The morning air was cool, the faint scent of dew still hanging in the atmosphere as Alex completed his early jog. His breath came steady and measured, the rhythmic pounding of his shoes on the pavement slowly fading into silence as he returned to his apartment. The jogs had become part of his daily routine, keeping his body conditioned as he focused on mastering both hand-to-hand combat and the Flowstrike technique. But today was different.
Today, Alex felt it was finally time to push himself to the next level. The weeks of practice had built his foundation, but he knew it wasn't enough. There was still an untapped potential within him, something only the smart mode could unlock. He had been hesitant before, cautious of overloading his mind, but now he was ready to see just how far he could push his mental abilities.
After a quick shower and a light breakfast, Alex sat cross-legged in the center of his living room, the quiet stillness of the space settling around him like a cocoon. His mind was calm, focused. He was going to engage smart mode—a state that heightened his mental processing, allowing him to simulate complex scenarios and absorb an overwhelming amount of information in a short period of time. But it came with a price: intense mental fatigue and the risk of pushing himself too hard.
This time, he was prepared for that.
Closing his eyes, Alex took a deep breath and let his consciousness slip into that familiar place where his thoughts began to accelerate. The world around him fell away, and suddenly everything was sharper, clearer. He could feel the subtle shift in his mind as his brain started processing data at an incredible speed. The clarity was almost intoxicating.
The first thing he did was summon the image of his sparring partners from the gym—their movements, their fighting styles, every subtle shift in their weight and stance. He visualized them standing before him in a vast, open terrain. But he didn't stop there. His mind created different terrains: urban streets with narrow alleys, dense forests with thick undergrowth, and even vast deserts with blinding sunlight. In each environment, his opponents moved, adapted, and attacked, just as they would in real life.
The first round began.
He could see every punch coming, his mental speed allowing him to dodge and counter. But no matter how quick his reactions were, his body in the simulation was sluggish, stiff. It felt like he was moving through water, his strikes lacking the fluidity he needed. His mental strength allowed him to anticipate the moves, but his body couldn't keep up with the precision his mind demanded.
The first opponent, a brawler with fast fists, landed a series of blows to Alex's torso. He grunted, the pain flashing through his mind even though it wasn't real. He had lost the round.
But the beauty of smart mode was that he could reset. Immediately, the simulation restarted, and Alex faced his opponent again, this time more determined. He made adjustments to his technique, focusing on footwork and timing. The fight played out differently, with him managing to dodge more punches, but still, he wasn't fast enough. His body was too rigid, too slow to execute the mental commands he was sending.
He fell again. Reset.
This time, the terrain changed. They were in a dense forest now, his opponent using the trees for cover, launching ambush attacks from behind the foliage. Alex could sense the danger coming, but moving through the underbrush slowed him down. He was caught in a trap and beaten down again.
Reset.
With each failure, Alex learned something new. He adjusted, adapted. But it wasn't just about dodging punches anymore—he was simulating the environment, understanding how to use his surroundings, how to anticipate ambushes, how to handle surprise attacks. Each new scenario tested different aspects of his fighting ability. He wasn't just sparring; he was surviving.
As the hours ticked by, the scenarios grew more intense. His mental sparring partners became more aggressive, using advanced techniques, coming at him with weapons, or setting up ambushes. He fought in the narrow streets of a simulated city, dodging attacks from the shadows of buildings, moving through alleyways with precision. In the desert, he had to adjust to the heat and the blinding sun, all while evading a sniper hidden in the dunes.
But no matter how much he improved, his body was always a step behind his mind. His strikes lacked power. His movements were too rigid. It was as if his brain was two steps ahead, but his body refused to follow.
Finally, after hours of repeated beatdowns and resets, Alex felt the toll on his mind. His thoughts were slowing, the mental fatigue hitting him like a wave. His clarity was fading, and his ability to simulate scenarios began to falter. The once-crisp images became blurry, and the opponents he faced were now a shadow of their former selves.
He exhaled deeply, opening his eyes as he came out of smart mode. His body was drenched in sweat, though he hadn't moved an inch physically. His mind was exhausted, the intense strain leaving him feeling drained, but oddly satisfied.
He had pushed himself to his limit today, and although he hadn't achieved perfection, he had gathered valuable data. The experience of fighting in different environments, facing a variety of opponents, and surviving ambushes had all been burned into his mind.
But more than anything, Alex realized that it wasn't just about the mind. His body needed work—more flexibility, more strength, more fluidity. He couldn't rely on mental strength alone. The Tai Chi training and flexibility exercises would help, but there was still a long way to go before his body could match the speed and precision of his mind.
And so, after a short rest, Alex stood up. The challenge wasn't over. He would continue to train his body, improve his techniques, and find the balance between mind and body. But for now, it was time to move on to the next phase of his training.
Firearms.
He had already crammed every bit of knowledge about guns, aiming, and ballistics into his mind. But just like with martial arts, knowing wasn't enough. He had to experience it.
With a determined look in his eyes, Alex grabbed his jacket and headed out the door.