First floor of the Muten Tower, trial space, first level.
Streams of green data converged and condensed into the shape of a short bald figure wearing a specially designed martial arts uniform—it was none other than "Krillin"!
"Is that... me?" Krillin looked at the other version of himself forming before his eyes. Unlike the real Krillin, this one was expressionless. As soon as it appeared, it immediately assumed a combat-ready stance and then stood still, as if waiting for Krillin to prepare.
Jarvis's voice chimed in right on cue: "This is the first-level trial guardian of the first floor. It will fight you using one-tenth of your full ki power. Once you defeat it, you'll pass this stage and move on to the next..."
"The next level would be one-fifth of my power?" Krillin asked, understanding the pattern.
"Correct."
Taking a deep breath, Krillin mirrored the other's stance and prepared for battle.
Since this was inside the virtual Earth Network, even if he lost, it wouldn't have any real consequences. Plus, the opponent was only using one-tenth of his power. It should be fine... Yeah, it should be fine. Krillin, who had never fought anyone before, was still a little nervous.
He stared down the doppelgänger in silence. The opponent wore his exact face and showed no emotion. Krillin began to sweat under the pressure. "Why isn't he moving? Am I supposed to make the first move? But I don't know how!"
"If you're ready to begin the trial," Jarvis explained, "you need to say 'Start'. Only then will the trial guardian initiate the fight."
"Uh... okay. Start!"
At his command, the other "Krillin" instantly lunged forward! There was nothing fancy about the attack—it was a straightforward charge with fists raised. Krillin grew tense, eyes wide, focusing on his opponent...
"For even the most average martial artist, the first four stages of the first floor are exceedingly simple." After Krillin nervously cleared the first five stages, Jarvis spoke calmly.
Krillin was no longer as tense, waiting for his sixth mirror to appear. He chuckled, "Heh, I wouldn't even call myself a proper martial artist, and I still beat five of them in a row. Does that mean... I'm not that 'average' after all?"
To his surprise, Jarvis responded bluntly, "Correct."
"Uh..." Krillin scratched his head, speechless. Jarvis continued, "If you were truly average... do you think you could have taken the necklace from the Phoenix?"
That made Krillin pause in thought, just as the sixth opponent began forming, drawn together from streams of glowing green data.
"Jarvis... the power I'm using now—is it really my own ki?" Krillin asked as he prepared to fight.
"No. The Muken doesn't enhance physical capabilities. It is purely a technique for amplifying and utilizing energy," Jarvis answered flatly. "All human bodies entering the virtual Earth Network are energy constructs simulated by the brain maintaining the network. The power you're using now is the energy projected from your body's data, as measured by the login device. In martial artist terms, that energy is 'ki.'"
Krillin squinted, confused. He took a breath and muttered, "I don't get it... whatever. One-sixth version of me—let's go!"
With that, Krillin took the initiative and charged.
Through these matches, he had realized that these mirrored opponents didn't have any more advanced fighting skills than he did. Or perhaps... they "knew" he didn't have any, so neither did they.
Could they read my memories...?
The thought flickered through his mind as he clashed with his sixth opponent. This time, it felt much harder. According to Jarvis, this opponent had 60% of his total power, and Krillin was already struggling.
"For most humans, being able to utilize 100% of their own ki with precision already qualifies them as a master. If one can use techniques to unleash 200%, even 300% of their base ki, that person is considered a grandmaster—but such people are extremely rare. To clear the first floor of the Muten Tower, a martial artist must completely understand and wield their ki, able to unleash it at will."
"This is the essence of the first layer of Muken."
Jarvis's voice echoed in Krillin's ears like a narrator. As Krillin listened, he couldn't help but recall the image carved on the monument inside the first floor of the Muten Tower—the flowing lines that seemed to depict a kind of deeper truth...
Unconsciously, his punches and kicks became smoother and more natural. Finally, after taking a solid hit from his opponent, Krillin let out a shout and retaliated with a heavier strike—bang—shattering his opponent's shoulder. Then with a follow-up palm strike, even stronger—boom—he blew a hole through his doppelgänger's chest and abdomen.
"When a martial artist exceeds the strength threshold of a trial guardian, the guardian's body will shatter. Once a martial artist can consistently exceed the opponent's strength with every movement, the opponent will crumble, and the trial will be passed."
And so, the sixth, seventh, and eighth opponents were all defeated in turn.
Krillin felt himself entering a state like never before. Though the body he was using now wasn't powered by true physical strength, but by what Jarvis called ki, Krillin didn't know what ki was. In real life, he had yet to cultivate any. All he understood were physical techniques...
So he recalled the past four years of tireless self-training—the perseverance, the solitude of walking his path alone, and the rush of pushing past his limits over and over again.
Boom! The pattern of the first-level Muken appeared once more before his eyes!
Krillin felt an uncontrollable surge of energy erupt from his chest. He roared and unleashed a flurry of strikes—not with technique, but pure unrestrained force! Fists flying, limbs whipping, he beat down his "ninety percent" clone until it disintegrated into glowing green particles.
A smile of joy broke across Krillin's face. He clenched his fists.
Just one more left!
Because his stamina—his ki—was simulated, it wouldn't be depleted by physical exertion. The same applied to his opponent. The Muten Tower didn't test endurance; it tested the martial artist's understanding of Muken. Comprehend it, and you pass. Fail to grasp it, and you'll just keep getting pummeled endlessly by your mirror self—without ever tiring.
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