Micro-Level Movement Technique

"Yang Wu!"

Wu Tong suddenly frowned and barked, "The movement technique you used to dodge attacks belongs to the Micro-Level. In life-or-death battles against monsters, you make small movements so their attacks skim past your body without hurting you! Because your movements are so slight, you can dodge more times in the same amount of time, making this extremely efficient."

"But this technique is incredibly difficult. The slightest miscalculation could mean that a monster's claws, which you thought would pass two centimeters from your body, actually strike you. Its claws could rip you open! In a fight against monsters, one mistake could cost you your life. So—"

"I advise you to dodge farther away when fighting monsters from now on. Leave yourself some room to maneuver." Wu Tong spoke gravely. "With your current abilities, you'd be better off focusing on mastering the Basic Movement Technique first. You'll get more out of it."

Yang Wu was startled, then nodded solemnly. "Yes, Chief Instructor."

"Yang Wu, remember what the Chief Instructor said. On the path of martial arts, never rush ahead in pursuit of quick results. The Micro-Level movement technique is powerful, but if you lack the ability to use it and try to force it anyway, you'll only make a fool of yourself." Instructor Jiang Nian advised him earnestly.

While Wu Tong and Jiang Nian took turns lecturing Yang Wu, Luo Zhe was thinking things over as well.

The Micro-Level evasion technique could be extremely dangerous if you miscalculated, but it also brought greater rewards in battle. Smaller movements meant that the user could make more counterattacks in the same amount of time.

Over the next month, he could learn from Yang Wu's movement training. Then, during the Martial Artist Combat Assessment, he'd have a chance to practice on those weak H-Class Monsters.

After that, Wu Tong announced that the Quasi-Warrior Assessment was over. Only three people had passed: Luo Feng, Yang Wu, and Bai Yang.

Next came the contracts for the Martial Artist Combat Assessment, followed by an introduction to the Genetic Energy Cultivation Method. Luo Zhe had already gone through the same process the previous month, so he didn't pay much attention.

After exchanging contact information with Luo Feng and agreeing to get together for a meal sometime, Luo Zhe left the training hall on the sixth floor.

Earlier, Wu Tong had informed everyone and then left first, taking Zhou Yu with him. Chen Gu left with Luo Zhe, still urging him along the way to consider joining the Fire Hammer Squad.

Over the next few days,

Luo Zhe left early every morning and went to the training hall on the sixth floor of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall to practice the Micro-Level movement technique using the dojo's Neural Response Tester.

Facing a dense barrage of rubber bullets, Luo Zhe stayed as calm as if he were out for a stroll. He stepped left, then right, back and forth. Sometimes he twisted his waist slightly; sometimes he bent forward...

With these tiny movements, he dodged every rubber bullet perfectly. No matter how many bullets came at him, not one touched him.

"Thwack! Thwack!"

Suddenly, Luo Zhe's body faltered. Two rubber bullets struck him in quick succession, breaking the movement technique he had maintained so well. A flood of bullets came flying at him.

Another attempt at Micro-Level movement training had failed!

"Again... I was so close!"

After shutting down the Neural Response Tester, Luo Zhe collapsed to the floor and sighed in frustration.

Ever since he'd seen Yang Wu demonstrate the Micro-Level movement technique during the Quasi-Warrior Assessment, Luo Zhe had been practicing it intensively. He used the Neural Response Tester's punishing barrage to simulate being surrounded by monsters.

Movement was crucial in battle. The more agile you were, the more easily you could avoid getting hurt when facing an enemy.

By conventional wisdom... movement training required a solid foundation, usually built through ten years of hard work. Then, after years of fighting monsters, you developed the instincts to dodge and gradually became more skilled. Once you had mastered the technique, you could perform each movement as naturally as a reflex.

A solid foundation, proficiency, and instinctive execution!

These were the first three levels of movement technique. Beyond them... came the Micro-Level!

The Micro-Level meant having extremely fine control over your strength and body, allowing you to dodge with precision while expending as little effort as possible. Every step and evasion seemed to have been calculated by a computer! The reason the Micro-Level was so difficult was that when you made small movements to dodge, even the slightest mistake could let a monster hit you! Getting struck by a monster usually meant death or serious injury.

Besides, training in the Micro-Level movement technique was nearly useless if you practiced against monsters that were much weaker than you.

Since Luo Zhe's speed had already reached the lower limit of the Junior Warrior Level, he set the Neural Response Tester to Junior Warrior Level for his training, hoping to make it more effective.

At first, he hadn't even had a chance to try the Micro-Level technique before being swallowed by the overwhelming hail of rubber bullets. As time passed, his neural response speed improved, and he grew more familiar with the technique. Gradually, he began to move through the barrage with ease.

But strangely, whenever he practiced the Micro-Level technique, after seven to ten minutes his muscles would stiffen and his body would seize up. Then the rubber bullets would hit him, breaking his form and making the training fail again.

Luo Zhe couldn't make sense of it. By all logic, he had accounted for every possibility. Even getting hit by two rubber bullets shouldn't have disrupted his movement. Yet at some point, his body always stiffened, ruining his technique.

Why was that?

Before Luo Zhe could figure it out, the phone he'd set aside suddenly rang.

He struggled to his feet and picked it up. The caller ID read... Luo Feng?

Luo Zhe hadn't heard from Luo Feng since the Quasi-Warrior Assessment, and had thought he'd forgotten about him.

After a moment's hesitation, he answered.

"Hello, Luo Feng."

Luo Feng's hearty voice came through the receiver. "Brother Zhe, I'm moving to Bright Moon Residential Area to be your neighbor. Our taxi is almost at the entrance."

"Huh!?" Luo Zhe was completely baffled. "Hold on, hold on. What's going on? Did you join the Extreme Martial Arts Hall early too?"

"Yeah, Brother Zhe. Do you want to come meet us? We're waiting at the entrance..." Luo Feng paused, then Luo Zhe heard him say to the driver, "Yes, sir, turn right at the intersection ahead, then go straight."

Luo Zhe: "..."

"Sorry, Brother Zhe. The driver hasn't been here before, so he doesn't know the way very well. I was just giving him directions." Luo Feng sounded a little embarrassed.

"It's fine." Luo Zhe thought for a moment, then added, "I'm training at the club right now. If you get there first, wait for me. I'll be right over."

"Okay. See you soon."

After hanging up, Luo Zhe stood there for a moment, then packed up his things, walked into the elevator, and pressed the button for the first floor.