I Refuse the Tragic Ending

When Kael and Elias arrived at the Combat Simulation Chamber, they found several students already waiting outside.

The facility appeared to be popular.

Some students carried swords strapped to their backs. Others held magical staff, spears, or other training weapons. A few stood in small groups, discussing their recent results with obvious excitement. One student was loudly complaining about getting knocked unconscious by a simulated monster while another insisted that the simulation had been unfair.

Kael listened for a moment.

Apparently, the Combat Simulation Chamber was more than just a place to practice swordsmanship. Students used it to test combat techniques, study different fighting styles, and prepare for actual missions.

That made Kael even more interested.

Back on Earth, realistic combat simulations were already becoming more sophisticated, but nothing he had ever seen could compare with what existed in this world.

Then again, Earth did not have magic.

Kael glanced at the entrance.

”So this is where the academy lets students get beaten without actually killing them.”

Elias blinked.

”That is one way to describe it.”

Kael shrugged.

”I’m just appreciating the concept.”

Elias laughed before pointing toward a counter near the entrance.

”Let’s go there to present our recommendation letters and get our identification passes.”

”Right.”

They approached the counter. A female staff member accepted their recommendation letters and examined them carefully. After confirming their authorization, she entered their information into a crystal device.

A few moments later, two identification passes were handed to them.

”Keep these with you while using the facility,” the staff member explained. ”Your access level is recorded on the Identification Pass. Do not attempt to use a chamber above your authorized level. When you enter the chamber, you’ll meet one of my co-staff members. They will guide you about your authorized rank.”

Kael nodded.

”Understood.”

The two of them approached the entrance. A magical crystal embedded beside the door suddenly lit up. Kael placed his identification pass against it. A soft chime sounded.

Access granted.

The heavy doors opened. Kael stepped inside and stopped. His eyes widened slightly. The facility was far larger than he had expected.

A massive circular chamber occupied the center of the room. The walls were reinforced with multiple layers of magical formations, each one overlapping another. Runes covered sections of the floor, while enormous crystal pillars stood around the perimeter.

The entire structure reminded Kael of something between a high-tech laboratory and a fantasy dungeon.

He slowly looked around.

”So this is the Combat Simulation Chamber?”

His eyes lit up.

Elias noticed immediately.

”You look excited.”

”Of course I am.”

Kael stared at the formations.

He had expected something similar to a training room with stationary targets and magical dummies. This was completely different. The academy had essentially created a controlled battlefield. And if Elias explanation a while ago was correct, the facility could generate opponents with different physical characteristics, combat styles, and levels of strength.

Kael almost laughed. This world really did have cheat-level infrastructure. Back on Earth, he would have called something like this a ridiculous piece of science fiction. Here, it was apparently just another academy facility.

Elias looked around as well.

”This place is huge.”

Kael nodded.

”The academy must have spent a fortune building it.”

”Probably.”

Kael glanced at the massive formations.

”Actually, calling it a fortune might be an understatement.”

A female staff member approached them.

”Training?”

”Yes.”

Kael remembered what the staff member at the counter had told them. This must be the guide she mentioned.

The woman glanced at their identification passes before nodding.

”Alright, let me guide you through the basics. First, did you notice the gold numbers displayed on your passes? Those are called AP, or Authority Points.”

Kael looked down at his identification pass.

The gold numbers were indeed displayed prominently on its surface. At the moment, the number twenty-five was displayed.

”One hour inside the training chamber costs 10 AP,” the guide continued. ”You can also use AP to increase your authority level. Since this is your first visit, your authority level starts at Level 1.”

She raised one finger.

”At Level 1, your access is limited to the first floor. You are not authorized to enter the second floor or any area beyond it. As your authority level increases, more facilities and training options will become available to you.”

Kael listened carefully, committing the information to memory.

The system sounded simple enough.

Earn or receive AP, then spend it on training time and authority upgrades.

At least there was no complicated currency system to figure out.

The guide continued explaining the rules, including the basic restrictions, available facilities, and how their identification passes were used to record their access and expenditures.

After several minutes, she finally stopped.

”That should cover the basics. Do you have any questions?”

Kael and Elias exchanged a brief glance.

”No,” Elias answered. ”I think we understand the authority system and how the identification passes work.”

Kael nodded.

”Yeah. But where do we go to actually start the simulation?”

The guide pointed toward a nearby control terminal.

”You can configure everything from there. You can choose your opponent, adjust the difficulty, and select the type of training you want. You can also choose whether you want to train alone or with a group.”

Kael nodded.

”Got it.”

He walked toward the terminal.

The moment his fingers touched its smooth crystal surface, a translucent interface appeared in the air before him.

Kael almost curses for not knowing this simulation chamber actually existed. When he was playing the game, he was too focused on conquering the heroines and the game. And yeah, the big part of neglect was due to the protagonist’s insane talent.

COMBAT SIMULATION

Construct Opponent Type:

Human

Beast

Monster

Combat Style:

Sword

Spear

Axe

Unarmed

Archery

Magic

Mixed

Opponent Rank:

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Expert

Attribute Adjustment:

Strength

Agility

Vitality

Mana

Behavior:

Aggressive

Defensive

Balanced

Adaptive

Kael stared at the options. A grin slowly appeared on his face.

”This is perfect.”

Elias leaned over his shoulder.

”What are you going to choose?”

Kael didn’t answer immediately. He studied the interface carefully. The options were almost too convenient.

On Earth, if someone wanted to practice fighting against a specific type of opponent, there were obvious limitations. A person could spar with another person, use training dummies, watch recordings, or rely on virtual simulations. But none of those options could perfectly reproduce the experience of fighting an opponent who could actually attack back the way you want.

This facility could.

Kael’s expression became thoughtful. He had spent several days practicing the Returning Tide Sword.

He had memorized the seven forms. He had repeated the footwork until the movements stopped feeling completely foreign. And he had practiced against stationary targets until he could execute the techniques without consciously thinking about every movement.

But there was one problem. A stationary target didn’t fight back. That meant Kael still didn’t know whether he truly understood the technique.

He knew the forms, but that wasn’t the same as knowing how to fight. His previous life on Earth had taught him one important lesson.

Knowing something in theory and being able to apply it under pressure were two completely different things.

You could watch hundreds of videos about swimming and still panic the moment you were thrown into deep water.

The same principle applies here. Kael needed an actual opponent. But he also needed to be smart about it. If he selected an opponent that was too weak, the training would accomplish very little.

If he selected an opponent that was too strong, he might spend the entire session getting beaten down without learning anything useful.

He needed a controlled progression.

First, he wanted to test whether the Returning Tide Sword worked against an actual moving opponent.

Then he could increase the difficulty.

Kael began selecting the settings.

Opponent Type: Human

Combat Style: Sword

Rank: Beginner

Behavior: Balanced

Attributes: Equal

Elias stared at the settings.

”That’s it?”

”For the first test.”

”You could fight something stronger.”

”I could.”

”Then why not?”

Kael looked at him.

”Because I don’t know whether the technique works yet.”

Elias frowned slightly.

Kael turned toward the training chamber.

”Think about it. If I immediately fight something stronger, I won’t know why I failed.”

He tapped the terminal.

”If the opponent is too strong, I might lose because of the difference in strength, speed, or experience. That doesn’t tell me whether my technique is good or bad.”

Elias nodded slowly.

”So you’re isolating the variables.”

”Exactly.”

Kael smiled.

”Besides, I’m not trying to look cool.” He glanced at Elias. ”I’m trying to get better.”

That was something his modern mindset had made difficult to ignore. There was no point in pretending he was some invincible protagonist who could learn a technique overnight and immediately defeat everyone.

Real training didn’t work that way. Progress required knowing exactly what you were bad at.

Kael stepped into the circular arena. The magical formations beneath his feet activated. Blue light spread across the floor. The air itself seemed to vibrate.

Several meters away, a collection of glowing particles began gathering. At first, it was nothing more than a vague humanoid shape.

Then bones formed. Muscles followed. Clothing appeared. Finally, a young man wearing an academy uniform from the villain department materialized completely.

A wooden sword appeared in his hand.

His face was expressionless. Kael stared at him. It looked disturbingly realistic. The construct even adjusted its grip on the sword as though preparing for an actual fight.

Kael tightened his fingers around his own wooden sword. A mechanical voice echoed throughout the chamber.

”Simulation ready.”

Kael lowered his center of gravity.

”Begin.”

The construct moved immediately.