Chapter 11 : VR Battle 1

Jax pulled his sword Flowing Strike.

The blade hummed faintly, a vibration running through the air.

When it sliced past her guard, Zoe dropped to her knees, her body trembling from the pain that shot through her nerves.

Her breath was heavy.

Her hands shook as she pressed them on the ground, trying to hold herself steady.

Jax glanced down, eyes cold, and then focused on her stats floating before him.

HP: 200. MP: 550.

He tilted his head.

"Hmm. So your health is still decent, my attack... way too low."

A smirk spread on his lips as he leaned closer.

"Look at you. Where is that arrogance? Where is your ego now? Bending down in front of your opponent like this... is this the great achievement you were boasting about earlier?"

He pressed the edge of Flowing Strike against her neck. The blade made a low hiss against her skin.

She hissed in return, grinding her teeth.

Jax’s eyes glinted.

"I’m not entertained enough yet. Get up. I won’t leave you until I try out a few things on a dummy. And I expect you to give me some proper entertainment."

He pulled the sword back, turned his shoulders, and walked a few steps away like it meant nothing.

Zoe’s eyes went wide. Rage flared through her.

Her spear lay on the ground within arm’s reach. She bit her lip, fingers trembling.

Tssk.

She snatched the spear and exploded forward, aiming the tip straight at Jax’s back — trying to stab him before he could move.

But before the spear could touch him, steel clashed against steel.

Clang!

Without even turning, Jax had raised his sword behind him. Flowing Strike blocked her attack perfectly.

He looked over his shoulder and smirked.

"See? This is the difference between us. You don’t know the mechanics of battle. If you had used your signature skill without moving, you might have had a chance."

He then raised his hand and pointed toward the sun above them.

"Look. The angle of the light."

His finger dropped to the ground, tracing the shadow.

"And look here. Your shadow gave you away. I would never show my back to an opponent unless I had eyes on them. I didn’t need to see you. Your shadow told me everything."

Zoe’s mouth fell open. Her eyes shook in panic.

"How... how can you... you’re cracked... you’re a monster!"

Jax chuckled softly, turning fully to face her.

"Well, tell me something new. I’ve heard that line more times than I can count."

Her grip on the spear tightened. She was still confused, still furious.

Jax casually stepped back.

"Anyway. Let’s continue. I want to test my attacks, measure the damage, and try out some skills. So... my dummy, give me your best."

His tone was mocking, sharp as a whip.

Zoe’s face twisted.

She was angry.

She felt small. Humiliated.A tiny part of her was scared.

"You’ll pay," she spat. "I’ll make you regret making me look weak in front of everyone!"

Jax tipped his chin, grinning."Fine. Show me what you’ve got. But don’t lose your head—anger will mess you up."

At that moment, his HP ticked upward.

HP: 300 → 306.

A slight increase. Two percent gained. He smiled faintly.

Zoe lifted her spear and focused, her energy rising. Her body glowed faintly as she shouted, "Signature Skill: Sky Wrath!"

Bolts of lightning crackled from the heavens.

Energy surged downward, shaking the ground.

Jax moved instantly.

His speed stat activated, his body flickering.

In a blink, he was out of the danger zone.

Still, part of the shockwave clipped him. His body shuddered.

[HP: 306 -30 → 276.]

He frowned for a moment, then nodded.

"So... I can move this fast within two seconds. Noted." His tone was calm, almost mechanical, as if logging every detail into a mental database.

She raised her weapon again. "Sky Wrath!"

The heavens rumbled again.

Jax tilted his head back, glancing at the sky.

He could see the spread of energy forming. He calculated instantly.

The range was wide, but the shortest path out of the radius was clear.

He sprinted just a few steps, sliding out of the area. This time, no damage touched him.

"Perfect." He smirked.

Zoe’s face flushed red. Sweat dripped down her forehead.

"Sky Wrath!" she screamed again, sending more lightning crashing down.

Jax dodged again. Swoosh! His movements were smooth, precise.

Her frustration grew. Her arms trembled as she forced her mana again and again.

"Sky Wrath!"

He avoided every strike. Each time he dodged, his HP ticked up, his regen skill active.

276 → 285. 285 → 293. 293 → 301.

It was subtle, but it was happening.

Zoe panted, her body shaking. Finally, she changed her move.

"Thunder Javelin!"

The spear in her hands glowed, electricity wrapping around it like a storm.

She hurled it with all her strength toward Jax.

The weapon spun in the air, the lightning crackling louder and louder.

But Jax didn’t move. He stood there, his sword lowered, his body relaxed.

Zoe’s eyes widened. "What is he doing? Has he... has he given up?"

The spear approached—closer, closer—then suddenly, everything changed.

Fsshh.

The lightning that had been swirling around the spear vanished in an instant.

The momentum died.

The weapon fell to the ground with a weak clink, no force left in it.

The silence was crushing.

Jax tilted his head, smiling.

"You were no match from the start. Foolish. I thought women had higher IQ than men, but what I saw today changed my perspective."

Her eyes widened further, trembling.

"You... what...?"

He stepped forward slowly.

"You didn’t even glance at your stats. In your blind anger, you spammed your signature skill again and again. All it did was drain your MP. All I had to do was wait. Wait for the right moment to teach you a lesson you won’t forget."

Zoe gasped and looked at her stats.

HP: 200. MP: 0.

Her face drained of color.

"No..."

She hissed, panic in her throat. Desperation pushed her forward as she stumbled toward her fallen spear.

Jax sighed. His voice carried boredom.

"I don’t want this battle to drag on any longer. Time to end it."

He dashed.

She reached for the spear.

Shhhk!

A spray of red burst as his sword sliced her hand clean off.

Her scream tore through the arena.

"Aaaghhh!"

Jax’s eyes gleamed. He muttered under his breath, almost pleased.

"So. Basic attacks of Flowing Strike deal around 20 damage. That’s good enough."

He looked like a maniac. His calmness mixed with cold amusement was terrifying.

Zoe fell to her knees again, clutching her missing arm, her body shaking. A single tear slid down her cheek.

"I failed... father... mother... your daughter was too weak... she couldn’t make it..."

Her voice cracked.

But before she could say another word, Jax raised Flowing Strike.

With one swift slash, shhhk, the blade pierced through her.

HP: 200 → 0.

Her body began to dissolve.

Jax looked down coldly.

"These tricks... the tears, the pleas, the emotions. I used to play those same tricks when I was a kid. Manipulation doesn’t work on me anymore."

Zoe’s body flickered as she disappeared.

Her tears dried up.

Her expression shifted into something else.

A smile.

Her lips curved as her last words echoed in the air.

"We will meet next year."

Then she was gone.