Chapter 162 162: Training wheels

Words : 1574 Updated : Sep 19th, 2025

Noah arrived at the arcade, weaving through the flashing neon lights and the hum of machines. The Elder Genes section was in the far back, a row of sleek VR pods lined up for players looking to immerse themselves in the game. Without hesitation, he stepped into one, the door hissing shut as the system booted up. [Welcome, Shadow Oracle.] A familiar sensation washed over him as he logged in. His avatar materialized—a hooded figure clad entirely in black, exuding an aura of quiet menace. But as always, the game couldn't contain him. Noah's system immediately overrode the game's parameters, seamlessly integrating his real-life stats. [Name: Noah Eclipse] [Level: 10] [Class: Void Oracle] [Health Points: 320/320] [Void Energy: 450/450] [Experience: 1,950/2,000] [Talents:] Void Summoning [SSS RANK] Perfect Echo [Sealed] Self-Regeneration [B RANK] [Enhanced Skills:] Void Blink (Level 4) – Short-range teleportation with moderate cooldown (10 seconds) Null Strike (Level 3) – Added entropy damage, higher energy cost (Void energy - 100) Void Absorption (Level 1) – Absorb basic energy attacks Entropy Touch (Level 1) – Single-target decay effect (Void energy - 50) [Updated Attributes:] Strength: 37 Agility: 43 Vitality: 38 Intelligence: 50 Wisdom: 43 The moment the stats locked in, he felt it—the same power as in real life, unrestricted and raw. The game's code had been rewritten by his system, and nobody was the wiser. 'Alright, let's find a match.' Since his last game had been a tag team fight with Kelvin, this time he was going solo. The matchmaking system loaded, scanning for other level 1 players. [Match Found.] Noah smirked beneath his hood. Unlike the other players who had to rely on their in-game skills, he had the real deal. The screen from the lobby flickered and faded, dissolving into streaks of digital light as Noah's surroundings shifted. The familiar weightlessness of transition passed, and then—solid ground. He materialized inside an arena. The space was massive, an open coliseum with floating platforms suspended mid-air and towering walls designed to prevent easy escape. Spectator stands loomed in the distance, empty for this match. A holographic sky projected shifting clouds, giving the illusion of an endless battlefield. Noah flexed his fingers, feeling the crisp responsiveness of the game's physics engine. It was eerily similar to reality, yet distant. 'In just a few hours, I'll be in a real arena like this... except I won't have access to these abilities.' He exhaled. That was a problem for later. Right now, he could cut loose. Across from him, another player spawned in with a burst of blue pixels. Their avatar was a heavily armored warrior, silver-plated with intricate engravings glowing along the edges of their chest plate. A greatsword rested on their back, nearly as tall as them. Noah's eyes flicked to their name floating above their head—"Iron Fang"—and a small Level 1 tag beside it. 'A tank type, huh?' He smirked. 'Not bad, but let's see how well that armor holds up.' Above them, a translucent countdown appeared, flashing in bold letters. [MATCH STARTING IN 5... 4... 3...] Noah pulled his hood lower, shadows curling at his fingertips. This was going to be fun. Iron Fang wasted no time, lunging forward with a heavy, two-handed Earth Cleave. The moment the blade struck the ground, a massive shockwave erupted, splitting the earth and sending a wave of force toward Noah. 'Damn, that's faster than I expected.' Void Blink. Noah disappeared an instant before the impact, reappearing behind Iron Fang and throwing a sharp jab at the back of his helmet. The hit landed, but the sound was more like punching a solid wall. Titan Guard activated. Noah clicked his tongue and blinked away just as Iron Fang spun around with terrifying speed, swinging his blade in a wide arc. The edge whistled past where Noah had just been. "Fast one, huh?" Iron Fang chuckled. "But you'll have to do better than that." Noah changed tactics. He dashed in and out, landing quick strikes between blinks, focusing on Iron Fang's joints where the armor was weaker. Each hit barely chipped away at the tank's health, but it was adding up. Iron Fang, however, was adapting. When Noah blinked in for another attack, Iron Fang activated Bulwark Stance, raising his defense and slamming his sword down in an overhead smash. Noah dodged, but the impact left a deep crater in the ground, sending dust flying. 'He's trying to limit my movement.' Noah baited him into another heavy attack, then blinked at the last second, appearing beside him and landing a swift combo of strikes to his ribs. Iron Fang's HP: -10 Iron Fang grunted. "Alright, you're pissing me off now." Noah barely had time to react before Iron Fang activated Counter Strike. A sudden burst of energy retaliated the moment Noah's last punch landed. A heavy gauntlet smashed into his stomach, sending him flying backward. He tumbled across the ground, skidding to a stop. Shadow Oracle HP: -10 Noah exhaled sharply. 'Alright, enough playing around.' The next time Iron Fang came in with an attack, Noah didn't dodge. He met the greatsword with his own Void Absorption, catching the edge mid-swing. The sword shimmered as the energy within it was drained, the attack fizzling out. Iron Fang's Strength debuffed by 20%. "What the hell?" Iron Fang muttered. Noah smirked. "Didn't like that?" Before Iron Fang could react, Noah blinked behind him, delivering a precise Entropy Touch to his back. The effect spread instantly—his armor corroding slightly, his HP dropping further. Iron Fang's HP: 48% Iron Fang roared in frustration, activating Iron Will. His body glowed with a red aura, his HP regenerating slightly as he became immune to debuffs. Iron Fang's HP: 63% Noah narrowed his eyes. "Tough bastard." The fight continued at a relentless pace. Noah dodged and countered, forcing Iron Fang into making riskier moves. Eventually, it was clear—Iron Fang was getting desperate. That's when it happened. Earth Cleave! The ground beneath Noah shattered as the powerful attack surged toward him. And that's when he summoned it. Eclipse Blade. A dagger of absolute darkness materialized in his hand, humming with raw entropy. He slashed forward, cutting straight through the shockwave, dispersing the attack like it was never there. Iron Fang's eyes widened. "What the—?" Noah vanished. Void Blink. He reappeared directly in front of Iron Fang. Null Strike. Noah's fist clenched. The air around it distorted, space itself collapsing inward. Iron Fang swung his greatsword in a desperate attempt to block— BOOM! Noah's fist obliterated the blade on impact, canceling its existence entirely. The force carried through, slamming into Iron Fang's chest. For a brief second, there was silence. Then— Iron Fang's HP: 0% His massive body shattered into glowing polygons. VICTORY! Noah exhaled, shaking off the energy. The crowd in the virtual coliseum erupted in cheers. Iron Fang's voice came through the chat, still in shock. "...Yo. What kind of bullshit skill was that?" Noah chuckled. "Trade secret." Iron Fang laughed. "Damn. Alright, I'll give it to you, Shadow Oracle. That was some sick shit." The match results popped up on Noah's screen. +250 EXP +1 Rank It was back to the lobby for him. Noah's vision blurred as the game world faded, replaced by the sleek, neon-lit interface of the Elder Genes lobby. He cracked his knuckles, still feeling the phantom sensation of his last attack. 'Damn. That was fun.' As always, the game made it feel too real—the weight of his punches, the resistance of Iron Fang's armor, the adrenaline rush of a close fight. But none of that mattered as much as what came next. His System Profile. Noah tapped into the menu, expecting to see his usual stats. Instead— [System Update: Level Up!] His eyes widened slightly. It happened again. The same thing that happened the last time he played had just occurred—what he did in Elder Genes reflected in his real-life status. [Noah Eclipse's Updated Stats] [Name: Noah Eclipse] [Level: 11] [Class: Void Oracle] [Health Points: 350/350] [Void Energy: 500/500] [Experience: 250/2,500] [Talents:] • Void Summoning [SSS RANK] • Perfect Echo [Sealed] • Self-Regeneration [B RANK] [Enhanced Skills:] • Void Blink (Level 5) – Short-range teleportation, reduced cooldown (8 seconds) • Null Strike (Level 4) – Increased entropy damage, can ignore minor defenses (Void energy - 100) • Void Absorption (Level 2) – Can now absorb moderate energy attacks • Entropy Touch (Level 2) – Decay effect lasts slightly longer (Void energy - 50) [Updated Attributes:] • Strength: 40 (+3) • Agility: 46 (+3) • Vitality: 41 (+3) • Intelligence: 52 (+2) • Wisdom: 45 (+2) Noah exhaled sharply. 'So it wasn't a fluke.' Every match he won, every fight he dominated inside Elder Genes—it wasn't just for show. It carried over into his real body. His strength, agility, even his skills—they all grew in reality the same way they did in the game. He smirked. 'Looks like I just found my personal grind zone.' If he could level up like this, then the arcade wasn't just a place to blow off steam anymore. It was a training ground. And he had more training to do.

Chapter 162 162: Training wheels

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