Holograms

The hologram had a few options. Khan could start the first lesson immediately or watch a catalog of each different move separately. He could even use the phone to scan himself during the training to find eventual mistakes in the executions.

The disk contained a program that went over every aspect of the Lightning-demon style. It had everything Khan could think of. It even contained information about the old man and the martial art as a whole.

"You shouldn't activate these training programs in the open," Lieutenant Dyester explained and forced Khan out of his amazement. "These magical items are expensive, and they require genetic authorization. In theory, no one can access what you have on your phone unless you allow it."

"Isn't it dangerous to have the martial art on my phone?" Khan asked. "Doesn't it work on the network of the Global Army? The higher-ups should have access to that."

"Magic isn't the same as technology," Lieutenant Dyester reassured. "The higher-ups might be able to enter your phone, but they won't be able to activate the magical devices connected. Mana works past your idea of technology. That's why the Global Army focuses on training soldiers instead of investing in weapons."

Khan felt still an outsider in the world of mana. He almost couldn't believe that the energy could affect programs and similar digital assets.

"What if someone uses mana to hack the phone?" Khan asked. "Is it possible to go past the protections of the disk like that?"

"In theory, yes," Lieutenant Dyester revealed. "However, mages with an element able to affect digital protections are rare, and the disk usually wipes itself clean whenever it senses a breach in its defenses."

"Magical items sound interesting," Khan couldn't help but exclaim.

"They are a unique branch of the Global Army," Lieutenant Dyester explained. "They go past the simple fusion of technology and mana. They use mana to create special effects from almost nothing. It's a marvelous subject, but it requires many years of study and perfect control over your power."

'There is so much to learn about the army,' Khan thought while closing the holograms and the training program.

"How should I train from now on?" Khan asked.

His excitement about the new martial art was far from gone, but he wanted to hear Lieutenant Dyester's opinion before diving into the holograms.

"I actually can't have a say on this matter," Lieutenant Dyester revealed. "It's up to you to decide how much you want to involve me in your training."

Lieutenant Dyester continued when he noticed Khan's confused expression. "Our physiques are quite different, so I decided to find you a different martial art. I would have taught you my techniques and followed your training if the higher-ups were to fail me, but you have many options now."

"Why would I not involve you in my training?" Khan asked. "I don't even know how most of this technology works."

"Well," Lieutenant Dyester hesitated before explaining his worries. "I would gain access to this martial art for free if you do. It's fine now since it's me, but you shouldn't do that all the time. Even some of the older soldiers won't miss the chance to learn something this valuable."

'I only need to watch my back then,' Khan summarized in his mind.

"I wouldn't have gotten this martial art without your help," Khan eventually announced. "I even need a place where to train. I definitely need you involved."

Lieutenant Dyester scratched his head before nodding. He only wanted Khan to understand how dangerous it could be to share such valuable items with strangers. The soldier had no interest in the martial art.

Khan activated the training program again when he saw Lieutenant Dyester's reaction. The interactive holograms came out of his phone, and he quickly tried to start the first lesson.

"Read the general overview of the martial art first," Lieutenant Dyester sighed. "Don't jump blindly on the moves."

"And you wanted me to do this on my own," Khan snorted.

"You are lucky that your Master has no ill intentions," Lieutenant Dyester complained. "I hope you won't trust hired professors and similar figures so easily in the future."

"I hope to have enough Credits to hire them in the future," Khan laughed before clicking the label that led toward the overview of the martial art.

"Lightning-demon style," A mechanical voice suddenly came out of the phone. "Martial art created and explained by Dean Ulluw, an evolved soldier who has opted for a secluded life."

"Evolved?" Khan asked while turning toward Lieutenant Dyester.

"It's when you go past one hundred percent attunement," The lieutenant explained before the mechanical voice resumed its explanation.

"The forms of the Lightning-demon style rely on speed and precision," The mechanical voice announced. "Ideal for shorter soldiers who don't shine in raw physical strength. Nevertheless, being strong can help bring out the true potential of the martial art since it features overall complete techniques."

"Most high-level martial art requires all the relevant physical features," Lieutenant Dyester added. "The program is saying that the techniques focus on speed out of choice rather than necessity."

"The speed generated by the techniques and the precision required during their execution will force the human body to endure a lot of pressure," The program continued. "Frail physiques should avoid this style. The same goes for soldiers with poor control over their bodies."

The overview ended after those lines. Khan felt slightly disappointed that the program didn't tell him anything else, but it was hard to ruin his mood with the various lessons listed on the other side of the hologram.

"I guess you don't care about Dean Ulluw," Lieutenant Dyester commented, and Khan showed a shameless smile before skipping the description of the evolved soldier and starting the first lesson.

The old man at the center of the hologram suddenly began to move, and a raspy voice came out of the phone as it followed his lips. "I bet that those idiots in the army told you that you only need speed and precision for this style."

Khan and Lieutenant Dyester exchanged a glance. They didn't know why the Global Army had decided to leave that description after such a specific introduction.

"Okay, they might be partially right," Dean Ulluw continued. "You can perform this style by relying only on speed and precision, but that would be a waste."

The area depicted by the hologram began to enlarge. The program's point of view retreated until it managed to represent both Dean and a humanoid training dummy in the scene.

"This is what you can do with only speed and precision," Dean announced before shooting toward the dummy and delivering a precise kick to its throat.

Dean's speed had been incredible. Khan barely managed to follow his movements. The hologram kept track of the stats connected to the technique, so he could read that the soldier had covered ten meters in less than a second.

Moreover, the precise kick had ended up cutting the dummy's head. The power generated by Dean's momentum had transformed his movement into a threatening attack capable of severing metal.

"Every mage and soldier would die against this attack," Dean explained while walking back to his previous spot. "You would be too fast for them to react, and defenses can't do much against a blow backed with such speed. However, humankind has aliens as enemies."

Something that the holograms didn't depict replaced the broken dummy with a new one. Dean then took a deep breath before disappearing from his spot.

A loud noise came out of the phone. Dean reappeared next to the training dummy, with one foot raised toward its chest. Yet, the puppet was no more. The attack had destroyed its back and insides, leaving only a thin layer of metal intact.

"Mana gives us the chance to overcome our physical limits," Dean explained while turning toward Khan. "In theory, I can push my speed further indefinitely. I only need to be strong enough to endure the physical strain. More power equals to more speed, which equals to even more power if deployed accurately."

Khan quickly stopped the recording to play with the buttons on the hologram for a few seconds and learn the various functions of the program. He could zoom, go forward, rewind, and save scenes at any time. He could even hide or show the different stats.

The first and second executions seemed different techniques, but the program contradicted Khan's opinion. Dean had performed the same move, something that the training would teach later on, but he had used different amounts of power.

The program also kept track of the mana depleted during the activation of the technique. Khan remained speechless when he saw that Dean had used the same amount of energy in both executions. The difference between their effects came from the sheer physical strength deployed.

Khan glanced toward Lieutenant Dyester, who had a hand under his chin while he inspected those stats. He didn't appear as amazed as Khan, but the technique had definitely caught his interest.

"I guess this martial art has the potential to enter the high level," Lieutenant Dyester explained. "Everything depends on how much you and your body can endure without lowering your accuracy. Some techniques might even require special training, but I'll make sure to warn you about them."