15 Chapter 15: Shadow Training (II)
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"Haah...Haah...", I said, letting out puffs of hot air after running for a full hour with Musashi on my back. It was 7AM now, and I completed several laps around the neighborhood. I could now be seen back at my house.
[Ding! You have completed your first marathon run, successfully running 30 kilometers. Now calculating stat gain based off of kilometers run...]
[Ding! 3 SPD has been gained.]
[Ding! Due to user Baki wearing weights during running, a new Skill, Weighted Gain has been created.]
[Weighted Gain]
This skill allows user Baki to gain additional stat gains proportional to the weight the user is currently wearing during training.
[Ding! Weighted Gain Skill has detected additional weight added to Baki's running. Calculating additional stat gain...]
[Ding! 3 SPD has been obtained. 3 STR has been obtained. 3 END has been gained. 50 HP has been gained.]
[Ding!...] (+9 STR)
[Ding!...] (+2 END)
[Ding!...] (+10 HP)
[Ding! Due to running over 25 kilometers, a new skill has been created. Long-Distance Runner.]
[Long-Distance Runner]
The longer the user runs, the easier time the user will have when running. Stamina consumption will lessen, and additional gain in SPD will be rewarded.
Additional Effect: Gain additional SPD per every ten kilometers run.
[Ding! Long-Distance Runner skill has been triggered due to user Baki running 30 kilometers. Additional 3 SPD has been gained.]
"...", I tried to utter, seeing another flurry of notifications once I was able to catch my breath.
Thankfully Aura calculates these gains for me, so I immediately saw the results once I asked Aura to pull up my status screen again.
HP: 270 (+60)
KI: 25 (-)
Level: 1
EXP: 0/100
STR: 58 (+12)
END: 18 (+5)
CHA: 28 (-)
TEQ: 7 (-)
WIS: 18 (-)
LUC: 9 (-)
SPD: 13 (+9)
Skills
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Weighted Gain (New)
Long-Distance Runner (New)
Just from one session alone, my speed broke past a normal human's limit, eh?
And that was just only through one hour of running...
Baki's body was quite exceptional, wasn't it?
I felt energy pouring through my body despite feeling tired, I was wide awake and raring to go, feeling completely refreshed. And thanks to my existing skills, I felt my strength grow even stronger. I was now five times the limit of a human's strength.
If I went out to some sketchy side street, I could probably fight with thugs and delinquents. I do have plans on doing that, actually. Before the tournament, I want to see if I can see what the criteria of getting a level up is. According to Aura, experience gained is solely fought through fighting. Does that mean fighting another person entirely? That was also something I wanted to test out.
After all, there existed many forms of training. Muscle training, stamina training, meditation, running, you name it. Improving one's techniques didn't necessarily require the presence of another.
If one's memory was skilled enough, they could easily recall past experiences, going through the same motions over and over again. Of the fighting sports, this was often seen in boxing. It allowed people to overcome themselves if they lost to a more powerful opponent too. In boxing, it was called Shadow Boxing.
But the same concept can be applied to other forms of martial arts. With the memories I have in place, and with Aura's assistance, not only could I call upon the events that happened in the past, but I could also call upon the events that will happen in the future, and I would use whichever better suited my need to improve my techniques.
So I'd put a spin on it, calling it Shadow Training.
I took it easy yesterday, but that didn't mean I didn't do anything. Aside from making a couple calls to shape up the house, I used the connections Baki's mother had. Even if it was to earn Yujiro's attention, Emi's intentions were still pure for the most part. She wanted to see Baki strive to become a better fighter. She would hire trainers, top of the line equipment, you name it. Baki rejected most of it, but I wasn't going to be like that.
So I decided to use the contacts mom had and ordered top of the line training gear, at least ones that I could use being in the year 2008.
I could replace trainers with Shadow Training, but I still needed weights and such. I also custom-ordered body weights to wear around my arms and legs, much like certain individuals from the DBZ-verse did. Piccolo's entire outfit was weighted, and would take it off during serious fights. It gave a surprise factor too.
I didn't expect to get two skills during that hour session of running. Weighted Gain in particular is pretty busted if you ask me. As long as my body can withstand it, I will be rewarded for those efforts. For the present, I can take a guess it gives an extra point per one hundred pounds I put over my body, same goes for the distance I run.
Overall, I was satisfied with my progress. I still had six more days, and I've only used up the first hour of it.
It wasn't like I was going to spend 24/7 of my time training, however. One's body needs a sufficient amount of rest to restore stamina and such. Also if I trained in the same areas on my body consecutively, it was possible to harm it. But considering it was Baki's body, I am not sure if that is the case here, it will have to be tested.
I heard my stomach start to growl once I stepped inside my house.
Feeling satisfied with my efforts so far, I whipped up a protein-heavy breakfast, and decided to turn on the television. Thankfully I could still tune into what's going on in the world here. News cast had different time slots for panels. One covered what was happening around Tokyo, and further beyond in the surrounding areas, and later on there would be a panel covering global news. Once It reached the global news panel, my ears perked up, tuning into it. It wasn't long until I heard the first of a couple newscasters to detail the current news happening globally.
"Growing tensions are rising between the United States and the Middle East as the states enter their fourth month of its financial crisis.", One of the newscasters began to say, drawing my attention as I paused eating one of my last pieces of toast.
Musashi could currently be seen eating his meal on the floor nearby.
"Tensions between the States and the Middle East?", I wondered, keeping my words to myself as I continued
"That's right. It has only been four months since the banks of the United States burst, and to make matters worse, its leading weapons dealer under the Stark Industries was kidnapped. It has been fifty days since the CEO of Stark Industries, Tony Stark, has been pronounced missing by the United States Government, and is still actively undergoing his rescue. The Middle East stated their terms of his release, but it would seem those negotiations could fall through at any minute. I don't believe war will ensue, but we should be prepared for the worst if we see our allies engulfed in battle once again.", The second newscaster said, showing worry in their eyes.
Hearing that just now caused me to pause in silence for a good moment. Now there was a name I wasn't expecting to hear anytime soon...
"Tony Stark, CEO of the Stark Industries...", I uttered to myself. Now that I recall, 2008 was set for that to happen now, wasn't it?
"Indeed. We have our own issues at hand to deal with, so the prime minister can only spend so much time and effort on such matters. Our market hasn't experienced a drop this large since our economy burst in 1992.", The first newscaster responded, showing equal worry.
"Perhaps with Japan's Chamber of Commerce inviting Capsule Corporation's CEO overseas, it will help alleviate our deviating market. Apparently they have goods that will drastically improve our standard of living, and had an earnest desire to introduce it to the prime minister.", The second newscaster said with growing interest.
"What did that CEO call those devices again? It went by the name Hoi-Poi Capsules, didn't it?", The second newscaster questioned.
"Pfft...", I suddenly said, spitting out chunks of torn up bread that was still inside my mouth as I listened to this next segment.
"Did I just hear that right?", I uttered with a surprised look in my eyes.
"That's the name! Apparently they will be doing a live introduction of these capsules just outside of His Majesty's private residence. We will see in the coming days if it will be a successful test or not.", The first newscaster said.
Hearing that, I began to wonder to myself.
Does that mean DBZ's cities are close to Japan? Or perhaps in a close enough vicinity to where it's close to Asia, compared to other continents? Hearing them talk about an overseas visit, I could guess that these locations weren't present in Japan themselves. That only grew my curiosity even more wondering where those cities were located. But one thing for sure was, even if it was just one, one of the characters of the DBZ-verse was coming to Japan.
That just might be my ticket to getting acquainted with his daughter Bulma. And that also meant the Dragon Balls definitely existed here too.
But the question was, how would I get in contact with that experiment happening at the one who oversees all of Japan, the current reigning Emperor?
I knew I had interest in tying my old man down through legal means, but I knew he had several unique connections just like mom did, considering his past work as a mercenary, frequently partaking in wars of the past.
That would mean I would have to seek out Yujiro Hanma again, seeing if he could get me acquainted with those connections of his...
