Standing on the beach we run on all the time salty air and sun high in the sky. Michael is bare chested and on solid ground while Aikoki has a plain shirt on with the sea behind him standing on sand, ten feet between us to start.
Two punches, right then left, shoot out balls of flame toward Aikoki. The fires are a smoke screen as he bring my fingers in a plus sign to summon some clones, five clones appear in plain view with a sixth hidden behind a tree and out of view.
Clones 1 through 3 use Psychokinesis to pull on his clothes moving him closer and off the ground while 4 and 5 use Elemental Avatar to solidify and throw two beams of sand and dirt at him, becoming more loose as they near.
Using Elemental Avatar to direct the loose dirt to his wrists and then solidify them again, the dirt becomes a chain to hold him in place. Aikoki’s feet land on the ground and with a twist of my hands dirt rises from the ground and wraps around his feet and lower legs.
Seeing that he’s trapped 1, 2 and 3 stop Psychokinesis and run forward, the rules of this match is whoever can pin the others shoulders down to the ground for ten seconds.
1 through 3 run and go to tackle when Aikoki brings his hands forward, breaking our “chains”. With moves straight from a kung fu movie the clones go flying, 1 and 2 being swept to the side while 3 gets thrown overhead with a twist that also breaks the hold over his legs.
1 through 3 are too damaged and go poof while 4 and 5 start throwing fire trying to make him back up a bit but each are blocked, through the fire we can see an ethereal glow to his hands. He has some kind of protection power that can stop people from touching or throwing things at him.
4 and 5 keep this up while I move around looking to feint a side tackle but stop and push my hands forward to shoot out compressed sand. It’s seen, and a well timed block with his leg stops the sand from hitting, but at the moment of impact I moved the sand behind the impact point out and up toward his face.
At the same time 4 and 5 stop fire throwing while 6 who's been hidden in a tree the entire time shoots out a whip of water from the ocean.
The water whip wraps around his last leg and is pulled back. Aikoki falls on his face with all of us moving toward him to grab and move onto his back.
Just as we touch him his body feels oily and we can't get a grip, a bit of dogpiling later has 4 through 6 poof and me on the sand with my shoulders pinned. I’ve lost again.
Puffing out a plume of sand I can feel Aikoki getting off me while I still sit there. “Excellent!” he proclaims, “you did really well there!”
“Well? I’ve never won against you and that Power of yours is crazy, ”
“Yea, obviously. You're trying to incapacitate me and not hurt me right? If this was a real fight you would be causing real damage. That fire didn’t even singe my hair”
“I mean, true but I’d prefer to not kill anyone you know.”
Being silent for a second Aikoki has a serious look on his face and starts to say something but cutting him off.
“Before you say anything, I’m not naive enough to think that I won’t kill anyone. Sometime, which I hope is a long long time from now, I might kill someone. Either through an accident or purposely, when I do I will have to face that.”
“I’m glad to hear that” replied Aikoki, followed by me giving him a questioning look, “I’ve had people in my past think that, that they would never kill anyone. Only for them to do exactly that. If it happens, you can always talk with me, even if it's over letter”
“Thank you, I'll do just that.”
Lets not pry further into his past much more.
“Come on Michael, let's try this again.”
And so we train some more, and more and more.
System Interface training includes using as much of the features at once, trying to break the limit of current base stats like voice chat numbers. Also spending a crazy amount of time trying to level up the Inventory feature, figure out how its supposed to work, how it might store things, trying to push items into the Interface windows and trying to picture it in use.
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HP and MP training is easy in comparison, MP training is continuously running out of mana, Normally trying this with as many clones as he can while using Powers. HP training is pretty easy as well, basically needing to keep my HP at its lowest.
The alternative is also true, if the clones have full HP and MP and Michael doesn't and then they un-summon themselves the HP and MP are given to Michael, as the amount is larger than the baseline, the baseline rises.
With a ton of testing and being sore he’s discovered a few things:
HP and MP training increases by 1 point per second naturally and when he is either very, very low on MP or HP or when overcharged on HP/MP it goes up to 1 point per minute.
Clone training has diminishing returns, the more the clones train with Powers, martial arts or any kind of training the smaller increments of improvements occur. If 20 clones train through the Avatar Kata he’s admitted to have semi stolen/created they will all earn the same amount of training and progress as he would for half the time.
The exception to this is the Mind Palace and stuff we learn. Speaking of the mind palace, the clones had a discussion with him. They would like for them to find a way to store a clone's individual memories in the Memory Palace and when summoned they can appear with their previous memories and Michael’s memories as well.
“Guys I completely agree, I was already feeling that it might be morally ambiguous to have copies of myself go poof each time, erasing whatever emerging personality they might have if they have to stick around for a long time.”
We think we can ask Knowledge about that.
===
It’s been 110 days since I’ve arrived in Bkuki, and I’m still learning.
(It’s the local language for Dirt since no one can decide on a proper name).
Walking slowly along the beach late in the afternoon, Michael and the Coan family are taking a leisurely walk after dinner. Watching sailboats glide past fishing for a late dinner or just taking in the breeze and waves as large black clouds roll overhead, a big storm will hit soon.
It’s been fun, learning with them, talking, getting to know this world. But soon, I’d have to leave for the big cities. I need more info than what Farmers Rest can give me.
A heavy breese picks up, blowing the nearby trees on the bank. The crack of sails can be heard as the loose sails fill with air. A small catamaran-like vessel was trying to tack but got caught with a mix of both heavy wind and a lucky wave.
We watch from the beach as this magic catamaran lifts onto its side, starboard hull in the air as it tips and tips and falls into the water on its side. The catamaran quickly starts to capsize as some boats start making their way towards them.
Michael and the Coans watch on as rescue operations start but many of the boats are small and getting battered from the sudden wind. He hesitates for a moment before sensing movement next to him and young Coan Coan holds onto his dad asking if it will be ok.
Oh, I’ve got Powers now. I can help.
Startled at the thought he smiles before turning to Coan and giving him a massive smile before running into the water. Jumping in, a clone poofs in behind him just in the water and starts moving the water in a circle. Spinning the water around and around till a small funnel shape starts to appear.
Michael adding his mana to the clone's work turns the funnel into a water spout, whipping the immediate surroundings into a frenzy but it quickly calms a short distance from him. Moving at speed he quickly arrives at the capsized catamaran where there is no sign of the captain.
Moving closer and stopping the water spout he quickly drops to water level where another touch of mana turns the water into an ice platform. Creating some more clones they jump into the water to search for the captain.
With the work of other clones and some well tied ropes from other boats the catamaran was quickly brought right side up. 3 had managed to create an air bubble underwater that helped our sailor captain.
Once we get back to shore maybe we can try waterbending any water out of his lungs? Nah that might go wrong quickly.
As the winds begin to pick up from the approaching storm, the clones sloppily direct the catamaran to shore with the help of some extra sailors while from afar the Coan family and some spectators cheer from the beach. This is unofficially Michael’s first act as an up and coming adventurer.
Thanks for reading. Don't forget to the story. It helps more than you realise!
