A shady speakeasy in Yorknew City located in the infamous Three Lions District, and a popular meeting point for Hunters. The storefront is a simple, small, dirty-looking family-run liquor store featuring alcohol from around the world. If you flash your Hunter license to the storeclerk, you’ll gain access to the back room, which opens up to the real pub/bar on the inside. The pub is less sketchier looking than the actual liquor store, but not by much. That being said, it’s still a popular spot for Hunters to meet, drink, and hang out in their downtime. Drinks are cheap and strong.
Store List
40oz. Malt Beverage [ J8,000 ] A zesty drink that has a bit of a kick it to it. This item has a total of four uses. Each use, a drink, gives one point of intoxication.
Bottled Water [ J8,000 ] A delicious, refreshing beverage! Using this item restores 10% HP, Stamina, and Aura.
Paniq Vodka [ J16,000 ] A clear, powerful liquor that puts hair on the chest of the burliest beasts of men. This item has a total of three uses. Each use, a drink, gives two points of intoxication.
Pack of Kingsley's Stogies [ J14,000 ] A pack of standard cigarettes. Comes with twenty in a pack. Smoking them has no effects. You just look cooler.
Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2018 10:13 pm
[ x ][ x ][ x ]:: Jᴀᴍꜱ ɪᴍᴀɢᴇᴅ :: Aᴛᴛɪʀᴇ Inkwell Liquor:: Lᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ :: Iɴᴠᴇɴᴛᴏʀʏ
For a place like Yorknew there was hundreds, if not thousands of different drinking establishments that existed, but none that hit the spot like Inkwell did… at least for Veronif that was a sure fact. Ever since the day she became a hunter, Inkwell Liquor was always the go-to destination for an evening of celebration or relaxation, depending on the mood. It wasn’t in the best part of town – in fact, it was right in the heart of the worst part of town – and the drinks served was only a step up from flat soda water only because of the alcohol content, but it was a home away from home nonetheless. Tonight was no different from any other night. The bar was only about half full with a few tables of regulars that the bartender knew on a first name basis peppered in here and there. Most of the hunters at the bar stuck to themselves, which was nice for a girl flying solo where men and alcohol were involved. There was a dull tide of noise as the conversations from tables drifted up into the vaulted ceilings, but the voices were near indistinguishable to Veronif. The whole backroom bar was dimly lit and smelled like stale beer mixed with sweat and metal.
The young Hunter was seated at the bar. Though she was all zipped up, the girl seemed still to attract quite a lot of attention as she could feel the prying eyes of other patrons on her back. With her hat off and set beside her on the bar, Veronif’s tousled golden locks framed her face perfectly. She sat next to another Hunter – young, tall, somewhat handsome with a deceptively muscular build under his business casual attire. It was a shame that she had already forgotten his name, but all he seemed to want to do was talk. He was trying his best at regaling her with stories of his adventures, the typical tactic of trying to woo by impressing, which was hard to do for a girl like Veronif. To try and pay attention was the least she could do for him buying her a drink, but even that alone seemed too much of a chore for Veronif. Little by little, she let his voice sink in with the rest of the background noise.
Directly above the liquor shelves, the TV was playing the evening news. A suited man sitting in front of the anchor’s desk was going over the latest news stories to break, with words in white scrolling beneath. Her eyes drifted to the text as she absently began to read something about a Hunter’s long awaited return to Whale Island. ’Hm…’ Veronif slowly ran her fingers along the side of her glass, feeling the condensation dripping from her fingertips as her mind wandered. ’I wonder if I have time to stop by the Garden before it closes today…’ Her eyes drifted back to the news anchor just in time for pictures to begin flashing on the screen. First was the image of a fire, one that according to the anchor had started in an apartment complex that left two injured but resulted in no fatalities; a picture of the opera house, where it was reported that for the third night in a row the theatre received a 20 minute standing ovation from the audience; a picture of the auction house, because in under a month they would hold the world’s largest auction yet again; and then the news graphic as the program cut to commercials.
It was at that point that Veronif remembered where she was, and what she was doing. Turning back to the man, who had now seemed to be done talking as he was staring quizzically at Veronif. ”Oh… yeah! It’s tough sometimes.” She said with a tone of hesitation, unsure as to where the conversation had gone at this point. ”Hey… I… actually gotta go.” Shooting him an apologetic smile, Veronif practically jumped out of her barstool. She had barely caught wind of what the man said when she reached for her hat. ”—your name at least?””You can call me V. I’ll see you around, okay?” Before he could answer, Veronif had already popped her cap back on and was headed for the door. She greeted the front liquorstore clerk on her way out into the street.
Following the presence through the alleyway, Veronif made a series of familiar twists and turns that, in her extensive knowledge of the city’s layout, could only mean she was being brought back to the place she had just left from. Inkwell. How strange it was for things to work out they way it did… she hoped that this man wasn’t some hired thug as a result of that random hunter’s heartbreak when she ditched him at the bar without even so much as giving him a reason why (at least with Axon she made up a story about her starving dog), but in a place like Yorknew and especially in a neighborhood like the Three Lions District, nothing like that was unheard of.
The streets were nearly empty around Inkwell, which was a strange sight to see even at this time of the night. Inkwell itself looked a little empty from the lack of cars in the parking lot, but the thing that still remained no matter where Veronif went was that feeling of the blonde man’s presence. Her heart rate was elevated now as she gingerly stepped into the alleyway behind Inkwell. Moving from lamp post to lamp post as she scanned the darkness for any sign of the mysterious stranger. ”Hello?” The adrenaline was slowly starting to kick in now. Was this really such a good idea? To go at it alone, follow a strange man into a dark alleyway in the dead of night? It was a little too late for regrets now… all she could do was keep moving forward and wait for whatever was lurking. ”Don’t tell me you’re just gonna lead me all the way here and not try to buy me a drink?” She said casually, though her senses were now fully alert as she readied herself for any potential situation.
Gurdi McDoppelbottom [ Level ? Hunter | Treasure Hunter ] The blonde man man leaned against the alley wall and puffed down the end of a cigarette before flicking it down to the ground and stomping it out with his black combat boots. The man was clad in a long jacket made from some sort of tan hide with a button up white shirt over his chest, all accompanied by some regular blue jeans and a blue beret. The man turned to face the woman he'd summoned here and chuckled, smiling to her. "Well I reckon I do owe you that much. Wait here." The blonde man lifted his hand and snapped, vanishing from sight and reappearing about three seconds later with a bottle of water in his hands, standing right where he was before. "A drink for the lady. Water is always the best thing you could drink." He tossed the bottle over to her and continued to speak, "And as for an introduction, I am Gurdi McDopplebottom, the great dungeon conqueror in the known world. I am here to make you an offer that I surely hope you will accept, Miss Veronif Zielbrandf." The blonde man stepped his left leg back one step, grabbed his hat from his head and lowered his hand to his waist as he bowed to the woman. "I do hope you're in the mood for a job opportunity."
As she ventured deeper into the alleyway, Veronif finally caught the figure of the man in question. It helped that her vision now sharper because of the adrenaline coursing through her veins. She could see that the man was wearing a beret, and his overall style was rather casual with the combat boot-jean and long coat combination. He didn’t look as imposing as she had made him out to be when she’d first felt that murderous intent at the park, but she was still wary of the stranger. She watched intently as he stomped his cigarette out, and slowed her own advance towards him as he approached her. Though he seemed to be smiling, there wasn’t a cell in her brain that would allow Veronif to allow her guard to drop for even a second. ’Dark alleyway, Three Lions district, dead of night… this definitely was not your brightest move, Veronif’ She thought, but to her bemusement the man seemed neither hostile nor dangerous at all. In fact, upon hearing her request he actually brought her water.
His little disappearing act was enough to bring a smile to Veronif’s face. Catching the bottle with two hands, Veronif simply held it in her left hand as she listened to him speak – simple street rules dictated that no matter what the drink, if a stranger is buying then the recipient should always watch at the bar. The bottle was new, capped with an unbroken seal, but Veronif wasn’t going to take her chances until she knew a little more about who she was dealing with.
The name was even weirder than the last that she’d heard – Mcdopplebottom, Gurdi, even. His name seemed somewhat familiar, but Veronif couldn’t quite figure out where she’d heard it. He claimed to be a Treasure Hunter, which was a commonality that both she and Gurdi shared. He was proposing a job of some sort, and somehow he knew her name which either meant she had done something fantastic or something terribly wrong already in her short time as a Hunter. Taken aback by his formalness, Veronif took a short step backwards as he had removed his hat and bowed to her. ’Uh… okay. I mean, he hasn’t tried to cut my organs out and sell them yet. That’s at least a good sign, right?’
Clearing her throat, Veronif replied with an air of pseudo-confidence. ”How do you know my name… and what exactly does this job entail?”
Gurdi McDoppelbottom [ Level ? Hunter | Treasure Hunter ] "Hah! Oh don't be so cautious if I wanted you dead, you'd sense it right now. But I do owe you an explanation." The blonde man started to tap his left foot. As he tapped his foot, Veronif would mimic him outside of her control. Her body would suddenly conform to the same position Gurdi's body was and just keep tapping her foot. He would place both hands on his hips an lean back on his right leg a little. Veronif would be force to mimic the movement. He would continue to speak. "You see, there are always secret examiners watching you when you go in for the exam. We watch for those with exceptionally large auras and wait for them to declare their specialty. When one of those with large auras such as yourself has had a small taste of the hunter world, they will be scouted out by examiners such as myself." As he reach about half way through speaking, Gurdi pushed both of his hands out and balled up his hand into fists, Veronif still being forced to mimic him. He would cross his hands and then spread his legs into a wide a stance while squatting with his legs bent at a 90 degree angle, the girl still under the mimicking spell. "We find you and initiate the final stage of the Hunter Exams when the time is right. I happened to be in town and you were on my list."
Gurdi lifted both of their left hands into the air and snapped. The two would vanish from their positions and suddenly appear on the roof of a nearby apartment building. Veronif would now be released for the mimicking spell and be permitted to move on her own. Gurdi would then continue to speak, "All those who make it through the exams and get the Hunter's License have the potential to reach extraordinary heights and gain more extraordinary power. I need you to acquire this power and join me when the time is right to explore new lands. If you agree to take the job, I will train you and then give you a list of tasks over time to prepare you for what is to eventually come to pass." Gurdi reached into a pocket inside his coat and pulled out one of those new cell phones. He lobbed it through the air over to the girl once she'd found her footing and hoped shed catch the phone. "That's a gift. It's got my number programmed in it and you'll reach me faster than a foxbear mama finds her lost cubs. I'll be calling you on it too so that I can give you jobs to do. But first thing's first, I'm going to have to hit you."
Forks Anonymous
Item Gained
Sungsam Solar System SSJ3 Phone [ J1,200,000 ] The perfect phone. It's durable, much more than the oPhones, and is known for excellent service. It can call anyone in the known world, provided you have their contact information. This phone will never crap out on you and will always provide the best service. It's no Lokia, though. It won't survive a nuclear fallout so well, nor will it survive a meteor landing on it, like the Lokia will.
The more they chatted, the more at ease Veronif felt around Gurdi. Despite his reassurance, the girl still felt somewhat on edge, though little by little she began to drop her guard. She didn’t exactly remember when it all started to happen, but Veronif realized shortly into their conversation that she was mimicking Gurdi’s actions. It was beyond her control at this point, but instead of saying anything all Veronif could do was stare dumbly at the Treasure Hunter. What was he doing to her? How was any of this possible? She found herself balling her hands into fists and taking a straddling stance with her legs spread. ”H-hey, what are you doing to me? Why can’t I move my own body?” It was all she could muster in her state of confusion. His comments had almost fallen on deaf ears, though Veronif still did manage to catch the most important parts – that he was part of the Hunter’s Association, that she was scouted by the examiners, that the Hunter Exam wasn’t actually over.
Before she could say much else, Gurdi seemed to snap them into a different location altogether. It felt as if the world around her was warping in and out of view, and before she knew it the both of them were now higher up. She could feel the fresh unobstructed breeze blow past, and the feeling of elevation in her inner ear was telling her they were on solid ground, but they were up higher now. She also noticed that she regained control over her body again. Bringing herself out of the uncomfortable straddle, Veronif shook it all off before analyzing the situation once again. ’Rooftop… I see Inkwell to the left, still empty as hell in the neighborhood… And him.’ Turning her attention back to Gurdi, Veronif listened intently as the Hunter spoke to her about the so called job and the training he was about to offer her. ’He’s strong… I don’t know what the hell he did or how the hell he did it… but I need to learn. I can’t fall behind.’
Catching the phone, Veronif examined it carefully in her hands as he proposed the unorthodox training regimen. When she heard that he needed to punch her, Veronif’s head popped up as she eyed the man down. ”Excuse me?” She asked, genuinely confused now. ”You need… to hit me?” She’d known men who liked to be rough, but never one that was so blunt and open about that kind of kink. Laughing it off, Veronif shrugged. ”You know what… ******** it. Hit me, as long as I get to hit you back after.” Spreading her arms out, Veronif braced herself for impact.
Gurdi McDoppelbottom [ Level ? Hunter | Treasure Hunter ] The instant she agreed, an impact came directly into her gut. Gurdi had warped and somehow performed a headbutt to her stomach. He'd fall face first onto the ground and roll off to the side making a weird sound. It was kinda like a "waka waka waka waka" sounds. Pretty familiar, kind of annoying. In Veronif's body, every pore would feel as if it just suddenly opened and she couldn't stop sweating. But instead of sweat, she was hemorrhaging her aura. From the ground off to the side, Gurdi said, "Learn to focus you aura now or you'll die. Concentrate and envision this as a shroud over your physical form. Learn to stop the aura from escaping and instead form this shroud."
Forks Anonymous
Training
Ten (点, Point) The user shrouds their body in aura. The aura forms a basic, shell-like shield over the whole body. This ability is useful in reducing damage from incoming Nen attacks. Using this ability reduces incoming damage from a Nen-based attack equal to 10% of your Aura Stat. This lasts until another ability from the Nen of the Flame list or the Advanced Nen list is used, or until dismissed by the user. Technique Type: Nen Point Cost: 10 Aura Requirements: The training for basic Ten consists of focusing one's aura and allowing it to envelop into a shroud around the body. To begin, the master that is conducting the training must release the aura nodes in the body. This is usually done through a direct strike using Nen. The master will ensure this strike does not kill the trainee. After taking the hit, the trainee must exert all of their effort shroud oneself will their aura. 200 words are required to be posted in training this technique.
Eccentric, and oddly familiar were some of the few words that came to mind when the unexpected impact came. For one, Veronif had been expecting a simple punch when Gurdi had indicated that he wanted to ‘hit’ her. Of all the potential moves she could have thought of, head butting was probably the last on that list. Doubled over, Veronif found herself gasping for air, but the stubborn woman refused to fall to her knees and instead grabbed at her stomach as she hacked and coughed. Something definitely felt different about that attack… it didn’t necessarily hurt… things just felt slightly uncomfortable. As Gurdi waka-waka’d to the side, Veronif slowly rose to stand, but immediately felt the crushing weight of some unknown force pushing her down that finally brought her to her knees. Writhing on the floor, the level of discomfort seemed to increase exponentially with every second, starting from a dull, almost wet sensation over her skin to the feeling like every cell in her body was being stretched and pulled while her body was set on fire.
Slamming her closed fists into the ground, Veronif let out a raspy battle cry as her Aura came pouring out of her body. Clenching her jaw tightly, Veronif was now eye-to-eye with the hunter as tears came streaming out of her eyes uncontrollably. What was this feeling? It was the biggest rush she’d ever felt… the discomfort was now twisting into a feeling of pure euphoria, giving her an odd high that words were unable to fully explain for her. ’Focus, Veronif... Get your s**t together.’ She could barely process Gurdi’s instruction, but through the sheer force of pure will Veronif fought to stand on her own two feet against the weight of the uncontrolled gravity of her aura.
’You’re not going to falter… not here, not now, not in front of him.’ Gritting her teeth, Veronif slowly pressed off from the ground, trying her best to focus through the pain and euphoria. She did as she was instructed, creating an image within her mind’s eye of her aura wrapping around her body like a wispy shroud of energy, but in reality it seemed as if the sheer volume of her aura was too much for her to handle immediately. Her attempt to force the beast that was her aura into submission seemed to come and go, giving an unstable wavering appearance to the thickened shroud that was slowly but surely being formed around her. ”Hhhhhrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!” With each failed attempt, Veronif was forced to kneel once again, with her head lowered as if she were greeting royalty. With each successive attempt, her vision slowly became more and more distorted. Everything around her gaining an almost golden yellow tint, and she could have almost sworn that she could see a pair of golden gates immediately in front of her, but whether or not this was just her imagination or not didn’t matter. She didn’t have time to sweat the small details. ’Come on…. Focus…. FOCUS!’
With one last push, one last breakthrough, one last audible groan, Veronif finally brought herself up to her feet. The golden veil was lifted from her vision, and the odd sensation had finally subsided, now being replaced by what she could only describe as the feeling of a thick blanket around her. She had managed to tame her aura. Drenched in sweat, Veronif fought to catch her breath before turning to look back at Gurdi. A newfound flame of motivation seemed to burn within Veronif’s eyes, and with a grin the girl threw her ballcap off and unzipped her jacket half way. ”Piece of cake… what’s next?” She said in between breaths as she wiped the sweat from her brow.
Gurdi McDoppelbottom [ Level ? Hunter | Treasure Hunter ] "Oho ho ho! You didn't die! Spleeeeeeeeeeeeeendid!" As he shouted his final word, he leaped up and twirled into the air, one leg straight down and the other at a 90 degree angle with it as was his torso. It was an odd gesture but it just meant he was impressed. "YOU ARE SIMPLY MA-MA-MA....MARVELOUS!!!!" Gurdi took a rather Jojo-esque pose with his left hand at his hip with his middle and ring fingers, and thumb all folded in, and his right arm up near his face with only his index finger folded out and it pointing straight up. "Now my dear, please turn of your flow of aura! It is an important skill that can allow you to remain undetected by other hunters and is key to survival in some dungeons. However you come up with the answer to shutting off the flow of your aura is up to you. My one tip is to remember what it felt like just before I unlocked your aura."
Forks Anonymous
Training
Zetsu (舌, Tongue) Stops the flow of Aura entirely in one's own body. This is useful in concealing one's self from other Nen users. Using this technique increases the user's own Stealth Stat by 50% of their maximum Aura Stat. This lasts until another ability from the Nen of the Flame list or the Advanced Nen list is used, or until dismissed by the user. Technique Type: Nen Point Cost: 0 Aura Requirements: The trainee must close all of the aura nodes that they just opened through Ten in order to stop the flow of aura. This training takes a total of 200 words to complete the training for this technique.
Turn her flow of aura off? So soon? Veronif had only just gotten the hang of controlling the flow of her Aura to begin with. The feeling of her aura covering her body was getting less and less heavy with each moment, shifting from that of a heavy blanket to a thin silk sheet despite it having the same thickness and consistency. Veronif was moving around more now as she was adjusting to her newfound power, taking basic stretches and feeling out her simple punches and kicks. it was almost upsetting when she realized what Gurdi was asking. But at the same time it also made sense to have to learn to turn it off. All things had to come to an end at some point, and he had a valid point in the need to conceal one’s presence in certain dungeons if she were to ever venture deeper into her Treasure Hunting career.
With a nod, Veronif closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. It dawned on her at that point that she and no clue where to begin with that – Gurdi offered very little assistance when it came to ideas on how to go about turning her Aura off. She would just have to try something and see where it took her. At first, Veronif let out a deep exhale. She released the tension in her muscles, hoping that a state of relaxation would perhaps be the key to turning the flow of aura off. By the time her breath ran out, the sensation of a cool blanket over her skin was still tangible, and with open eyes she noticed that her Ten was still going on.
’Well, that didn’t work…’ She thought with pursed lips. Her stubborn nature made it nigh impossible for her to ask Gurdi for any tips and pointers, so instead she was going to tackle it head on with everything in her arsenal. Veronif wracked her brain for any memories, ideas, indications of what other’s that she knew did to relax. Breathing was clearly not the best option, and neither was simply relaxing her body and mind… and then it dawned on her – it required her imagination to achieve Ten in the first place… perhaps it would require the same if she wanted to learn Zetsu. But what could she think about?
Veronif continued flipping through her memories, going back to as far as she could remember. The image of an old mahogany grandfather clock slowly crept up into the forefront of her thoughts. It was one that her grandparents had owned, with a swinging golden pendulum that clicked for every second. ’Yes… that will do. Focus, Veronif. Focus!’ She imagined her flow of aura like the swinging of the pendulum, and in her mind’s eye Veronif focused as hard as she could on the thought of making the swinging slow to a halt. Little by little, her cloak of Aura began to shrink as the pendulum’s path slowed with smaller and smaller swings. In her imagination, Veronif reached her hand through the glass case at the slowed pendulum, and as her fingers pressed against the golden plate that was the pendulum’s main weight, she could feel the flow of Aura coming to a complete standstill.
With her eyes opened again, Veronif turned back to look at Gurdi. She was still sweating, though less profusely than before now. ”There.” She said, smiling. Her heartrate had finally fallen back to its normal range, and her breathing was less heavy now. ”I think I got the hang of this…”
Gurdi McDoppelbottom [ Level ? Hunter | Treasure Hunter ] "Oho ho ho! Where did she go? I can't sense her anywhere! BUT SHE IS RIGHT HERE! HOW COULD I NOT SEE HER!? SHE IS A BRIGHT AND SHINING BRILLIANT STARRRRR" he finished with a lengthy rolling of the final R. Gurdi did his weird jumping twirl again and stopped with the same pose once more. "Next, you'll learn the final technique before we can unlock your power. Ren is a technique that enhances your abilities. Focus your aura into your hands to increase your strength. It works on your feet the same way. Focus aura to your legs for speed. Focus it into your diaphragm and back for greater control of your center of gravity. Do this and you'll have nearly mastered the basics necessary to awaken Hatsu."
Forks Anonymous
Training
Ren (錬, Temper) The user focuses Aura to be more condensed in certain parts of their body. Focusing it to the hands or feet increases the Strength stat by 10% of the Aura Stat. Focusing on both legs increased the Speed Stat by 10% of the Aura Stat (doesn't increase Evasion). Focusing on one's core and back increases the Evasion Stat by 10% of the Aura Stat. This lasts until another ability from the Nen of the Flame list or the Advanced Nen list is used, or until dismissed by the user. Switching the buff applied by this technique costs only 5 Aura. Technique Type: Nen Point Cost: 10 Aura Requirements: The trainee must make three post to learn Ren. The first post must be at least 150 words learning to increase the amount of aura in the hands and feet. The second post of 150 words must be learning to focus aura into both legs. The third post of 150 words is learning to focus aura in the core, around the diaphragm.
The next task seemed simple enough – just focusing her Aura into certain areas of her body. She decided to start first with focusing her aura into her hands. Veronif closed her eyes and began to imagine the flow of aura coming from her body yet again. At first there was no trace of aura that came from her body, but with a sharper focus as she tensed her body and grounded herself, Veronif’s aura came flooding out once again. Knees buckling under the bulk pressure of her raw uncontrolled aura escaping through every pore in her body, Veronif struggled to stay standing as she grimaced under the weight. In spite of the physical strain, her stubborn nature was unyielding. She was wholly unwilling to fall in front of her mentor a second time, her ego couldn’t take another hit. Bracing herself, Veronif gritted her teeth and clenched her hands into tight fists once again. ’… Focus… Concentrate on controlling it…’
Little by little, the weight was lifted as she imagined her aura first being contained within a small field around her. The familiar feeling of a cool blanket’s embrace dominated her senses. With controlled breaths, Veronif focused once again on the image of her aura, this time imagining the blanket of aura traveling from her extremities to coalesce at her fists. Like a cold and slow moving wave, when her aura was focally concentrated at her fists it was a new sensation entirely. To Veronif, it felt as if her hands had been fully submersed into a stream of rapidly flowing water. It also felt nearly ice cold to touch, but she knew that there was no real temperature change – it was all in her head. Vascular dilation, most likely. Or dilation of the energy channels that ran through her hands was an even more likely explanation. ”This… feels… AMAZING!” Veronif all but shouted as she jumped up and down, flailing her hands around. She wanted to punch something, to test out her strength, but she knew it probably wasn’t the smartest of ideas. She’d just have to find something to punch a little later. ”Okay, fists done. Next was what? Feet?”
This was the most excited Veronif had been since she could remember. She was curious as to what Gurdi had in store for her as their training progressed.
Focusing her aura into her legs was truthfully something that didn’t interest Veronif as much. She could see the useful applications of boosting her speed, especially when it came to her dungeon exploring, With her mind focused now on her legs, Veronif began to move the spiralling energy that encapsulated her fists. She pictured it streaming across her body, moving up her arms and down her torso. Relaxing the tension in her body as the cooling feeling slid across her skin, Veronif let out a deep sigh as she focused it to her legs now. Immediately she felt different – lighter. Gingerly, the girl took a few steps forward. ”This is… weird?” Still unsure of what she wanted to think about the new sensation, Veronif continued to move around, taking bigger steps now. At least this was something she could test out without having to worry about breaking anything. The girl began to jog in place, landing on the ball of her foot with each step as she assessed her newfound speed.
With a leap, the girl kicked off into a light jog. Running along the edge of the rooftop, the almost airy feeling of her legs didn’t go unnoticed. It would probably take some getting used to. Veronif made a mental note to keep training with this technique, just for safety measures in the future. ’This just increases my ability to move. If I needed to escape from a dungeon it’d be my go-to… but I think I liked the feeling of Ren on my fists much more than this.’ She thought as she circled back towards the center of the rooftop and slowed her jog to a walk. There was only one last task that she had been instructed to do with this new technique – to focus her aura into her core, which was supposedly going to give her more stability. She was so close to awakening her Hatsu, the anticipation was almost killing her.
When she pictured her aura circulating from her legs up to her core, Veronif could feel the cooling sensation of the flow of her energy rising up as it settled in her inner chest cavity. The moment it settled, she could feel a noticeable change in her core balance. Testing her limits, Veronif began to test her balance out, standing on one leg, tipping to extreme angles on either side. She tried successfully to balance on her hands, going so far as to balance on a single hand perfectly without wobbling. It still didn’t seem to feel as natural to her as when she focused her aura into her fists, but she was still picturing the applicability of this variant of Ren in her dungeon exploration. Places with tight ledges, balance beams, and anything in between would require immense core balance. This would be important for her if she wanted to get any further as a Treasure Hunter. Still balancing on her hands in a hand stand position, Veronif began moving forwards and backwards carefully with ease before pivoting on one hand and then moving sideways from left to right, crossing her arms as she moved. When she was finally satisfied with her trials, Veronif came out of her hand stand by arching her back until her feet touched the floor, and coming to a standing position. ”Okay, I think I’ve got the hang of Ren now… what’s next?”
