--
TJ opened his eyes once more to the virtual world.
The moment he did, he immediately realized the difference between the VR pod he used back at the prep school and the one he bought just recently.
What he's using right now is the most recent release, and the difference is almost staggering.
TJ didn't feel any weirdness or difference between his body here and in the real world, which is already a drastic improvement from the one he used at school. The realism was also way better using this VR pod.
The colors were more vibrant, and all movement was smooth and natural. Even the facial expressions were better. And it's all because he's using a better pod compared to before.
TJ had the option to build up his avatar since this was his personal VR pod. Meaning that he could create an online persona in the VR world.
He didn't feed the need to do so; he stuck with his usual appearance and made himself as unremarkable as possible.
Once he was done with the Avatar Creation, he was given a series of options on where to explore. There were tons of services available online.
There was an option to explore virtual cities or avenues, watch shows or movies in VR, play games, hang out with other people, etc.
But TJ wasn't here to have fun. Maybe later, but right now, he's focused on another thing. The VR Dungeons.
Now, VR dungeons are mainly divided into two forms: ones that give exp and ones that don't. Right now, the former isn't available for someone like him, so he shouldn't even think about it. Although that's a shame, TJ wasn't all that surprised. No-exp VR dungeons were just fine too.
As for the kind of VR dungeons, there were a lot. Like, 'A LOT' a lot. There are tons of variations, biomes, challenges, etc. Anything that could be imagined could turn into a dungeon here.
TJ wasn't picky. He chose a practice dungeon that fits his rank; he didn't go to the outrageous dungeons just yet. He could do that later; he wanted to get used to this VR pod first.
It didn't take too long for him to choose one that fits his requirements, and when he did, he didn't waste time at all. He entered and began his practice.
The 'Training Dungeon'—that''s the name of the dungeon TJ picked. It's straightforward and simple. He arrives at an arena with a target dummy in the middle. He can hit as much as he wants, and it'll be fine. The dummy won't be destroyed. It's an indestructible sponge of damage; therefore, TJ can abuse it as much as he wants.
He can also command the dummy to hit him. The attack patterns range from dummy simple to nigh-realistic enemy. He could set the range of motion anywhere in between.
Pulling his weapon out, TJ commanded the training dummy to move. The difficulty was set to dummy simple first. When its orders were received, the dummy suddenly moved, almost robotically. When it got close to him, it curled its arms and threw a punch.
Bang!
TJ guarded the attack, and when the dummy's fist hit him, a dark pulse erupted from his body, knocking the dummy away and inflicting the [Brittle] curse on it.
This was the effect of TJ's class skill, Sinbound Retaliation.
'It doesn't have a knockback; the description doesn't say that either.'
'It's just a release of a dark energy, but that also has a momentum, which pushed the dummy away. Its real effect was the damage it inflicts and the [Brittle] curse.'
Since he's fighting a training dummy, TJ can't tell how much the skill hurts. He also couldn't tell how badly affected the dummy was with the [Brittle] curse, but it should be in effect.
More importantly...
Sinbound Retaliation +1! ]
'There it is.' TJ was relieved and happy to see this notice.
This is what he wanted to see: his Boon working even in the VR world.
There are roughly two months before college starts. TJ, Sieg, and Lily had already confirmed their choice—which is the Gravepath Institute. However, that doesn't mean that they could slack off in these two months.
College was about to be hectic; there will be pressure everywhere, and if they don't work hard, they'll be left behind. As teenagers who wanted to prove something and are serious about the career, that won't do.
That's why TJ was taking advantage of his newfound wealth. He wished that his boon would work in the VR world, and to his surprise, it did.
With this, he could start leveling up his new class skills and have a higher starting point upon reporting to college.
There were no numerical values here he could use to gauge just how strong the skill actually was. Even if he were to go to other VR dungeons—with exp or not—there will be no damage numbers either.
That's the thing about VR and man-made dungeons in the real world. No damage values are allowed. The reason being that people get used to it at some point and begin relying on numbers instead of seeing the situation as a whole. Damage values tend to make people think that what they're doing is a game, and that's not good.
TJ didn't mind not knowing the exact details for now. He's just glad that his skill was working as intended.
And so, he tested out another one.
The dummy came again; since the other skill went on cooldown, it can't be used right away. But TJ still guarded the attack, and he followed it up by using the [Oathbreaker's Reprisal].
Tang!
The tip of his rapier met with the cold and sturdy exterior of the training dummy. He wasn't able to pierce it through, but the attack did send the dummy flying backwards.
Again, since he's facing a training dummy that can't show expression of pain, TJ has no idea how much he hurt it from that attack. The worst part is that, because it's an inanimate object, it didn't suffer from the [Bleed] curse since dummies like it don't have blood to bleed.
He didn't kill it either, so the cooldown of the skill hasn't been [reset] either. But that's fine since it's only ten seconds.
"Lastly..."
TJ allowed the dummy to come close again. It tried to hit him again, but before it could, TJ used the [Black Aegis], forming a barrier that could tank one hit completely.
Bang!!
When the dummy's fist hit the barrier, it exploded with a corruptive force. It sent the dummy flying backwards. The dummy stood back up, but its movements were definitely slower than before.
[Slow] was the curse effect of [Black Aegis], and it affected the training dummy clearly. It didn't last long, but it's more than enough to give him room to retreat should he need it.
"Alright. That's it. That's good enough."
TJ was relieved that the skills were working as intended. Even more so when he discovered that he could essentially train them as much as he wanted while in the VR world and still have considerable progress.
As for the two passive skills he unlocked, Pain Forged and Unyielding Tormet, they were tested too.
In this dungeon, he could set his condition to various degrees, seriously injured and cursed being some of them.
[Pain Forged] grants him the [Strength] buff when he's seriously injured, and [Unyielding Torment] grants him the [Fearless] and [Willpower] stats when he is, or is in the presence of, curses and/or hexes.
"These skills are nice, but honestly, I think they're not enough." TJ shook his head.
More specifically, he's lacking on the offensive spectrum. Two of the three active skills he unlocked from his class transition were defensive skills. And the only offensive active skill he got was an execution type, too.
So far, his means of fighting relies on [Super Soldier Combat Technique] and [Fencing Lv.3].
While these weren't bad, they're nowhere near enough for his liking, so TJ thought of adding more offensive skills soon.
There are a plethora of skills to choose from in the market. The only downside is that, because there's a lot to choose from, finding one that fits his style might take some time. There might also be no stock of the ones he wanted, which will force him to wait.
That said, that can be tackled later. He's not in a hurry.
Right now, he wants to focus on upgrading the skills he already has. Since his boon works in the VR world, he would be a fool to not take advantage of that.
In his mind, TJ was already reorganizing his schedule, replacing some activities with VR World training instead.
Obviously, he hasn't forgotten about the Dream Echo Battlefield. That boon has seen improvements too, and he definitely wants to check that out, especially now that he'd be getting Apprentice-ranked sparring partners in there, too.
In addition, its collection range has improved, and because of that, TJ captured more fragments outside even though he hasn't gone anywhere far from the building.
He was excited to know how much boost he could receive when he defeats apprentice-level dream echoes, but that's going to have to wait until he sleeps later.