Since when had he become talented enough to mimic others just by watching?
Thinking back, it had happened last time too—when he copied the Air Elementals and ended up falling into the Gap.
Even now, he could replicate the movements Percival had just performed after only a few glances.
“Is this what Darkness meant by using the treasure of Shadow Supreme? But… I don’t remember getting any prize like this…”
Confused, Neo could only put the issue aside for now.
He stepped into the farm.
He had to watch closely if he wanted to copy their movements perfectly.
Because even a slight error would cause him to fall into the Gap.
He couldn’t afford a mistake like that.
While moving, Neo kept his blessings active.
He had been doing so since the beginning of the training—it was his way of adapting, of forcing his body and mind to get used to their effects.
Then, he dashed forward.
As expected, the ostriches reacted instantly.
Instead of increasing his speed, he maintained his pace and sharpened his senses.
The birds moved—fast.
They suddenly appeared at his sides, their large bodies exiting the Pseudo-Gap.
Neo focused.
He memorized every detail of their movements—down to the tiniest shifts in their posture, the way their muscles tensed before phasing in and out.
Dorothy and Momothy lunged at him.
Neo dodged effortlessly.
The youngest bird let out an irritated chirp and increased the pace of its attacks.
Neo moved fluidly, sidestepping every strike with ease.
Thanks to his multiple blessings, his stats were sky-high.
But he didn’t celebrate.
The real hurdle was yet to come.
“Fweeet! Fweet!”
Timothy’s shrill cry rang through the air, almost like a battle announcement.
In the next instant, a leg appeared in Neo’s path.
There was no room to dodge.
With access to Pseudo-Gap, Timothy could move instantly and block Neo’s escape with precision. Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire
Neo acted as planned.
He kicked with full force, aiming to counter the block with an attack.
His leg should have collided with Timothy’s outstretched limb.
However—
His foot phased straight through.
No, it looked like it phased through, when in truth, it went around it.
‘Fuck, it used Pseudo-Gap—’
Before Neo could complete his thought, Timothy’s leg swept forward.
A solid impact struck Neo’s other, standing leg that was connected to the ground.
He lost his balance.
His body crashed onto the dusty ground.
“Fweeet!”
The bird spread its wings in triumph.
Its large frame cast a shadow over Neo’s fallen form.
As if savoring its victory, Timothy began to dance around him.
“Fweeet! Fweeet!”
The other ostriches joined in, their loud calls echoing in the air.
Neo lay there for a moment, staring up at the sky.
The clouds drifted lazily above.
And all he could think was—
‘I’m going to grill these fuckers if that’s the last thing I do.’
Despite his inner feelings, Neo stood up with a neutral expression.
The dry dirt clung to his clothes, and he dusted them off before silently returning to the starting point.
His movements were calm.
Too calm.
Timothy tilted its head, confused by the human’s lack of reaction.
Had the taunting not been enough?
Until today, the human always brought a dragon child with him.
Teasing her had been amusing at first, but eventually, it got boring.
That was why the three ostriches had been so excited when the human brought new toys a few days ago.
The two newcomers were much more entertaining to play with.
Their reactions had given the birds plenty of laughter.
But now—
Timothy didn’t understand.
Why had the black-haired human suddenly become so different?
Timothy attacked again, its powerful legs sweeping toward Neo’s feet.
As always, the human tripped.
And, as always, he simply dusted off his clothes and returned to the wooden barriers without a hint of frustration.
Again.
And again.
Was he not getting angry at being defeated so easily?
Timothy narrowed its eyes and changed its approach.
It started tripping Neo closer to the tree, ensuring he was just a step away before sending him to the ground again.
A near victory, snatched away at the last moment.
Surely, that would frustrate him.
But no.
Neo remained indifferent.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the farm, the hammer-wielding human was beginning to cause trouble for Timothy’s siblings.
But Timothy didn’t pay attention to them.
It had decided—no matter what, it would get a reaction out of the black-haired human.
So, it continued tripping him.
Yet the human still showed no signs of irritation.
Timothy was puzzled.
What was this human trying to do?
Then, suddenly—
A hand shot toward its neck with deadly precision.
“Fweeet!?”
Timothy flinched, barely moving out of the way in time.
For a moment, a chill ran down its spine.
Normally, people tried to attack Timothy and its siblings, but their aim was always poor, as if they couldn’t properly perceive space.
The birds never understood why, but it made bullying others so much easier.
Yet this human—
He had aimed directly at Timothy’s neck.
It must have been a coincidence.
Or so Timothy thought—until the human tried again.
His second attempt, however, was off.
His movements were still rough, still lacking the precision of his first strike.
Neo clenched his fist, gazing at his hand.
“It’s almost within my grasp,” he muttered under his breath.
Timothy didn’t understand the human’s words.
But for some reason, they felt like an ominous premonition.
Then, once again, the human ran forward from the wooden barriers.
Timothy had already adjusted to his speed.
It wouldn’t be taken by surprise anymore.
The bird stretched out its leg, preparing to trip him once more—
When suddenly, the human kicked at its feet.
The attack, which should have been aimed poorly like all the others, was now frighteningly precise.
Timothy’s eyes widened in shock.
It hurriedly withdrew its leg, retreating just in time.
Had it not moved—
The force of the blow would have shattered its bones.
Before Timothy could retreat into the Pseudo-Gap completely, the human grabbed its leg and yanked it back.
“Fweeet!”
Timothy shrieked, startled.
Its wings flapped wildly, kicking up dust as it struggled to escape the human’s grasp.
But then—it froze.
The human was smiling.
A faint, kind smile.
Yet, for some reason, it sent a shiver down Timothy’s spine.
Fear crept up its chest, and before it realized it—
It started to cry.
Tears welled in its large, dark eyes as pitiful chirps escaped its beak.
“Why are you crying?” The human’s voice was calm. “I haven’t even grilled you yet.”
He raised his hand, and black flames erupted on the ground.
The dry grass withered instantly, and the heat distorted the air.
The fire crackled hungrily as dark poles formed at its sides, and above them, a single horizontal pole hung in place.
Timothy’s entire body stiffened.
Alarms blared in its mind.
It could feel the searing heat licking at its feathers.
Was this human planning to eat it!?
“Fweet! Fweet! Fweet!” Timothy cried desperately, flailing its legs.
The human’s grip remained firm.
His smile widened slightly.
“Why are you crying? Laugh. Laugh, you fucking bitch. Laugh like you were laughing before.”