Lucius looked at them and said, "Both of you have grown stronger, but raw power without experience is nothing more than wasted potential. That is why I want to send both of you to the virtual world."
Lucius then explained it: "When you are inside the virtual world, you will fight, train, and adapt as though it were real. The battles could last for what feels like a year or two but don't worry, as only a day will pass in reality."
Luna, who heard it, was a bit interested and also excited as she answered. "A whole year of battle in a single day? Interesting."
Liora, who heard it, was also excited as she flexed her claws. "So I will be fighting for a year. I want it, Master. With it, I will become even stronger."
Lucius smirked after hearing it and turned back to the system. "System, initiate virtual reality training. Set the duration of their sleep to twelve hours and the virtual world to six months."
---
[Hack Initiation: Virtual Reality Training (12 Hours = 6 Months)]
[Resources Required: 20,000 Hack Points.]
---
The system soon reduced the required cost and immediately made Luna and Liora fall asleep and sent them to the virtual world.
Lucius then began to put both of them at the nearest bed and smirked, "I hope you two will fulfill my expectation. Show me the strength that you have got from the virtual world." Lucius said before leaving the room.
Meanwhile, Luna and Liora had arrived in the unfamiliar world as they opened their eyes. They then began to look around and realize that they were on a dessert where it was hot and sands were spread all around.
Luna then began to wipe her eyes with her hand as she turned to Liora and asked, "Liora, do you know where we are?"
Liora then crouched low as she began to scan the surroundings. "I don't know but this should be the place where we will grow stronger. For now, stay close to me."
Before Luna could respond, a roar echoed across the desert. Both women immediately turned around to see the source of the sound.
They soon found out that a group of beasts had appeared. They had a big body and also sharp claws and were running toward them.
Liora immediately stepped forward and prepared her claws as she said to Luna, "They are all 3-Star beasts. This won't be easy."
Luna, who heard what Liora had just said, immediately looked around to find something that she could use to defend herself.
Luna then found a jagged piece of rock and picked it up. She then gripped it tightly as she was a bit shaking, "I will do what I can."
The beasts soon charged and Liora let out a roar as she began to fight them head-on. Her claws tore through the first beast's hide and killed it.
She was now moving with ferocity as she began to kill the beasts one by one, but Luna, on the other hand, was pretty in trouble defending herself.
Luna was trying to use the sharp rock to fend off the smaller beast that approached her. Despite her lack of combat experience, she could fend off some beast, but still it wasn't enough.
A massive bear-like creature then roared and rushed immediately to Luna and used its paw to send Luna flying. She then hit the rock pretty hard and broke her whole body. She felt an intense pain before everything went black.
Moments later, Luna gasped as she was revived. She stumbled to her knees, clutching her chest where the beast's attack had landed. The pain still lingered vividly.
Liora immediately rushed to Luna, who was just revived. She was pretty worried about her as she crouched and asked. "Luna! Are you alright?"
Luna coughed and nodded. Her body was still shaking but still she gritted her teeth and said, "I'm fine, but that... that death wasn't just a game. It felt real."
Liora frowned after hearing it and immediately said, "Then you need to be more careful. Stay behind me. I will protect you."
But Luna shook her head. She then glared at Liora and said, "No. That pain taught me something. If I stay weak, I'll only get in the way. And I'll never let that happen, not to you, not to Master."
Liora, who heard it, was a bit touched and then nodded. "Good. If that is the case, then use that resolve. We will fight together and grow stronger." Luna nodded and both of them began to move.
Meanwhile, Lucius was now in his room. He was now sitting in the sofa and murmured, "Luna has reached 3-Star, so it is my turn to become 3-Star Tamer."
He then closed his eyes. He wanted to sense the energy that was going to transform him into a 3-Star tamer and the moment he sensed it, he opened his eyes.
He then turned to the system with a smirk, "System, stabilize my energy, so I can immediately advance into 3-Star Tamer."
---
[Hack Initiation: Instant Stabilizer.]
Your next journey awaits at empire
[Resources Required: 10,000 Hack Points.]
---
The system then began to stabilize his energy, which was hiding in his body. The moment his energy was stabilized, he finally advanced and became a 3-Star Tamer.
Lucius smirked after feeling the new power inside him, but suddenly a new screen appeared that immediately attracted his attention.
---
[System Upgrade: Confirm?]
---
Lucius was surprised after reading the new message on the screen, "An upgrade? To think the system has hidden features even I wasn't aware of."
He then began to think about it more: "This must be because I've reached 3-Star, as in my previous life, I was sealed before I could progress beyond 2-Star. Perhaps the system was limited by my rank."
He then smirked as he turned to the screen again, "If this upgrade unlocks more of your potential, then let's see just how far I can go with the new you."
Without hesitation, Lucius immediately chose to upgrade the system. "System, confirm the upgrade and show me your real power."
---
[System Upgrading...]
---
The screen began to flash as it was upgrading and Lucius immediately leaned back in his chair. "It seems that it might take a while, so I think I can rest first."
Lucius then immediately stood up and went to the bed to catch up on his sleep, while the system continued to upgrade itself.