Broken Arts Collector

Master Ryu's whistle pierced through the chamber, signaling the end of their individual torment. The four teammates stumbled away from their stations, each bearing the mental and physical scars of three hours of systematic breakdown.

"Gather in the center arena," Master Ryu commanded, his voice carrying no sympathy for their exhausted state. "Time for your reality check."

The center of Training Complex Omega transformed before their eyes. The floor plates shifted and rearranged themselves into a perfect combat arena, complete with energy barriers that hummed to life around the perimeter. Above them, holographic displays materialized, showing vital signs and combat data readouts.

From a concealed panel in the wall, a figure emerged that made them all freeze in recognition and terror.

The Adaptive Training Android was a masterpiece of martial arts simulation technology. Its sleek, humanoid form was composed of liquid metal that could reshape itself instantly. Most terrifying of all were its eyes - cold, calculating sensors that seemed to peer directly into their souls.

"Meet your first opponent," Master Ryu announced with something that might have been a smile. "This android contains the complete fighting data of every national-level competitor from the past five years. It will simulate their techniques, their strategies, and their killing intent."

So-ra's analysis device went haywire. "The energy readings are... this is impossible. It's showing power levels equivalent to—"

"The Ice Empress Seol Han-bi," Master Ryu finished. "Your first simulation."

The Ice Empress Simulation

The android's form shifted, its liquid metal surface taking on a crystalline blue hue. The temperature in the arena plummeted instantly, and frost began forming on the floor around its feet. When it moved, it wasn't walking—it was gliding, leaving trails of ice in its wake.

"Formation!" Min-woo shouted, his leader instincts kicking in despite his exhaustion. "Standard diamond formation!"

They spread out as they had practiced, but the moment they settled into position, the android raised one hand.

Absolute Zero Domain.

The world became winter incarnate. Time itself seemed to slow as the killing cold pressed against them from all sides. Min-woo felt his thoughts becoming sluggish, his reactions delayed by precious milliseconds. Around him, his teammates were struggling just to move.

Han-eul tried to rush forward with his signature swift strike, but his sword moved through the frigid air like it was cutting through molasses. The android didn't even need to dodge—it simply stepped aside with casual ease and backhanded him across the arena.

"Fifteen seconds," Master Ryu's voice was clinical. "Han-eul eliminated."

The Flame Emperor Simulation

Before they could process Han-eul's defeat, the android shifted again. The ice melted away instantly, replaced by waves of searing heat. Its surface became molten red, and flames danced around its form like living creatures.

"Dae-seong, support formation!" Min-woo called out, but the traditional martial artist was already moving.

Dae-seong channeled his internal energy into a protective barrier, the golden light of his power meeting the android's flames. For a moment, it seemed like they might have a chance.

Then the android smiled.

Solar Annihilation.

The flames didn't just burn—they consumed. Dae-seong's carefully cultivated internal energy was devoured like paper in a furnace. The protective barrier collapsed, and the backlash sent him crashing into the arena wall.

"Twenty-three seconds. Dae-seong eliminated."

The Sword Emperor Simulation

The android's form became silver and sharp, every line of its body suggesting lethal precision. In its hands materialized not one sword, but six—each one moving independently as if wielded by invisible masters.

So-ra desperately tried to analyze the attack patterns, her devices working overtime to predict the android's movements. "The trajectories are impossible! It's attacking from every angle simultaneously!"

The Six-Sword Absolute technique lived up to its reputation. There was no safe space, no blind spot, no moment of vulnerability to exploit. Min-woo and So-ra found themselves dancing a desperate ballet of survival, dodging strikes that came from directions that shouldn't have been physically possible.

So-ra lasted longer than the others, her analytical mind giving her split-second advantages in predicting the attacks. But even she couldn't process six different sword styles attacking in perfect coordination.

A blade stopped just inches from her throat.

"Twenty-eight seconds. So-ra eliminated."

The Wind God Simulation

Min-woo stood alone in the arena, facing the android as it shifted into its final form. This time, its outline became blurred and indistinct, as if it were made of wind itself.

"You want to see the gap between you and the national level?" Master Ryu's voice carried a cruel edge. "Try to land even one hit."

The Wind God's signature technique was simple in concept: absolute speed that made tracking impossible. Min-woo couldn't see it move—he could only react to the impacts as they landed.

Strike. His left shoulder.

Strike. His right knee.

Strike. The center of his chest.

Each blow was perfectly controlled, powerful enough to hurt but not to cause permanent damage. Min-woo swung wildly at empty air, his exhausted mind unable to process movements that defied human perception.

"Twenty-nine seconds," Master Ryu announced as Min-woo collapsed to the arena floor. "Total team elimination."

The Crushing Reality

The android powered down and returned to its storage panel, leaving the four teammates sprawled across the arena floor in various states of defeat and disbelief.

Min-woo stared at the ceiling, his body aching and his pride in ruins. "We... we didn't last thirty seconds?"

"Against national-level opponents, you would have lasted less than ten," Master Ryu's voice was merciless. "What you just experienced was a mercy compared to what awaits you in the tournament."

Han-eul struggled to sit up, his sword arm trembling. "We're... we're really that weak?"

"You're not weak," Master Ryu corrected, his tone carrying the weight of absolute authority. "You're untested. There's a difference, but only if you're willing to accept the training required to bridge that gap."

He walked to the center of the arena, looking down at their broken forms with something that might have been approval.

"This is reality," he continued. "Accept it. Internalize it. Let it fuel your determination for the next 83 days. Because this is the minimum level you need to reach just to avoid embarrassing yourselves."

The silence that followed was broken only by their labored breathing and the distant hum of the facility's energy systems.

"Tomorrow," Master Ryu announced, "we begin building you into warriors worthy of that level. Rest well. You'll need it."