No longer was his body covered by tribal markings. The markings just barely stretched below his forehead. A pure golden aura surrounded him, a result of nature energy effortlessly synchronising with his ki.
Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su
When he opened his eyes, they were golden-yellow in colour like the afternoon sun. His entire demeanour gave off a sense of gentleness and peace, but that could swiftly change in an instant.
GRUUUUU!
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|DxD|
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Origin Mode, a state where nature energy gracefully merges with a user’s ki and brings along enhancements above the norm. There was no clash nor any violent side-effects.
Unlike the Kaioken, Igor could perpetually keep this state forever should he wish to---and he did. Not once did he ever cancel the state. The qualitative enhancement to his power, especially his perception was something else entirely.
But the one unique thing Igor loved the most about this state, was the peace he felt. There was nothing more to it. Nature energy did not conflict with his passive Kaioken nor did it cause his body undue strain. But it certainly cleared his mind.
But just because he was at peace did not mean he was incapable of violence.
GRUUUUU!
The golden aura around him violently surged. The muscles in his leg tensed as he leaned forward. His golden pupils remained solidly locked onto his target. The world seemed to slow down with each passing moment. The colours faded away and in its place, Igor’s perception finally showed itself.
Su!
He instantly appeared in front of Triny with his fist outstretched. He felt her manipulating her chakra to create tentacles, a movement that didn’t escape his eyes. If he didn’t do anything, a tentacle would instantly pierce his abdomen.
How unfortunate---nothing could be hidden from him.
*Grab!*
A tentacle protruded from her stomach like a pillar in an attempt to stab him, but he grabbed it with his hand. A visible look of shock appeared on her face, but his fist swiftly erased it.
Gu!
Her head twisted awfully. She stumbled a few steps back before finally righting herself. Igor didn’t give cha-
Su!
He gave chase. He followed up with a gut punch that had her keeling over his fist. For normal people, seeing a six-year-old keel over a grown man’s fist would undoubtedly be an uncomfortable sight. Yet in the supernatural world, needless morality would get you killed very quickly.
He swiftly grabbed her by the jaw and held her up. She was helpless to this humiliating move. The shock to her body was still there.
“Do not solely depend on illusions for my perception is your worst counter.”
He swiftly threw her away into the distance without care.
SUUUUuuuuuu…
This time, he didn’t follow after her. He remained standing where he was with his arms crossed. The terrifying cold did nothing to affect his focus. His eyes remained focused ahead without smile or frown.
Twice, Triny tried using illusions on him, but she couldn’t escape his perception. It was actually smart on her part. It showed she was improving, but she failed to plan for an event of failure.
Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!
“A different attack? Good.”
Igor was indifferent to the tsunami rushing towards him. The pressure made his coat and hair billow, but nothing more.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
He stretched out his arm and found her presence hidden within the waters. A small golden orb formed within his palm before he released a blast wave.
Ka…DRUUUUUU!
The power contained in the attack expanded to ridiculous margins. An orb barely the size of a coin released a blast wave big enough to span a six-lane highway. It was nothing against the tsunami, but Igor’s target was Triny.
BOOOOM!
A powerful explosion ensued and the tsunami collapsed without the chakra to support it. His blast made contact, but he didn’t linger.
Su!
He charged forward, ki blade in hand. Countless tentacles lashed out to stop him, but his Instant Vanish technique allowed him to easily evade them.
Tswii! Tswii! Tswii! Tswii!
Not even the helms of his coat were cut. He was easily able to predict the trajectory of each tentacle by monitoring the chakra in them.
Tswii!
Soon enough, he appeared behind Triny. His back was towards her, his blade pointing in front of him in midair.
“Like I said. Don’t overly rely on illusions when facing me. My perception is your worst counter.”
“...”
There was silence for a moment before slowly, the real Triny faded into view. Igor’s blade that had seemingly pointed at empty air was now revealed to be directly against her throat. The blade was so close if Triny dared to gulp, her neck would be pierced.
The little lass felt aggrieved at her swift defeat. She had not accessed her true form, but she was still stronger than him. Yet, he managed to take her down like an old dog.
“Hmph!”
She was unwilling to admit defeat, but reality was in front of her. Soon enough, the fake version of herself along with the tentacles vanished into wisps of chakra. Simultaneously, Igor let his blade vanish.
He dropped her like a sack of potatoes on the waterlogged ground. The after-effects of her tsunami still existed, but the water would evaporate very quickly in the upcoming heat.
“You still lack combat experience, but we’ll slowly refine it. Once we leave here, I’ll see if I can arrange some people to spar with you. Or do you prefer fighting in the upcoming war?”
At Igor’s serious enquiry, Triny merely huffed and crossed her arms.
“Do what you want.”
“...”
She was throwing a tantrum, wasn’t she?
*Flicks Forehead*
Pa!
“Ow!”
“Don’t complain to someone who’s teaching you. That’s how you get beatings.”
Triny furiously rubbed her forehead. This big oaf used nature energy!
“Meanie…”
“Yes. I’m mean. But so is the supernatural world. You are strong and have a lot of potential for growth. Your only problem is your lack of repertoire. Chakra is weaker than ki, especially in a direct clash. Your use of illusions and that tsunami is good enough, but they’re still lacking against me.”
He placed his hand on her shoulder.
“What I have in power, you have in versatility. If you’re going up against someone like me, subterfuge is your best advantage. You can use your chakra to make traps, cause icicles to rain from the sky, manipulate the terrain, and so on. I can’t teach you well in regards to this aspect. I’ve always been more of a frontline fighter. I can try and see if my sister can spare a clone to teach you. But not now. She’s probably busy in the Underworld and can’t spare any. Once we come back from the war, I’ll see about finding some help for you.”
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|DxD|
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Time Chamber: One Year Later (3 years after entry)
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Time passed and during this year, Igor solely focused on his training. There was nothing more he could do to help Triny aside from the occasional spar.
The little lass sincerely followed his suggestions and began increasing her repertoire. And not just that, she also refined her moves to be far more deadly.
Natural disasters like hurricanes and tsunamis were deadly…to ordinary people. But if the might of a tsunami was concentrated into one torrent, then someone like him would have to dodge, especially when she added some of her corrosive chakra.
Furthermore, she’s delved into the art of perception like him. In fact, she took to it like a fish to water. The air, the earth, and everything else around her became an extension of herself. This made landing attacks on her somewhat harder since she could sense his position right down to the millimetre.
Of course, just because Triny made gains didn’t mean he didn’t. For once in many decades, Igor didn’t touch the gym. It was always either meditation or squatting in the library. But he couldn’t help it. Harsh lessons taught him to master everything in his arsenal before striving for further improvement.
What Igor needed to fix the most was his control. His issue of his Full-Power Demigod State was no longer something that could be delayed. This was where nature energy came in.
Currently, a year of effort allowed him to combine his Origin State and Kaioken x45 to reach a staggering 450x boost in power. As long as he remained diligent, he would be able to bear using his Demigod Suppressed State without damaging his brain.*
Igor had a hunch. If he could handle a 500x increase in power, then it’d be all the more easier to handle his full-powered state. It was only an instinct, but he felt he’d be able to quell the bloodlust he had when he transformed.
It was only a hunch, but only time would tell whether he’d be able to achieve a breakthrough.
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AN
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[1] Currently, a year of effort allowed him to combine his Origin State and Kaioken x45 to reach a staggering 450x boost in power. As long as he remained diligent, he would be able to bear using his Demigod Suppressed State without damaging his brain.*
Explanation: Some of you might be a bit confused about this part. It is widely known by now the Kaioken strains the body far more than the Demigod State. However, it is the brain being mentioned here. Igor’s body is strong, but his mind cannot process all the sudden information that comes from his enlightened perception. So don’t confuse the mind for the body.
More chapters are available on my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.