Chapter 281: Peak Reflex Level

Some time passed, and it was now Christmas.

Unfortunately, the System could not provide an event for the Christmas season, which displeased most of the players.

Max, on the other hand, simply scoffed at their complaints that he heard from Enzo.

Max’s only response was, "It would not be hyperrealistic if the world settings followed reality."

Enzo was amused by his brother’s reaction, feeling that it made sense.

Alongside Auntie Sarah, they had been preparing for Christmas.

Surprisingly, on Christmas Eve, Auntie Sarah was surprised by her children, who came to visit her.

Two of them studied at the same university overseas, with one of them graduating the following year.

They were the only children Auntie Sarah had.

Of course, after knowing that Auntie Sarah was now living at Max’s residence, they informed her of their visit and even asked for their location.

Although they were skeptical at first, hesitating for fifteen minutes about whether they should knock on the door and unsure if it was the right place, they became certain when Max himself opened the door.

Even then, they found it difficult to find any semblance of the same Max they had always known.

Max was now handsome, and his body was refined.

As Auntie Sarah’s daughters, they almost forgot that Max was their cousin, having become attracted to him.

It was even more so when Max smiled.

Max accommodated them.

Although he had not had a pleasant encounter with his cousins, it had not been a bad one either. He still treated them the same way Auntie Sarah treated them.

They were not pushovers either, and they reciprocated the kindness he offered.

For now, the daughters were staying in Auntie Sarah’s room until New Year’s.

Hence, Max’s Christmas and New Year’s were not boring, unlike what he had experienced in the past.

He couldn’t help but compare his Christmas and New Year’s in his past life to his current ones.

It brought him great satisfaction.

He even thought he was dreaming.

Hence, while he was happy, he gifted Auntie Sarah and her daughters brand-new, latest-model phones from Orange.

While Auntie Sarah felt guilty and hesitated to receive it, her daughters immediately accepted theirs, compelling her to do the same.

Her daughters were so thankful to Max that they were the ones who prepared food for him and even cleaned the house despite no one asking them to.

Auntie Sarah, of course, did not want them to work hard when they should be preparing for their next semester, but her daughters insisted, claiming that it was a form of reciprocation for Max’s gifts and accommodation.

They then expressed how envious they were of Enzo, who received a new Eclipse Immersion Pod as a gift from Max.

In fact, the mass production of the Eclipse Immersion Pod would officially begin in January, and the fact that Max was able to gift a new one to Enzo in December proved that he was indeed an ambassador to Aethernova, as Auntie Sarah had claimed.

They were not fully aware of the details, as they were deeply focused on their studies, but they knew about the existence of the game.

They also had their own gaming pod, a refurbished one that they had bought from the second-hand market.

They were even envious of their mother, who owned a brand-new NovaPro Immersion Pod that she was not using.

When Auntie Sarah wanted to give it to them, Max heard about it and decided to gift her daughters the latest version of the NovaPro Immersion Pod for New Year’s.

Auntie Sarah was truly embarrassed after receiving numerous gifts from Max, but the latter simply shrugged it off, reminding her that money was not a problem for him.

Eventually, Auntie Sarah’s daughters left reluctantly three days after New Year’s.

It was now the year 2029.

There was another year ahead for Max.

Max had long accepted his new life and had already begun envisioning what would occur in the current year.

For 2029, Max would be devoting his main focus toward exploring the Ashen Expanse.

The Imperial Family had already supported his decision, so the only thing that could stop him was himself.

A grin broke across his face.

Max also did not neglect his real-life training.

On January 7th, 2029, Max felt significant progress in his training, reminding him that he had achieved a minor breakthrough.

In other words, he was now at the Peak Reflex Level of the Neuromuscular Combat System.

The Neuromuscular Combat System, according to some rumors, had begun emerging from various physical fitness organizations after they discovered the wondrous effects of practicing the training regimen from the Empire.

Of course, they were still only rumors, but the moment Max heard the name of the organization that currently led the experimental process for the Neuromuscular Combat System, it became a confirmation for Max.

He was honestly surprised, but he didn’t care anymore.

The moment the Neuromuscular Combat System was publicized was the moment that they had completed all the possible levels of the combat system.

And Max was already at the Peak Reflex Level.

Max could perceive significant changes throughout his body once he broke through to the Peak Reflex Level.

In reality, at Peak Reflex, he had developed a highly efficient perception-response system.

His reaction to sudden changes had become significantly faster. Visual, auditory, and tactile information could be processed almost immediately, allowing his body to begin responding before most people could consciously recognize what had happened.

His ability to recognize threats had also improved.

Instead of simply reacting to sudden movements, Max could instinctively distinguish between harmless movements, potential threats, and immediate attacks. The movement of a person’s shoulders, hips, and feet, and even changes in their breathing, could provide enough information for him to anticipate what they were about to do.

It was not precognition.

His brain had simply become extremely efficient at recognizing movement patterns and predicting their most likely continuation.

His body also no longer reacted with the same hesitation caused by surprise.

When something suddenly entered his peripheral vision or moved toward him, his body could immediately adjust its position. His hands could move to protect his vital areas, his feet could shift his center of gravity, and his body could evade or redirect the incoming force almost instinctively.