There was no way he could have just shown up out of nowhere like that, right?
To my surprise, a small boy, stood right in front of , looking up with wide, eager eyes.
"Boss, welco back! It's been so long since I last saw you!" he exclaid excitedly, suddenly jumping forward to hug tightly.
Yeah... He was none other Ethan...
Startled by his sudden affection, I blinked before letting out a small chuckle. "Okay, okay, I get it, you missed , but"
Gently, I placed my hands on his small shoulders and pulled him back a bit, looking down at him curiously. "Did you co here just to tell that?"
Ethan's face lit up even more as if he had just rembered sothing important. "Oh, I almost forgot! Master told to bring you to the underground training room."
"Master?" I asked, a bit confused. "Who's this master of yours?"
Who could this master be?
I never imagined they'd have one.
Did Allen arrange for soone to train them?
No, wait! What if
Before Ethan could respond, it suddenly clicked.
I narrowed my eyes slightly, tilting my head as I asked, "Wait, is your master Allen?"
Ethan nodded eagerly. "Yep! Master Allen!"
Of course, it had to be Allen.
He was the only person these kids would call 'Master,' especially since he was the one who brought them into this house and the only person they interacted closely with.
As I thought about it, I realized sothing else45 days had already passed since they first arrived, so by now, they should have gotten to know the mansion pretty well.
I glanced at Ethan, noticing how much healthier he looked compared to the thin, sickly boy he once was.
The investnts I made in their well-being were clearly paying off.
Hopefully, the returns would be just as satisfying.
Lost in my thoughts, I suddenly heard Ethan's voice again. "Boss!"
I snapped out of it and smiled. "Alright, let's go."
With that, I followed Ethan down the hall.
We walked through the winding corridors for a few minutes until we reached at the entrance of the elevator...
Once inside, the soft hum of the machinery filled the silence as we descended deeper into the mansion.
Within seconds, the elevator doors slid open, revealing the familiar sight of the underground training area.
As I stepped out and took in my surroundings, I couldn't help but murmur, "I really missed this place while I was stuck in that illusion"
In the illusion, there was no ti for training. All I did was kill, over and overnothing else. No practice, nothing.
As my eyes adjusted to the bright lighting, I saw himAllen, standing in the middle of the room, staring straight at .
His gaze was intense, almost unnerving, as if he could see right through .
Why is he looking at like that?
Whatever...
Ignoring the weight of his stare, I started walking towards him.
The sound of my footsteps echoed through the room, but Allen didn't move an inch...
His eyes stayed locked on like I was sothing precious to him...
"Allen, What did you bring here for?" I asked sharply. "Are you finally going to tell I'm free from house arrest?"
Allen didn't respond right away.
He just kept staring at , his expression unreadable.
It was starting to get on my nerves.
I was about to press him for an answer when he finally spoke, his voice calm and asured.
"Young master," he began, his tone carrying a hint of sothing I couldn't quite place, "I called you here to take a test."
"A test?" I repeated, stopping just a few feet away from him. "For what? And why should I even bother with it?"
I wasn't exactly in the mood to jump through more hoops.
I was feeling pretty frustrated with him.
I had already wasted five days of training because of him, and now he was telling to take a test without giving any ti to prepare....
It was the last thing I expected.
Allen didn't seem bothered by my reluctance.
He stepped closer, shifting his gaze from mine to the side, and said, "The test is simple. You just need to fight ."
What? No way am I fighting him.
He's an Ace ranker, and I'm just a Gold ranker.
It's pretty obvious how that fight would turn out.
I blinked, taken aback by the proposition. "Fight you? That's ridiculous," I scoffed. "There's no way I can win against you. What's the point?"
But Allen remained calm, a small smile playing on his lips. "The point," he said slowly, "is that if your weapon manage to even scratch , you win. And if you win, you'll be freed from house arrest."
I stared at him, my mind racing.
Was he serious?
Allen was leagues ahead of in skill; there was no way I could land a hit on him, let alone scratch him.
But at the sa ti, the idea of finally being free, of being able to leave my room, was too tempting to ignore...
"You can't be serious," I muttered, shaking my head. "You know I'll lose."
"Perhaps," Allen replied, his eyes narrowing slightly, "but I believe in giving everyone a fair chance. Even you."
His words stung, but I knew he was just trying to push into action.
If I turned him down, I'd be stuck in my room for another two days, which I really didn't want.
However, if I win then, I could at least use the remaining ti for training.
But the real question was whether I could actually do it.
After thinking it over, I gave in.
"Fine," I said through clenched teeth. "I'll take your test. But don't think for a second that I'm doing this because I want to."
Let's give it a try.
Allen's smile widened ever so slightly, but he didn't say anything more.
He just stepped back, giving space as he prepared himself for the fight.
"Wait! Are we really going to fight here?" I asked, surprised by his actions.
"Only if you want to," Allen responded.
"I don't," I said. "I'd prefer we fight in the center of the training room." Allen nodded and started walking toward the middle.
I walked toward the center as well, and within a minute, I was there...
Just as I had expected, Allen was more than 150 ters away from ..
He definitely knows about my skills...
As I stood there, the weight of what I was about to do settled heavily in my chest, but there was no turning back now.
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the challenge ahead.
I knew this wasn't going to be easyin fact, it might be impossiblebut if there was even a sliver of a chance that I could win, I had to try.
I t his gaze and asked, "So, when will we start?"
"Whenever you're ready," Allen said, his voice echoing slightly in the vast training room.
I nodded...
This was it.
My one shot at freedom. All I had to do was land one hit.
Just one.
With that thought in mind, I activated my dash skill...
(Dash Skill Level 3 Activated!)
(Host's agility rank has been boosted to Platinum for 6 seconds!)
Wow... This is my first ti ascending Platinum rank, and I have to say, the feeling is amazing...
The change was imdiatemy body felt lighter, faster, more in tune with every movent...
For six seconds, I would be moving at a speed that could match the very best.
The world around blurred into streaks of color as I shot forward, the wind whipping past so fast it was hard to breathe.
Yeah... Now this is what I called speed...
Oh... Yeah...
My focus zeroed in on Allen, who stood completely still in the center of the training room.
His expression remained calm, almost indifferent, as if he were simply watching sothing routine rather than preparing to defend himself.
Is he playing a prank on or sothing?
Why would he do that?
It's impossible for an Ace rank to be caught off guard by an attack from a lower ranker...
An Ace rank usually has much sharper senses than a Platinum ranker or anyone ranked below them, so there's a good chance he's observing and pretending at the sa ti...
I need to be on guard...
I pushed myself harder, each step closing the distance between us in an instant.
The gap narrowed rapidly, yet Allen didn't budge.
He stood motionless, his eyes locked on mine...
He...
Still...
Hasn't move...
I don't know why, but it felt like he was daring to co closer, challenging to land that crucial hit.
He's definitely got sothing up his sleeve...
There's no way he'd let hit him that easily...
But what can I do?
I can't back down now, especially since I've already used up 3 seconds of my skill. If I retreat, my chances of landing a hit will drop significantly.
I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stay focused.
It's do or die...
For ...
Another second went by and, I was almost there, just a few ters away...
I looked at his face again for the last ti, which remained unchanged.
You're finished.
My right hand gripped the hilt of my dagger tighter as I adjusted my aim toward his stomach.
Yeah... I was planning to stab him.
I wasn't concerned about him getting seriously injured since we both had plenty of Ace rank healing potions.
But, the real issue is whether I'll actually land a hit.
Even though my dagger was just inches from his stomach and moving slowly toward it, I still doubted I'd be able to connect.
On the other hand, if I could land this hitsothing that seems possible given how close I amI'd win and be free.
Just like that, I closed the final gap and swung my blade at him, targeting his stomach...
**SWOOSH**
Wait, did I actually win?
I just stabbed him, so I should have won, right?
But it was so easy?
Even while I was stabbing him in the stomach, I couldn't believe I had won.
I didn't really want to accept it.
A few seconds later, my instincts proved right as my expression changed once more...
Huh?
What...?
I felt even more confused and shocked when I realized that the figure I had just stabbed was just a fading illusion or after image...
I expected this.
There was no way he would let stab him and win so easily.
My heart raced as I scanned my surroundings, searching for where he might be.
Where the hell he go?
He was nowhere to be found.
Damn... I need to get out of here as quickly as possible.
He must be nearby.
I imdiately dropped into a defensive stance and jumped back to create so distance.
I had just two seconds left of the dash skill to make my move.
As I flew through the air, my eyes frantically searched for any sign of him.
But where did he go?
A chill ran down my spine as I realized what was happening.
No way was I going to let him do this.
I quickly glanced at my wrist and prepared for a kick from behind.
But...
Before I could process what had happened, I felt a sharp pain in my wrist.
My dagger flew out of my hand, spinning across the floor.
What?
How-
A split second later, a force hit in the chest, knocking backward.
"Auckkk!"
My vision spun as I tumbled to the ground, the wind knocked out of .
When I finally stopped rolling and sat up, gasping for air.
"Ouch! That hurts! Why hit so hard?"
I saw Allen standing in the sa spot, his expression unchanged.
It was as if nothing had happened, as if my attack had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience...
The whole exchange lasted only a few seconds, but in that short ti, Allen had taken down with the ease of swatting a fly.
Two strikes, and I was down.
I hadn't even seen the second one coming.
Sahhhh...
I sighed heavily, already knowing the outco.
I knew I lost the mont he disard .
Taking away my daggers was all it took; the rest of the fight didn't really matter.
"I surrender," I muttered, my voice laced with frustration.
As these thoughts swirled in my head, Allen suddenly disappeared from his initial position and, In an instant, he was standing right in front of , his hand extended toward ..
"Young master," he said, his tone surprisingly gentle.
I blinked, montarily caught off guard by his concern.
So, he really does care...
When he hit in the chest, I wondered if he had forgotten our relationship since the hit was quite hard.
I hesitated for a mont, then reached out and took his hand, allowing him to help up.
Once I got back on my feet, I looked at him, still trying to process everything.
"So, how was my fight?" I asked, attempting to keep my tone light even though I was feeling disappointed. "I know I lost, but still... how would you rate my performance out of 10?"
Allen remained calm as he answered, "One."
I blinked, thinking I had misheard him. "Wait, what? How much?"
"One," he repeated, just as calmly.
Did he really just say one?
Was my fight really that bad?
But... I thought I did well...
I felt a mix of disbelief and embarrassnt.
"Why?" I asked, my frustration starting to show. "Why only one?"
I really wanted to understand why he rated so low...
What if he could help identify my weakness?
Allen held my gaze. "Without proper technique, your skills are useless," he said, his tone firm but not harsh. "Speed and power don't an anything without precision and control. You rely too much on your rank and abilities, but that won't help you in a real fight. You need to develop your own technique, which I didn't saw in our battle, or you'll always be at a disadvantage."
Spot on...
His words stung, but deep down, I knew he was right.
My pride took a hit, but I couldn't argue with the truth.
He was right; I didn't have my own techniques, even though I should have developed them...
But...
I can't invent one...
I just don't understand how to create any.
It's not that I didn't try.
Before and after being trapped in the illusion world, I worked hard to create a signature technique but kept failing.
After so many failed attempts, I gave up.
But that doesn't an I can't learn any techniques; I just couldn't make my own.
So, my best option now is to study technique manuals and learn from them, which ans I'll be using techniques developed by others.
Anyway, getting back to the conversation, I asked Allen, "So, you're putting under house arrest again, right?"
Allen replied, "Sorry, young master, but I have to do it for your own safety."
I knew that wasn't the real reason.
There's no way he's doing it just for my safety.
But it didn't really matter what the reason was a loss is a loss.
Since I lost, I had to honour our deal.
I said, "Alright, I'm leaving now."
Allen nodded as usual.
He really doesn't like talking much.
As I turned to leave, I noticed Ethan in the corner practicing with a katana...
He was swinging his katana in a vertical arc, staying in the sa position while he did it.
Huh? Why does he have a katana? Didn't he prefer sword?
When I first t Ethan, he always used a sword, so seeing him practice with a different weapon was a bit confusing.
But I quickly brushed it off, assuming that since Allen was training him, he must be teaching him the right things.
As I walked toward the entrance, I suddenly rembered sothing. I turned around and saw Allen standing right in front of , as if he had appeared out of nowhere.
"Allen? Why do you keep popping up like a ghost?" I asked, a bit surprised.
He looked at calmly and asked, "Anything, young master?"
"Oh, right," I said, getting straight to the point. "Set up a personal eting with Branda Hilton for this Sunday. If she refuses, tell her my father wants to et her and convince her to agree. Got it?"
"Yes, young master. I'll take care of it," Allen said imdiately.
"Good," I replied, then turned to leave.
I went to the elevator, pressed the button to go up, and waited.
After a minute, the lift arrived.
I got in and pressed the button to go to the upper floor.
In under a minute, the elevator reached its destination.
When the lift doors opened, I walked out into the hallway and headed straight for my room.
Along the way, several maids and bodyguards greeted .
A few minutes later, I reached my room and went inside...
"Damn, I'm really terrible at fighting. I need to focus on improving, or it could beco a serious issue for later."
Just then, my virtual interface popped up with so surprising ssages:
(Ding! Congratulations, host! Your Appraisal skill has been upgraded to Level 3!)
(Ding, Congratulations, host! Your much-awaited skill has been added to your character profile!)
"You can check it now!"
"Perfect timingI was just about to check on that."
I pushed my other thoughts aside and quickly opened my character profile, clicking on the "Skills" section to take a look.
1) **Dash Skill [Level 3]**
2) **Rage Skill [Level 3]**
3) **Horny ter [Level Max]**
4) **Sexual Stimulation [Level 3]**
5) **????? [Level 5]**
What?
Reviews
All reviews (0)