After hearing the Charismatic Conman's request, Ray, his body aching and his mind frustrated, was intrigued. The Conman wasn't a physical combatant. What could it possibly do?

System, new opponent: The Charismatic Conman.

The Veteran’s hologram dissolved, replaced by a projection that, while sharing Ray’s form, carried itself with a completely different energy. It stood with a relaxed, easy confidence, a showman’s glint in its eyes and a slick, charming smile that was pure Conman. The hologram gave a theatrical bow. Then, a standard deck of playing cards appeared in its hands.

The simulation began. The Conman didn't move. He simply flicked his wrist. A single card, the Ace of Spades, shot through the air. It wasn’t a flutter; it was a projectile, whistling through the air like a thrown razor. Ray dodged instinctively, and the card embedded itself halfway into the padded wall behind him with a sharp thwip.

Then came the storm. The Conman’s hands became a blur, sending a cascade of white rectangles flying at Ray from impossible angles. They were a blizzard of lethal paper, forcing Ray to use his Flowing Shadow Technique to its absolute limit, weaving and backflipping through the deadly swarm. A single card clipped his arm, and though it was a simulation, he felt a sharp, stinging impact.

The final card, the Joker, flew straight and true. Ray, his focus entirely on the swarm, didn’t see it until it was too late. The simulation ended with the card striking him squarely in the forehead.

[SIMULATION COMPLETE: FAILURE]

Ray collapsed to his knees, panting, a mixture of awe and terror on his face. He recalls the fight that took place moments ago and he sees a testament to the strange, deadly art that can be his own hidden potential.

As he caught his breath, a profound realization settled over him. The Veteran’s brute force, the Assassin’s lethal grace, the Conman’s deceptive artistry… they were all masters of entirely different schools of combat. His archetypes weren't just advisors; they were a living library of martial philosophies, a wellspring of techniques born from the countless roles Alex Chen had played. He wasn’t just training in an echo chamber; he was exploring a vast, internal arsenal.

To truly be prepared for the dangers of Aethelgard, for the collectors and the monsters, he first needed to understand the full extent of the weapons he already possessed. A new, determined fire lit in his eyes. He had to test them all. He was no longer a student fumbling in the dark, but a researcher designing his own, deeply personal curriculum.

His first choice was deliberate. He needed to understand the most overwhelming and alien form of combat he possessed: magic. After a short rest, Ray willed internally.

System, initiate Tactical Replication Protocol. Combat Simulation, Opponent: The Crimson Weaver.

A holographic figure based on Ray appeared with a confident smile, it crackled with an arrogant, chaotic energy that was utterly alien. The projection stood with its shoulders back and its chin high. A wild, manic smirk played on its lips, and its golden-flecked eyes gleamed with an unholy amount of power.

The hologram threw its head back and laughed, a sound far too loud and boastful for Ray's own vocal cords.

Weaver: “Hah! So the boy finally seeks a lesson from a true master!”

the projection of the Crimson Weaver declared, its voice ringing with theatrical power.

Weaver: “Wise choice. Try to keep up. The lesson will be brief, brutal, and brilliant!”

Ray stared at the arrogant, smirking projection of himself, his mind a flurry of cold, tactical calculations. The Crimson Weaver was a master of raw magical power, a field in which Ray was a fumbling novice. A direct confrontation was not just unwinnable; it was suicide. He had to change the rules of the game before it even began.

System set objective: Survive for sixty seconds.

he thought, setting the victory condition in his own mind and the system acknowledged.

[OBJECTIVE SET: Survive for sixty seconds. ]

The simulation began. The Weaver's hologram didn't wait. It threw its hands forward, and a furious, overwhelming barrage of holographic Arcane Bolts erupted from its palms. The air in the training room, perceived only by Ray, filled with the sharp, crackling sound of raw Mana and the blinding glare of pure white energy. It was a storm of pure magical force, a testament to the archetype's immense power.

Ray was forced into a desperate defense. He activated the Stoic Assassin's 'Flowing Shadow Technique,' his body becoming a blur of motion. He dodged and weaved through the onslaught, the bolts of energy searing the air where he had been a split second before. It was not a graceful dance; it was the frantic, adrenaline-fueled scramble of a man trying to outrun an avalanche.

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The Weaver laughed, a sound of pure, arrogant joy, and upped the ante. A massive, holographic Flaming Sphere roared to life in its hands, forcing Ray to backpedal into a corner of the room where the simulation had projected a heavy equipment rack filled with illusory training weights. The Weaver prepared a final, decisive bolt, a coup de grâce to end the lesson.

As the bolt of pure energy flew, Ray, with no room left to dodge, put his new art to the test. He activated the Fulcrum Shift skill. He didn't try to block the spell; he kicked the base of the holographic equipment rack. The simulated heavy metal structure, governed by the protocol's physics, toppled over with a crash that only Ray could hear. It fell directly into the path of the Flaming Sphere, intercepting the spell in a brilliant, silent shower of sparks and buying him the final few seconds he needed.

The sixty-second timer expired. The simulation ended.

The aggressive hologram and the chaotic light show vanished, leaving Ray alone in the quiet, empty room. He was panting and drenched in sweat, the phantom smell of ozone sharp in his nostrils. A cool, blue notification bloomed in his mind.

[SIMULATION COMPLETE: OBJECTIVE ACHIEVED]

[PERFORMANCE EVALUATION: ADEPT]

[ANALYSIS: Host successfully survived a sustained assault from a magically superior opponent by synthesizing evasive maneuvers (Flowing Shadow Technique, Stoic Assassin) with environmental exploitation (Fulcrum Shift,Stoic Assassin). A sound tactical victory. Standard Mastery Gain.]

[MASTERY GAIN: Flowing Shadow Technique +10%, Fulcrum Shift +5%.]

Ray allowed himself a small, weary smile. He had learned his first crucial lesson in this new curriculum: against a foe with overwhelming firepower, you don't fight the enemy; you fight the battlefield. The environment was his true shield.

The following night, Ray stood again in the silent training room again, the phantom smell of ozone from the previous night now replaced by a cool, focused calm. He took a moment to center himself before initiating the combat simulation.

System, initiate Tactical Replication Protocol. Combat Simulation, Opponent: The World Weary Healer.

The holographic particles reconverged, forming a projection that shared his face but was imbued with a profound, weary sadness. The hologram of the World-Weary Healer moved with an economical grace, its posture relaxed, its expression one of quiet, clinical observation. Its hands were empty, but Ray knew the threat was hidden, a surgeon’s scalpel concealed within a gentle demeanor.

Objective: Disarm the practitioner.

Ray set his internal victory condition and the system acknowledged.

[OBJECTIVE SET: Disarm the practitioner.]

The simulation began. What followed was not a fight, but a tense, silent ballet. The Healer's hologram did not lunge or strike; it glided across the floor, its movements a constant, gentle probe for an opening. It was a predator that relied not on force, but on a single, perfect moment of weakness to deliver a simulated paralytic nerve strike or a hidden needle coated in sedative.

Ray was forced into a state of hyper-awareness. He used the Gritty Detective's 'Observation Skills' to watch the hologram’s every micro-movement, the flicker of its eyes, the subtle shift of its weight, the way its fingers twitched. But as the silent dance continued, he noticed something wrong. His own movements felt sluggish, his thoughts a fraction of a second slower than they should be. A strange numbness was creeping into his senses, dulling his usually sharp perception.

Realizing he was being affected by a weapon he couldn't see, Ray immediately initiated Concurrent Partial Immersion. He activated the Serene Cultivator's 'Aetheric Purity Assessment,' and his perception of the room shifted. The air around the hologram was tinged with a faint, sickly aura, a miasma of simulated toxins that was slowly seeping into him, the true source of his growing numbness.

The Healer made its move. It was a swift, almost imperceptible lunge, a simulated neurotoxin-laced needle appearing in its hand as if from nowhere. Instead of dodging away, Ray forced his body to move and flowed toward the attack. At this point Ray initiated Tri Concurrent Partial Immersion and activated the World Weary Healer's 'Diagnosis' skill and used it in combination with Fulcrum Shift, a precise and surgical application of the art. His hand did not grab the Healer's body, but hooked two fingers around its wrist joint.

Using the hologram's own forward momentum, he executed a sharp, controlled twist. The hologram's hand was forced open, the simulated needle clattering silently to the illusory floor.

The simulation ended. The sad, calm figure dissolved into light.

[SIMULATION COMPLETE: OBJECTIVE ACHIEVED]

[PERFORMANCE EVALUATION: INSPIRED]

[ANALYSIS: Host successfully neutralized a precision-based threat by innovatively synthesizing a non-combat diagnostic skill (Diagnosis (Basic), World Weary Healer) with a martial technique (Fulcrum Shift, Stoic Assassin) for a surgical, real-time counter-maneuver. This creative, cross-disciplinary application of skills represents a masterful act of problem-solving. Largest Mastery Gain awarded.]

[MASTERY GAIN: Fulcrum Shift +20%, Observation Skills +15%, Aetheric Purity Assessment$ +10%.]

[INSPIRED RESULT: Your innovative application of a diagnostic skill in a combat context has fundamentally evolved its parameters. You have also unlocked a new, dedicated skill for the World-Weary Healer archetype based on this principle.]

[SKILL EVOLVED: Diagnosis (Basic) has been upgraded to Diagnosis (Intermediate). You can now perform more rapid and detailed analyses of both biological and magical systems under pressure.]

[NEW SKILL UNLOCKED: 'Anatomical Strike' (World Weary Healer). Allows the user to target an opponent's non-lethal weak points, such as nerve clusters and pressure points. Can be used offensively to disable or disarm with maximum efficiency, or defensively to perform advanced first aid, such as blocking blood flow to a wound or alleviating muscle seizures.]

Ray stood in the quiet room, his own heart a steady, calm rhythm. He had learned his second lesson: against a subtle, precision-based opponent, the goal is not to evade, but to surgically neutralize the threat at its source.