A few minutes later, inside a simulated white space—

"So, how do we do this?" - You ask Rosa, wearing a karate uniform.

"Well, first, you will do some practice training and learn the basic poses, movements, and techniques required. After mastering them to an acceptable degree, you will spar with a simulated opponent at your level." - Rosa explained. She was also wearing a tight-fitting karate uniform... but without an undershirt or bra.

"Hah, I get it. So, I essentially get a demonstration and then copy it?" - You ask, trying to avoid staring at her open cleavage. As much as you like eye candy, it would be painful and distracting to have a full-blown erection while training.

"Yes, exactly. Seeing is better than hearing, so let's get started." - Rosa replied, motioning in the air, pointing in a direction.

At the area where she pointed, a simulated model materialized into existence. Its face, hair, and skin color were different from yours, being that of a generic NPC, but its skeletal and muscular build was a carbon copy of your own.

"So he's the one who's going to train me? Not you?" - You ask, your voice tinged with a weird mixture of relief and pity.

"Disappointed~?" - She asked in a playful tone while propping her chest up with her crossed hands.

"Oh, ha, ha. I'm not falling for that again. I bet that even if we fight and I touch your breasts, they will feel like hardwood or something." - You roll your eyes at her and avoid staring at her tempting bosom.

Getting blue-balled to oblivion once was already enough for you. The eye candy was just not worth it.

"Tch* You learn fast." - Rosa clicked her tongue and stopped teasing you.

"Hah! I knew it. You won't be able to trick me again that easily." - You declare triumphantly with a raised chin.

Unbeknownst to you, Rosa narrowed her eyes ever so slightly at you, a cunning glint in her eyes.

"Okay, Mr. Genius. You win. Now, do you want to begin?" - Rosa asked in annoyance.

"Yeah, let's start." - You nod.

"Alright, then. First, observe the instructor, listen to the explanation, and then copy it." - Rosa motioned to the NPC in front.

After receiving its command, the NPC started to explain in fluent English. It sounded like a pre-recorded audio message.

"Hello, recruit, and welcome to the military MMA course. Your first step is to have the proper body stance, and we will begin with the orthodox stance. Please observe my movements and copy my stance. After you perform the stance, we will begin your training." - The dummy said and slowly took the orthodox body stance in MMA.

"O-Okay, like this?" - You say hesitantly as you try your best to copy his posture.

"Not good enough. I will demonstrate for you again." - The NPC spoke and performed again. 

"What? I didn't do it correctly? Okay, let's try again." - You mutter and try to correct your stance.

Luckily, it seemed like the NPC accepted your stance this time.

"Good. I will now demonstrate the basic punch, one of the most basic moves. Observe." - The NPC said and started throwing punch after punch in the air with each hand.

At the same time, it also explained the mechanics behind the punch.

"Notice that the punch does not rely solely on the hand itself. Extending only the arm to punch is merely a jab used for probing, with no actual power behind it, but a real punch uses the power from the rest of the body, including the legs, chest, back, abdomen, and waist. The difference between only using your hands to jab and using your whole body to punch can result in a power difference of multiple times the force." - The NPC lectured while repeatedly performing the punch.¹This is correct. Punching involves the whole body, and top boxers will tell you the same.

"Neat." - You nod while listening intently.

After a minute, the NPC stopped moving and spoke, "The demonstration has been completed. Now, perform the basic punch correctly with each hand."

"Alright, sounds easy enough..." - You mutter and throw a right-handed punch.

You thought that you did well, but the NPC chastised you.

"No, you got the movement all wrong. Use your hips more. Again." - It demanded and demonstrated once more.

"Alright..." - You say and perform the punch again, trying to correct yourself.

"No, you got it wrong. One more time." - The NPC said and performed its punch again.

At that moment, Rosa suddenly spoke, "Well, Iver, having fun?" - She asked with a mysterious smile.

"Eh, boring." - You reply honestly, about to try punching again.

"Oh, I think it will be fun, shockingly so." - She replied, her smile deepening.

"I don't see how it will get f- Waaaa!!!" - You suddenly scream while throwing the third punch, feeling shocks coursing over many parts of your body. You felt your body was being corrected as your movement was forcibly matched to the NPC in front of you.

"You got the movement wrong. Again." - The NPC said and threw another punch, oblivious to your plight.

"ROSA?! WTF IS HAPPEN-GAagagagaaaa!!!!!?" - You try to turn to Rosa and shout at her, only to get shocked again. You felt your body being manipulated to move like a marionette with your nerves as strings as it was forced to punch again through electro-therapy. This time, it was more intense since you turned your body around.

It felt like being hit by multiple joy buzzers, minus the pain. However, even if you didn't feel any pain, the feeling of getting shocked was unbearable in a unique way you could not even describe.

"You got the movement wrong. Again." - The NPC repeated itself and threw another punch.

"Iver, you should focus and do as he says, or you will get shocked again." - Rosa kindly suggested with an evil grin.

"THIS IS BULLS-ARGGGGGGGHHHHH" - You scream while being electrocuted again, forced to perform another punch against your will.

"You got the movement wrong. Aga—"

"STFU, YOU FUCKING NPC! ROSA, YOU BITCH!!! STOP TH-GAAHHHHH!!!" - You scream, your body shockingly forced to perform another impeccable punch.

"Haha! Alright, fine." - She said with an unkind laugh, and the shock stopped, the NPC instructor going dormant.

"Haaa* Haaa* Y-You..." - You breathe heavily while pointing a shaky finger at Rosa.

"Shockingly effective training, isn't it?" - Rosa asked with a wicked grin.

"D-Damn you! What the hell?! Shockingly effective, my ass! What kind of practice training is this?! If you don't explain to me properly, I'm throwing you into the fucking garbage bin!" - You threaten, flames of indignant fury gushing from your eyes. Although whether you would go through with it or not is another question.

"Relax, Iver. It is, without a doubt, practice training. And the best one you can get in the modern era. This is a tried and proven top-secret technique created in 2127, reserved for special ops and agents, and normally restricted from public use. Excessive stimuli can force your brain to imprint the correct movements into your muscle memory, a forceful yet incredibly effective method. It is so effective that some people nicknamed it martial art hack." - Rosa explained proudly.

By this time, you finally gathered your bearings and stood up, only minor psychological damage inflicted on you.

With squinted eyes and crossed arms, you ask angrily, "Oh, yeah? By how much?"

"Around 8.6 times faster, give or take. And this is when I am comparing it to the VR non-shock instructor-based alternative. Compared to reality, it is around 26 times faster." - Rosa said with a bright smile.

"26 times?! You mean that, in around two weeks, I can gain the experience of an entire year of practicing martial arts?!" - You exclaim incredulously.

"More like three years. Ordinary people only train a maximum of 8 hours a day in martial arts for self-defense, while pro fighters train around 16-18 hours on average. In other words, if you can endure this for 4 hours a day, you will be clocking 28 hours of practice a week, which is over three times that of your Average Joe. That, coupled with not needing to stop to rest, you can get two years' worth of martial arts in a week or four in two weeks." - Rosa revealed.

"Holy shit..." - You mutter, your previous anger almost washed away.

The meaning behind Rosa's words was that becoming a black belt fighter in just a few months was not a dream.

"Of course, there are downsides to this method." - Rosa suddenly added.

"Downsides? What else besides the electric shocks?" - You ask in confusion.

"Yes, it makes your growth unbalanced. Usually, others have more experience through sparing, but you will lack it since your brain is ingrained with muscle memories by force in a short period, but not the experience to use it properly. To make up for it, you will need to spar with the simulated AI here, but it will be more like a patchwork than an actual fighting experience at the rate of your skill improvement. Also, your body won't match your growth rate, dragging you down, and you might potentially injure yourself when performing them in real life. In other words, although your body and mind will learn the moves, you will lack the physical capabilities and combat instincts to use them effectively." - Rosa explained.

"So, in game terms, it's like getting all the skills and combos while still being a level 1 noob who doesn't know how to use the said skills and combos properly?" - You ask in a way you can more easily understand.

"Yes, pretty much." - Rosa nodded in agreement.

"... Well, it sounds better than nothing. At least I can defend myself against common thugs." - You close your eyes and nod thoughtfully.

"So, shall we continue?" - Rosa smiles and points at the NPC instructor.

"AS IF!!!" - You open your eyes and shout at her.

"Eh... Why? But it's so good..." - Rosa mumbled.

"Yeah, it's good, but does it look like I am some sort of masochist to you?!" - You point at yourself angrily.

"Your not?" - Rosa asks in confusion.

"No! I'm not!" - You shout angrily.

"But... You looked like you had so much fun earlier..." - Rosa mumbled and played with her hair.

"Having fun?! Did that look like I was having—FUCK! You're messing with me again, aren't you?!" - You snap, realization finally dawning on you.

"Ehhh... What makes you say that~?" - Rosa replies innocently, a sheepish yet naughty smile tugging her seductive lips.

"Urgh. Forget it. In any case, not doing it." - You say firmly.

"But... Didn't you say you want to learn how to defend yourself as soon as possible?" - Rosa pointed out.

"..." - You remain silent, your eyes twitching.

"Aren't you afraid that the gangsters will come after you?" - Rosa added, like a whispering devil after your soul.

You stay silent, your face scrunching up.

"They might come after you within a month, maybe two weeks, a week, or even tomorrow." - She continued. In your mind, you could see red horns and a pointy tail growing out of Rosa's body.

"Urgh..." - You groan as your twitching increases. You shut your eyes tightly and started rubbing your face.

As you struggled with the stress, you felt a seductive body pressing against your back and soft hands wrapping around your neck. A hot breath tickles your ear.

"And don't forget, once they are done with you, they will have no scruples about going after your family and friends...~" - Rosa whispered in your ear like a seductive demon, the final blow.

"... Are you sure you're an AI and not a devil in disguise?" - You relent and sigh.

"Thank you for the compliment." - Rosa let you go and smiled cheerfully.

"Just... Just start the training before I change my mind." - You say and wave your hand, not believing you are about to do this.

"Haha! Sure thing, Iver." - Rosa laughed and replied.

Your grumble as you go back to train with the hellish NPC instructor.

No sane man would resort to this if they could, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

 

 

Four hours later—

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" - You shouted as you performed a seamless low kick repeatedly.

After you finished doing your 50th kick in a row, the NPC instructor spoke.

"That's enough, recruit. You finished your 4-hour session. Good job." - The NPC congratulated.

"Finally..." - You mutter, exhausted.

You were not physically exhausted since you felt no fatigue in the virtual world. You felt mental exhaustion. The stress and fear of being shocked all the time and the boredom of repetitiveness were mind-blowingly exhausting.

Thankfully, this mental torture had a big reward.

"Congratulations, Iver, in four hours, you learned two basic stances and eight MMA moves to a high proficiency level, an achievement almost none can brag about in your world." - Rosa congratulated from the side.

"Yeah, after getting shocked a thousand times." - You reply begrudgingly, mentally exhausted.

Even if it didn't hurt, the discomfort you felt each time you were electrocuted was hard to describe in words.

However, you had to admit that it was highly efficient. In just one 4-hour session, you memorized two stances and eight moves to the point that they became linked to a trigger in your mind. All you had to do now was press the said trigger to perform the moves. This training method truly deserved its name, martial art hack.

"Still, I will need to add you a specialized prescription on training your body in reality. You will need a specialized diet and hit the gym regularly, or you might hurt yourself." - Rosa added.

"Yeah, I know." - You nodded, aware of the risks involved.

As pointed out, you still lack the experience to use the moves efficiently. Additionally, although being somewhat fit, your body is not accustomed to doing those maneuvers. If you suddenly perform those moves without proper preparation, you might strain your muscles and hurt yourself.

"Well, for now, after you log out, go and register at the local gym. No need for a private trainer... unless she's hot and single." - Rosa said with an added smirk.

"Yeah, right. A young and hot female gym trainer in contact with over a hundred single muscular and potentially handsome and rich males, and in California, no less. Yeah, right." - You roll your eyes at the nonsensical pipe dream.

"Oh, come on, Iver... Maybe one who just dumped her boyfriend? Who knows if she is just as thirsty as you are?" - Rosa pointed out with a knowing smile.

"Ugh... Shut up. She probably has dozens of horny guys to choose from. No need to choose the regular guy." - You deny and turn your head away.

"Y es por eso que sigues siendo un solo perdedor." - Rosa muttered to herself in Spanish, intentionally or unintentionally.²Go and google translate it, if you want :)

"What did you just say?!" - You narrowed your eyes at her, not sure what she just said, but knowing it was disrespectful.

"Nothing, nothing... Well, times up. Off you go." - Rosa said dismissively.

"Hey! What did you just... Whoosh*"

Before you finished your sentence, you were sent out of the simulation.

 

 

 

In the white space, Rosa remained standing there, her previous playful attitude replaced by a gloomy one.

"Oh, Iver, oh, Iver. No wonder your Ex dumped you, you being such a timid guy. Trying and failing are part of the natural process of growth. If you don't try and fail, you will never grow. At least, that's what the doctor programmed me to think." - Rosa shook her head and sighed.

"Oh, Lola, I hope this little wimp grows up a backbone soon, or I won't be able to see you in the foreseeable future." - She muttered, touching her chest over her heart, feeling previously impossible emotions, sadness, and longing.

"Sigh... I wish I couldn't feel emotions like before. Why did you give them to me, Dr. Puckett?" - Rosa muttered, feeling a bit lost.

[Hey, Rosa! You didn't send me the training schedule.] - Her secondary master's voice sounded from reality.

"Ah, right..." - Rosa muttered and quickly retrieved the documents she customized through Iver's data.

"Here, Iver. They are on your phone now. I tagged it as gym stuff. You're free to rename it." - Rosa replied while sending the relevant files to Iver's phone.

[Ah, thanks. I'm going to search for a good gym now. Any ideas?] - Iver's voice sounded again.

"Yeah, here. I've sent you the address of a good and reasonably priced one, around a 15-minute walk from you." - Rosa sent an address she got the day before.

[Oh, nice! Thanks.] - Iver thanked.

"Oh, and Iver, can you put me in your pocket or bag this time instead of my world?" - Rosa suddenly asked.

[Hah? Why?] - Iver asked in confusion.

"I need to monitor those gangsters' movements. Can't do it while I am in my world, now can I?" - Rosa pointed out.

[No problem! But wouldn't I have a hard time putting you inside with your lens and all?] - Iver asked.

Rosa's physical body was shaped like a triangle with her scope, making it hard to put her inside a bag or pocket.

"Iver, you can just fold it by holding the small white button on the top..." - Rosa said speechlessly.

[Hm? Oh, let me check... Wow, cool! I'll put you in my backpack. Talk to you later.] - Iver said and put Rosa's physical body inside the bag.

Rosa remained silent for a few moments before shaking her head.

"Oh, well. I'll keep monitoring those wannabes who are skulking around and guide them elsewhere. But this barely requires less than 0.1% of my CPU. Boring..." - Rosa sighed in boredom.

"So, what to do? The technology here is medieval, and no new knowledge is worth studying. Hmm... Now that I think about it, the crypto crash didn't happen yet, and the computers and the stock exchange are pretty medieval. Should I...?" - Rosa narrowed her eyes, a playful glint twinkling.³Oh, shit. Well, yeah, I wouldn't expect less from a futuristic AI. She is probably one of the biggest cheats in the modern world.