REVIEWS:
Naruto30: Diodora won't get off that easy.
ZenithSerac: He may have his Gear, he might not, who is to say?
Lance: Oh yeah. Unfortunately, the mystery trio was not interested in Diodora at the time.
Guest: Sorry, I don't speak Spanish.
Discord Link: /FVXgdXtMUv
And if you want to support me further, as well as enjoy the next chapter early, go to my Coffee page here: Coffee (You know how to edit this) Dot Com/Horns
"It is going to be a long and lonely summer," Issei told his group, the girls clinging to him and offering him their affection for the period ahead. "Are you guys going to be all right without me around?"
"There is no need to worry, nya!" Kuroka said. "We will be fine! You focus on improving yourself, alright? When summer ends, I want to see improvements across the board!"
Issei laughed at Kuroka's energetic attitude. It was something new, and it made him suspicious about why she was so energetic all of a sudden. However, he decided not to pry too much into it and instead left it at that. Everyone was in front of the Gremory estate, waiting for their teachers to pick them up.
"Here." Asia stepped forward, handing him a box. "It won't last you all summer, but it should last you a day or so."
"A lunch box?" Issei questioned, realizing Asia must have cooked for him. "You shouldn't have, Asia."
"Please, accept what little support I can provide," Asia replied.
"I am."
"I hope you are ready to depart, Issei," Zeoticus said, and Issei saw why. From behind the man, he saw a figure flying high in the sky, then diving down, landing roughly on the ground. "Damn it, Tannin, land softer next time! You messed up the garden!"
"My apologies, Lord Gremory." Standing before them was a dragon, alright, and one Issei was truly amazed at. He was the first other dragon he ever saw aside from Ddraig and the first he saw in the flesh. Tannin was a fifteen-meter-tall, gigantic western Dragon. Aside from his lower body, specifically his belly, the inner portions of his long tail, and legs, which are beige, a majority of Tannin's body is covered in dark purple scales. His head was triangular with yellow horns, a pair of large, keen red eyes with lavender sclera, and serrated yet sharp canine teeth. His claws were long, sharp, and yellowish, and his large bat-like wings had rigid tips.
[Tannin]
[Level 222]
"Last I checked, Sirzechs stood at 249. Tannin is close in power with him if one reads the numbers alone, but the gap is higher the higher the level. Sirzechs might still be somewhat more powerful than Tannin here, but who knows what abilities he is packing."
"I feel somewhat insulted. You'd think a former Dragon King is less powerful than a Super Devil, partner. Trust me, Tannin is closer to an equal than most to that man."
"Thank you, Ddraig, but I'd rather not assume blindly," Issei replied to his partner, then stood before Tannin. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Tannin."
"Likewise, Issei Hyoudou. I heard a lot about you from Ajuka Beelzebub himself. He, along with Sirzechs, calls you a true powerhouse in the making." Tannin sniffed the air a bit, then knelt, sniffing Issei. "And it seems they weren't lying to me. You are turning yourself into a dragon?!"
"I am." With the words said, Issei dropped the disguise he was using, revealing his eyes and newly acquired scales to Tannin, who hummed with interest.
"The product of dark magic, no doubt. I was told you dabble." Tannin stated. "Regardless, I was also told of your current situation. Be not afraid. I will be accommodating."
"I'd rather you do not treat me with gloves, Former Dragon King," Issei replied, showing a bit of cheek by calling Tannin by such a title, but the dragon allowed it.
"You have a defiant spirit, I see! Good. We will refine that spirit." Tannin reached down, grabbed Issei, and placed him on his back. "We will head to the Dragon Mountains! Best be ready!"
"I am."
Quest Updated!
Draconic Training!
Training under Tannin himself? Now, you ought to make a few nice improvements this summer! As such, the system is here to add some sweeteners to the deal.
Main Objective: Impress your teacher! Gain 10 Levels during this training trip!
Main Objective 2: Train until Tannin says it is enough for the day! (Repeatable)
Main Objective 3: dfiadnfidagihd
Main Objective 4: Improve your archery to the third mastery tier!
Quest Time Limit: 2 Months.
Main Objective Reward: 30 Stat Points!
Main Objective 2 Reward: 300K EXP.
Main Objective 3 Reward:?
Main Objective 4 Reward: The skill [Midnight Arrow]
Failure Penalty: -20 RP with Tannin. -30 RP with all currently unlocked relationships. (To fail this quest, at least two Main Objectives must be failed.)
The system never let him down- wait a minute, that was new! Why was the third objective all jumbled? The letters were wildly spinning, making it impossible for Issei to discern what the quest actually was! This worried him. The quest stated that if two objectives failed, the entire quest would be treated as a failure. If he were to give a rough estimate, he'd have to say the first objective was the most unlikely for him to achieve in time.
Relationship unlocked!
Tannin
02/100
He is intrigued by your nature and respects you as the Red Dragon Emperor, but in reality, he has no real respect for Issei Hyoudou.
And that wasn't polite. So, in truth, his teacher didn't like him individually and only respected his title as the Red Dragon Emperor. Good to know. However, this would only help him work harder to impress Tannin. It was time to work hard and reach the heights he needed to achieve to regain the worthiness of being called Red Dragon Emperor.
"Alright!" Issei shouted atop Tannin's back.
"I see you have spirit! Good to know! Now, hold on tight. I am picking up speed!"
"Woah!" Issei barely had time to hold on to a scale as Tannin held to his word, accelerating greatly.
"Hmm. It seems your support has dwindled greatly." Solomon said with a cocky grin as his foe fell to his knees. "What is it? Out of steam already?"
"You…" The man kneeled before Solomon. "You have me beat. I surrender."
"Oh?" Solomon was taken aback, but he quickly recomposed himself. "What brought about this change, Mikail?"
"I still hate you, Solomon." The soul confessed. "Now, more than half of the souls stand with you…I know when I am defeated. So far, you've countered every word I said with mastery and precision. You dismantled my every argument. I believe the Juggernaut's Curse needs to be followed through! But…I know when I am fighting a losing battle."
"So, you are not giving in because you agree with me. You are giving in because you know you have no odds of victory." Solomon clarified. "You disappoint me, Mikail. You spoke with quite a bit of fire for someone who claimed to have been the source of this curse."
"The source? Hardly!" Mikail said, confusing Solomon.
"What? But the way you spoke - it all indicated to you being the first to experience the curse! The time you stated as well matches!" Solomon questioned.
"The Juggernaut Drive is not a curse created by us entirely, Solomon. Don't you get it? When Ddraig himself was sealed, his rage was what drove the creation of the curse! We just made it worse." Mikail confessed, but then, another voice stood up from the crowd.
"And I was the true mastermind of that." An old soul went to Solomon, standing in front of him. Mikail, recognizing him, scurried off to Solomon's side, standing close to him. "I congratulate you, Solomon. Your reputation is well-deserved, seeing how you managed to convince so many to undo the curse. But it'd be all for naught."
"What? You make bold claims, oh, shade of old. Declare your name! Who are you?" Solomon questioned, beckoning their name. However, when the figure removed their hood, Solomon's eyes widened, and his mouth fell agape.
"Impossible!" Solomon was stunned.
"But it is possible, honored King." The man replied. "I am Lu Bu! The one who truly created the Juggernaut Drive curse."
"You are the mighty general of the three kingdoms! I read about you! A mighty archer on horseback, you waged war on any who stood in your way. Even if by doing so, you betrayed everyone as well." Solomon stated. "Your treacheries are legendary. And now, it all clicks."
"Does my identity really unravel the puzzle before your eyes so easily, Solomon?" Lu Bu questioned him.
"Lu Bu, I will not speak without confirmation. Although I expect you to lie, I do not expect you to do so without reason. So, answer those questions. First! Is it true the Juggernaut Drive may or may not have been created as a vain attempt to take over future hosts?"
"What?!" The souls within the chamber grew outraged at hearing this.
"So, you accuse me of attempting to take over the bodies of other hosts of the Boosted Gear?" Lu Bu questioned back.
"That is indeed my question."
"Hold on!" Another soul came forth from behind Lu Bu. "That is by far the most ludicrous and grave accusation so far! Solomon, are you out of your mind? There is no way such a thing could be possible!"
"It is true!" Lu Bu suddenly declared, shocking every soul in the room. "I was not done. Not by a long shot. Yet, when I died, I knew it was the end. But instead of either the gates of the underworld or the pristine fields of the Jade Emperor's court, I instead woke here. In this realm within the Boosted Gear. My killer? Among the ranks of my enemy, the White Dragon had joined them to battle me. They aided in my capture and execution."
"B-but if you created the Juggernaut…" A soul said slowly.
"I wanted revenge!" Lu Bu shouted. "So, I began focusing. With each new host, I could feel the connection there, a way to take over if I could just get past the seal on the Boosted Gear! Then it hit him…Hate is a strong catalyst. I gathered other souls from this realm who were troubled by their defeat or early loss of life, and together, we managed to create the Juggernaut Drive!"
"But the White Dragon also uses the Juggernaut! How do you explain it?"
"The past users of that Gear likely copied us. I know not who is within that place, only that Albion has a track record of choosing individuals of noble blood. A bunch of silver-spooned nobles if you questioned me." Lu Bu said venomously. "But my attempt failed. The seal proved far too strong for us, and instead, it provided something far more dangerous. The Juggernaut Drive of today!"
"You killed us!" A soul shouted at Lu Bu, accusing him. "Did you ever take the time to think of those you were dooming?! I had a family!"
"Shut up!" Lu Bu's shout caused the room to shake. "I do not care about your petty grievances. What I care about is returning to life and exacting my vengeance against those who brought forth my end."
"Your age was centuries ago! Almost two millennia ago even!" Solomon shouted. "There is no revenge for you to return to, Lu Bu! You are chasing a cloud of smoke, and the fire is already out!"
"You think I am not aware of the day and age, Solomon? My revenge is to their descendants." Lu Bu confirmed.
"Dear God…" Solomon gasped. "You planned, all this time, to take over and use the Juggernaut Drive to destroy China?"
"Not just China! I want to see the entire world burn!" Lu Bu claimed strongly. "This world never bends itself to my will. Fortune eluded me all my life!"
"You were a warrior that went down into the annals of history! You are honored!" Solomon shouted back.
"As a treacherous rat!" Lu Bu reminded the man. "You said it with your lips! My treacheries are legendary!"
"This is treachery to us all!" The souls shouted.
"We never agreed to this!"
"Solomon! End this!"
"I will!"
"No, you won't." Suddenly, a weapon appeared in Lu Bu's hands, shocking everyone. "As the source of the Juggernaut Drive curse, I have been using everyone's hate and resentment to fuel my might. I am so close to fully taking over - I can sense it! Had Issei Hyoudou perished that day, now I'd have had enough to overcome the next host!"
"We are all dead here, Lu Bu! There is no wound you can inflict on me."
"This is not for you, Solomon. It's for them!" Suddenly, Lu Bu stabbed one of the souls, shocking everyone. But then, a scene of horror unfolded as red chains enveloped everyone who was not behind Solomon. The wise king conjured a barrier, stopping the incoming chains from taking anyone from his side. When it was all over, however, Lu Bu stood with the tool in his hand, the souls screaming from within. "Now, the Juggernaut cannot be undone, nor the Gear returned to its true state."
"Lu Bu, what have you done?!" Solomon questioned sternly.
"Solomon…" Mikail said, afraid. "He…he sealed them."
"He is right." Lu Bu confirmed. "Here, the soul of every single soul still holding this state of the Boosted Gear together is held. Unable to make a decision anymore. I call the shots for them."
"You tyrant!" Solomon shouted, golden light surrounding him. "You oh so dare to enslave the souls to maintain the status of the Boosted Gear as it is! I won't allow it!"
"Are you going to fight me?!" Lu Bu asked. "Do it! You said it! We cannot be killed in here! And now, every single soul is under my control, meaning Issei won't ever recover the power of the Sacred Gear!"
"Lu Bu!" Solomon shouted, and their battle started.
"We're here," Tannin said as they landed, and Issei jumped down from the dragon's back onto the rocky ground. "Issei, welcome to the Dragon Mountains!"
"I see the mountains, but…Where are the dragons?" Issei asked, turning to him. "Surely, the name is not just for show, right?"
"You are correct. We are, in fact, in an area within my territory. There are no other dragons here." Tannin replied. "This is to ensure your safety during this time. Also…Ddraig? Can you hear me?"
"Do not make me speak, Tannin. Done enough of it already." Ddraig replied to the former dragon king, confirming to him what he feared.
"A weak connection to your Sacred Gear, to the point you cannot maintain the connection without expending large amounts of energy? It is worse than I thought." Tannin admitted. "I would suggest you dump your luggage in that cavern there! That will be your home for the following months. I did hear of your dungeon, too. Please do not use it. If you so much as go in there once during our training, I will fly away and leave you here to make your way back to the Gremory estate on your own."
"Understood," Issei replied, going to the cave. It was a small one, only big enough to fit him, really. Still, he put his luggage away, as he was told, and then went back outside where Tannin was waiting for him. "Alright, what do you want me to do first?"
"First, I want to evaluate your current level of power without the Boosted Gear," Tannin stated, and Issei nodded his head. Following those words, he began performing as many abilities as he could, and with Tannin saying it was ok, he even used some of his forbidden magic as well. However, eventually, after 20 or so minutes, Tannin shouted. "Enough!"
"I am not out of energy yet," Issei replied.
"But you are out of time," Tannin replied. "Your abilities are strong, Issei. I will admit to that. You are definitely in the rankings of High-Class beings. However! I cannot help but notice how your arsenal, although varied, makes you reliant on it. Tell me, when was it last you fought with nothing but your raw strength?"
"A long time. Almost never. I always relied on either my abilities or Sacred Gear!" Issei replied.
"Then, that is your first training. You are not going to be allowed to use any of your abilities until I say so." That was bad news. Tannin likely meant his Sacred Gear as well, meaning he couldn't train his archery. He thought the first objective would be the issue, but to think it'd be the last one…He was absolutely shocked to see he was so wrong so quickly. "You seem troubled. Is there something wrong with my decision?"
"N-no. It is a sound call. However, there are abilities I wish to train in as well. Would I be allowed to do so?" Issei asked the dragon, but his reply was simple.
"After I say you are finished learning how to use your body more than your magic and Gear." And that reply was not one he hoped for. "Now, I suggest you run. I will be testing your stamina."
"How?" He asked, but then Tannin's mouth filled with fire. "Are you crazy?!" Issei shouted, then began running as fast as he could from Tannin.
"Go!" Tannin shouted. "Don't you dare stop! Otherwise, I will roast you alive!"
"Finally…" Issei was done for. Training with Tannin proved far more challenging than he had imagined. He really wanted to get his body in better shape, and to do that, he used all kinds of methods. To someone else, they may seem random, but Issei saw through them. When he was being chased with fire, Tannin was helping him train his AGI. When he was made to haul giant rocks from one part of the valley to the other and back, he was training STR. Surviving those trained his DUR passively.
Issei would love to say it was all bullshit in the end, but the truth is…
Your training has produced results! You gained 5 STR, 4 AGI, and 10 DUR, and for figuring out the dragon's training ways, you were awarded 3 INT and 1 WIS!
There was also the quest reward, which he claimed swiftly. However, the EXP was first going to be calculated through his active bonuses. Which netted him over a million, but not enough to level him up. He could turn on the event, but Tannin might notice and call him out on cheating. Still, he did have his stat points left.
He should consider using them. It wasn't cheating, seeing how his physiology is vastly different than that of even a normal dragon. He had 53 points left. Considering how much Tannin was working him, DUR should be a priority right now, so he dumped a healthy 20 points into that one. Granted, there was also the fact that his magic was bound to be lacking if he only focused on his body, so he made the call to dump the other 33 points into that one.
Overall, it seemed like he wasn't spreading them evenly, but Issei knew better. This was good, for now, at least. Now, he will need to go to sleep…Tomorrow, it was hell all over again!
As Issei slept, something was happening with the system.
DLC: Strong Wolf.
Process: Price dropped to 0. Downloading content…Processing…Processing…Process complete!
Gamer number 1000, Alecsandri Szekalovski, downloaded!
The next day came, the sun coming through the cave's entrance and hitting Issei's face, making him wake. He yawned, stretching his body. However, that was when a sound was heard. A scoff came from a rough and deep voice.
"So, you are the current Gamer, huh? I am not impressed."
"What the-" Issei jumped out of his makeshift bed, coming face to face with a man he had never seen before! But God damn, was this guy packing! Before him stood a man dressed in brown cargo pants, black boots, and a pristine white tank top. Their body, however, was huge. Easily standing at 4 meters tall (13 feet), with a broad build matching this height. He had long, white hair from age and a bushy beard. They resembled something akin to an old fighter, but Issei saw something else.
[ Alecsandri Szekalovski]
[Gamer Number 1000]
No level. Just a name and the fact this guy before him was…Wait. When Valerius came to him, he called Issei by a number! Could this guy be one of his predecessors? A previous user of the system?
"You're…Are you a previous user of the Void System?" Issei asked.
"I am." The man replied. "Call me Szeka. Gamer number 1000. But you already knew that, didn't you? You used the [Observe] skill on me, which is why I know you know my full name already. But that is all you are getting. I don't like people snooping into my stuff."
"But…I don't get it. Why are you here?" Issei asked Szeka, who simply scratched the inside of his ear.
"I came out," Szeka replied. "You see, your DLCs are more than just extra stuff you can get. They were past Gamers who offered you their skills and power should you want it. But so far, you haven't used any. Why is that?"
"Honestly? I forgot they existed." Issei replied, making Szeka's eye twitch.
"At least it is a simple reason," Szeka commented, then slowly started making his way out of the cave. "Check your training quest, by the way."
"My-" Szeka turned to him sharply, fixing him a stern glare. "Y-yes, Sir!"
Draconic Training!
Training under Tannin himself? Now, you ought to make a few nice improvements this summer! As such, the system is here to add some sweeteners to the deal.
Main Objective: Impress your teacher! Gain 10 Levels during this training trip!
Main Objective 2: Train until Tannin says it is enough for the day!
Main Objective 3: Master the abilities Szeka intends to teach you! Reach at least Level 5 with both!
Main Objective 4: Improve your archery to the third mastery tier!
Quest Time Limit: 2 Months.
Main Objective Reward: 30 Stat Points!
Main Objective 2 Reward: 300K EXP.
Main Objective 3 Reward: New Skills!
Main Objective 4 Reward: The skill [Midnight Arrow]
Failure Penalty: -20 RP with Tannin. -30 RP with all currently unlocked relationships. (To fail this quest, at least two Main Objectives must be failed.)
"Objective number three is changed! Hold on! Did you cause it to go all weird before?" Issei asked as he followed Szeka outside.
However, upon seeing him, Issei stood and watched. He looked up at the sky and inhaled deeply. "I missed this…The very smell of air…"
"Ummm."
"Right." Szeka turned back to Issei. "Forgive me. As you might have imagined, I have been dead for a long, long time. After you die, you come to miss the little things, you know? Heh." They chuckled a bit. "I sound like a total sob right now. I am not here to enjoy life again but to help you."
"Help me?" Issei asked, confused by his words. "Well, the quest does say you plan to teach me some skills, correct?"
"Correct. Some things from my arsenal. From the few I had, really. But first…"
"Who are you?!" Tannin shouted as he landed roughly next to them, his gaze fixed on Szeka. "I don't know you! And your presence…It's like there is nothing there."
"Of course, there isn't. I have no power in the definition of this world." Szeka replied, although it seemed to cause more confusion. "Let's just say I came from the kid's power. The weird one. I trust they told you, no?"
"A little." Tannin scoffed. "They said he holds a power I am best not to question during our training. But that doesn't tell me what you intend to do with him!"
"Train him, what else?" Szeka replied. "I trust you won't have trouble sharing, ey, lizard?"
"Lizard?!" Tannin raged, punching the ground right next to Szeka, but the man didn't even flinch. "You ask for permission to train Issei along with me, yet you insult me by calling me a lizard?! Who do you think you are?!"
"The only one currently here who understands the true nature of his ability, that's who! But what the hell…How about we solve this the old way, ey?" Szeka proposed. "A battle. You win, I fuck off. I win? We do things my way."
"Deal!" Tannin readily agreed.
"Good…When do you wanna start?" Szeka asked.
"Right now!" Tannin shouted and immediately went with a punch to try and squash Szeka to the ground. However, the man was not fazed. No, instead, he caught Tannin's fist right on. Not only that, but he did so with one hand. "What the-"
"Hmpf." Szeka scoffed and then lifted Tannin by his hand. Issei was amazed. Not only was Tannin still a giant compared to Szeka, but the man made it look easy! He outright flipped Tannin and threw him into the side of the mountain with such force that the ground beneath them shook like an earthquake.
"Why you-" Tannin got up, however, and charged a great ball of fire. But then Szeka moved, and in one step, he was right above Tannin's head. "When did you-"
"Down!" Szeka shouted and kicked Tannin in the head, forcing him down to the ground. After that, Szeka lifted his head, shaking it. "Ey! Wake up, you big ass lizard!"
"W-what?" Tannin recovered, having likely been knocked out! "Y-you! What happened?"
"You passed out, that's what." He let go of Tannin, letting him recover.
"You are a monster…" Tannin said, looking down at Szeka. "You use no energy-based attack, enhancement magic, or anything of the like. I could tell! Everything you did to me…It was raw strength."
"That it was," Szeka confirmed. "But I can tell you are not some weakling, either. Sorry for calling you a lizard earlier."
"I also apologize for my rude reception," Tannin replied, offering a bow to Szeka. "I can tell that between the two of us, you are the stronger man. I will hold my word. Tell me, how do you plan to train young Issei?"
"One day, you will be teaching him, and the next, I will teach him. We repeat this pattern. Agreed?"
"Agreed," Tannin said. "And today?"
"He is mine. I need to explain some things to the kid." Szeka said, returning to Issei together with Tannin. "Oi! Are you ready?"
"What was that?!" Issei asked, utterly shocked. "Tannin, are you alright?! I saw you flying into the side of the damn mountain!"
"I am fine. Bruised but fine. This man here…"
"Szeka. Call me Szeka." Szeka told Tannin.
"Szeka. He made his stand, and I respect that. For today, he will be training you, and we will be alternating between the two of us day after day." Tannin explained.
"I see…Well, where do we start?" Issei asked, and Szeka only smirked.
"So…" Issei began, as Szeka actually took him quite a distance away from where Tannin was now waiting. Apparently, their talk needed to be more or less private. "I know you came to help train me, but I don't know how you intend to do so. For starters, you plan to teach me some of your skills, correct? Aren't those skills already on my list if your DLC is downloaded?"
"Wrong," Szeka replied. "For starters, I never had many skills to begin with. Less than a dozen, in fact."
"What?!" Issei gasped in shock upon hearing that. "Are you counting proficiency skills?"
"Never had them. The system differs from user to user, and in my case, I never had proficiency skills." Szeka replied. "Whenever I got a skill, I'd use an option to trade it for a random amount of stat points. I only kept what was most useful to me."
"You have high stats?"
"Last I checked, my STR stat was in the millions."
"Holy shit!" Issei gasped hearing that, not managing to imagine how that high a value of STR would look. Then again, looking at Szeka, he could somewhat imagine it, but even then! It made sense how he could defeat Tannin so easily. He had muscle upon muscle upon muscle! "Are you going to have me erase my skills, too?"
"Hell no!" Szeka replied strongly. "That was my choice. It doesn't have to be yours as well."
"Ok…But what exactly do you want to teach me?" Issei asked, wanting some clarity.
"First, let me say this: I cannot teach you exactly the abilities I had. It is impossible. Instead, I will be helping you develop similar skills using powers native to your reality." Szeka told Issei, holding up a finger. "Second, you will not be fighting me to test them. This is why we are traveling right now."
"And we are going where?" Issei asked, but then he stopped dead in his tracks as he saw a cave surrounded by dragon bones. There was also a screen before him.
Dungeon: Grave of the Dragon Lords
The recommended Level is 50.
Do you wish to proceed? Y/N
"A dungeon? But how did you know it was here?" Issei asked Szeka.
"Right now, I am more or less part of the system, which gives me access to a special kind of navigation map," Szeka replied. Don't go in yet. We will start here, on its outskirts."
"Ok…So, what do I need to do? I get that we are supposed to adapt those powers you wish to teach me to powers native to this reality, but how do we know what is compatible?" At that question, however, Szeka just smirked.
"Heck, if I know!"
"What?!"
"That is something you need to figure out on your own, Issei Hyoudou," Szeka replied to him, then sat himself down on the cold, stone ground. "The abilities I intend to teach you are purely physical. Yet, to learn them, you will need something that is not reliant on just your body. Think carefully."
"You could be a bit more helpful, you know," Issei remarked dryly, then tried to think, looking through his list of skills. Surely, something in there might work, right? He looked and looked, but the way Szeka described it didn't leave him much in terms of figuring stuff out. Magic was out the window since he'd have been clear if it was magical.
Plus, Szeka himself didn't seem like the type to use magic! All he is doing is adapting abilities from him to his arsenal. Magic is not an option. Martial arts? It seemed like the obvious one, but then again, Szeka said he was teaching him something not entirely reliant on his body. God damn it, the guy was aloof as fuck!
However, Issei eventually found something. Senjutsu. "Wait a minute, that's right! Senjutsu is a Youkai set of arts that imply the manipulation of Ki from around and within you! Kuroka uses it all the time to enhance her body further during battle! It isn't magic, and although it doesn't rely on the body, it does affect it! This must be what I need! But…Fuck, I wish I asked Kuroka for better Senjutsu classes now! All I have is the ability to purify myself and the ability to mask my presence!"
Issei was starting to think he might not even be ready to begin, but then something came to his mind. Szeka must have the [Observe] skill as well! If he did, then he likely knew Issei already had what he needed to begin. Otherwise, he wouldn't have left it all to him! Issei just did not see the bigger picture here. Senjutsu's most famous art is Touki!
But he didn't know Touki! "No, I have to think back! Kuroka and Shirone both explained Touki before, and I did see it on Kuroka's skill list! Ok…I need to focus. I have Ki and Senjutsu, so Touki shouldn't be that hard to achieve, right? Surely, I fulfill the conditions."
"Let's see…" Issei said softly as he began channeling his Ki differently. From what he knew, Touki was the art that implied wrapping Ki around you like armor. He was trying to do just that. He remembered his [Blazing Heel Strike] as well. That one implied covering his leg in Ki, meaning it was like a minor application of Touki. If he just replicated that, but all over his body, and without adding any elements…
Maybe…
Conditions met! Skill added to the [Senjutsu] tab!
When Issei opened his eyes again, his entire body was surrounded by a white aura of power.
[Touki] (Level 1 000/400): The art of wrapping Ki around yourself to further enhance your body! While Touki is active, your STR, DUR, and AGI are increased by 20% each! Additionally, contact with the aura surrounding the user damages enemies based on your Touki level and STR stat (Touki Level * (STR/10). Lastly, Touki naturally defends you, providing both a physical and magical additional damage reduction of 10%! Touki requires 100 Stamina every 30 seconds and 100 Ki per minute to maintain.
"Good going there, kiddo," Szeka said, making Issei dismiss the skill. "Looks like you took the first step without aid. That thing of yours, Touki, was it? It will do nicely."
"What now?"
"Now? A demonstration. Stand back." Szeka said, and Issei did as asked, taking a few steps back. Not long after, as Szeka exhaled, a white and black aura seemed to surround him. Some might say it was Ki, and they would not be too off. But Issei felt something was off. This was not normal. "GAHHHH!" But then it exploded, and the ground itself shook from the sheer presence Szeka held.
"Woah!" Issei almost lost his balance entirely just from the way the ground around them shook! Yet, looking at him, his [Danger Sense] was going crazy!
[Danger Sense] is now level 9!
It even leveled it up!
Szeka balled his fist, pulling it back. His muscles bulged as if he were ready for something. Then, he released it, striking the very air in front of him. Issei was shocked. Not only was the same ground shaking, but the very air seemed to shatter under Szeka's fist! Cracks shining white formed, spreading like broken glass, and as they did, untold destruction was unleashed upon the mountain. An entire mountain peak, right before Issei's eyes, was reduced to a mere hill! Yet, the destruction didn't end there.
A nearby lake split in two as a large ravine opened in the middle, making all the water flow within as magma rose to the surface, and yet, Szeka's fist remained in place. Then, he pushed it further, and a second wave of utter destruction followed, but this time, rocks the size of entire mansions flew into the air, and the mountain that stood in that very direction was no longer spread throughout whole valleys.
"Holy shit…" Even Ddraig was impressed by Szeka's strength. When he was done, however, the aura remained, yet Issei could tell, even from where he was standing, that the very atmosphere around Szeka was hard to be in. His very presence, his strength, made manifest into something more, was like a suffocating force that kept lesser beings away from him.
"So…Do I have your full attention, kid?" Szeka asked, coming right up to Issei and dismissing the aura from around him.
"Yes, Sir!" Issei replied, not wishing to annoy this man now that he saw what he was capable of. He wondered what Tannin might have thought about it and if he could have seen it.
Unknown to Issei, Tannin might not have been there to see it, but he felt it. In fact, all the dragons in the mountain thought it. "What a monster…" Tannin said, eyes shaking with absolute terror. He had never felt such raw power before. It was not magic, nor anything else he was familiar with. It was strength made into something more. It was raw, untamed! Unprocessed!
It was raw power. It was the first power.
The True Power.
"Now, listen here, Issei! I will teach you two abilities. How they manifest it is up to you! But when I am done? You will never have to worry about hitting the power ceiling again." Szeka told him. "This ought to be good."