Nov 20, 2023 18:23:38 GMT -5
Post by ABAS on Nov 20, 2023 18:23:38 GMT -5
Super Heavy Weights Active
Dummy Active
One Pre-Workout used!
Sharp exhales and the sound of flesh striking flesh filled the halls of the Crane Dojo. It had been two weeks since ABAS had first arrived at the Crane School, and his days had been filled with pain and combat. The Crane Hermit had not mellowed in his treatment of the bio-android as time had gone by, making judicious use of the killswitch's pain setting to "encourage" ABAS to learn faster. However, he could not deny that the training was effective. He had learned so many new techniques and tricks of ki management that he was almost an entirely different fighter compared to before. When all of that polish was combined with his Super Heavy containment suit and his frequent zenkai from the sheer abuse, ABAS found himself growing more and more confident as a warrior. Even among all of the alien species that had visited Earth, only the elites could possibly hope to match him as he was now.
"STOP!"
The student ABAS was fighting froze, standing stock still as Shen (for there was no "Master" in the vaults of his mind) stalked over to him. The Crane Hermit flicked his wrist dismissively. "Get moving you worm. I'm not getting any younger here while you cower in fear!" Gorlick scurried away, carefully closing the door behind him with a soft click. Master and student stood in silence for several moments.
"Do you know what you did wrong ABAS?"
Shen barked, folding his hands behind his back and sneering over the top of his sunglasses. ABAS considered the question for several seconds. He had (painfully) learned that Shen didn't appreciate a well-thought-out response, but he genuinely could not recall what he had messed up in the combination. He had copied the exact movements of the Crane kata on his first day with his Cerelian genetics, and it was impossible for him to have forgotten.
"No Master Shen, I do not. I am fully confident that my movements were according to your instructions."
Shen sighed gustily, pinching his nose between two wizened figures.
"They give me the endpoint of evolution, and I still have to explain something so basic. Am I the only one on this stinking planet with talent at martial arts?!"
He jabbed ABAS in the chest with an outstretched finger. As he had been instructed, the nearly eight-foot-tall bio-android warrior lowered himself to eye-level so his master could properly get in his face. And get in his face he did.
"That's not the problem you dolt! The problem is that you're improvising too much! I saw the boxing technique you were working in with that jab, and that little spin-kick you were so proud of! Improvisation is good, great even. The ability to think on your feet and catch your opponent off-guard is key to martial arts. However, you do it so much that it compromises your own foundation! Without a single style of combat to serve as your base, any reasonably skilled master can pick through that pathetic flailing you call a defense and beat you to death! I will not have my Crane School sullied in such a manner!"
ABAS turned the idea over in his head. Now that he reviewed his performance, he realized that Shen was completely right! Before coming to the Crane School, he had relied so much on viewing other people's styles and fighting ability to teach himself that he had essentially mixed everything into one giant stew. While it was useful against low-level warriors, it also meant that he had no strengths to exploit. It made him too reactionary, and that wasn't something he could continue doing if he wanted to be truly strong.
Shen sneered, "New rule cockroach. Every time I see you use something that isn't part of the Crane School, unless it was absolutely necessary to win, you're getting shocked."
"Yes Master Shen."
As the next day dawned, ABAS and Shen made their way deep into the wood surrounding the Crane Dojo. ABAS tried his best to match the almost ghost-like pace of his master, but he just couldn't seem to match it. No matter how carefully he chose his footing, there was always the crunch of fallen branches and the rustling sound that heralded a kicked rock.
"The Crane School is, in the end, a training ground for assassins. Unlike that dolt Roshi, no true Master of the Crane has any illusions for why he trains. While that idiot might feed you a line of tripe about "peace" and "self-discovery", the truth is you can get that with almost anything. Yoga, writing, hell I've even had some prospects tell me that baking gave them the clear mind to practice martial arts!" Shen scoffed, flicking a finger at ABAS. A thin beam of yellow light shot from his finger, piercing ABAS through the kneecap. "I can forgive your trampling ABAS, but do try to keep your ki under control. It wouldn't do any good for one of those goody-goodies to interrupt our training." ABAS' brow tightened for a long moment, but he eventually forced himself to relax. With a flicker of ki, ABAS willed the flesh and bone in his knee to replicate itself, repairing the damage Shen had done to him. He forced the animal within to subside, allowing his aura of ki to subside. There was no way he could ruin such fruitful training due to mere pique!
"What was I saying? Oh right, your mindset. The Crane School is built around the understanding that martial arts are all based on one thing: killing. Martial artists train themselves relentlessly, driving themselves to learn techniques and methods to utterly dismantle each other. And they have the nerve to call all of that peaceful? They call ME arrogant! No, you ABAS, will learn the intent to kill in the PROPER way."
The forest the pair had been walking through widened to a shaded clearing, a couple of meters wide and about 20 long. There was no ornamentation here, merely tangles of weeds and two targets at the far end. The targets were absolutely covered in narrow burn holes, ranging from the very edges of the target to the dead-center of the bullseye.
"And so, we come to the Dodonpa. The Crane School has more powerful techniques and even more practical ones for close-quarters combat. However, nothing I will teach you comes as close to the heart of our philosophy as this. Despite your idiocy, you have an obvious talent for ki-manipulation, which will help you here. To perform the Dodonpa, you must concentrate every single iota of your ki to a point, and then release in one controlled burst. It will not have the destructive power of the Tri-Beam of Kamehameha, but it's speed and piercing power is utterly unmatched."
"It seems a useful technique then Master Shen. With it, I exploit the fact that my opponent expects a gigantic wide-range attack to catch them off-guard." ABAS pointed out. Shen grinned, "Precisely my disgusting apprentice. Those idiots in the modern age only expect you to overwhelm them with raw force. The clever assassin, however, kills with the smallest expenditure of energy. Only....there is one problem!"
Shen paused for dramatic effect, jabbing a finger at ABAS. "You have not murdered before."
If he had eyebrows, ABAS was sure he would have raised them in that moment. Him? Not a killer?
"I must protest Master Shen. In the course of my duties, I have killed approximately 565-"
"I'm not talking about throwing out a couple of wide-ranging ki attacks and watching them burn ABAS. I'm talking about killing. To look a strong opponent in the eyes and hate them with all of their being. To utterly loathe[/i] someone, so much so that you have no choice but to kill them. The Dodonpa is powered by those feelings, that intent to kill. I can tell by your stance, your way of fighting that you have never had to confront that part of yourself before. Without it, you will never acquire the technique. And if you can't do something as simple as that, I'll just kill you right here."[/font][/b]
Shen's usually shrill tone shifted then, growing softer, more dangerous. His ki darkened, turning almost filthy to ABAS' perceptions. ABAS did not fear Shen, he would never allow himself that kind of weakness. But considering his current state, he felt it altogether wiser to do what his master told him.
And try he did. ABAS tried for hours to master the technique, shifting every aspect of his stance and concentration. But no matter what he tried, the Dodonpa just blew up in his face, heavily burning his hand with the sheer ki output. While such injuries were practically nothing to ABAS's level of regeneration, it didn't help that every time he did fail, Shen burned a hole in one of his limbs with a well-aimed Dodonpa.
"Come on ABAS! I thought you were supposed to be come kind of genius! Stop being a piece of useless trash and get it already! I don't have all day!
"I am trying Master Shen. However, your explanations of the ki manipulation were not sufficient to learn the technique without practice. Additionally, I don't see why all of these emotional factors are nece- ARG!"
ABAS felt white-hot pain surge through his entire body as Shen thumbed the kill-switch, letting it burn until the remote's inbuilt limits kicked in to save the bio-android's life.
"Back talk? You dare back talk me?! You better get this on the next try or I will tear you apart myself!"
Shen continued ranting, but the noise faded from ABAS's ears as he got to his feet. It was a foolish thought, a hallucination brought about by the pain he had just gone through. But in that moment, all of the unfairness and pain he had experienced in the last year of his life concentrated into a single emotion. Overpowering. Rage.
"DODONPA!"
With a shout, a burning laser of ki shot across the clearing at a speed barely perceptible to the naked eye. The attack punched straight through the reinforced wood like it wasn't even there, and continued on from there. Shen eyed the smoking holes on the target and several trees behind it, then looked back at ABAS.
"An acceptable result. You are now considered an initiate of the Crane School. Be grateful for this honor!"
With a huff, Shen swiveled on his heel, marching back towards the edge of the tree line. ABAS started to follow them, before hesitating, looking back at the target.
I haven't felt an emotion that intense before. Is this...what the Sayians and Earthlings call passion? Rage? My focus and ki flow in that moment must have allowed me to temporarily get around the mental restraints. If I can do that with but a fraction of ki....then it is logical to assume that with enough...I may be able to shatter them entirely. Interesting.....
Learning [OT-1]Dodonpa! Week 2/2. Technique Learned! -1 TP
WC: 1832
Dummy Active
One Pre-Workout used!
Sharp exhales and the sound of flesh striking flesh filled the halls of the Crane Dojo. It had been two weeks since ABAS had first arrived at the Crane School, and his days had been filled with pain and combat. The Crane Hermit had not mellowed in his treatment of the bio-android as time had gone by, making judicious use of the killswitch's pain setting to "encourage" ABAS to learn faster. However, he could not deny that the training was effective. He had learned so many new techniques and tricks of ki management that he was almost an entirely different fighter compared to before. When all of that polish was combined with his Super Heavy containment suit and his frequent zenkai from the sheer abuse, ABAS found himself growing more and more confident as a warrior. Even among all of the alien species that had visited Earth, only the elites could possibly hope to match him as he was now.
"STOP!"
The student ABAS was fighting froze, standing stock still as Shen (for there was no "Master" in the vaults of his mind) stalked over to him. The Crane Hermit flicked his wrist dismissively. "Get moving you worm. I'm not getting any younger here while you cower in fear!" Gorlick scurried away, carefully closing the door behind him with a soft click. Master and student stood in silence for several moments.
"Do you know what you did wrong ABAS?"
Shen barked, folding his hands behind his back and sneering over the top of his sunglasses. ABAS considered the question for several seconds. He had (painfully) learned that Shen didn't appreciate a well-thought-out response, but he genuinely could not recall what he had messed up in the combination. He had copied the exact movements of the Crane kata on his first day with his Cerelian genetics, and it was impossible for him to have forgotten.
"No Master Shen, I do not. I am fully confident that my movements were according to your instructions."
Shen sighed gustily, pinching his nose between two wizened figures.
"They give me the endpoint of evolution, and I still have to explain something so basic. Am I the only one on this stinking planet with talent at martial arts?!"
He jabbed ABAS in the chest with an outstretched finger. As he had been instructed, the nearly eight-foot-tall bio-android warrior lowered himself to eye-level so his master could properly get in his face. And get in his face he did.
"That's not the problem you dolt! The problem is that you're improvising too much! I saw the boxing technique you were working in with that jab, and that little spin-kick you were so proud of! Improvisation is good, great even. The ability to think on your feet and catch your opponent off-guard is key to martial arts. However, you do it so much that it compromises your own foundation! Without a single style of combat to serve as your base, any reasonably skilled master can pick through that pathetic flailing you call a defense and beat you to death! I will not have my Crane School sullied in such a manner!"
ABAS turned the idea over in his head. Now that he reviewed his performance, he realized that Shen was completely right! Before coming to the Crane School, he had relied so much on viewing other people's styles and fighting ability to teach himself that he had essentially mixed everything into one giant stew. While it was useful against low-level warriors, it also meant that he had no strengths to exploit. It made him too reactionary, and that wasn't something he could continue doing if he wanted to be truly strong.
Shen sneered, "New rule cockroach. Every time I see you use something that isn't part of the Crane School, unless it was absolutely necessary to win, you're getting shocked."
"Yes Master Shen."
As the next day dawned, ABAS and Shen made their way deep into the wood surrounding the Crane Dojo. ABAS tried his best to match the almost ghost-like pace of his master, but he just couldn't seem to match it. No matter how carefully he chose his footing, there was always the crunch of fallen branches and the rustling sound that heralded a kicked rock.
"The Crane School is, in the end, a training ground for assassins. Unlike that dolt Roshi, no true Master of the Crane has any illusions for why he trains. While that idiot might feed you a line of tripe about "peace" and "self-discovery", the truth is you can get that with almost anything. Yoga, writing, hell I've even had some prospects tell me that baking gave them the clear mind to practice martial arts!" Shen scoffed, flicking a finger at ABAS. A thin beam of yellow light shot from his finger, piercing ABAS through the kneecap. "I can forgive your trampling ABAS, but do try to keep your ki under control. It wouldn't do any good for one of those goody-goodies to interrupt our training." ABAS' brow tightened for a long moment, but he eventually forced himself to relax. With a flicker of ki, ABAS willed the flesh and bone in his knee to replicate itself, repairing the damage Shen had done to him. He forced the animal within to subside, allowing his aura of ki to subside. There was no way he could ruin such fruitful training due to mere pique!
"What was I saying? Oh right, your mindset. The Crane School is built around the understanding that martial arts are all based on one thing: killing. Martial artists train themselves relentlessly, driving themselves to learn techniques and methods to utterly dismantle each other. And they have the nerve to call all of that peaceful? They call ME arrogant! No, you ABAS, will learn the intent to kill in the PROPER way."
The forest the pair had been walking through widened to a shaded clearing, a couple of meters wide and about 20 long. There was no ornamentation here, merely tangles of weeds and two targets at the far end. The targets were absolutely covered in narrow burn holes, ranging from the very edges of the target to the dead-center of the bullseye.
"And so, we come to the Dodonpa. The Crane School has more powerful techniques and even more practical ones for close-quarters combat. However, nothing I will teach you comes as close to the heart of our philosophy as this. Despite your idiocy, you have an obvious talent for ki-manipulation, which will help you here. To perform the Dodonpa, you must concentrate every single iota of your ki to a point, and then release in one controlled burst. It will not have the destructive power of the Tri-Beam of Kamehameha, but it's speed and piercing power is utterly unmatched."
"It seems a useful technique then Master Shen. With it, I exploit the fact that my opponent expects a gigantic wide-range attack to catch them off-guard." ABAS pointed out. Shen grinned, "Precisely my disgusting apprentice. Those idiots in the modern age only expect you to overwhelm them with raw force. The clever assassin, however, kills with the smallest expenditure of energy. Only....there is one problem!"
Shen paused for dramatic effect, jabbing a finger at ABAS. "You have not murdered before."
If he had eyebrows, ABAS was sure he would have raised them in that moment. Him? Not a killer?
"I must protest Master Shen. In the course of my duties, I have killed approximately 565-"
"I'm not talking about throwing out a couple of wide-ranging ki attacks and watching them burn ABAS. I'm talking about killing. To look a strong opponent in the eyes and hate them with all of their being. To utterly loathe[/i] someone, so much so that you have no choice but to kill them. The Dodonpa is powered by those feelings, that intent to kill. I can tell by your stance, your way of fighting that you have never had to confront that part of yourself before. Without it, you will never acquire the technique. And if you can't do something as simple as that, I'll just kill you right here."[/font][/b]
Shen's usually shrill tone shifted then, growing softer, more dangerous. His ki darkened, turning almost filthy to ABAS' perceptions. ABAS did not fear Shen, he would never allow himself that kind of weakness. But considering his current state, he felt it altogether wiser to do what his master told him.
And try he did. ABAS tried for hours to master the technique, shifting every aspect of his stance and concentration. But no matter what he tried, the Dodonpa just blew up in his face, heavily burning his hand with the sheer ki output. While such injuries were practically nothing to ABAS's level of regeneration, it didn't help that every time he did fail, Shen burned a hole in one of his limbs with a well-aimed Dodonpa.
"Come on ABAS! I thought you were supposed to be come kind of genius! Stop being a piece of useless trash and get it already! I don't have all day!
"I am trying Master Shen. However, your explanations of the ki manipulation were not sufficient to learn the technique without practice. Additionally, I don't see why all of these emotional factors are nece- ARG!"
ABAS felt white-hot pain surge through his entire body as Shen thumbed the kill-switch, letting it burn until the remote's inbuilt limits kicked in to save the bio-android's life.
"Back talk? You dare back talk me?! You better get this on the next try or I will tear you apart myself!"
Shen continued ranting, but the noise faded from ABAS's ears as he got to his feet. It was a foolish thought, a hallucination brought about by the pain he had just gone through. But in that moment, all of the unfairness and pain he had experienced in the last year of his life concentrated into a single emotion. Overpowering. Rage.
"DODONPA!"
With a shout, a burning laser of ki shot across the clearing at a speed barely perceptible to the naked eye. The attack punched straight through the reinforced wood like it wasn't even there, and continued on from there. Shen eyed the smoking holes on the target and several trees behind it, then looked back at ABAS.
"An acceptable result. You are now considered an initiate of the Crane School. Be grateful for this honor!"
With a huff, Shen swiveled on his heel, marching back towards the edge of the tree line. ABAS started to follow them, before hesitating, looking back at the target.
I haven't felt an emotion that intense before. Is this...what the Sayians and Earthlings call passion? Rage? My focus and ki flow in that moment must have allowed me to temporarily get around the mental restraints. If I can do that with but a fraction of ki....then it is logical to assume that with enough...I may be able to shatter them entirely. Interesting.....
Learning [OT-1]Dodonpa! Week 2/2. Technique Learned! -1 TP
WC: 1832
