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Chapter 17, Real World I
Shin: Time sure flies when your having fun in the training arc.
Today was Shin's last day on the island, with the next day after will be when Team Japan's thirty day trip will reach its end... And with it their return to God's Dimension and the terror that await them.
Among all the Players of Team Japan that came to the island only Shin planned to stay to the very last day with the exception of one.
Aqua and Saki had already left the island and taking the boat with them. Sozin possessed a working boat of his own so he would take both Shin and Hikari ( Who didn't have a home without Shin ) back to the mainland tomorrow evening, yet Shin still had mixed feelings about being left behind like that.
Shin: I understood when they say they had errands to take care of, but for my girlfriend to be to leave me behind... I can't help but feel dejected. Well, at least there's Hikari.
Hikari: Can you not make it sound like I am the consolation prize! Stupid Otaku, I should have left with Aqua and Saki instead of concerning myself with you.
Shin: I didn't mean it like that and you know it. I really appreciate and am glad that you stayed with me Hikari... Even if you couldn't exactly return home without me.
Hikari: That last part was unnecessary my no good boyfriend, so hurry up already. You told me that you wanted to show me the results of your training before your final duel against Ken and Kaiyo. Didn't you want to show off?
Shin: Yeah, but don't call it that. I just want to impress my girlfriend is all.
Hikari: That is the same thing!
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Shin had made a lot of progress under Sozin's guidance. Not so much with Shin's One-eyed Ghoul mutation as Shin and Sozin had different genetic mutation, but with both of them possessing Ki Energy and at the same Advance Level at that allowed Sozin to give more detailed advice to Shin.
Shin's offensive Soul Crushing Strike and Instant Movement have improved by more then 20% in power and speed, but what Shin was most most proud of the fact that he had at last reached Skill Mastery in all the emission Ki skills he has been attempting to master.
Ki Bullet -
Rating 62.
A normal physical bullet of condensed Ki from the palm. Can strike both physical and non physical opponents. 1500 Points and C rank reward. SKILL MASTERY CONFIRMED. NEW COST 150 POINTS AND D RANK REWARD!
Hollow Bullet -
Rating 77..
A Ki bullet that expands on impact, decreasing penetrating power for explosive power and causes more damage to flesh. 1800 Points and C rank reward. SKILL MASTERY CONFIRMED. NEW COST 180 POINTS AND D RANK REWARD!
AP Bullet -
Rating 74..
A Ki bullet with high penetrating power and designed to break through the defenses of hard opponent. 2000 Points and two C rank reward. SKILL MASTERY CONFIRMED. NEW COST 200 POINTS AND D RANK REWARD!
Far Bullet -
Rating 79.
A weightless Ki bullet designed to attack spirits and the soul. As a side of effect of hitting those with a physical body as well, they may be temporarily unable to move or use otherworldly powers like Ki and Magic. 2200 Points and two C rank reward. SKILL MASTERY CONFIRMED. NEW COST 200 POINTS AND D RANK REWARD!
Shin: First up is Ki Bullet!
Ki Blast was an unconcentrated burst of emission Ki that attacks the target, and Ki Bullet was a concentrated Ki attack using the same amount of energy.
Ki Energy gathered to Shin's left palm and began to compress itself into a small ball of Ki. Shin targeted a large rock that was nearby and fired the ball of Ki with a thrust of his hand. The ball of Ki made contact with the wall and detonated.
Shin visually confirmed that unlike with Ki Blast which would have only scorched the the surface of the rock, a chunk of the rock was blown away. Ki Bullet was definitely an attack that could kill a human being, and a skill that didn't consume much Ki.
Shin: Next is Hollow Ki Bullet!
Hollow Ki Bullet was a Ki attack to tear apart the flesh. Like with the same design of a hollow point bullet, the small ball of Ki this time had the shape of an actual bullet and the tip was slightly hollowed out. The bullet hit the rock like Ki Bullet, yet the bullet didn't do as much damage Ki Bullet, but that was because of the target.
Shin: Hollow Bullet would have been more impressive of a soft target and they would have been blown apart, yet it'ss stil damming since the rock fragments were blown to smithereens. Now the second to last Ki skill is the AP Bullet!
AP Ki Bullet.
A small Ki bullet like before was formed, but this time it had a drill like tip similar to an arrowhead. The bullet flew from Shin's left hand and sliced through the air. The small project impacted the rock... Yet their was no explosion. What happened instead was that a small coin sized hole was created and that the the Ki attack had went through and through the rock.
Hikari: That Ki attack was impressive. Instead of overall destruction it's aim is to hit and cut through a single point. Ideal for dealing with an opponent that can only be killed by dealing a blow to a vulnerable organ like the heart or brain.
Shin: Yes, and AP Bullet also has a longer range and is more accurate then my other emission skills. Now, and last but not leazt is this!
Shin's Ki attacks all emitted a strong green light till now, but this time the light of the ball of Ki was extremely dim and more so then any other emission skill the ball of Ki was see through as well.
This emission attack flew slightly slower through the air then the others, but what was more surprising to Hikari was what happened when it impacted the rock that had been half destroyed by Shin's previous attacks... Nothing. The bullet just kept on flying as it phased through the rock and to the other side.
Hikari: ...That was?
Shin: That was the Far Ki Bullet skill. It was the most difficult to master, but with Sozin's help I finally mastered it. It's an emission attack that ignores the physical world and attacks the nonphysical world. Specifically speaking it targets magic, spirits, the soul and damages them.
Hikari: So it doesn't harm normal people?
Shin: It can affect them, but not really injure them. For a normal person it is harmless, yet if you have some kind of special power like Mana or Ki Enervy within the body it will get a reaction. It won't hurt the person, but they will feel a bit paralyzed and possibly won't be able to use any of their powers temporarily, but it isn't absolute. Sozin shrugged it off like it was nothing when I tested it out on him ( Though the same thing happened to my other Ki attacks as well ).
Hikari: Still, this is an accomplishment though, Shin. Ki Blast, Ki Bullet, Hollow Bullet, AP Bullet and Far Bullet. You now have four more Ki skills you didn't have to pay for thanks to the one exchange, Ki Blast.
Shin: Yeah, but they also drain me like a leach since I've learned these skills myself and not through the exchanges. Still, it is great to have these additional attack options.
Hikari: And they are long range attacks at that. You can use them against the supernatural enemies in our future missions. Too bad they are only mid range and can't replace a sniper rifle.
Shin: That would be too OP, but I get your point.
Hikari: Will you still use the Ki Blast that you originally exchange for now?
Shin: Maybe. Ki Blast lacks the decisive power to kill a normal person. It could kill you yeah, but not a monster or a person with decent enhancements. At best I'll use it as an non-lethal method of dealing with others.
Shin then began to organize his new Ki attacks in his head and how they would best be used.
Ki Blast: Small Damage, Nonlethal. Best used on normal individuals.
Ki Bullet: Medium Damage, Lethal. The standard attack to kill and deal with foes that pose a threat, yet are not too powerful.
Holow Bullet: High Damage, Lethal. Best used on soft body targets.
AP Bullet: Medium Damage, Lethal. Best used to target specific key weakness of a target.
Far Bullet: High Damage/Nonlethal. The standard attack for those who normally can't be damage by physical means.
Hikari: It is amazing that you've learned so many skills without relying on the exchanges.
Shin: Yes, keep praising me my love.
Hikari: Creepy. Gross. It was my mistake to praise you, so don't get full of yourself. They are still just C rank reward skills.
Shin: Can't I still enjoy myself for learning them. Who knows how long it would have taken me to learn them without Sozin's help.
Sozin: What about me?
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Appearing from up the island and descending down the stone steps to join Shin and Hikari on the beach was Sozin. Hearing his name being said by Shin made him curious and so he choose to interrupt their conversation.
Shin: Sozin. I was just explaining to Hikari how amazing I am and how much you helped me out.
Hikari: So full of yourself.
Sozi : Now now, Shin really did mae a lot of progress. In less then two weeks he has truly mastered how to emit Ki Energy outwardly from his body. Even using the Ki Blast skill as a base it doesn't change that it was an impressive feat. As his girlfriend it is fine to praise him a little. You've also come to see the results of Shin's training in his final spar with my grandchildren, right?
Hikari: Yeah, and I guess it was too much of me to... Wait. Who is this guy's girlfriend?
Shin: You are of course.
Shin: Aren't you? I can tell. My wife used to look at me Hikari the same way how you always looked at Shin. Your not just friends, right?
Hikari: That, that's... I don't know!
Embarrassed and bring up the awkward discussion of her relationship with Shin ( My girlfriend and one day second wife after Aqua ), Hikari ran away. She had indeed originally come to watch Shin training results and his final practice match against Ken and Kaiyo that was about to occur, but she could care less now.
Sozin: Did I say something wrong?
Shin: Don't worry about her. If my Aqua is scared of commitment then my Hikari is shy to admit she wants to called my girlfriend.
Sozin: Two women, huh. I've been there once. It... It's a tricky path. Trust me.
Sozin looked up to the sky to reminisce about the past. Shin had no idea what was on his mind, yet he saw joy, sorrow and longing in his eyes. Feeling awkward and not feeling it was appropriate to ask about his romantic past, Shin asked about something else.
Shin: There was something that I wanted to ask you, Sozin. When I recall the stories of the missions you have been on it got me wondering about something.
Sozin: What?
Shin: Weren't you missions too easily? Not all of them, but the first few that you had. How do I say it... For horror movies and thrillers, it looked like just following the plot and not making any big mistake and you wouldn't die. It even sounds like your missions were a whole lot easier then the missions that I have been on.
Sozin: Ah, there is a reason for that. When I was a player, God cared more about evolution than simply killing the Players off. Evolution is still the ultimate goal, but not as much as before now. God rarely gave you hard missions early on as the difficulty was set by the strength of the Players of the team, and mostly the strength of the strongest member was taken into consideration. He would even insert a fake Player into the team to help Players in the beginning.
Shin: Wait, so God inserts a Player into a team? Who?
Aqua: The Guide. Originally, God wouldn't place Players who have just entered that dimension straight into danger all at once. God would normally take it in steps, so it created this role to give people a chance. The Guide is a simulated human created by God similar to a Human Creation. He will hide in a team like a normal person and play the role of a Player in the team. However, he won't actually die. If he died in a movie/mission, then there will be a Guide among one of the newbies in the next one. They are artificial personalities and never existed in the real world to start with like you guys. The Guide can't help the team through difficulties, especially as the main combatants. The Guide won't actually die until the first Player unlocks his or her constraint. Usually this would be the First Stage. The Guide's function is to test if that Player who unlocked the constraint can become the leader.
Shin: What do you mean by leader? It sounds different from what I am.
Sozin: In God's Dimension the position of a teams leader isn't just a title or winning over the respect of your teammates as you have done.
Shin: Don't feel that I have, but go on.
Sozin: Continuing, the Guide also can't attack anyone other than the leader he designates during the the test. Then if the designated leader passes the test, the Guide will give him the leader position which will increase his unlocked state by one level and the Guide will finally disappear. Also, the position of leader offers more benefits to the person than that.
Shin: Like what?
Sozin: Well, they also gain more information about the God's Dimension and also a better understanding of the exchanges, so whatever enhancement path your team members will go down then you will be able to find out the best exchanges for them without testing each out and wasting points.
Shin: I see, but the raises up another question. Where is this Guide? I have already unlocked the First Stage and Aqua before me has unlocked up to the Second Stage, so why hasn't this test happened? Has it already happen and Aqua is the leader, or... Are you trying to tell me that Aqua is the Guide. She isn't the Guide, right?
Sozin: No, Aqua is not the Guide. As the most veteran Player among you I suspected it, but she is neither the Guide or the Team Leader.
Shin: Then where is the Guide?
Sozin: That's the thing. No one knows anymore.
Then Sozin began to explain that a change occurred in God's Dimension a little over 50 years ago.
It was around the time that Mass Enlightenment, Blood Crusade and Absolute Reckoning were making groundbreaking progress in their investigation into God's Dimension and the mortality rate of all the teams were at an all time low thanks to the team's having the support of the Four Pillars. It was everyone's belief that God was upset over the Four Pillar's actions that started to interfer in God's Dimension true purpose, and so the Guides and the support that they offered all the teams once they Awakened were taken away to make the missions more difficult and increase the liklihood that those team would wipe out.
Sozin: It was only till recently that the Four Pillars got back control of the situation within God's Dimension, but just recently something else has flipped the board on the Four Pillar's plans.
Shin: You mean the changes in the Mission Worlds.
Sozin: That is right. I suspect that this new format in the Mission Worldd with Manga, Anime, Light Novels and Video Games may be God's way of throwing the teams of the Four Pillars off balance once more. Not only have the strategies that they had throughly gone over for hundreds of years been thrown out the window as they are now useless, I've even heard that the missions no longer gradually ease you in to the dangers, yet this has also made The Four Pillars more motivated. To see this kind of defensive action by God means that they were coming clsoe to something. Whether that something has to do with evolution or a higher plane of existence no one knows, but everyone has begun to have high expectations of a great change is about to happen within God's Dimension... Shin.
Shin: Yes?
Sozin: I already suggested this to Aqua and Saki this as well, and so I'll tell you as well since you are the leader and this is your last day here... Seek out the Guide.
Shin: The Guide? As in the one we were just talking about? You just said that he had disappeared.
Sozin: That is right. I have no concrete proof to say this, but its possible that while allowing the Four Pillars to do as they please, God and the systems left by the first generation to have unlock their constraints aren't too happy about the current situation. That is why... Even if it's a small chance that it is possible search for the Guide, it might be possible for your team to meet him.
Shin: Why us?
Sozi : Your Team is no affiliated with Mass Enlightenment, Blood Crusade, Absolute Reckoning or my own Dove United since I've only given you advice. As you are not connected to any of the Four Pillars it may be possible for your Team Japan to side with God. Then maybe that way the Guide will reappear to you and with him you will have a edge over the other teams in the Team Battles.
Shin: I'm not that enthusiastic about siding with that thing despite how much I appreciate it for letting me become special, but I'll consider it. How would should I go about looking for this Guide anyways?
Sozin: Unfortunately I do not know, but as the only known team not affiliated with the Four Pillars, he, the Guide may appear before you without you having to even look for him. It might just take some time is all. God might be waiting for Team Japan to show him everyone's strength first before making a move. My only warning is that if that times comes just remember this, Shin. Get on the Guide's good side and that of God's no matter what since his support would be invaluable... Even if that God sees you all as nothing more then lab rats in this experiment to evolve.
Shin: ...Okay. I have no idea on how to go about it, but if it's possible I'll give it a try and allow God the honor of scouting me.
Sozin: Interesting way of putting it, but please do so, Shin. The one team that can gain God's favor during these new and troubling times within God's Dimension will most likely become the greatest power within that dimension. If it turns out to be your team Shin... Then Team Japan will be able to face the monster known as the Four Pillars as equals.
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