Breathing steady, eyes fixed on the man in front of me. Same fighting stance as always, no unnecessary movement spotted.

  Nox stood not far away, posture relaxed, expression calm. He didn’t move, yet I felt a faint pressure coming from him.

  Today, I must be better than yesterday.

  I took a deep breath and stepped forward. Nox's gaze landed on my chest. I knew, at this distance, he didn't have many attack options. A hook? A sweep? No—at this angle, the most likely move was a straight punch.

  Redirect the force!

  Following Nox’s taught technique, I used one hand to push away his fist, while the other punched toward his abdomen without pause.

  But..his hand retracted faster than I expected.

  —Something’s wrong..

  The momentum carried his body into a spin, his shoulder came straight at me. It wasn’t fast... but I couldn’t dodge.

  My fist missed, the target shifted from his chest to his back. And his shoulder crashed firmly into my chest.

  “Bang”—!

  My body was lifted off the ground, landed, rolled once, and stopped. It felt like my internal organs were about to spill out. I was struggling to breathe.

  It hurt, but I immediately pushed myself up and looked at Nox again.

  He walked toward me slowly, breath still steady, as if the fight hadn’t drained him at all. He looked at me and said calmly, “Let’s stop here for today, Vera.”

  Gasping for air, I didn’t feel disappointed. Instead, I asked excitedly, “How long this time?”

  “Four minutes. Your best record.”

  Four minutes—thirty seconds longer than last time.

  I couldn’t help but clench my fists—I’m getting stronger! But...

  What was the opening just now? Why did I get hit?

  I replayed the moment in my head. I had clearly identified the attack, yet still fell into a trap. Was my feint not natural enough? Or were my intentions to attack and defend too obvious?

  While I was thinking, pain started to spread all over my body. I then noticed the many bruises that had appeared. But I was used to it. With Nox around, they’d heal quickly.

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  Nox squatted in front of me, gently applying ointment to my arm. It felt cool. As he treated my injuries, he said, “You’ve improved a lot, Vera. Soon, I’ll have to train you with higher difficulty.”

  I endured the pain, watching him, listening carefully.

  “Right now, you rely heavily on your eyes.” Nox paused. “You look at where you want to hit or block.”

  I was surprised—because that’s exactly what I was thinking.

  “You noticed that too, didn’t you?” Nox continued, “All along, I’ve done the same—I look where I’m going to strike. And every time, I really do attack where I’m looking.”

  I nodded. That’s how I made my judgments. But...

  “That’s what normal people do,” Nox said flatly. “In a fight, everything changes in an instant. Most people can’t think clearly under that pressure. You can. That means you’re already strong.”

  But I still can’t hit you.

  “Understand sight, use it, and you’ll catch the opening—and win.”

  I froze.

  Sight is a weakness.

  Sight is also a trap.

  But all along, Nox had laid the weakness right before me. And I never once caught it—never even realized he was guiding my thoughts.

  He’s stronger than I imagined... But still—I want to catch up to him.

  Nox finally patted my shoulder, then gently rubbed my head, signaling the end of training. Then, he handed me a piece of paper.

  “You’re going into the city today. Luma made a list. Go and buy these.”

  Carrying my small bag, I walked the familiar road. Our home was outside the city, but it wasn’t far—well… about an hour’s walk.

  Luma said it’s the year 29XX now. I’m 14. This is an era of advanced technology. It wasn’t my first time entering the city. Nox and Luma would occasionally send me to buy things we needed. Aside from the listed items, they’d give me extra money to spend freely—on notebooks, weapons, or kitchen tools.

  But... I always found something odd.

  Luma once said to earn money, you had to work. But I’ve never seen Nox or Luma work.

  Where does their money come from?

  I didn’t understand, so I didn’t ask.

  ——

  Upon entering the city, the familiar lights filled my vision.

  I’d seen these lights since I was little, but back then I didn’t understand them. Now, I knew—they were neon lights, holograms. They adorned the city buildings, making the night more brilliant than the day.

  People bustled in the streets. The mechanical sounds, the advertisements, the voices—so different from the quiet at home.

  People were also very different from me. Every time, I stared at them out of curiosity. Some had pale skin, their eyes cold metallic gold. Some had mechanical arms with slender metal fingers. Others had half their face replaced with alloy, glowing circuits connecting brain to cybernetic eyes.

  Luma told me—they had “cybernetic implants.”

  Implants are machines, modifications, tools that allow people to survive in this pitiful era.

  But I didn’t quite understand. I walked all the way from home to the city, and I wasn’t tired. One man with mechanical legs was panting heavily—so was the upgrade necessary?

  My body is whole, natural. Nox made sure I wasn’t afraid. Luma made sure I wasn’t ignorant. So, I don’t need implants. Because they don’t even look that great. Even those with massive bodies don’t feel as strong as Nox.

  That’s why I’m happy. Because Nox and Luma are here. What they’ve taught me… no modification can give me that.