![Newbie Guide](https://i.imgur.com/Uy7hIlu.png")
Post by Gandigan on Nov 15, 2023 17:37:34 GMT -5
Gandigan's training had not started the way he thought it would. He was under the impression that he would be training with all three of the elder Namekians at once, but it seemed that their own personal rivalries with each other was stronger than he initially believed. The three would take turns training with Gandigan, and only if he passed their individual trials would they finally agree to put aside their differences and train together with Gandigan. Based on what he had seen that could take a while.
It was up to him to decide who to train with first, which he choose Venova for. Although the Mazoku could be a bit brash at times, Gandigan felt as though he was the most personally connected to him. He also recalled a 'gift' that he had yet to receive from the Mazoku, which made him all the more curious as to what lied ahead. The day that he was to start his training, Gandigan wandered around the small home the Namekians had made for themselves, only to find Venova no where in sight.
He was quickly informed by the Shinjin Kaeru that the past Mazoku preferred to fight somewhere that he felt a little more comfortable, and had travelled to another realm. "Another realm? You mean another world?" Kaeru shook his head. "Nay. Another realm. The folk that live up here mostly enjoy a quiet, peaceful life. When Venova really wants to hit something he travels down below to where all the bad guys live. They don't a little ruckus." Without warning the Shinjin would take Gandigan's arm and teleport him back to Hell.
Gandigan instantly recognized these parts as the Bramble Woods, though when he looked around he found that Kaeru had abandoned him. "Kaeru? Where have you gone off too? Damnit." There wasn't much he could do. Gandigan assumed that once the Shinjin was ready he'd come back and pick Gandigan up; until then he was off to try and find where Venova was.
The Mazoku, like a few others he had encountered, had the ability to turn his Ki off entirely. He had allowed Gandigan to sense him upon first meeting him, but since then it had been off all the time. That left Gandigan feeling a little blind as he wandered around, hoping to come across the hulking Mazoku somewhere. "Venova? Are you around here?..." What Gandigan felt next wasn't an energy signature, but the air being spliced in two behind him as a great fist cleaved through the air.
The former Mazoku King only had a few seconds to move his body out of the way, allowing the first to collide with the ground and shake the Earth around them. "Gandigan! Your senses are excellent." Venova, aside from the Halo atop his head, was an peak physical form. The Namekian must have stood close to seven feet tall, not including the small horns that sat atop his forehead. His muscles were so large that some looked as though they were balloons, but they didn't stop him from moving with rare nimbleness and grace.
Gandigan wondered how he might do if he had Venova back on Namek. As great as the Mazoku defenders already were, someone like him would have made a great addition to their forces. "About time you showed up. Kaeru hold you up? He's known for that. In any case I figure it's time we do some training. You may have a lot more power than me but I promise you that I have a few secrets that you're not like to know about... plus there's still that gift I promised you."
Gandigan hadn't forgotten. He had been wondering for quite some time what it might be that Venova had to give him. Another weapon perhaps? He hadn't seen the Mazoku fight with any weapons before, but Venova seemed the type to carry one with him. "Today's your lucky day, Gandigan, as I actually have two gifts for you. The first is a technique which I hope you'll be able to put to good use. The second is... well, that can come later."
A new technique? Given all the time Venova had spent up here training he figured that he must a have few special tricks up his sleeve beyond what those still alive were capable of. "Well, I'm all ears. Let me know what you have." Venova smiled, before raising his hand up into the air. "Try and watch carefully now. I spent probably a hundred years just developing this technique alone, so it might go over your head the first time you hear about it."
A hundred years? Damn. It must have been special... if Venova was telling the truth. "I've never been very good with it comes to naming techniques mind you, so I called this one something simple: Soul Drain. As you can probably image based on the name, this technique specifically targets the individual's spirit. The way it works is by driving through the physical body with your hand, before pulling some of the life force back out of them."
It sounded... interesting. Specifically targeting someone's soul wasn't anything he had ever though of before, but with Venova's seal of approval maybe it was a good idea. "That's not all though. Soul energy can be transferred from one being to another. Unfortunately you can't transfer it to yourself; the seal we'll create to take the energy is sort of like a cage. If you try and open it yourself it'll escape, but you can do what is essentially a reverse soul drain into someone else, transferring the energy over to them."
That last part definitely caught the ear of Gandigan. To transfer power from one to another? In the old days such a thing would have been near useless to him as he always fought alone, but now? He had a so many allies that he could now count on. Marimba. Gira. Otama. Cello. Cabasa. Anyone of them could benefit from this technique... and if he were able to teach them how to do it then they could do the same for him.
"Sounds great to me. How do you perform it." Venova smiled. "Like this!" Before Gandigan could even react the massive Mazoku had dug his fist into the Daimyo's chest, shortly before he lost consciousness. When Gandigan awoke he saw Venova standing over him and still smiling. He was about ready to blast the Mazoku as payback for what had just happened, but before he did he was offered a hand to help him back to his feet.
"Sorry about that. I sometimes forget just how poorly newbies handle the technique. I've trained my spirit to resist the soul drain technique, which is something that I'll show you later on. For now let me show you how to perform it first." Gandigan put his emotions aside for the sake of a new ability, keeping his mouth closed as he stood next to Venova and watched him start from the beginning.
"If you want, you could do it with two hands, but I prefer one. Raise it up in the air like this. Then..." Venova's hand became engulfed in a blue-white Ki. "Summon your energy. Now into a sword or anything like that though. Remember that we're not piercing into a person's body; we're piercing into their spirit. That's really what you have to focus on: look through a person's physical form and attack their spirit. There's plenty of dead people around so there's lots of targets you can practice with."
Gandigan did his best to mimic Venova's actions, bringing up his hand in the air and surrounding it with the same sort of energy as the other Mazoku had. As soon as he felt he had it he attempted to test Venova's assertion that he had built some sort of defense against the technique, driving his own fist forward. To his shock Venova withstood the attack without even flinching as Gandigan's hand passed through his body and out the other side.
"Ha! What did I tell you? I figured you'd probably want to try and do that; I don't blame you either. But in any case I can feel that you've got the right idea about it. If I hadn't figured out how to defend against the soul drain I'd probably be in a world of trouble right now." Venova slapped Gandigan on the back, which forced the Mazoku forward and pulled his arm free.
"That's not the most important thing I've got to show you today, though. I've seen the way you fight; sometimes you utilize the Great Namek form, and sometimes you go beyond into something that very few Namekians have ever achieved. But what if I told you that there was a level beyond even that?" Now things were getting juicy. Gandigan had often pondered if there was a level beyond what he had already achieved, but he was never able to get over the line.
"I wish I could tell you that I have achieved this power myself, but alas... I'm too weak to fully utilize this form. I can't even touch it if I'm being honest, but you? You Gandigan might just be strong enough. Though I cannot use the form myself I did once bear witness to it being used, back when I still lived. A fearsome Mazoku by the name of Soprillo used it to kill me, and those memories do not fade easily "
Venova slowly approached Gandigan, reaching out and placing his hand atop the Mazoku's head. Without speaking he would transfer over his memories of his death, which Gandigan was now forced to witness. Within these memories he took the place of Venova; opposite of him stood a Mazoku even larger and more fearsome than Venova was. But his power seemed... low? Lower than what he expected. Lower than Venova's even. What was going on here?
That's when it began. The Namekian opposite himself began to change. His body tapped into some sort of power that Gandigan had never felt before... it felt familiar to him, yet unknown at the same time. His body began to shift as well, with some sort of... fur sprouting up over his upper body? What really got his attention was the increase in power, which had now skyrocketed far beyond what he had been capable of just a few moments ago.
And then he came forward, grabbing a hold of Venova's throat before tearing his head off. A few seconds later and Gandigan opened his eyes back to Hell; the memories were over. "Didn't put up much of a fight, did I? But you felt the power that came from Soprillo. Now I want to feel that same power coming from you. Show me what you're capable of, Gandigan."
The Mazoku Lord returned to his feet and attempted to do as he was asked, massively increasing his power but still unable to take the form he had just witnessed. "No! You're only tapping into the power you had before. You need to think beyond that, Gandigan. Remember who you are. Remember the Mazoku! It is that power that will fuel your ascension! Now push harder, and don't stop until you feel the next level! You can do it!"
Gandigan gritted his teeth and pushed on, and soon he would begin to feel the change. The same mossy substance he had seen sprout up over Soprillo would appear in patches across his chest... before quickly dissipating as Gandigan lost consciousness. The Namekian faceplanted into the ground, exhausted from his transformation attempt. Venova would laugh again before approaching. "Oh well; you got much closer than I ever did. We'll try again later."
WC: 1958
It was up to him to decide who to train with first, which he choose Venova for. Although the Mazoku could be a bit brash at times, Gandigan felt as though he was the most personally connected to him. He also recalled a 'gift' that he had yet to receive from the Mazoku, which made him all the more curious as to what lied ahead. The day that he was to start his training, Gandigan wandered around the small home the Namekians had made for themselves, only to find Venova no where in sight.
He was quickly informed by the Shinjin Kaeru that the past Mazoku preferred to fight somewhere that he felt a little more comfortable, and had travelled to another realm. "Another realm? You mean another world?" Kaeru shook his head. "Nay. Another realm. The folk that live up here mostly enjoy a quiet, peaceful life. When Venova really wants to hit something he travels down below to where all the bad guys live. They don't a little ruckus." Without warning the Shinjin would take Gandigan's arm and teleport him back to Hell.
Gandigan instantly recognized these parts as the Bramble Woods, though when he looked around he found that Kaeru had abandoned him. "Kaeru? Where have you gone off too? Damnit." There wasn't much he could do. Gandigan assumed that once the Shinjin was ready he'd come back and pick Gandigan up; until then he was off to try and find where Venova was.
The Mazoku, like a few others he had encountered, had the ability to turn his Ki off entirely. He had allowed Gandigan to sense him upon first meeting him, but since then it had been off all the time. That left Gandigan feeling a little blind as he wandered around, hoping to come across the hulking Mazoku somewhere. "Venova? Are you around here?..." What Gandigan felt next wasn't an energy signature, but the air being spliced in two behind him as a great fist cleaved through the air.
The former Mazoku King only had a few seconds to move his body out of the way, allowing the first to collide with the ground and shake the Earth around them. "Gandigan! Your senses are excellent." Venova, aside from the Halo atop his head, was an peak physical form. The Namekian must have stood close to seven feet tall, not including the small horns that sat atop his forehead. His muscles were so large that some looked as though they were balloons, but they didn't stop him from moving with rare nimbleness and grace.
Gandigan wondered how he might do if he had Venova back on Namek. As great as the Mazoku defenders already were, someone like him would have made a great addition to their forces. "About time you showed up. Kaeru hold you up? He's known for that. In any case I figure it's time we do some training. You may have a lot more power than me but I promise you that I have a few secrets that you're not like to know about... plus there's still that gift I promised you."
Gandigan hadn't forgotten. He had been wondering for quite some time what it might be that Venova had to give him. Another weapon perhaps? He hadn't seen the Mazoku fight with any weapons before, but Venova seemed the type to carry one with him. "Today's your lucky day, Gandigan, as I actually have two gifts for you. The first is a technique which I hope you'll be able to put to good use. The second is... well, that can come later."
A new technique? Given all the time Venova had spent up here training he figured that he must a have few special tricks up his sleeve beyond what those still alive were capable of. "Well, I'm all ears. Let me know what you have." Venova smiled, before raising his hand up into the air. "Try and watch carefully now. I spent probably a hundred years just developing this technique alone, so it might go over your head the first time you hear about it."
A hundred years? Damn. It must have been special... if Venova was telling the truth. "I've never been very good with it comes to naming techniques mind you, so I called this one something simple: Soul Drain. As you can probably image based on the name, this technique specifically targets the individual's spirit. The way it works is by driving through the physical body with your hand, before pulling some of the life force back out of them."
It sounded... interesting. Specifically targeting someone's soul wasn't anything he had ever though of before, but with Venova's seal of approval maybe it was a good idea. "That's not all though. Soul energy can be transferred from one being to another. Unfortunately you can't transfer it to yourself; the seal we'll create to take the energy is sort of like a cage. If you try and open it yourself it'll escape, but you can do what is essentially a reverse soul drain into someone else, transferring the energy over to them."
That last part definitely caught the ear of Gandigan. To transfer power from one to another? In the old days such a thing would have been near useless to him as he always fought alone, but now? He had a so many allies that he could now count on. Marimba. Gira. Otama. Cello. Cabasa. Anyone of them could benefit from this technique... and if he were able to teach them how to do it then they could do the same for him.
"Sounds great to me. How do you perform it." Venova smiled. "Like this!" Before Gandigan could even react the massive Mazoku had dug his fist into the Daimyo's chest, shortly before he lost consciousness. When Gandigan awoke he saw Venova standing over him and still smiling. He was about ready to blast the Mazoku as payback for what had just happened, but before he did he was offered a hand to help him back to his feet.
"Sorry about that. I sometimes forget just how poorly newbies handle the technique. I've trained my spirit to resist the soul drain technique, which is something that I'll show you later on. For now let me show you how to perform it first." Gandigan put his emotions aside for the sake of a new ability, keeping his mouth closed as he stood next to Venova and watched him start from the beginning.
"If you want, you could do it with two hands, but I prefer one. Raise it up in the air like this. Then..." Venova's hand became engulfed in a blue-white Ki. "Summon your energy. Now into a sword or anything like that though. Remember that we're not piercing into a person's body; we're piercing into their spirit. That's really what you have to focus on: look through a person's physical form and attack their spirit. There's plenty of dead people around so there's lots of targets you can practice with."
Gandigan did his best to mimic Venova's actions, bringing up his hand in the air and surrounding it with the same sort of energy as the other Mazoku had. As soon as he felt he had it he attempted to test Venova's assertion that he had built some sort of defense against the technique, driving his own fist forward. To his shock Venova withstood the attack without even flinching as Gandigan's hand passed through his body and out the other side.
"Ha! What did I tell you? I figured you'd probably want to try and do that; I don't blame you either. But in any case I can feel that you've got the right idea about it. If I hadn't figured out how to defend against the soul drain I'd probably be in a world of trouble right now." Venova slapped Gandigan on the back, which forced the Mazoku forward and pulled his arm free.
"That's not the most important thing I've got to show you today, though. I've seen the way you fight; sometimes you utilize the Great Namek form, and sometimes you go beyond into something that very few Namekians have ever achieved. But what if I told you that there was a level beyond even that?" Now things were getting juicy. Gandigan had often pondered if there was a level beyond what he had already achieved, but he was never able to get over the line.
"I wish I could tell you that I have achieved this power myself, but alas... I'm too weak to fully utilize this form. I can't even touch it if I'm being honest, but you? You Gandigan might just be strong enough. Though I cannot use the form myself I did once bear witness to it being used, back when I still lived. A fearsome Mazoku by the name of Soprillo used it to kill me, and those memories do not fade easily "
Venova slowly approached Gandigan, reaching out and placing his hand atop the Mazoku's head. Without speaking he would transfer over his memories of his death, which Gandigan was now forced to witness. Within these memories he took the place of Venova; opposite of him stood a Mazoku even larger and more fearsome than Venova was. But his power seemed... low? Lower than what he expected. Lower than Venova's even. What was going on here?
That's when it began. The Namekian opposite himself began to change. His body tapped into some sort of power that Gandigan had never felt before... it felt familiar to him, yet unknown at the same time. His body began to shift as well, with some sort of... fur sprouting up over his upper body? What really got his attention was the increase in power, which had now skyrocketed far beyond what he had been capable of just a few moments ago.
And then he came forward, grabbing a hold of Venova's throat before tearing his head off. A few seconds later and Gandigan opened his eyes back to Hell; the memories were over. "Didn't put up much of a fight, did I? But you felt the power that came from Soprillo. Now I want to feel that same power coming from you. Show me what you're capable of, Gandigan."
The Mazoku Lord returned to his feet and attempted to do as he was asked, massively increasing his power but still unable to take the form he had just witnessed. "No! You're only tapping into the power you had before. You need to think beyond that, Gandigan. Remember who you are. Remember the Mazoku! It is that power that will fuel your ascension! Now push harder, and don't stop until you feel the next level! You can do it!"
Gandigan gritted his teeth and pushed on, and soon he would begin to feel the change. The same mossy substance he had seen sprout up over Soprillo would appear in patches across his chest... before quickly dissipating as Gandigan lost consciousness. The Namekian faceplanted into the ground, exhausted from his transformation attempt. Venova would laugh again before approaching. "Oh well; you got much closer than I ever did. We'll try again later."
WC: 1958
