The familiar hum of the training room greeted Kaiden as he stepped inside, the faint glow of the lights casting long shadows on the walls. He stretched his arms, feeling the tension in his muscles from his earlier training sessions. His mismatched eyes—one gold, one blue—gleamed with focus as he glanced at the Level 10 Bot in the center of the room.
"This time," he muttered to himself, "I'm not holding back."
He took a deep breath and activated Transparent World, the world around him sharpening into a vivid display of Flow energy. The bot's Flow was vibrant and steady, its movements calculated and efficient. Kaiden grinned.
"Let's see if I can figure you out."
The Fight Begins
The bot sprang into action, its metal body moving with frightening precision. Its twin swords gleamed under the artificial light as it lunged at Kaiden, aiming for his chest.
Kaiden sidestepped the attack, his own Flow subtly adjusting his speed. His shortsword flicked out in a counterattack, clanging against the bot's blade. Sparks flew as they exchanged blows, each strike testing Kaiden's reflexes and strategy.
But Kaiden wasn't just fighting. He was observing.
With Transparent World, he could see the Flow coursing through the bot's limbs, fueling its movements. It was fascinating—and frustrating. The bot seemed to adapt to his attacks almost instantly, adjusting its Flow to counter him.
A Curious Observation
As the battle continued, Kaiden noticed something strange. Every time the bot adapted to his moves, its Flow would slow down for a fraction of a second. It wasn't much, but it was enough to catch his attention.
"What's that about?" Kaiden muttered, dodging another slash. He watched closely, his mismatched eyes narrowing as he analyzed the Flow.
Then it hit him.
It's not just slowing down—it's reacting to me. And not just to my attacks... but to my Flow.
Kaiden's lips curled into a smirk. "So that's how you work."
He decided to test his theory. As the bot swung its blade again, Kaiden deliberately adjusted his own Flow, pulling it inward and slowing it just enough to remain contained within his body. The effect was immediate.
The bot's attack faltered, its movements less fluid. Kaiden stepped in, his shortsword slashing across its chest. Sparks erupted from the bot's torso as it staggered backward, and Kaiden couldn't help but grin.
"It's like I'm feeding it... but not really," he murmured.
Discovering Resonance
As the fight continued, Kaiden refined his strategy. Every time he slowed his Flow, he noticed something peculiar: a small portion of the bot's Flow seemed to resonate with his own, like an echo.
The more he focused on this connection, the clearer it became. His attacks became easier to read, his reactions faster. For every quarter of the bot's Flow he mirrored, he gained a fleeting understanding of its movements, like he was syncing with it.
He called this phenomenon Resonance.
But there was a cost.
The Downsides
Kaiden noticed that using Resonance drained his reserves significantly. Every time he reached 25% synchronization with the bot, his Flow reserves would dip sharply. And while the benefits were undeniable, the power only lasted for a minute.
When the minute was up, Kaiden's Flow shut down entirely. His body felt sluggish, and his movements dulled.
"Great," he muttered, leaning on his shortsword as the bot reset for another round. "It's useful, but it's gonna get me killed if I can't manage it."
He took a few deep breaths, letting his reserves recover. The system reset itself after 30 minutes, but that downtime was a glaring weakness.
Perfecting the Technique
Kaiden wasn't one to dwell on weaknesses, though. He had learned the hard way that in a fight, you adapted—or you died.
Once his Flow had returned, he stepped back into the ring, activating Resonance again. This time, he focused on controlling his own Flow more carefully, using just enough to trigger the effect without overloading himself.
The bot moved faster now, its twin blades slicing through the air with terrifying precision. But Kaiden was faster.
Using the first three forms of Vanguard's Grip, Kaiden turned the tide of the battle.
First Form: Sentinel's Stand allowed him to deflect the bot's strikes with perfect precision, his blade meeting each attack at the exact angle needed to redirect the force.Third Form: Crescent Guard gave him the agility to slip past the bot's defenses, his movements fluid and unpredictable.Fifth Form: Echo Strike let him mimic the bot's attacks with uncanny accuracy, each swing of his shortsword mirroring the bot's twin blades.
By the time the minute was up, the bot was staggering, its once-perfect movements faltering. Kaiden delivered the final blow with a clean slash across its chest, sending it toppling to the ground.
Reflections
Kaiden stood over the defeated bot, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. Transparent World faded, and the room returned to its normal dim glow.
"That... was something," Kaiden muttered, wiping the sweat from his brow.
He sheathed his shortsword and sat on the floor, his back against the wall as he replayed the fight in his mind. Resonance was powerful, but its limitations were clear. He needed to refine it, to learn how to use it without exhausting himself.
Still, the potential was undeniable. Every time he used Resonance, he felt like he was tapping into something deeper—a connection to his opponents that went beyond physical combat.
"Guess I've got a lot to work on," Kaiden said with a grin, already planning his next steps.
Decisions
Kaiden spent the next few hours alternating between practicing Vanguard's Grip techniques and experimenting with Resonance. He pushed his limits, testing how far he could go before his reserves were depleted.
By the time he was done, his body ached, but his mind was sharp. He had a plan now—a way to grow stronger, to evolve.
As he left the training room, he couldn't help but smirk. "Just keep getting stronger," he muttered to himself. "That's all I've gotta do."
End of Chapter 67
Kaiden discovers the potential of Resonance, a new technique that allows him to sync with his opponents' Flow to gain an edge in battle. But with its limitations and risks, he knows he has a long way to go before mastering it.
To be continued...