Pov: Kenzo.
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Yin-Picking: E×D×C×B×A?S?K?
Effortless Jump: E×D×C×B×A?S?K?
Poisonous Touch: E×D×C×B×A?S?K?
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I don't have much time so I will use these as quickly as I can- A-rank scrolls on all of them.
I sit alone in the ground under the earth, hiding with three D-rank bounties... I need to go faster- quicker! I don't have time to sleep!
I blink and open my eyes to the orange box.
*Scratch!* *Scrawl!*
'Do not let him detect your presence, win the game'
The words read an annoyingly vague message and I look ahead to see a human male smiling at me... he has a sense of eeriness around him.
"Hello. Human. Test skill on me? Yes?" The man asks with frightening changes in tone.
...
Yin-Picking... lets unlock the door to his brain I suppose... and without him noting my presence within I am guessing.
I sit cross legged and waste no time... I take a deep breath and close my eyes as I slowly but surely rile up my Yin energy.
...
"Human. Take a seat?" The voice slowly drifts to my location and I open my eyes once more.
"Wha-" I nearly shout as I look around.
A very, very dimly lit table where the average looking man smiles as he sits opposite of me... I stand and then sit opposite of him on a fold out chair... the table looks like one of the pstic fold out ones too.
"Ready human? No- no- none of that resonance. Try holding hand?" The man holds out his hand and smiles... but it feels off.
I hold his hand and wait.
...
"Well? Try it. Send Yin energy into me" The human states.
...
I take a breath and slowly send my yin energy through my hands... but instead of attaching it to the sound waves of a snap or cp like I am used to... I instead let it sink into his body.
*SLAM!*
The human grabs my hair and sms my head straight into the table, strength or not my nose breaks under this humans sudden attack.
"No no no no- words said I not see your presence yes? So why I see it? Try again. Please" He grips my wrist a little hard and smiles... the smile does not reach his eyes.
...
"Are you even human?" I ask.
...
An uncomfortable silence ensues.
"Ohohoho! Owner of the box coloured orange is right! It is hard to py human... the eyes you thought? I will try harder next game! Next game!" The thing nods his head and smiles in a way that humans cannot... all teeth no muscle.
Next game?
I blink and two average looking humans stand in front of me... don't detect your presence...? The 'him' refers to me doesn't it?
"Correct! Oops-" Insane and erratic giggling escapes the completely still face of the human on the right.
I blink and three humans sit across from me.
*SCRATCH!* *SCRAWL!*
'Find the creature Kenzo. If you guess wrong and he remains alone... then you lose and I cim your life- if he keeps losing and you manage to find him among a group of five... then you get to cim his memories in Yin-picking- remember training wheels are off'
The table scratches the rules and I look ahead.
No take backs anymore... no second chances... and no hesitation to kill me if I fuck up.
He is using me as entertainment even in my training areas now... sending this thing after me to see what happens.
...
Which one is which?
I study the three humans... one coughs awkwardly, another gnces around the room and another raises his eyebrow at me.
"So... if I may ask, what is happening here?" Human one asks.
"I would like to know too" Human two asks.
"Me- me as well yes?" Human three adds.
...
I point to human three.
"Ah! Humans speak more like that huh? Maybe less humans and more... these guys speak like this? Is this right?" The creature adapts and I blink my eyes to find four humans sitting across from me.
One st go. I can do this in round one.
"Hello, my name is Oswald" Human one greets me.
"Oh? Same for me, that's funny" Human two adds.
"Well... actually three out of five here" Human three raises his hands.
"Would you look at that- me too! What about you?" Human four asks me.
"Kenzo" I reply and Human one, two and three visibly slump down.
I focus my gaze on human four.
"Actually it is Oswald, I guess I haven't been called by my real name in quite some time" I think aloud and the humans all react positively except for four.
I point at him.
"Bleh! Wrong! Hahaha! So fun to learn these human ways, who knew that pying copy cat would work so well!" Human three ughs with his eyes and I cringe and grimace unable to look at the sight that unravels from the flesh.
*Haaa- Haaa- Haaa-*
When I take another deep breath and look up again three humans remain... I look to fours seat and see a puddle of blood.
*Gulp*
"My hobby is fishing... maybe fixing up boats too" One answers.
"Oh- same here, I like fishing- boats are great!" Two agrees.
"I'm more of a stay at home dad... can't get out much so I like to paint" Three shrugs.
The creature could be two... staying with his copycat method which worked st time... or he could be one of the others- he could be three trying to make me choose two.
Last time the humans all had the same look and name... should it be so now?
I point to three.
"Damn- Owner of the box coloured orange is quite good at picking pyful humans... you are good at this" Three smiles almost too much like a real human... before sticking out his tongue and spitting in my eyes.
I wipe the spit out my eye and groan... looking up four humans sit across from me.
"Ew... is that blood?" Four stands up and wipes his pants, disgusted by the sight.
"Don't be too panicked- no one is injured so that might be fake blood" Two tries to reassure him.
"It smells like real blood" One pinches his nose.
"Huh... that is creepy- did you do that?" Three asks me.
"No" I answer and study them.
...
Three again- he said its creepy but looks to jaded to the scene.
I point.
"Ha! Really? Am I good or what!" Four pumps his fist and I blink to see three in front of me.
Fuck.
"Egg. I like egg on toast" One says with a serious tone.
"Eggs cool and all... but I prefer mine scrambled and no toast" Two nods his head.
"Egg is pretty good actually, toast? Yeah I think I like toast on mine" Three nods.
"Toast is good actually... yeah I agree, egg on toast.
...
Four didn't start his sentence with egg like the others... two said eggs not egg- he doesn't like toast... four is human... two is maybe not.
One? No- he set up the prompt... the creature couldn't know what to say without someone prompting him... the st one when he started the conversation about blood was on something in the room that would have obvious reactions... this is different- it isn't one.
...
Two doesn't like toast when everyone else does.
I point at two.
"Wrong! I did make a mistake which I thought you would grab at- a relief honestly... I said toast on egg not egg on toast, silly me" Three takes a breath of relief... looking more human than ever.
I blink and two humans sit across from me...
I give them no time and point at one.
"What? there was no... I see- risky~ risky young one... but the coin may nd on heads next time~" One smiles as the world darkens and lights up again.
...
I blink and three humans sit across from me....
A decapitated head is on the table.
No one speaks.
One sits straight and smiles.
Two sits straight and smiles.
Three sits straight and frowns.
...
Shit.
Eyes... are all the same... no physical difference here... the only one different is the frowning one but the creature isn't that dumb- how can he be?
"Hello" I prompt.
One nods his head.
Two nods his head.
And three shakes his head.
Is it him? It can't be... he knows better... two is copying one right? Or is one copying two? I can't tell without more information.
"Say something" I ask.
One shakes his head.
Two shakes his head.
"Okay" Three agrees.
...
Two shakes his head slightly after one... lets see it again.
"Again" I ask.
One shakes his head.
Two follows.
Three speaks "Again?"
I point to two!
...
I don't blink for a minute... waiting to hear some comment again.
But when I blink two humans remain, they both don't speak.
Wait- which one was it? Did he learn the mannerisms of the others and was faster than two? Or was he fucking with me by being three?
"Who am I? Human or creature?" One asks me.
"Who am I? Human or creature?" Two asks me in the exact same tone.
Copycat again... no, maybe he is- but how is he saying things first? Why is the human acting exactly like him!?
I stare at the bloodied chairs and hyperventite.
*Haaa- Haaa- Haaa-*
Is this going to be every scroll for me now? Do or die? No training before pying a death game?
No- the helper has never done this before! This isn't how the box operates... somehow this game is the Yin-picking training... right?
...
I close my eyes and take a breath.
"Say something a human would know" I ask them and send out my Yin energy through my voice.
...
"Uhhh... mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell?" One answers.
"He is the creature" Two points to one.
"Answer my question please" I ask. More yin energy sent over.
"I know about many things... but I don't know much else... sheesh... I think... that duct tape has a lot of use around the house, especially when my toddlers break things all the time" Two says.
...
Yin-picking... the art of lockpicking someone else's yin energy with my own... in a sense it is the practice of entering another's mental energy without permission, without the keys.
*Click*
I imagine the sound of a door unlocking as I enter into both of their minds... one is the creature.
I point to one who has more active yin energy then two... while two feels sleepy talking about his toddlers- the humans don't know he exists in the game and doesn't need to be so aware and awake.
...
I blink and another human spawns... yet I am still connected.
Its three this time.
"Toddlers... speaking of them- my two kids have been so picky with their food tely" Three states.
Gotcha- wait.
"Yeah... so annoying to cook all day and them deciding that slow cooked pork ribs are... are... worse than gummy bears..." Two sighs.
"Oh I get you Oswald- mine are the same" One agrees.
I can't let him know that. But can't he read my mind? How hasn't he figured it out... would he not be angry?
Or maybe he isn't reading my mind at all... then what is he reading?
I need to get a closer look.
I point at three.
"Sorry creature- but you spoke first about toddlers... and decided they are picky with food while two and one say they just think gummy bears are better" I state... not completely sure of my lie.
"That's... again" The creature snarls at me.
I blink and four humans sit across from me.
...
I freeze up.
He is using his yin energy... and sending it over to me- he is trying to read my mind again... so that's what his pn was, stop acting on my information and rather his own in order to blend in... and make think he wouldn't pick any idea I thought of like being the obvious choice.
...
The Yin-energy slowly crawls across the table and slithers to my hand... the second it attaches is the second I lose this game... I have no other option.
...
Yin-picking... Yin-picking... unlocking others yin energy... what could an A-rank version of that be?
...
5 seconds till he reaches me again.
Am I supposed to read his mind? Unlock his memories or thoughts? No.
4 seconds.
Emotions? Willpower? No.
3 seconds.
Unlocking what? What aspect of Yin energy am I unlocking?
2 seconds.
...wait! I'm stupid! Just unlock all the doors and close them-
1 second left and I take away my Yin-energy... and as I take it back I cast a genjutsu- not on him- but me!
%#&&_#&#*#*@
I blink and five humans sit in front of me.
"Oh? That was a good game... really had me on the edge of my seat there... how many times did I manage to get you to two humans again? 12? 13?" Human one asks with a content smile.
What?
"Huh? What do you- oh... you tricky human- you cannot remember can you? I see what you did now..." The creature smiles as the room lightens up to its orange state and the four other humans disappear.
What happened? What did I do?
"Hah! To think that was how you decided to take this skill... quite interesting I say- I thought you might have tried to replicate my mind sight or perhaps a lesser version of it... hell if not that I thought you would try to cast genjutsu on me at least" The creature nods as if giving me respect.
"What did I...?" I hold my head.
"Let me expin... your genjutsu is going to take another month to wear off, gd you thought so highly of me to buy that much time" The creature snickers.
"When I left my house to enter yours and I returned to find all my doors unlocked but nothing touched I panicked- an intruder into my mind? But nothing was done? Made me focus so hard on something that you didn't do... I was so convinced you managed to get slip something into my house and I didn't know... and when I entered your house to find out what your pns where... it was unchanged from my st visit. Nothing different" It chuckles.
"Made me think too hard you did- Gods its been a while since I had to use a mortal brain... so limiting- never mind that, you cast a genjutsu on yourself to forget about the memories of unlocking my house and then everything after..." It states.
...?
"I can hear your confusion... let me help you remember- it is in the game for me to help you with Yin-picking if I lost correct?" The human creature taps the table and unravels my mind... two weeks of the game pys out in my head and I shapeshift my self in order to not puke from the excess information.
....!?
..!
!!!!
....!?!?!?!
"Whoooooo" I breathe out slowly as I process the information.
"You turned this game into a learning opportunity by sending me on a wild goose chase while you had all the time in the world to enhance your picking skills" The creature tsks.
I put myself in a trance... surface thoughts constantly thinking about the humans and which one was the creature.
But my deeper thoughts were of something else... something I am familiar with.
I stuck myself in a mental loop. Stare? Stare? Stare? All over again...
"Except this time, while I was checking your thoughts and my own for trickery as you passively beat me..." The creature frowns.
I...
"You practiced a technique on the other humans because I was not focused on them- you learnt how to unlock more than just the doors, you unlocked their safes and opened every detail in the house..." The voice guides me through my memories.
...Unlock...? Unlock...? Unlocked. Unlock...? Unlock...? Unlocked... a training loop.
...
I see, B-rank allowed me to gain access to someone's Yin-chakra more easily... I mainly used it to sneak in my Resonance genjutsu quicker.
But A-rank.
"You steered the skill into a better direction I believe- focused on unlocking memories and emotions... you can now for example: unlock someone's memories and say a key phrase to get the memory you want, a name to conjure the image of that person in their head... in which you can combine with resonance to create the image outside their head too" The creature smiles.
... ah.
"Well it was fun-" The creature stands up and stretches.
"Wait- the game said I get Yin-picking help from you! Your memories! I did all that learning, you haven't completed your side of the deal!" I stand up with it.
"Oh bother... fine- fine- I will store a memory in that head of yours... I will not open it yet, in fact I will open it ter when you need it... that memory will help you improve your skills yeah?" The creature says and waves.
I feel something enter my head and I grimace before looking up.
...?
At dirt.
I am back in reality.
Damn. Better be a good memory, and better not take too long for me to unlock it.
Haaa- *Sp!*
I sp both sides of my face and grab the next A-rank scroll... focusing on effortless jump now.
I close my eyes and open them to find myself in the box again seconds after having left it.
*SCRATCH!* *SCRAWL!*
'Jump while traversing this forest. I will hurt you every time you fail'
While traversing... I can do that if I prepare well enough, but I am sure it wants me to effortlessly jump without preparations to do so in movement.
I blink and find myself in the forest of death... feels odd to be back here again- I look behind me to see what encourages me to stay on my toes and not prepare...
...?
Nothing?
*SNAP!*
My neck snaps and I gasp, looking forward again.
Okay... no messing around... we both know what I need to learn so why try and ze about- no preparing, just doing.
I get the helpers message and just start sprinting along the forest floor I jump- *Trip!* *SNAP!*
*Gasp!*
Damnit- of course, can't jump like that... maybe when both feet are on the ground rather than one foot at a time? One foot jumps seem like the best choice though... or maybe I am just not fast enough to jump so effortlessly.
I crack my knuckles and sp my face.
*Sp!*
Stop thinking- too much effort, just jump... just jump.
I sprint... and push off my leg as it propels me forward... and flex my muscles with chakra allowing me to jump without bending my legs at all... putting all that chakra into my feet.
*Leap!*
I slide across the ground and continue again.
Its like... putting too much chakra into the tree walking exercise- but also using body flicker technique to pour ones chakra over their own body and send it flying.
*Leap!*
I leap again and nd on a tree... before leaping forward again, and again.
I can do this easily once I am in a rhythm of doing it- the problem is trying to jump off something unexpected...
*CRASH!*
A giant tree is felled ahead of me as I soar through the air... this would be a good time to jump without knowing my jumping point.
*Sm!*
I crash into the tree... well I stab the tree with a knife arm and dangle from it.
*Snap!*
But that's not jumping.
...
Just another level of jumping without effort... no effort... no thought... no effort.
I take a breath and start again.
Thanks for reading :)
