Ethan descended to the basement—a cavernous 100-square-meter space. Three training spears leaned against the wall, their blunted tips wrapped in shock-absorbent foam. He grabbed one, its silver-gray shaft gleaming under the sterile lights.

  "Luna, activate training protocol," Ethan commanded.

  "Acknowledged. Initiating scan."

  Cameras whirred to life, projecting holographic grids across the walls.

  Ethan gripped the spear in a reverse stance—right hand at mid-shaft, left at the pommel—and exploded into motion.

  Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!

  The spear blurred into eight phantom thrusts, each piercing the air at 18 m/s. A holographic counter tracked every strike.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Crack!

  A single explosive lunge—Phantom Thrust—sent the speedometer spiking to 25.3 m/s.

  He pivoted to a 300-kg sandbag suspended from the ceiling. Rotating his hips like a torsion spring, Ethan channeled his entire frame into a sweeping strike—Mountain Breaker.

  Boom!

  The sandbag rocketed along its rail, impact sensors flashing: 1,138 kg.

  Sweat dripped from Ethan’s chin as he stared at the weapons rack. Raw power means nothing against corporate sharks.

  Luna’s Perspective

  Upstairs, Luna Reed paused her VR headset’s game overlay. "Ethan?" she called, padding downstairs. Her boyfriend stood shirtless, muscles taut under the basement’s harsh lighting.

  "Talk upstairs," he muttered, killing the lights.

  In the living room, their housekeeper bot—Unit-5—served chilled juices. Luna prodded Ethan’s shoulder. "Spill it."

  "Harper got me fired," Ethan admitted.

  Luna snorted. "That man-child? Let him rot. We’re moving to Moonlake anyway."

  Ethan’s tension eased. Luna’s music career—self-published hits like Pearlwood—afforded her freedom. No agents, no contracts. Just monthly livestreams and gaming marathons in Combat Online, where they’d first met.

  "Remember when you carried my cat-girl avatar through Hell Mode?" Luna grinned.

  "Your ‘meow’ emote spam nearly got us wiped," Ethan chuckled.

  Family Ties

  Later, Luna video-called her parents in Moonlake. Her father’s gaunt face filled the screen.

  "Uncle Lin visited," her mother spat. "Tried pimping you to Charles Harper!"

  "Told him to shove it," her father rasped, hiding his terminal diagnosis behind a smile. "Ethan’s a good man."