CH 6 Training and Choices

Rudra ceased his meditation when C.S. Alpha reminded him that Shiva's training will start in two hours. He checked his status and found that with one night's intense meditation, he had managed to accumulate 128 skill points. With no delay or second thoughts, he assigned all the points to let the Basic Meditation Skill grow to the maximum possible extent.

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Increase Skill Rank of Basic Meditation – Rudra Variant from Rank G to Rank E-?

124 Skill points will be used. Proceed? (Yes/No)

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With Rudra's affirmation, his skill rapidly grew to Rank E-, showing enormous growth in its functionality. With its growth, his skill offered him a new function. He could now be constantly and passively be in a state of meditation irrespective of what he was doing. Downside was that the effectiveness of the skill when used passively would only be 10% of its active effect. But given that it could be used at all times, the quantity surpassed the quality.

After a quick bath, he joined Shiva for breakfast. He had already learned yesterday Shiva always woke up pretty early, so he was not afraid of troubling her. After a light breakfast, Shiva took him to the basement, which had been modified to create an enormous training ground with all sorts of training equipment and facilities.

"So" Shiva asked with a smile "You already got the meditation skill, didn't you? And seeing how you are able to activate it parallelly to your other actions, it seems your mastery is not at a low level?"

"Yes, I was able to achieve an E- Rank luckily. Its efficiency and power have risen by a lot." Rudra admitted.

Shiva simply gave a wide smile at that. Taking up a relaxed pose she gestured towards him to attack her. Knowing that there was no way he can seriously harm her; Rudra didn't opt to hold back at all.

With his experience of his previous life, he took a low stance to stabilise his centre of gravity as he accelerated towards Shiva. As she responded with a casual backhanded swat towards him, he slid under her arm dexterously. With a swift and seamless move, he got out of the slid with a hand supporting his body on the ground as he lashed out with his legs in a continuous whipping motion.

Shiva responded to his attacks with a smile, not a trace of worry or astonishment in her eyes. Her body shimmered like a mirage as multiple hazy arms appeared around each of Rudra's attack. The arms gently deflected each one with seemingly effortless motion.

Seeing as Shiva defused this barrage of kicks, Rudra swiftly transitioned into his next combo. Balancing himself with both hands on the ground, he spun like a whirlwind with his kicks attacking Shiva like a hailstorm. Shiva once again responded effortlessly, taking a peculiar stance with both hands extended to either side, one palm facing the ground while other facing the sky.

Her arms acted like flowing water as she made all the attacks go around her body by gently guiding them over her head or below her arms. No mater how hard or fast he hit, Rudra was unable to breach her defense.

Seeing as this method was not working, he flipped himself to his feet and started attacking with palm strikes and punches. This time however, his attacks followed a peculiar rhythm. He used the motion of each attack to transition into the next, like trees swaying in the breeze. Punches, palm strikes, elbow, kicks, they all came one after the other.

Shiva kept deflecting all his attacks, not even responding to his hardest strikes. When she finally felt she had enough, she finally attacked with a clothesline swing with her arm like a whip. The impact threw back Rudra a dozen meter and he tumbled another few before he came to a stop.

"You are pretty much okay for a beginner" Shiva said "You have good instincts and battle sense. Your control over your body is good enough for a novice too. However, you fight like a mortal, when in fact you are not one. I thought you would have figured the trick of how Inhumans fight by now but I guess it was still soon enough for you. Try and guess, what makes Inhumans different?"

As Rudra sat up and massaged his shoulders and neck, he thought about Shiva's question. With a few moments of quiet contemplation, he got her hint, "Energy control?"

"Close enough," Shiva said with a smile "it is both Energy control and its application. I had told you to meditate last night and you achieved above and beyond what I expected from you. But did you not think why would I do that before your training session? Not even once did you try and apply the inhuman energy you have been introduced to in your attacks."

It was as if Shiva's words opened up an entire world's worth of inspiration in Rudra's mind. In his previous life he never could go all out, so he always used to fight with his bodily techniques. He never had even once used his inner vitality in his fighting techniques in his previous life.

Thinking about how to use the energy in him, Rudra clenched his fist as he actively meditated while still standing up. With his meditation skill activated at 100%, he could clearly feel the flow of energy in his body. Cycling he energy flow through him faster and faster, he slowly spread it all over his body.

Immediately a pulse of energy emerged from his body as he marvelled at his increased physical prowess. He could feel energy being consumed at a swift pace but it was still manageable for a few minutes.

Looking towards Shiva, he grinned fearlessly. The next moment he flashed towards her and punched out with a low booming sound. Shiva grinned back as she counter-attacked for the first time. Her punch connected with his directly and he felt an overwhelming force throw him backwards like a leaf in the wind.

"That was good little brother" Shiva grinned excitedly, "However that was just an initial and basic method of using it. In this week I will train you to adapt it to your combat techniques."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

A week later, In the Underground training space

Two figures were rapidly clashing against each other, sending booming sounds all around. The speed at which they clashed left afterimages in their movement paths. The difference could be however seen easily between them. While one was panting in exertion, the other was effortlessly matching the former step to step.

"You have pretty much become an expert in Energy Empowerment. This would be equal to your seniors at the academy." Shiva said happily, looking at Rudra who was on his hands and knees while panting.

"Haah, what is the use? I can still not match you. Just when will I be able to make you take me seriously?" Rudra asked.

"Hahaha, you must be kidding! How the hell would a kid, a beginner at being an Inhuman itself, force me to get serious? You do realise that you are a Grade 1 Inhuman? Though you might be able to match a Grade 3 Inhuman, by using your speed of Skill Comprehension and application to gain a versatile combat method, I am fundamentally a higher tier of being. I am currently at Grade 6 Transcendent Inhuman. There is a vast gulf between us Little Brother."

"Sigh, I will definitely make you fight seriously against me one day." Rudra said determinedly.

"Dream on kid, you are not the only one growing stronger. I admit you have unparalled comprehension speed and almost monstrous talent, but I have had a long head start."

"Moreover, while you have been going all out against me, I have not even used my actual combat style or innate skill. I am simply using my pure physical prowess to train you." Shiva told him with a cold smile.

"I am not saying all this to demoralise you, but to make you see reality. Don't go offending people in future without knowing their true prowess and potential. Moreover, there is never a peak, there is always something higher and someone greater."

"If you don't find that higher stage, then that only means you have stagnated, not that you have reached the peak." Shiva said as he ruffled Rudra's hair. She loved her new brother's looks. With one week's intense training and his ridiculous innate her little brother had gained an attractive physique.

Rudra had a really eye-catching handsome physique with light caramel-colored skin and long dark-brown hair. His eyes were the most captivating part of his body as they were bright blood-red in color. His body had gained tough and streamlined yet flexible muscles through the training.

Due to his high mastery in Basic Meditation, she could clearly sense the energy brimming inside him. He had already reached a threshold and once he picks one of the three categories of energy to train himself, he would immediately be able to evolve to Grade 2 Inhuman.

"So" Shiva breached the subject after she had a good look at his progress "Ready to choose your preferred cultivation energy? Mana, Prana or Ki, which one do you prefer?"

"What is the difference between the three Sis?" Rudra asked. In the one week training he had got pretty close to his new sister.

"Well I think the basic difference would be the specialisation. All three of them will ultimately lead to growth in the three stat parameters. However, each energy subtly prefers one stat more than others."

"Mana is mostly a Spirit dominated energy. Though many physical combats based techniques have been developed with Mana, it still remains primarily an energy that can be used effectively for Spirit based techniques. Mana can be used to effectively utilise many long range techniques, element manipulation and Area of Effect attacks."

"Ki is a Physique based energy, highly preferred for all kinds of Physique techniques such as Empowerment and Refinement. One of the primary Ki users are the weapon masters, who have high achievements in the field of Ki application and can utilise various weapons to generate specialised Weapon Ki; such as Sword Ki. Never underestimate them as they can keep fighting to their last breath with simply their physical body. Ki can be also used in conjunction with various elements to generate Elemental Ki such as Fire Ki or Water Ki."

"Prana or Soul Energy is the most mysterious of them all. It gives the benefit of both Ki and Mana to a certain degree but its primary purpose is Soul Ascension. Prana users experience accelerated Soul Growth. Rather than Body Refinement, it is more accurate to say that Prana reconstructs the body based on your achievements in cultivating Prana. However, the most valuable factor of Prana is the growth of you Innates. Since Prana boosts Soul Growth, it directly impacts growth of Innate Skills."

"So" Shiva looked at Rudra expectantly after her explanation "Which one are you going to choose? Mana, Ki or Prana?"