Point of View Switch: Kai
Pokkle continues to inspect his body, appreciating the new control he's developed over his aura. When we began training yesterday, his Ren's precision and stability were lacking, with his aura dispersing rather than staying consistent and grounded, so I had to restrain myself even more to avoid causing him permanent damage.
But now, thanks to having sharpened his senses through a dangerous training against a superior opponent, he is now able to control his aura with more precision in the heat of combat, and has also improved the speed with which he generates it.
At first, I wasn't sure we'd be able to do it today even with my Development Orb in the equation, but it seems he's managed to master it in such a short time despite my doubts. It was worth it to give him a good beating to make him progress in his focus and compatibility.
"It's incredible. I used to have such a hard time controlling my aura, and now it feels so natural when I try to direct it. And not only that, I can also feel how much stronger it has become than before." Pokkle says awed as he tries to change the exertion and flow of his aura throughout his body.
"That's because you've mastered it now and it doesn't fade into the airanzmore, and you've also been forced to strengthen it faster so you can withstand my attacks without dying." I clarify to him.
"With this newfound strength, I think I could even take on a Noggin Lugging Tortoise all on my own. Now that I've finally mastered Ren, we can call it a day for today's training, right?" Pokkle asks.
"No, no, no." I deny by moving my index finger while forming a hidden aura number with In. "Now that you know how to use Ren properly and have a basic understanding of the 4 principles, it's time to focus our efforts on the advanced applications that remain."
"Whaaat?! But you said we would end today's training if I managed to use the Ren properly." Pokkle complains, looking disappointed.
"I never said that. I just said that if you didn't master it today, then you'd have to review what we learned yesterday. Since you're now able to use it freely, we'll spend the rest of the day trying out some new advanced principles. And by the way...!" I say at the end yelling and pointing at him.
"What is the number I am forming now?!"
At my question, Pokkle notices and uses Gyo. "Number 6!"
"That's right. As you haven't noticed, do 200 push-ups before continuing with Nen." I order.
"Huh? You're joking, right? I'm exhausted from training, my body aches and it's already getting dark." Pokkle argues with a clear expression of tirement.
"I don't care! You'll stay and complete my training regimen no matter what, even if we have to extend it until dawn! Now they will be 300, and if you try to complain or leave on your own, I'll have to use my persuasion techniques to force you. The ones I used against Hanzo, remember?" Using Hanzo's memory as a threat, Pokkle shows a frightened expression before nodding intimidated and starting to do the push-ups.
After about an hour and a half, I drag a collapsed Pokkle to begin his training in the more advanced techniques. First, Ken training.
"Now you know how to use Ren, which means you can attack and defend at the same time. But that consumes a lot of stamina and aura, so it's best used in short fights and quick movements. If you're looking to defend yourself against an enemy, it's better to condense a larger amount of aura out of your body using Ten. That's called Ren. Try it."
At my command, Pokkle tries several times to use Ken, but his aura becomes destabilized and he ends up with Ren. On the fourth attempt, he finally manages to compact it and successfully use Ken.
"Okay, hold that for 10 minutes straight. When you get it right, we'll move on to the next technique."
"With this technique I have to control the aura more than with normal Ren so that it doesn't come loose, but I notice that the aura cost is lower." Pokkle voices his thoughts while sweating and maintaining a tense posture.
"That's why it's best to use this technique before attempting an attack. Keep your grip firm. If your arua gets loose, you'll have to start from the beginning." I state.
Obviously, it took him many attempts to get the handle right to meet the deadline, and after 1 hour an 22 minutes, he finally succeeded.
"Okay, time's up. We can move on to the next exercise." I say to Pokkle, who turns off his aura quite exhausted.
Second, Emission training.
"As you are an Emitter, apart from using the aura on your body, you will also have to learn how to release it." I say starting to form a sphere on my finger.
"To "emit" your aura, you have to separate a portion of it from the main flow of your soul, but still keep it under your control. You have to imagine giving it a concrete form and then decide what you want it to do." I say, shooting the small sphere at a tree about 15 meters away.
"With Ten and proper control, you can launch it like this. Okay, now do it yourself. Since you're an Emitter, this will be easier for you to accomplish."
"Finally, something more suited to my abilities. Look closely, Kai, I'll be able to hit that tree in no time." Pokkle states confidently as he begins to form the sphere.
Although not in a flash, Pokkle managed to complete this practice in record time: 24 minutes.
'I guess it's more natural for an Emitter with enhanced talent.' I say looking at Pokkle's pleased smile.
"See, Kai, I told you it would be a piece of cake. With this exercise, I'm sure you've realized where my true potential lies." Pokkle says somewhat smugly smile.
"Yes, I'm actually very impressed. I thought it would take you at least 40 minutes. It's clear that you have the greatest affinity with Emision." I tell him trying to give him some recognition after so much criticism. "Well, let's practice one more technique and we'll continue with the rest tomorrow."
Third, Shu training.
"The function of the aura in the Enhancement category isn't to make the body stronger or tougher, but rather to "increase" its performance. Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to easily harm other Nen users, and this also applies to other people and objects." I say as I take out one of my pistols.
"By using the aura, people become superhuman, and conventional weapons used by people unaware of the existence of Nen become ineffective. However..." I say impregnating my weapon with Nen and pointing it at a big rock. "...by channeling aura into an object, this advantage, or disadvantage depending on your position, can be circumvented."
I pull the trigger to fire and as soon as the bullet collides with the rock it explodes into piles of pieces, leaving Pokkle with his eyes wide open.
"It's a high-tech explosive bullet, right? With your track record at Heavens Arena, you're sure to have the funds and contacts to apply for them. Come on, admit it." Pokkle asks, clearly unable to accept what he has seen.
"No. It was a normal bullet fired from a pistol that, although good, is nothing exceptional." I refute.
"Come on! You expect me to believe a normal weapon can do that just by adding Nen?! Obviously there has to be some trick!" Pokkle argues, still not believing me.
"I admit I added more aura to achieve a more impressive effect, but it's something you can achieve with practice too. And now it's your turn." I say handing him the bow and the quiver with his arrows.
"Do you expect me to achieve that today?" He asks me with a derisive tone.
"You've made a lot of progress in managing your aura, so I know you can achieve results. We'll stay here until your arrows can pierce through at least one tree." I respond.
"This is ridiculous. It's already nighttime, and I'm exhausted from following your instructions all day. I'm going to sleep at my lodgings." Pokkle says dismissing his bow and arrows and trying to leave quite irked.
However, I appear in front of him in the blink of an eye, blocking his path with a very serious and firm posture.
"You're free to try to leave if you want. That is, if you can get around me. And I'm warning you, I won't go easy on you this time. You might end up with a couple of broken bones from this flee practice. It's your decision." I declare as I begin to exude my aura tinged with aggression while staring at him.
Pokkle stares at me angrily for several seconds, obviously wanting to respond with some rude comment, but the pressure exerted by my Ren and my violent intentions prevent him from doing so. Eventually, Pokkle clicks his tongue in vexation and picks up his bow and arrows to begin practicing.
With the dilemma solved I decide to lower my aura while I watch Pokkle trying to imbue his arrows with Shu, and after about 52 minutes and several attempts, he finally launches an arrow powerful enough to completely pierce through a tree.
"It's finally done." Pokkle sighs, dropping his bow and collapsing to the ground from exhaustion. "Sunk into the abyss, the brave hunter exhaled the breath of salvation in the wake of infinity woven by the goddess and her daughters."
"Stop trying to express yourself using poetry. It's nighttime and you're tired, I know it, so stop that nonsense." I say, lifting him up by the arm.
"We still have more techniques to practice tomorrow, so it's time to get back to the city. With all the effort you put in today, I'm sure you'll have a great night's sleep."
With these last words, I help a limply Pokkle with dead eyes walk back to the city and to his lodging before seeing him off and heading to my own. Once back, I check my phone to review the messages Nicholas has sent me regarding the investigation before creating a new, complete Wormhole Orb and falling asleep.
Date: August 3rd, 2011
Back in the forest with a refreshed Pokkle (who has changed into lighter clothing), I set out to continue teaching him the rest of the advanced principles of Nen.
Fourth, Ryu and Ko training.
"As you saw yesterday, by mastering Ren and learning Ken, you can control a greater amount of aura flowing through your body. However, Ken is used more for defense, and Ren consumes too much aura, which is where Ryu and Ko techniques come into play." I say starting to move the aura of my body towards my left fist.
"Now most of my body's aura is concentrated in my fist. This technique is called Ko, and it's the most powerful physical movement for a Nen user. Now please, Pokkle, use your Ren as I taught you yesterday."
"Yes." Pokkle nods activating the technique.
"Very good. Now I'm going to move very slowly to hit you, and you must block it. Dodging it is prohibited, and I'll force you to do 1.000 sit-ups if you try." I say worrying Pokkle a little as I start to slowly move my fist towards him.
Pokkle ends up crossing his arms in the trajectory and the punch connects, sending him flying into a tree several meters away.
"There you have it. That's Ko's power alone, and if you add physical strength, speed, more aura, and even conditions, he can become much stronger. Even without any of that, I can see your arms shaking from the impact, so imagine what the result would be if you had only used Ten."
At this thought, Pokkle's expression turns to one of concern, surely imagining the serious damage his body would have sustained from such power. "So, as we did in yesterday's Ren practice, I must flow my aura to use Ko to defend myself from a Ko attack."
"It's not wrong, but it's not the most right thing to do." I say, raising my finger to use the number trick again. "A Ko against a Ko, unless the difference in power is huge, will result in a perfect block. However, if your opponent tries to hit you in a place where you don't use a Ko, then your body will end up crippled."
"Ah, the number 8!" Pokkle exclaims in realization.
"Too slow. You have just woken up, so you do 500 warm-up squats." I instructu.
"Dawn it!" Pokkle says annoyed as he starts to do as I told him. "If it's not that risky, that means I have to use Ren or Ken to protect myself because they cover the whole body."
"Correct. That way, you wouldn't suffer as much damage when you took the hit. Your enemy would also consider using this strategy, so by using an even split, you transfer a greater percentage of your aura to another part of your body to increase its effectiveness." I say, transmitting my aura back to my fist.
"By placing, for example, 60% of your aura in your fist, you'll increase the power of your attack while maintaining 40% to protect your body. You can also change the power ratio again to suit the situation. This is called Ryu."
"Ryu. Is that what you were using yesterday when I attacked you by deploying my Ren and the part of your body that I hit shone brighter?" Pokkle asks remembering our sparring yesterday.
"That's right. I like that insight. When you're done with the sit-ups, you'll practice controlling the percentage of aura in your own body, and when you have the hand of it, we'll do combat practice again, striking and blocking very slowly while controlling the percentage of aura in your body. I'll show you visually how to do it until you're done." I say as I start doing katas in front of him while the percentage of my aura with each strike.
When Pokkle finishes the required sit-ups, he begins to try to change the percentage of aura in his body according to my commands. It's harder for him than I initially expected, so I extended the duration of the exercise, but I still didn't get good enough results. Either way, we're short on time, so I stick to the schedule and we move on to practice.
With a slow pace and verbal prompts from me, Pokkle manages to make it through the exchange of blows. He sometimes fails to control the percentage, and some injuries are done, but the most he gets are bruises and scratches. Between this and the previous exercises, we spent about 3 and a half hours before finishing and moving on to the next one.
Fifth, Manipulation training.
"Since your category falls under Emission, it means you're also adjacent to Manipulation in addition to Enhancement, so you should learn a bit about that as well. What do you think about it?" I ask wanting to know Pokkle's opinion on this case.
'This is the first time he's asked me about my opinion on a training. Does you has anything planned for the future? Well, it's fine to everything I can anyway.' Pokkle thinks to himself (without my knowledge) before answering. "Yes, no problem with that. I have a certain affinity for Manipulation, so I guess I'll be good."
With his approval, I move to scatter several leaves around us and then crouch down, placing my hands on the ground.
"When you hear the name of the category, the first thing that probably comes to mind is taking control of someone, but specifically the concept of Manipulation involves influencing the nature of an object or person with your aura. My Development Orb is a good example because its function is to "manipulate" the vessel's potential." I explain as I start preparing my aura.
"The principles are not unlike those used in Shu. The most important change is adding "intention" so that what you imbue fulfills your purpose."
I begin to transmit my aura to the leaves scattered on the ground and in a short time they begin to move around me clockwise. "Moving small objects in this way is the most basic training for Manipulation, although there are higher levels based on imagination."
"Like trying to get them to spin in two directions at the same time." I say making half of the leaves start to spin in the opposite direction.
"Or making them levitate in the air." I say, making the leaves rise in the air, forming a kind of vegetal whirlwind around me, embodying the spirit of the forest we are in and captivating Pokkle.
"Well, those are the means to practice the Manipulation category." I say, ceasing my control over the leaves and getting up.
"Perhaps the training of a pure Manipulator differs from my methods, but this is how I was taught. In any case, for now, just focus on trying to move some of the leaves. With the time we have, I don't expect great results either, but it's worth a try."
Pokkle nods at me and immediately assumes the position I was in to try practicing Manipulation for about 46 minutes. The results weren't great as I expected, but at least he managed to move some of the leaves in a short amount of time, which makes me feel pleased as his temporary teacher.
Sixth, advanced Emission training.
"Yesterday you quickly learned how to project and control the aura outside of yourself, and so you can also practice increasing the power of the aura you release at once." I say getting into a one-arm handstand.
"In a position where you support your entire body weight on one point, you should try to gather and release as much aura as you can from the palm of your hand to propel yourself into the air."
As I give my explanation I begin to gather my aura to set an example and releasing it I propel myself a couple of meters into the air before landing. "And that's how you do it. If you can manage to elevate yourself a few dozen centimeters with training, it'll be enough to pass. When you do, you'll be able to knock out an enemy 4 meters away with a single wave."
"Then, at what distance could you knock someone out with the wave you released?" Pokkle asks somewhat hesitant.
"Let me think... I guess about 50 or 60 meters. But you know what?" I ask, raising my finger again, although Pokkle notices this time.
"Number 2!" He says.
"Good. You're getting the idea. What I was going to say is that if I tried my hardest, I could propel myself higher than an four-story building. That's not a boast, since I've actually checked it." I say with a mischievous smile, leaving Pokkle stunned.
This training has neither successes nor disappointments, but proceeds normally. Pokkle strives to gather the aura in his palm and propel himself upward, advancing at a pace that's not too fast but not too slow either. What pleases me most is seeing him maintain his balance.
When I tried to teach this drill to Ponzu, she kept falling, but Pokkle remained firm and steady. I suppose it's normal for an archer to know how to maintain the posture. Since this drill is for his category, I decided to have him do it for 2 hours straight.
"Okay, that's enough for the Emission side. Take a break." With that warning, Pokkle abandons his handstand position, panting but not as deeply as yesterday. "After training for several hours, it's time for a good lunch to regain strength."
"Does that mean you're taking me back to Heavens Arena?" Pokkle asks with stars in his eyes.
"Using my Wormhole Orbs for such trivial trips is a pain, and I don't want others taking advantage of mine either. Yesterday was an exception because I left you feeling like crap with the combat training, but today, I brought the food already prepared." I say taking out a lunchbox with several sandwiches.
"We have the with the mustard-marinated crab meat we had yesterday, one with breaded curly-feathered chicken and fresh lettuce, one with beef and a seasonal mushroom sauce, and a vegan option made with up to three home-grown fruits, free of additives and preservatives, and cream. Choose whichever you like, and bon appetit!"
As I describe the sandwiches for our lunch, Pokkle drools a little and gulps before joining me as we sit on a fallen log to enjoy the meal.
"Thanks for the food!" We both say in unison clasping our hands before diving in to eat.