“Round Nine - Fight starts in 3...2...”

Time seemed to stop before the countdown ended. Dimitri glanced around the platform, curious to see the floating countdown currently stuck at number two. Just the multi-colored grid lines moved, pulsating everywhere up to the barrier of the platform like a heartbeat.

Dimitri realized that the mysterious system somewhere in his brain granted him an extra layer of vision strikingly similar to that of a color-enhanced x-ray, but different. He could clearly track the differently colored lines and shapes outlining every structure within the simulated platform, including that of the masked figure. Only Mikhail, who hovered steadily beyond the platform, didn’t have any multi-colored lines on him.

Standing at the center of the platform, Dimitri waited for his opponent to move. However, the masked figure simply stood still at the edge of the platform, unmoving as if frozen in time. Oddly, Mikhail appeared similarly frozen as well, his right hand raised midair with his mouth open as though he were about to say something.

Before Dimitri could observe his surroundings any further, the faceless multi-colored outline suddenly detached from the body of the original masked figure and ran towards him. Strangely, the original body of the masked figure remained immobile at the edge of the platform, his eyes still devoid of any emotion.

“Is there something wrong with the combat simulation program?” Dimitri thought, eyeing the static countdown still suspended high above the platform when it should have disappeared by now. Both Mikhail and the masked figure remained motionless at their current positions. Just the faceless multi-colored outline of the original masked figure moved.

”Is this another style of attack?” Switching to a fighting stance, Dimitri held his sword pointed forward with both hands, ready to face another bout of defeat. With his opponent’s ever-changing style of attack, he knew he wouldn’t be able to counter it without sufficient training.

Dimitri noticed the multi-colored faceless figure making weird hand gestures. Just like the original masked figure, his new opponent summoned two clones, one on each side. All three faceless figures were now positioned in a straight line.

Unlike the summoned clones of the original masked figure in the previous rounds, the bodies of the newly summoned clones in this round appeared see-through. Their transparent reddish outlines distinguished them from the multi-colored faceless figure in the middle.

By the time the two clones appeared, all three faceless figures immediately lost their momentum, now seemingly running in slow-mo.

At the center of the platform, Dimitri kept still and waited, carefully watching his three opponents from afar. He could clearly detect the movements of the multi-colored figure, constantly switching positions with his two clones.

Based on his experience with the previous rounds, Dimitri instantly knew that his main enemy was the multi-colored faceless figure, the only non-see-through opponent among the three. The two red clones seemed to be merely smokescreens, designed mainly as diversions.

As all three opponents got nearer, Dimitri discovered an anomaly. All three faceless figures left some static clones behind them as they started to spread out, marking their previous positions. Each marked clone resembled a dot connected by a line segment that traced their every move.

Ignoring the trajectory of the other two clones, Dimitri focused solely on the highlighted movements of the multi-colored figure now flanking his left side.

One of the two clones hit Dimitri head-on. But upon contact, that same clone disintegrated into red particles. It looked like the clone had turned into the smoke that engulfed Dimitri fully in the previous rounds.

Simultaneously, the multi-colored faceless figure on Dimitri’s left immediately jumped high up, unsheathing his saber, his strike aimed at Dimitri’s nape.

Just as the saber of the multi-colored figure nearly hit Dimitri’s nape, Dimitri dodged quickly, shoving his sword into his opponent’s left chest. He could feel the friction as his sword penetrated his opponent’s chest as though he were piercing through a real, living body. After being impaled by Dimitri’s sword, the multi-colored faceless figure limped before disintegrating into particles.

“Round Nine - Victory!”

Before Dimitri could even process what had happened, all three faceless figures vanished along with every multi-colored grid line and shapes outlining the entire platform.

“I highly suggest that you rest after this round.” Dimitri heard Mikhail’s voice say. He turned towards the now moving AI butler with confusion, sensing the normal flow of time.

“Round Nine - Fight starts in 3...2...1!”

With a baffled look, Dimitri promptly looked up upon hearing the already familiar automated female voice.

“Didn’t I just finish round nine?”

***

“Round Nine - Victory!”

“Level One - Complete!”

“I won?” Dimitri stared at his slowly vanishing opponent now lifeless after being impaled mid-air by his sword. The original masked figure’s style of attack looked eerily similar to that of the multi-colored faceless figure he faced earlier. “Deja vu?”

“I don’t think so.” Dimitri thought, tapping on the mysterious system’s sword icon that solely he could see. “I highly doubt that this is a dream, either.”

“So that’s how it works?” Still standing at the center of the platform, he realized that his first round nine victory earlier probably merely happened in his mind, like a premonition of how the masked figure would attack.

[Combat Simulation Program Active]

“Did that black ball hack this training program?” Dimitri eyed the system prompt thoughtfully, subconsciously rubbing his chin. His virtual sword had long been gone along with his opponent. Only the semi-transparent barrier remained at the edge of the platform.

Among the two icons displayed on the virtual screen, solely the sword icon seemed active, the lightbulb icon still grayed out. Had the gear icon not been constantly stuck at 2 o’clock, Dimitri would most likely have forgotten about this mysterious system.

Although Dimitri had a few suspicions of his real identity, his prior medical examinations had already ruled out the possibility of him being an AI or a cyborg. The tiny metal implant he had somewhere in his body was merely the Council’s way of keeping a leash on him.

Dimitri felt certain that the black ball inside that white sphere located somewhere in his brain was some kind system. As to how he knew, he didn’t know. He could simply feel it in his gut.

“Congratulations, Dimitri!” Mikhail cheered, clapping his hands. “You have completed Level One.

“As you probably know by now, you will only need to defeat your opponent once to proceed to the next level.” Mikhail explained. “Otherwise, you will completely be stuck in a loop.”

“Do you want to advance to Level Two right now?” Mikhail asked. “Or would you rather rest first?”

“Proceed!”