"Bye, my sweet roll," spoke my aunt, nearly crushing me to death with her hug. "Make sure to brush your teeth and call us every night. Otherwise, I'll come to Japan myself and teach you a lesson."
"Yeah, yeah, Aunt Elizabeth, don't worry. I'll make sure to call," I replied, finally escaping her grasp and taking in a breath of fresh air.
"Be careful, Kuzan. Don't go getting beat up, you hear me?" My sister's concern put a smile on my face.
"Oh, you don't want me getting hurt, Melissa?" I teased her in a caring tone.
"No, it's not that. It'll just ruin my reputation at school if they find out I have such a wimp for a brother."
Before I could get my hands on the scoundrel to give her one last tight brotherly hug, the helicopter pad began to rise, taking my sister up to the heavens, the opposite of where she deserved to go.
"Bye, Kuzan! Bye, Xiao Xiao..." my sister's voice trailed off as the helicopter flew further and further away. "...and Xiao Xiao, make sure to take care of my brother, okay?!"
"What was that about?" I asked the now half-as-powerful hellspawn standing next to me.
Instead of answering my simple question directly, she turned her head away, hiding it behind her hands for extra defense.
Unfortunately for her, I was now a master of attack. I broke through her energy defense, maneuvering fluidly to face her again.
I was about to forcibly move her hands away from her face when I received a strong smack to the back of my head.
"Ow!" I exclaimed, rubbing the spot where I'd just been hit.
"What was that for, Master Ryuu?" I asked the old man, who seemed delighted with himself.
"Stop teasing the poor girl," he declared, pointing at Xiao Li's retreating back with his finger. "look at what you did."
"What did I do?" I defended myself, still trying to figure out what I was being accused of.
"I can't believe I raised a disciple like you," was the old man's only response as he shook his head. "Go on now..."
I turned my head to the side and stared into my master's eyes, trying to decipher his words, not understanding them in this context. "...and do what exactly?"
Instead of replying, my master thought it more appropriate to smack my back with full force, sending me tumbling down the steps of Balin Temple, which I'm sure was the fastest and most majestic send-off in the temple's history.
[2 hours later]
I was currently on a flight to the heart of Japan, Tokyo, distracted by the system status in front of me and the short figure sitting to my right.
"And why are you following me, Xiao Li?" I asked the figure, who was currently supposedly reading a newspaper beside me.
"Hmph, I have some business with one of Master Shikai Bun's important business associates. He was too busy to make it, so he decided to pin the task off to me. And why do I have to explain myself to you?" replied the girl, quick as ever with her response.
However, I was not about to be outdone this time!
"Oh, no reason. I just thought that since you're reading a martial arts manga right now, hidden under that newspaper, you might be visiting Tokyo to watch some underground matches." I delivered my blows with perfect precision, matching my skill in the underground tournaments.
"Eh..." It seemed the girl was too embarrassed to speak after having been caught red-handed about her childish behavior.
'Haha, your first win, Kuzan! Let's go, to celebrate I'm gonna try 5 new flavors of ice-cream in Japan, and without having to share any of them! Haha.' I pumped myself up, growing even more excited about my arrival to the land of the rising sun.
Finally being able to eat ice-cream without having half of it mysteriously disappear wasn't the only reason for my happiness.
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[Status]
Name: Kuzan Rosan
Age: 15 years
Title: [Martial Apprentice]
Strength: 150/1000 (Average Adult Value: 10)
Stamina: 151/1000 (Average Adult Value: 10)
Intelligence: 50/100 (Average Adult Value: 10)
Dexterity: 168/1000 (Average Adult Value: 10)
Will-Power: 300/1000 (Average Adult Value: 10)
Perception: 134/1000 (Average Adult Value: 10)
Skills: [Willful Eye (99/100)] [Warrior's Dominion (400/1000)] [Face Mask (99/100)] [Phantom Veil (250/1000)] [Shadowstep (460/1000)] [Anatomy Mastery (25/100)] [Poison Mastery (intermediate)] [Martial Language (learned)] [Goutaijutsu (master)] [Hand Pocket (master)] [Mirror Mimicry (intermediate)] [Ultra Instinct (learned)]
Techniques: [Karate (200/1000)] [Kick Boxing (90/100)] [Boxing (850/1000)] [Judo (99/100)] [Muay Thai (700/1000)] [Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (99/100)] [Wrestling (97/100)] [Chinese Kenpo (999/1000)+] [Xiaoli (952/1000)] [Byaku-Rinji Kung-Fu (896/1000)] [Iai Kenpo (890/1000)]
Genes Synced: [Locked] (1/10)
[Martial Apprentice]: As an apprentice of the martial arts, you've transcended mere curiosity and stepped into a realm where dedication and discipline shape your every move. Your commitment to the art is palpable, driving you to refine your techniques with each passing day. With a thirst for knowledge and a reverence for tradition, you immerse yourself in the wisdom of masters past and present, eager to absorb their teachings. Your journey towards mastery is marked by perseverance and respect, laying the foundation for the formidable warrior you are destined to become.
[Phantom Veil (250/1000)]: An upgraded version of the skill [Concealment], this ability grants the host an almost supernatural level of stealth. When used correctly, you can become virtually invisible, moving through shadows and light with equal ease, completely eluding detection from even the most perceptive individuals. Your presence becomes a whisper in the wind, and your movements are undetectable, enabling you to outmaneuver the deadliest foes. This skill transforms you into an elusive specter, unmatched in the art of stealth and subterfuge, capable of vanishing without a trace and striking with ghostly precision.
[Shadowstep (460/1000)]: An upgraded version of the skill [Dodging], this ability enhances the host's evasion capabilities to a supernatural level. When used correctly, you can slip through a storm of attacks with the fluidity of a shadow and the precision of a master martial artist. Your body moves with almost preternatural instinct, effortlessly sidestepping danger and avoiding harm. This skill transforms you into an elusive target, capable of evading even the most relentless and skilled opponents with unparalleled ease and grace.
[Poison Mastery (Intermediate)]: Enhances the host's ability to understand and combat poisons with advanced proficiency. When used correctly, your body can resist and neutralize a wide range of toxins, allowing you to fight even when exposed to deadly substances. Your knowledge of poisons also enables you to craft and deploy them effectively in combat, turning the tables on your enemies. This skill transforms you into a formidable adversary, capable of enduring and wielding poison with exceptional expertise.
[Mirror Mimicry (intermediate)]: Grants the host the extraordinary ability to devour and replicate the martial arts techniques of their opponent. When used correctly, you can mirror your adversary's movements, techniques, and fighting style with uncanny precision. This skill allows you to adapt and counter any attack, effectively turning your opponent's strength against them. Your mastery of mimicry makes you an unpredictable and versatile combatant, capable of matching and surpassing any foe with their own skills.
[Ultra Instinct (learned)]: Allows the host to enter a state of unparalleled harmony with their body, moving with a fluidity and precision that defies explanation. When used correctly, it feels as if you relinquish conscious control over your body, while simultaneously being more in-tune with it than ever. Each motion becomes instinctual yet exact, guided by an unseen force. This state eliminates the need for thought before executing a blow, allowing you to respond instantly and flawlessly. You no longer merely imitate techniques; you make them your own, seamlessly weaving through defenses and executing strikes with otherworldly grace. This skill transforms you into an intuitive fighter, capable of responding to threats and opportunities without the need for conscious thought.
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I was satisfied with my progress to say the least. Disregarding the huge help my now upgraded skills would be to me, I was especially enthusiastic about my 2 new skills in particular [Mirror Mimicry] and [Ultra Instinct].
[Mirror Mimicry] didn't only allow me to have fun with my opponents in battle by having them face a shadow of themselves, but also provided a great boost to my learning speed. By itself, it was only able to help me copy the movements of my opponents, however when used in tandem with [Ultra Instinct], I was truly able to integrate the skills to the deepest parts of my body.
Speaking of [Ultra Instinct], I wasn't even sure of where to start with describing the usefulness of this skill. It was a game changer for my future progress, saving me who knows how long down the future. With the addition of this skill, I had finally finished playing catch-up to the strongest son alive.
'I remember Baki doing something similar in his fight with Pickle, but I'm not sure if that reached the level of [Ultra Instinct] as he was still bound by the half a second delay in his movements during his fight with Yujiro later...' I continued contemplating the question in my head, unable to reach a decisive conclusion that I was satisfied with.
There's also the elephant in the room, the change to the 'Genes Synced' tab. No, it wasn't unlocked, that would be far too easy, instead it was only 1/10th of the way there to being opened up.
That 'section' of the system was the one I had always been the most excited about ever since receiving it. It was the only part of the system that gave me any hope of becoming something more than human, breaking past even the limits of the strongest man alive.
I had initially been choosing to ignore it, as I had no idea where to even begin unlocking it. I had assumed that the answer would reveal itself as I continued to get stronger, and now that it had, it had my undivided attention.
Contrary to my assumptions, the [Locked] aspect of the section had nothing to do with my Martial Title as dictated by the system. Instead, both the Title and the Genes Synced tab were controlled by my mastery of different martial techniques.
As soon as I reached the supposed 'cap' of my skill in Chinese Kenpo, my Title elevated from [Martial Novice] to [Martial Apprentice], funny considering I was already titled a 'Kaiou' by the rest of the world's standards, but not by the system's.
'Looks like I'll have to spend more time practicing and learning new martial arts, not like I wasn't gonna do that anyway.' I smirked to myself while deboarding the aircraft and getting into a limousine, this time without the addition of a sidekick.
'And with the addition of my new skills, it's gonna be a breeze anyway. Now what to pick, what to pick to finish off the requirements.' I continued mulling over the question, finding it hard to just choose a few of the plethora of martial arts that I could learn in Japan.
"We are here, sir," the chauffeur spoke in a quiet voice, afraid of having upset me by disrupting my thoughts.
"Okay," I got out of the car after giving the man a hefty tip.
I had already made a deal with Xiao Li to transport my luggage to a nearby hotel, as I couldn't wait a second longer to enter one of the buildings of my dreams in Tokyo.
I looked up, reading the enormous sign placed outside the Dojo.
'I'm finally here huh, the home of the famous God of War...'
'The Shinshinkai Headquarters.'