The holographic projection of Astaroth stood motionless, golden eyes gleaming with an eerie glow.
This wasn't the real Astaroth—just a combat simulation, a fraction of the true warrior's strength, crafted by the System's battle history algorithm.
Yet, even in this weakened form, the phantom radiated danger.
Ren tightened his grip on his black sword.
[System Alert: Combat Training Simulation Activated]
[Opponent: Astaroth Von Helbrecht (Weakened Form – 30% Power)]
[Objective: Survive for 5 Minutes OR Land a Critical Strike]
Ren exhaled.
He wasn't here to just survive.
He was here to win.
The phantom of Astaroth moved first.
One moment, he was standing still.
The next, he was already in front of Ren.
His golden greatsword came down in a devastating arc.
Ren barely managed to activate Blink Step, teleporting three meters to the left just in time.
BOOM!
The impact shattered the ground where he had just been standing.
The force sent shockwaves outward, making Ren stumble mid-air even after teleporting.
He barely had time to land before—
The phantom vanished again.
Ren's instincts screamed.
He pivoted, bringing up his sword in a last-second parry.
CLANG!
The collision sent him flying backward, tumbling across the pavement.
[HP: 35/120]
Ren gritted his teeth. He's not even real, and he's still this strong?
This was a 30% power version of Astaroth. Just 30%.
And it was still pushing him to his limits.
If he wanted to stand a chance in a real rematch, he had to get better. Fast.
Ren wiped the sweat from his brow and forced himself back to his feet.
Astaroth's phantom was faster, stronger, and completely relentless.
But it wasn't invincible.
Ren had fought him before.
And that meant—he had data.
[Skill Activation: Accelerated Perception]
The moment Astaroth moved again, time slowed.
Ren focused.
Every motion, every shift in stance, every micro-adjustment in the phantom's footing—Ren memorized it.
Astaroth fought like a king. A god. A warrior trained in the divine arts of battle.
He was efficient, precise, and absolute.
Ren wasn't.
He was reckless, fast, unpredictable.
And that was his only edge.
Astaroth lunged again, his sword glowing with golden fire.
Ren didn't dodge.
Instead—he moved in.
The phantom swung, but Ren blinked at the last second, teleporting not away—
—but directly behind him.
The phantom froze for a fraction of a second.
Ren struck.
His Void Slash cut across the phantom's back, slicing through its form.
[Direct Hit!]
[Critical Damage: -20% Phantom HP]
The phantom staggered.
Ren grinned. That's right. You weren't expecting that, were you?
He didn't fight like a knight.
He fought like a survivor.
And survivors didn't play fair.
Ren needed to move faster.
He activated Blink Step again, teleporting between different vantage points—
Left. Right. Above. Behind.
He moved erratically, forcing the phantom to constantly adjust its attack patterns.
This was the key.
He couldn't fight Astaroth head-on.
He had to make it so Astaroth couldn't hit him at all.
His teleportation became sharper, smoother, more instinctive.
His mind was calculating distances without thinking.
His body was adapting to the strain.
[Skill Level Up: Blink Step → LVL 3]
[Teleportation range increased to 12m]
The phantom of Astaroth grew irritated.
It stopped attacking wildly and adjusted its strategy.
Ren smirked. Too late.
He had already figured out the pattern.
He let the phantom attack, dodging at the very last second, forcing it to overextend.
And then—he struck.
A final Blink Step put him right above the phantom.
Ren brought his sword down, activating Void Slash at full power.
SHHHK!
The blade cleaved through the phantom's chest, distorting its form.
[Critical Strike!]
[Simulation Terminated – Victory Achieved]
The phantom dissolved into nothingness.
Ren landed softly, his sword humming with residual mana.
He was breathing hard. Exhausted.
But he had done it.
He had won.
[You have defeated a high-level combat simulation opponent for the first time!]
[Achievement Unlocked – Phantom Slayer]
[New Title Acquired – The One Who Defies Fate]
Ren blinked.
A title?
He checked the description.
[Title: The One Who Defies Fate]
You have survived where you were meant to die.
The gods may have abandoned you, but you refuse to break.
Grants +10% resistance to divine-based attacks.
Ren exhaled slowly.
This wasn't just about getting stronger.
This was about defying something greater.
The Celestial Order wanted him gone.
Astaroth had been ordered to kill him.
And yet, here he stood—alive, growing, fighting.
He wasn't just surviving anymore.
He was breaking the very fate that had been assigned to him.
Ren sat down, letting his body rest.
He had taken his first real step toward mastery.
But it wasn't enough.
If Astaroth had been at full power, he would have died instantly.
So he needed to keep pushing.
[Skill Development Options Unlocked]
[Mana Edge can evolve into…]
Void Edge – Slices through space itself. Can sever mana-based attacks.
Phantom Blade – Creates an afterimage strike with every slash.
Ren grinned.
The system was offering him new paths to power.
And he was going to take all of them.
Far Away… Astaroth Smirks
Back in the Celestial Spire, Astaroth sat on a floating throne, watching the combat recording.
He watched as Ren outmaneuvered his phantom.
As he adapted, evolved, survived.
Astaroth chuckled.
"Well then… this is getting interesting."
His golden eyes gleamed.
"Let's see how far you go, Forgotten One."