Chapter20-Fighting With the dummies

"Start!"

When I heard Allen's voice, I sprinted forward without a second thought, daggers in hand.

I quickly reached the robot and leaped into the air, aiming for its neck. 

Just as my dagger was about to slice it, the green light on the robot's forehead suddenly brightened, showing it was fully activated.

To my shock, the robot moved with surprising agility, stepping back and dodging my attack. 

'What? How did it?'

Still in mid-air, I felt a powerful force slam into my stomach. 

I looked down to see...

The giant robot had punched me.

The blow was so strong that I coughed up saliva and got thrown into the corner of the training room.

Gasping for breath, I clutched my stomach and struggled to stand up. Allen watched silently, his expression unreadable. 

I couldn't tell if he was concerned or just observing, but his calm demeanor somehow fueled my determination.

Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I focused on the robot. 

'This guy... Is he really an Iron-Rank?'

It stood there, ready and waiting for my next move.

I was really surprised by its speed and fighting skills. 

They were way too fast for me. 

When I was fighting it, it felt like I was up against someone of a much higher rank. 

The difference between us was huge, from strength to agility. 

I couldn't match anything it did. 

It was like I was a deer trying to escape from a lion, or in this case, a robot. 

To counterattack against his agility and strength, I needed to be smarter, not just faster.

Remembering what little I knew about fighting, I decided to change my approach.

I circled the robot, trying to find an opening. 

It turned to face me, its movements surprisingly smooth for such a large machine. 

I feinted to the left, then quickly darted to the right, aiming for its leg this time. 

If I couldn't take it down with a direct hit, maybe I could slow it down.

There was also another reason I targeted its legs. 

The dummies followed certain regulations, and three of them were crucial. 

First, a robot could only take 100 hits before it automatically shut down. 

Secondly, it will recognize you as its opponent only when you emit a certain level of killing intent towards it. As for how they can sense it, only they and the company that made them know.

Thirdly, the more you hit a certain part of the robot, the slower that part becomes. 

That's why I focused on its legs.

My dagger scraped against the metal, but before I could pull away, the robot reacted, swinging its arm down towards me. 

I rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the blow. 

The impact of its fist left a dent in the floor where I'd been standing.

I thought everything was going according to plan until the robot's next move caught me completely off-guard.

Unexpectedly, the robot changed its attack pattern, using its leg instead of its hands to kick in my direction.

'Oh no.'

I crossed my arms to block it, but the force was too strong. 

I was thrown a few meters away, landing hard on the floor. 

'Shit, My arms.'

Pain shot through my body, and I realized my arms were broken. 

They were completely numb, leaving me paralyzed.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a bottle flying towards me. 

I caught it instinctively and looked up to see Allen standing there, his expression as blank as ever. 

He had thrown the bottle, but there was no concern in his eyes. 

Ignoring him, I focused on the bottle and immediately drank the healing potion.

To my amazement, within seconds, my arms started to feel normal again. 

The pain vanished, and I could move my both hands again.

Confused by how fast it worked, I glanced at the bottle and noticed something I had missed earlier. 

The healing potion was Ace-ranked. That explained why my injuries healed so quickly.

Now fully recovered, I turned my attention back to the robot. 

The battle wasn't over yet, but at least I had a second chance.

After a lot of thinking, I decided that to hit the robot at close range, I'd have to take many hits from it. 

But who cares? 

As long as I have healing potions, I won't die, right?

Fuck, fuck, I have to do it. 

I have no other choice. 

But the pain... 

I know my injuries will heal, but that doesn't mean I won't feel any pain when it hits me.

I sighed.

'Let's do it.' 

With renewed energy, I dashed towards the robot, determined to hit it as many times as I could.

***

"Yes, I did it!"

After three hours of non-stop fighting, I finally hit the robot for the 100th time. It wavered for a second, then fell to the ground with a loud bang.

Panting heavily, I noticed I wasn't doing great either. Every muscle in my body screamed with exhaustion, and I struggled to remain standing on the ground.

Looking back on the intense fight, I was amazed at how many healing potions I had used. 

It felt like I had downed about 20 of them, but only two were the top-tier Ace-Rank. 

I saved those for when the robot really did some damage, like breaking my spine and leg. 

The other times, I stuck to Gold or Platinum-ranked potions to keep myself in the game.

Looking down at my hands, I noticed they were in perfect shape.

Even though they looked fine on the outside, my hands felt like they had been shattered and fixed countless times. 

Surprisingly, I had gotten used to the rough combat style of the dummies, seeing them as just brutes, average-minded opponents.

I let go of the daggers, allowing them to drop to the ground with a clatter.

Glancing at Allen, who stood motionless, I wondered how the hell he could stay in the same spot without moving for so long.

'How can someone stand in the same spot for hours? Couldn't you have at least sat down to relax, dude?'

Disregarding his unmoving figure, I signaled for another potion. 

Without a word, Allen tossed the bottle to me, and I caught it with practiced ease. 

Hastily uncorking it, I downed the potion, paying no mind to its rank. 

After draining the potion, I collapsed onto the floor, exhausted and breathless. 

"Hey Allen, can you set up more dummies?" I asked, trying to catch my breath.

"Sure thing, Young Master," Allen responded, before heading off to do as I asked.

I couldn't shake off the feeling of dissatisfaction with my current training. Sure, I had improved, but it was far from enough. Any regular Iron-Rank Hunter could have landed 100 blows on a dummy within 30 minutes, but it took me ten times longer. 

I felt like the weakest Iron-Hunter in history, and that thought gnawed at me. I needed to train harder, push myself further. 

I couldn't settle for mediocrity. 

I had to become the strongest, no matter the cost.

I won't be weak like I was before. 

I won't make the same mistake twice. 

This time, I'll be the villain.

As I pondered my past, unwelcome memories resurfaced, souring my mood

"Bitch," I muttered under my breath, frustration bubbling within me.

Shaking off the negativity, I pushed those memories aside, focusing on the tasks at hand. 

There were more pressing matters demanding my attention than dwelling on the past.

With adrenaline burning in my veins, I slowly rose to my feet, clutching both daggers tightly. 

Ahead of me, Allen had already set up the dummies, signaling if I was ready to start. 

I signaled back, my resolve firm.

As Allen uttered "Start!" once more, another robot sprang to life, charging at me with a threatening demeanor. 

However, this time, I was prepared.

As the robot closed in, its right fist aimed straight for my face, just as I had predicted. 

Reacting swiftly, I ducked under the powerful blow, feeling the rush of wind as it passed inches above my head.

Seizing the moment, I lunged forward and slashed at its left leg with my dagger, the blade slicing through the metal with a satisfying clang. 

However, I knew my strike wasn't enough to take down the towering machine.

Anticipating its counterattack, I sprang backward, narrowly evading the swift kick that followed. 

'That was close.'

With a thud, the robot's foot collided with the ground where I had been standing just moments before.

As I landed a few meters away from the robot, I quickly assessed the situation. 

It was crucial to maintain a safe distance and plan my next move carefully.

'Here we go again.'

***

'Anybody help me... Anybody.'

There were robots scattered everywhere, next to me, collapsed and shut down.

Yeah, you're right.

I defeated them, but at what cost?

I can't fucking get up.

Why?

'I'm too tired.'

I was totally exhausted, lying flat on the floor, soaked in sweat, and too drained to budge an inch.

The minutes seemed to melt away, and I couldn't keep count of how many healing potions I'd chugged down.

But one thing was certain: I had faced five robots after the first one, and this time, I managed to defeat them in less time than before. 

Yes, I know I said I have no idea how much time has passed, but somehow I feel like I defeated them a little faster.

Fighting against these guys is making my movements smoother. That's really good.

It felt like I was getting better and better with each fight, and even though I was dead tired, I felt a little proud of myself.

I wanted to shout in happiness, but I couldn't. I felt so tired that even talking seemed impossible.

Out of nowhere, Allen's voice cut through my exhaustion. 

"Great work, young master. You've gotten better since your last fights," he said, coming closer with a slight hint of smile in his face. 

But it vanished quickly, and he went back to his serious expression.

Did he just smile, or was it my tired mind playing tricks on me? 

But I couldn't think about it too much. I was too tired to focus on anything else.

Ignoring Allen, I rolled over on the floor to face away from him, seeking a moment of respite. 

Bringing my right hand up to my face, I fumbled to open the watch strapped to my wrist, desperate to check the time.

...

Name: Michael Frostburne

Total Rules Broken: 1

Current Rules Broken: 0

Time: 12:35 AM

Year: 2130

Rank: Iron-Rank Hunter

...

Seriously...