READ NOVEL FREE Chapter 55: Chapter 54
As Alex walked out of Sandra's office, a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He hadn't expected the head of HR to be so nervous during their meeting, but to his heightened senses, it was almost distracting. The way her heartbeat had spiked every time their eyes met, the subtle shakiness in her voice, even the slight tremor in her hands as she tried to appear composed—it was all a little amusing.
Alex hadn't tried to be intimidating, but with his improved mental strength, he could sense more than ever before. Even though Sandra had recovered and handled the conversation professionally, the initial nervousness had been hard to miss. He brushed the thought aside quickly, though. There was no point dwelling on it; after all, the meeting had gone exactly as he wanted.
As he stepped into the elevator, his mind shifted to something far more exciting—the upcoming one-on-one session with his hand-to-hand combat tutor. After weeks of searching and refining his list of instructors, Alex had settled on a seasoned martial artist who had agreed to take him under his wing. The tutor had been skeptical at first, as most experienced trainers were, but Alex's ability to learn and perfectly execute any move after seeing it once had quickly won him over.
Alex smiled to himself as he recalled the last session. His tutor's eyes had widened in disbelief when Alex replicated a complex series of movements on his first attempt. The man had been visibly impressed, but not enough to let Alex coast on raw talent alone. The one-on-one training session that was scheduled today would be more intense, more personal, and designed to push him further.
It wasn't just about mastering techniques anymore—it was about understanding the flow of combat, reading an opponent's intent, and being able to adapt on the fly. His tutor had emphasized that no matter how good your technique was, if you couldn't anticipate or react to an opponent's movements, you were at a disadvantage.
"This is where smart mode will come in handy," Alex thought, his mind already strategizing how he could use his system's abilities to get even better. Smart mode was powerful, but it wasn't without its limitations. If he tried to brute-force his way through learning an entire combat style, he'd likely burn out before he made any real progress. Instead, he'd focus on mastering specific techniques and mental conditioning, using smart mode only when necessary to deepen his understanding.
The more Alex thought about it, the more he realized how much he enjoyed the process of learning and refining skills. It reminded him of his gaming days—back when he would watch pros play, study their movements, and then jump into the game to execute the same strategies flawlessly. Now, instead of games, he was learning how to fight, how to defend himself, and maybe even how to protect those around him. And with Cognichip, it felt like he was leveling up faster than anyone else could.
"It's just like unlocking a new skill tree," he mused.
His phone buzzed, pulling him from his thoughts. It was a notification reminding him of the session later that afternoon. He closed the notification, satisfied that he had enough time to prepare before heading to the gym. His thoughts momentarily shifted back to Sandra and the HR meeting, but just as quickly, he dismissed them. The negotiations had gone well, and there was no reason to dwell on the HR department's internal anxieties.
The real challenge was coming. His tutor had already hinted that this session wouldn't be easy. There would be no more hand-holding, no more simple drills. This was the beginning of real training, and Alex was ready for it.
"Time to focus," he thought, the playful amusement from earlier replaced with a sharp determination. The elevator doors opened, and Alex stepped out, already thinking of the countless techniques he'd study and the progress he was about to make.
For now, everything else could wait.