If only there was a way to collect monster cores... Without needing to go out there and do it himself.
"Tch... whatever," Razeal muttered under his breath, brushing the thought aside. "Iâve got bigger things to worry about right now."
First things first he could barely stand still in a fight, physically too weak to keep up. Maybe it was best to stabilize that foundation before worrying about magic. Once he grew stronger, heâd get a magic skill from his treasury anyways... if he could find some way to raise his Mana stat that is.
Determined, he turned his attention to the system.
"System. I think itâs time to head to the E-ranked training ground," he declared. "The ten-times time amplification function will seriously help. I canât afford to waste any more time."
[But will you be able to fight E-ranked opponents?]
Razeal didnât flinch. "Letâs just start. Maybe itâll be hard, but F-ranked monsters? I can handle those with ease now. My Strength and Agility are both at E rank shouldnât be too much of a problem to handle E-ranked monsters now, right?"
[Perhaps. I understand your reasoning, host,] the system answered. [But again, defeating one E-rank monster is one thing. Facing them in increasing numbers could become a serious problem. The challenge escalates each wave. Consider staying a bit longer here to refine yourself further.]
Razeal dismissed the suggestion with a short sigh. "Just do it. Weâll see what happens."
[Very well,] the system replied, finally giving in. [Specify what kind of opponent you wish to face. Terrain? Environment? Conditions?]
"Give me the fastest type of monster in that rank," Razeal said, after a brief moment of thought. "Itâll help sharpen my perception. Also increase the number of injuries I get should help with healing skill proficiency, dodging practice, and itâll let me rack up killing points faster."
He nodded to himself. It might be tough, but if he wanted the fastest growth, there was no better choice.
"As for the terrain and other stuff put it on random. I donât care."
[Understood, host. Initializing transfer.]
A familiar darkness covered his vision. The soft hum of transition, the weightlessness of teleportation, then
Razeal blinked.
He was somewhere else now.
As his eyes adjusted, he realized he stood on a vast, eerie plateau. The air was unnaturally still. Around him, the land stretched as far as he could see, barren and grim. No trees. No signs of life. Just cracked red-gray stone, some scattered pebbles, and silence thick as mist. The sky above was dim and dusky.
The ground beneath him felt solid stone-like, stable, and entirely alien.
[Welcome to the E-Ranked Training Ground. Time amplification active: 10x. One hour here equals ten outside.]
[Current biome: Resonance Plateau.]
[Current Opponent: Skulltrite E-Ranked Stealth-Type Monster. Fastest speed species recorded in Galaxy 6736.]
[Prepare. Opponent will begin attacking in 30 seconds.]
Razealâs eyes twitched.
"Skulltrite?" he muttered. "Never heard of it..."
He scanned the desolate area around him, trying to spot anything that resembled a monster.
Suddenly, something caught his eye.
In the middle of the stone field stood a lone, thin, pole-like structure black, metallic, and rigid rising just about waist high. Razealâs eyes narrowed slightly as he focused.
At first glance, heâd mistaken it for part of the terrain just another chunk of metal stuck in the ground. But then he spotted it.. something lying flat atop the structure.
A small, metallic creature. Barely two feet in length.
It didnât even look alive.
More like... a thin sheet of black metal, its shape resembling a compact, triangular jet. It gleamed faintly under the dull sky, like polished steel.
No eyes. No mouth. No joints. No sign of breath or pulse even. Just an unmoving, unfamiliar object resting silently under the red-gray light.
"...Is that my opponent?" Razeal asked, puzzled, his eyes still fixed on it.
[Yes, host. Itâs the Skulltrite a truly unique creature. Its entire outer body is composed of a strong metallic exoskeleton fiber. It possesses no mouth, no eyes, no nose no sensory functions like sight or smell. Wingless and limbless, its form remains exactly as you see it now: resting.
It perceives and hunts using ultra-sensitive soundwave frequencies to detect its prey. Feeding is done through an absorption method, draining essence from its target directly. One of the most remarkable features is its body composition 97% exoskeleton. It requires only a single meal to survive for thousands of years, absorbing all it needs from one creatureâs life force.
Skulltrites can range in size from one to four feet.]
"...No limbs. Canât see. Canât smell..." Razeal stared at the creature with a grimace, eyes narrowing. "Thatâs not a predator, thatâs a cursed existence... like everything was taken from it."
Despite his comment, he was watching the timer above the creatureâs head tick down steadily..
"Well, it uses soundwave frequency to perceive..." Razeal muttered, mind clicking into place. "Then I guess itâs a battle of perception. Letâs see whose flow is sharper."
Without further hesitation, Razeal activated his flow sensing ability.
Instantly, the world shifted around him.
Threads of white particles vibrated softly in the air, dancing through space like ripples in water. Flow waves extended in every direction, but something caught his eyes.
Razealâs eyes narrowed further as he observed a steady stream of vibrational flow emitting from the black, metallic pole. The creature was releasing constant waves in every direction sound pulses that spread out like invisible ripples in a pond.
Even more shocking, the red-gray stone floor of this environment wasnât absorbing the sound it was amplifying it, bouncing the frequencies far, far away, like a perfectly designed echo chamber.
"...Resonance Plateau," Razeal whispered, recalling the biome name the system had given earlier.
"You gave this monster its perfect hunting ground, huh?" he asked with a sigh.
[Well, you did ask for the fastest opponent. I figured this would suit your goal best.]
Razealâs lips twitched. He didnât argue further. As much as the system had thrown him into a tough spot, it was also perfect for growth. If the Skulltrite could use sound to hunt, then so could he. The same echo chamber that served as its advantage could also serve his perception.
No more time to complain.
The countdown was almost up five seconds left.
"System, give me a sword," Razeal requested, recalling the old manâs words: Use your weapon like itâs an extension of your body. Forget the stance. Forget form. Be so fast and fluid that you donât even need technique.
If he wanted to improve his combat instinct and reaction timing, this was the only way.
A sleek, thin, straight blade materialized in his hand. He gripped it tightly, grounding himself.
3... 2... 1...
The countdown hit zero.
Razealâs eyes locked forward just in time to see the black metallic creature rise slowly from its resting position.
It lifted off the black pole without disturbing the air in the slightest gentle, smooth, and eerily graceful.
Razeal set his stance, tensing his muscles, syncing his blood flow, heightening his perception, both internal and external. He was ready.
Then
"Seeeeeeshhhhh..."
A faint whistling sound whispered through the air. So thin it was nearly imperceptible. Only Razealâs S ranked Keen Hearing allowed him to detect it.
Simultaneously, he felt the sound flow around him distort.
Something was coming. Fast. So fast, it didnât even register as motion just vibration. An anomaly in the flow.
"W-what the fuck damn, thatâs fast!" Razealâs eyes widened. His body screamed to move before his brain could finish the thought.
He instinctively raised his sword, stepping back just as the ripple hit.
And then he saw it.
A black blur.
Sleek, jet-like.
Cutting the air itself. Slim, blade-like, almost invisible to the naked eye.
The Skulltrite shot through the space like a sniperâs bullet, aimed straight for his throat.
Razealâs instincts screamed. His perception flared.
He moved barely. His body was slow, too slow. Still, he managed to bring his sword up, right in the line of fire.
But the creature didnât veer off.
It didnât pause.
It didnât even acknowledge his defense.
His blade met it.
But the sound it made wasnât of metal clashing. It was the sound of something being split.
The creature went through his sword like paper, cleaving straight into the space it had been targeting from the start: his neck.
Razeal didnât even feel pain. Just a sharp jolt, and then
"[Host, you have died.]"
Darkness claimed him.
Just a second later.
Reviving at the same spot, Razeal stood motionless for a few seconds, his jaw slack in disbelief. "What the fuck was that?!" he muttered, eyes still wide as he recalled the moment. That thing.. that metallic creature had sliced straight through his sword as if it were butter, as if his weapon was nothing but air.
[Of course, host. No normal weapon can stop a Skulltrite. Their bodies are composed of ultra-sharp, thin metallic edges. Theyâre often hunted just to craft elitebgrade blades spears, arrows, even daggers. Thatâs how sharp and durable they are,] the system explained calmly.
"So itâs basically a living blade with rocket propulsion... and now Iâm supposed to somehow win against that?" Razeal groaned. "Itâs fast as fuck and cuts through my weapon like paper. How the hell am I even supposed to damage it? Itâs like trying to punch the sharp edge of an axe with a kitchen knife."
Still, he shook his head and calmed himself. "Well... whatever it is, itâs good for practice. It wasnât like I couldnât perceive it. My perception was fine... itâs my body that couldnât react fast enough."
He drew a breath, focus settling. "I need to master my body flow. If I can fix that, my reaction speed will match my perception."
"System," he said firmly, "set it so that the Skulltrite automatically attacks three seconds after I respawn. No delays. Donât waste time."
[Understood, host. Activating auto-respawn and reengagement in 3 seconds upon each death.]
"Yeah, good" Razeal nodded.
And so began the loop Razeal vs. Skulltrite.
Hours passed. Each encounter ended the same way: instant death. Yet Razeal never stopped. Again and again, he revived, faced the same foe, and died. It wasnât a fight anymore it was training.
He never once tried to rely on his obsidian skeleton or his bodyâs natural toughness to block the Skulltrite. He had options, sure like using his limbs as shields. But that would defeat the purpose. He wasnât here to survive; he was here to get stronger.
So he focused on the most important thing: internal mastery.
He began with thought flow the clarity of mind. He trained himself to maintain unwavering focus, to keep his attention solely on what mattered. The sound of the wind, the sound of blood, the silent stillness between his thoughts he mastered them all until distractions melted away.
Then came the control of blood flow. By learning to direct more blood to his muscles, he increased his reaction speed, his explosive strength. His arms moved faster. His legs kicked harder. The delay between mind and motion shrunk.
But the real breakthrough came with mastering his nerve signals.
He trained until there was zero delay between thought and action. No more "knowing" the attack was coming and then reacting late. He reached the point where thought and movement became one. He didnât move his body.. his body moved the moment he wanted it to.
He regulated his oxygen flow too perfect breathing. He created an internal rhythm, syncing breath with movement, so his stamina didnât drain. He wasnât just fighting anymore. He was flowing.
And then there were muscles.
He learned to shift muscle density, tighten or relax fibers instantly. His punches grew heavier. His limbs became tougher. His flexibility increased, and so did his ability to twist, duck, roll, and spring out of nowhere.
Yes, he hadnât mastered it all yet, but he had started. And the improvement was undeniable.
His actions and reactions became faster. Sharper. More fluid. He wasnât the same Razeal who had entered this battlefield.
Even if he hadnât killed the Skulltrite after ten long hours, the real gain wasnât in victory. It was in refinement.
No, he didnât have a weapon that could harm it.
Yes, it was a weapon itself a flying blade with no face, no weakness, no rest.
But each death pushed Razeal closer to something that mattered more than a win:
Mastery.
So all this time, Razeal had been relentlessly focused on one thing mastering his bodyâs reaction and speed.
He could dodge that motherfucker now.
It wasnât as if the thing had gotten any slower. No. It was still as fast as ever, a flying blade in the shape of a triangular metallic sheet, moving like a whisper across air. But now Razeal was different.
Maybe the Skulltrite could still surprise him sometimes, but dodging had become his second nature. His eyes could catch the moment the sound wave shifted. His breath, heart rate, muscle tension all synchronized to flow.
And yet, even beyond the evasion, there was something else heâd gained.
A wide, proud smirk stretched across his face.
A smirk stretched across Razealâs bloodied face, sharp and satisfied. His body was covered in cuts thin, harsh lines crisscrossing his skin, clear marks of close brushes with a razor sharp blade. But none were lethal. Just glancing blows. Places where he almost didnât dodge in time
Yet even that wasnât what he was smiling about.
Because he had figured out something massive.
Something game-changing.
Across the stone-strewn plain, the Skulltrite floated mid-air, twitching ever so slightly before shooting straight toward him with deadly intent. Its sleek, metallic body glinted faintly in the eerie light as it cut through the air like a needle through cloth, heading straight for Razealâs neck.
But Razeal didnât move.
He just stood there.
Calm. Focused.
And then ..impact.
Yet there was no slicing sound. No spray of blood.
Instead, time seemed to slow.
As the Skulltriteâs sharp frame made contact, Razealâs body didnât resist it flowed. He moved with it, caught in its momentum, flying through the air in perfect synchronization. For several meters, he flew alongside the creature like he was part of it.
Almost in slow motion, he spiraled through the air, absorbing the Skulltriteâs speed, redirecting it. He twisted, flipped, and landed in a perfect crouch with a subtle spin, feet skimming the stone plateau like a dancer touching down from a high jump.
He exhaled, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips.
At his neckbwhere the Skulltrite had struck there wasnât even a scratch.
It was like being struck with the edge of a sword... but instead of cutting, it was like being tapped by a dull object and carried by it. Well even better then that. Since no damge
Yes. Razeal had used the Skulltriteâs own flow to dodge its assault.
He didnât fully know how he did it yet. But somehow, he was able to do it now.
Sure, it didnât work every time. Not yet. But even getting it right sometimes was already insane progress.
This wasnât a strength upgrade this was dodging and evasion reaching a godlike level.
Flow mastery. Body synchronization. Instantaneous movement.
If his strength and agility stats were higher, Razeal was sure.. absolutely sure that no one would even be able to touch him.
"System," he called mid-dodge, eyes still locked on the black flash racing toward him again. "Whatâs this Skulltriteâs agility stat? Is it at E rank?"
[Skulltrite of E-rank has an agility stat of D+, Host,] the system replied.
"Damm?!" Razeal shouted, his body twisting aside just as the creature zipped past. "Itâs even higher than its own rank! Thatâs broken!"
[Indeed, host. The Skulltrite is considered the fastest known E-rank species. Currently, you are keeping up with the natural peak of E-rank agility.]
Razeal blinked, stunned for a second.
"And Iâm doing that... while my agility stat is still just E-rank?"
[Correct. That is a massive progression. Your reaction speed and body mastery have risen exponentially. Your body control and reflexes are an impossibility by normal standards. Even if you havenât mastered full-body flow yet, this progression is massive.]
A slow grin curled on Razealâs lips.
"Yeah... I guess I am enjoying it," he said, jumping again. As the Skulltrite aimed for his shoulder this time, he twisted mid-air, flowing with the strike instead of resisting it. It passed him, leaving nothing but the wind in its wake.
He landed with practiced ease.
"Mastering body flow doesnât seem so damn hard now."
[Just because of your top-tier talent, Host,] the system added dryly.
"Yeah yeah... whatever."
But even as they exchanged words, something suddenly shifted.
[Host. Someone is approaching your real body. Exit immediately.]
Before Razeal could even respond, he was forcefully ejected from the training space, everything vanishing in a flash
leaving him blinking back into the real world, alert and ready.
---