my uncle stalled it again." Zairgid bowed to Lord Nicaesa and explained the cause of the delay.
When Zairgid finished, Lord Nicaesa slamd his fist on the table. "Those greedy oligarchs — how dare they stall our supplies while our n risk their lives holding the space rift safe?"
"They're trying to squeeze more out of you," Dan said.
"We've always traded fairly with the major families…. We never held back supplies
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