Virtual Reality Cultivator-Chapter 33: Zenith’s Fugitive

Ethan sat inside the speeding van, still feeling the adrenaline coursing through his body. His breath was beginning to steady, but his mind was still filled with the battle against Specter.

"Zenith really has a modified army with synthetic Qi... They can even create instant teleportation."

His hands clenched. Although he had won, the fact that Specter had escaped kept him from feeling at ease. He wasn't just any elite soldier—Zenith had created something beyond normal human limits.

Adrian, sitting across from Ethan, grinned. "You look tense, kid. Still thinking about the fight?"

Ethan turned to him and nodded. "He's strong. But what worries me more is the technology they're using."

Claire, who was reviewing the data they stole from Zenith's lab, interjected. "Zenith is far ahead of what we expected. From the data we retrieved, they've developed more experiments to enhance human power with synthetic Qi."

Ethan furrowed his brow. "So Specter isn't the only one?"

Claire gave him a sharp look before displaying a screen on her small tablet. Several documents and test recordings appeared, showing other test subjects who had synthetic Qi augmentations.

"No," she replied. "They have more 'Qi Soldiers' like Specter... and they've all been trained to hunt people like us."

Ethan stared at the screen with his jaw clenched. In the footage, he could see someone with a body enhanced by technology, moving at incredible speeds, destroying training targets with a single punch.

"So Zenith isn't just creating artificial cultivators... They're training them to be killers?"

Adrian chuckled lightly. "Zenith never does things halfway. They want to make sure they have the upper hand. And now, you've proven you can match them... That means they won't just let you walk away."

Ethan clenched his fists. "Then we need to move faster. We have to destroy their operation before they can use this army for something bigger."

Claire closed her laptop and nodded. "That's our long-term plan. But right now, we've got another problem."

Vincent's Warning

Suddenly, Vincent's voice came through the communication radio. His tone sounded more serious than usual.

"Guys, I've got bad news."

Adrian snorted. "When have we ever gotten good news?"

"Zenith just issued a manhunt for Ethan."

Ethan tensed. "What do you mean?"

Vincent typed quickly on his laptop before explaining. "In the last 30 minutes, your name and face have been added to their fugitive list. All security networks connected to Zenith are now searching for your whereabouts. They've issued alerts to every checkpoint, facial recognition systems, and even hired bounty hunters to find you."

Ethan cursed under his breath. "So now I'm officially their top target."

Adrian laughed. "That means you've made them scared. Not bad, kid."

Claire stared at the screen on Vincent's tablet, her brow furrowed. "This is worse than we thought. With this fugitive status, we can't use public transportation or return to our main base. Zenith has probably already deployed special teams to track us down."

Ethan took a deep breath. He realized that from now on, he wasn't just fighting in a game or training. This was real war.

"If this is the price I have to pay to uncover the truth... then I'll accept it."

Claire closed the tablet and looked at her team. "We need to disappear for a while. I have a safehouse outside the city. We'll lay low there until we come up with the next plan."

Follow current novℯls on ƒгeewёbnovel.com.

Ethan nodded. "Alright. But this isn't over. If they're targeting me... then I need to get stronger."

Lazarus, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. "Strength alone won't be enough. You need to learn how to fight them in ways they can't predict."

Ethan looked at him seriously. "What do you mean?"

Lazarus smiled faintly. "It's time for you to learn a fighting art that can't be replicated by synthetic Qi. Something even Zenith can't duplicate with their technology."

Adrian chuckled softly. "Oh, this is going to be interesting."

Ethan clenched his fists.

"Alright. I'm ready for the next step."

The Next Step – The Unmimicked Fighting Art

That night, after they arrived at the safehouse—a hidden underground base outside the city—Lazarus took Ethan to a private training room.

The room was much simpler than their previous facility, consisting only of old wooden floors and a few basic training equipment.

Ethan observed the surroundings. "What is this?"

Lazarus stood in the middle of the room and took a deep breath. "This is where you'll learn a technique that can't be replicated by Zenith."

Ethan looked at him curiously. "What technique?"

Lazarus raised a finger. "True combat intuition."

Ethan furrowed his brow. "I've already trained in Qi Awareness before."

Lazarus smiled slightly. "That's just the beginning. Qi Awareness helps you feel the flow of energy around you. But true combat intuition... it's something deeper than that."

He tapped his chest. "You have to be able to read your enemy's movements even before they make them. It's not just about speed or power, but about understanding their intent before it becomes an action."

Ethan took a deep breath. "So I have to learn to anticipate an opponent's moves... without even seeing them?"

Lazarus nodded. "Exactly. That's what separates a true cultivator from Zenith's modified soldiers. They can be faster, stronger, but they are still bound by systems and patterns. You, on the other hand... can surpass them with instincts that can't be programmed."

Ethan looked at his hands, trying to imagine what it would feel like to have instincts that could read an opponent before they acted.

"If I can learn this... maybe I'll be able to defeat Specter more easily next time."

He clenched his fists and looked at Lazarus with determination.

"Alright. I'm ready."

Lazarus smiled faintly. "Then let's begin."

The real world had changed.

And Ethan would make sure he wouldn't be left behind.