บท 107: Chapter 107 - Overcoming The Gap Of Talent. Mind's Eye, The Talent For The Talentless

A month quickly went by with his monotonous lifestyle of training, training and more training with his weekly grind during the weekly Hollow Extermination expedition.

"Huff… Huff…" Adam breathes rapidly while kneeling on one leg while his body is propped up by his Asauchi.

"Hmn. Not bad. Not bad. Your form, footwork and technique execution is impeccable as always. However, your style is very methodical and rigid like I am fighting a machine rather than a person. You lack swordsmanship talent but you compensate with training and sheer hard work. However, talent is still crucial."

"Your way of fighting is only effective if you understand your opponent's style. The more you understand them, the stronger you become. However, the same happens when you know nothing about your opponent. You will be defeated easily."

"The battlefield is unpredictable. Information is valuable and scarce. So, don't expect for you to be able to learn about your opponent's technique like in a duel." Adam's Zanjutsu instructor advised him.

"Yes, sensei. Thank you for your guidance." Adam bowed to the Shinigami from the 1st Division who is the 12th Seat and a master swordsman few could contend to below Captain rank.

"Do you have any questions?" The instructor asked while standing calmly and looking at Adam's tired self.

"I do. I wonder how I can cover up my lack of talent, sensei." Adam asked solemnly with a bow that looked more like he was begging for an answer than asking.

"Haah… Any teacher will be happy to have a very committed and diligent student. But you, Shiro, are overdoing it." The instructor looked helpless at Adam. After all, who wouldn't when Adam has been training day and night without sleep, rest and eating for an entire month by now.

"Before I give you the answer to your question. Would you answer my question?"

"Ask away, sensei." Adam nodded.

"Why are you so desperate to gain strength? Not that it is bad. But I want to know what's driven you with such desperation." The instructor asked with a frown.

Others might not see it. But he did. He can sense the desperation in Adam as he pushes himself to train and train like he is living on borrowed time.

Adam lowers his head for a moment before he lifts it up again to look his instructor in the eyes.

"To protect those that I care about and to make sure I will not repeat the same mistake once again." Adam said with conviction and willpower gleaming from his icy blue eyes.

The instructor closed his eyes while rubbing his beard for a few moments and nodded.

"Good. A very noble cause to seek strength. To protect your loved ones huh." He looked at Adam and didn't need much guesswork to tell he entered Soul Society very young to be sounding like this.

"Then I will also give my answer. To compensate for your lack of talent, you need a very sharp instinct. Instinct cultivated through numerous life and death battles. Instinct that can overturn the odds no matter how unfavorable it is as long as there is a silver of chance."

"The Mind's Eye?"

"Correct." His instructor nodded.

"Mind's Eye is the skill to calmly analyze the abilities of the opponent as well as the battle conditions even when in heat of battle and danger to deduce an appropriate course of action."

"It requires heightened capacity for observation and analysis refined through training, discipline and experience. This is part of the skills you already possess."

"The part you lacked is the capability to translate all that analyzed information into action to escape from a predicament. You have to react fast. Faster than your own thoughts. To do that you need a sharp instinct. The skill to react without needing to consciously willing your body to act. Something the body is only able to achieve after going through numerous near death experiences in battle to sharpen your instinct and reaction to form the instinct to react before the danger even appears. This is not something a talent can produce. It is only achievable with sheer overwhelming amounts of combat experience."

"The talent for the untalented, gained through arduous and torturous training. So long as there is even a tiny fraction of chance, this skill allows you to optimize and reduce each and every action taken to the absolute limit on the fly to carve out a path with highest possibility of comeback."

His instructor greatly emphasized on the keyword, comeback. Which means, this skill isn't a magical skill that helps him achieve impossible victory. It is merely a tool to draw out his maximum potential.

"Please teach me, sensei." Adam kneels down on the floor begging his instructor.

"Haiz, no need to kneel down. As long as you wish to learn it, I, your teacher, have no reason not to allow it." The instructor said with a touched look because this is the first time he has such a passionate student.

Ever since Zanpakuto became more mainstream among Shinigami. They had been neglecting all the basic Shinigami combat styles. Everyone becomes obsessed with Zanpakuto. Whenever they want to be stronger, they will just focus on just Zanpakuto, chasing after Shikai and Bankai for quick power up instead of trying to cover their bases and establish a solid foundation.

Having Adam being different from norm breaths a fresh air into the century long stagnation.

"Don't worry. As your teacher. I will make sure you will learn this skill even if I have to die trying." The instructor held Adam's shoulder while wiping a tear that squeezed out his eyes.

"Thank you, sensei!" Adam also has tears leaking out from his eyes which he wiped with his Shihakusho's sleeve.

"Good. From today onwards, you will be dueling as much as possible with opponents stronger than yourself to help you experience as many life and death experiences as possible. Don't worry, as long as your brain and heart is intact, Captain Unohana can fix you back into shape." The instructor said with a hint of sadistic look in his eyes.

After listening to the way his instructor worded it, Adam can't help but worry what kind of extreme torture will he be put though instead of swordsmanship training.

———

After the end of his first day at training, Adam woke up and found himself in an unfamiliar room that looked like a hospital ward except the technology is very backward.

"What happened to m—" Adam couldn't finish his words when his missing memories prior to losing consciousness suddenly hit him from the back like a 50 ton truck going 100 miles per hour.

He remembers vividly how he fought against a Shinigami twice his strength and getting folded like a cardboard box. The final blow left him with a large cut through his abdomen and was eviscerated along with his spine being cut.

Adam quickly tore open his Shihakusho and checked. There was no sign of injury or scar and he isn't paralyzed waist down. Then he remembered something his instructor said before the new training regime was implemented.

"Don't worry, as long as your brain and heart is intact, Captain Unohana can fix you back into shape." Adam mutters with a chill down his spine.

"Is this going to be my life now?" Adam wondered if he had made a mistake. "No, this is not a mistake. Without a sacrifice, how can I expect something good? No pain, no gain." Adam hype himself back up before he sighed and rose off his bed.

He cannot spend his time idly. If he has spare time. He should train and train harder without wasting any moment.

"Where do you think you are going, Shiro-san? I don't think you have permission to discharge yet."

"C-Captain Unohana! My apology, I saw no one and I thought I needed to find someone to help with my discharge." Adam immediately gulped first before greeting her and making up an excuse.

This kind looking Captain of the Healing Corp and 4th Division is actually a monster. Adam knew what was hiding underneath that mask. He knew it very well because she is one of his favorite characters since she looks like a Kind Onee-san type until the grand reveal of the real Unohana Retsu.

"What is the matter, you look very pale and terrified." Unohana smiled kindly while tending to Adam and doing a check up.

"No. Just a small jog of memory before I passed out earlier." Adam said and received a hum in return while she finished checking him.

"Hmn. Nothing out of the ordinary. You definitely healed properly. However, there is something I am curious about when I was tending to your injuries." She said before she made a sudden pause.

"What's wrong? You look terrified." She asked before looking around and found nothing.

"Could it be… you are afraid of me?" Her eyelids suddenly narrowed as she stared at Adam. The room suddenly became dead silent and the air suddenly became thick and oppressive. He felt like he was choking for air before everything suddenly reverted to normal.

"Don't worry, you have nothing to worry about. We keep our patient information confidential." Her face reverted to the kind smile before she asked back about the question regarding the curious thing she found in his body.

"During your treatment, I checked your body and found three different distinct energies. One is Reishi but the other two are completely unknown to me. One of them was actively trying to heal your injury even when you didn't consciously do it. Which is quite interesting. The other one is similar to Reishi but its effects were unknown to me." Unohana pointed out his Aura and Haki.

"So, I wonder if you know how you obtain these energies?" She asked and behind the mask of a kind smile, Adam can see her sharp eyes scrutinizing him.

He felt his throat dry up, not knowing how to answer in this situation. He wonders if he should lie? But if he did, will Captain Unohana even buy his lies?

Making another audible gulp, Adam prepared himself an answer.

"I… I obtained it from my time on Earth."

"I see…" Captain Unohana nods for a moment in silence while thinking of something.

"Can you explain how you obtained it? It is valuable research data for me since this is the first time I encountered energy that is specialized for healing and nourishing the body. In exchange, I will fulfill one request from you."

When Captain Unohana made her offer, Adam was immediately attracted. Not for sexual reasons. But because Captain Unohana is one of the greatest Zanjutsu practitioners that focuses on Kendo or swordsmanship. With her bloodthirsty tendency, Adam is basically killing three birds with one stone. He can train his Zanjutsu, learn Mind's Eye and on the spot healing that ensures he can train far longer and more efficiently. However, the con is, she is Unohana Retsu, the First Kenpachi.

Just thinking about it sends shivers down his spine and drenching him in cold sweat.

Meanwhile Captain Unohana already knew that Adam knew something about her to make him constantly flinch under her gaze. But surprisingly he didn't try to say it or spread it, perhaps because he is fearing for his life. After all, there is only one secret that can make anyone act like he did. That being her past before she became the Captain of 4th Division.

"So, do you agree?" Captain Unohana pressures Adam a little.

"Yes. But I only know how to obtain energy with healing attributes. The other one I really don't know." Adam admitted.

"Alright, just that then. That healing energy is the only one I needed." Captain Unohana said while taking a seat in front of Adam and waiting for him to talk.

"So… I don't really remember how it was done. But it was done in order to unleash a human's soul and wield it as a weapon and armor to fight against monsters."

"Unleashing the soul?" Captain Unohana inquired curiously and verbally nudged Adam to continue his explanation.

"Yes. There is a lost ritual done to a human to unleash their soul and open up the vessel to allow it to grow and accumulate more energy. This energy, besides healing, can reinforce the body to make it more durable and also enhance physical capability." Adam said while doing some demonstration.

Captain Unohana observes the demonstration very carefully, down to every detail while instructing Adam to perform certain actions to aid her understanding of Aura.

"Interesting. Very interesting indeed. It is no different from normal Reiryoku. The only difference is it contains your intention. The healing property is no different than Kaidō except it needs no conscious input and automatically heals the body when injured which forms a passive regeneration factor. However, its property was limited only to the Internal Reiryoku that had been imprinted with your intent. Once your Internal Reiryoku is depleted, the regeneration factor will halt." Captain Unohana analyzed it with a mix of curiosity and disappointment. "The only uniqueness about this 'Aura' energy is its ability to react automatically even when the user is unconscious."

Hearing how Captain Unohana is disappointed and unsatisfied made Adam worry if she might pull back on her deal. But it turns out she wouldn't.

"So, what is your request? I hope it is not outrageous though." She giggled a little.

Adam didn't hesitate and voiced his request.

"I want to learn Kaidō."

"You want to learn Kaidō?" Captain Unohana is a little surprised because it is not what she expects he would request. Also, he looked very genuine when he said he wanted to learn Kaidō.

"If you want to learn Kaidō, you are welcome to come and learn anytime. It is not something that requires a special favor from me. Just make sure you inform your Captain first." Captain Unohana said before she offered once again.

"Now, what is your request?" She asked and was curious about the favor Adam may have asked for. Of course, if the request are outrageous. She would simply decline.

"Hmn. I don't really have anything that I need for now… How about I keep this favor and use it when I have something in mind in the future." Adam suggested because this can be a life saving ticket that he might need in the future.

"Of course. However, you cannot request something that is against the law or against my duty." She reminded just in case Adam tried to use it as a get out of jail ticket.

"Thank you, Captain Unohana. Now… can I be discharged yet?" Adam asked with a hopeful look.

"Yes. I will have plenty of opportunities to meet you in the future after all. There is no need to rush anything." She said with a smile which creeped out Adam as he left as fast as physically possible without using any ability while Captain Unohana sent him off with hand waves of goodbye.

"I should quickly learn how to heal myself and avoid meeting her in the 4th Division." Adam decided and used Shunpo to flee the moment his foot stepped outside of 4th Division barrack.

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