3 One Week Later, A Childhood Friend Appears and Upgrading Talents

It'd been a week since I was released from the hospital. Right now, I was running around the neighborhood. If you wanted to fight...you need cardio. A lot of it. So here I was, running.

Did I mention that I'm running with weights strapped to my ankles and wrists? That I'm carrying a backpack full of deadweight? Well, I am.

In this life, I didn't get to see the more brutal and harsh training from the Imagawa Clan...but I still had memories of that place and the training I had to do before I could leave when I was 18 from my original life.

With the [Berserker Body] talent and my own experience, I could block out the pain of pushing my muscles this far this quickly and just hope my high Vitality and the [Imagawa Body] mixed with both my [Talented Body] skills could heal and strengthen my body after I put it under such an intense workout.

But then again, the only reason I was doing this was because my body adapted too quickly to regular exercise. Calling up my status, I looked at it for a second while I was running.

Stats:

Strength: F --> E-

Agility: F --> F+

Vitality: D-

Stamina: F --> E-

Energy: F

A week of training had done this. I'd gone up a minor level or two in everything but Vitality and Energy. This was because with the [Imagawa Body] talent, my training was five times more effective and put with [Talented Body: Strength] and [Talented Body: Stamina] it doubled the training speed for those two stats. Meaning a week of training was turned into five weeks for my Agility and 10 weeks for my Strength and Stamina.

This is what talent can do. It doesn't change you too much at the start but once you start to put hard work in...you'll shoot ahead.

And that's what I was doing. Getting a system and unlocking these talents was good and all but it didn't mean I could slack off. Quite the opposite, in fact, as if I slacked off, I'd be wasting these precious chances I'd been given. I'd experienced what it was like to be useless and without any meaningful skills...so I was gonna make sure I never had to feel like that again.

Closing my stats screen, I entered a sort of trance as I kept running, ignoring my exhaustion as I started an internal conversation with Pats, 'Yo, Pats, you mind giving me a run down on how I rank up skills again? I need something to think about while I do all this running.'

[Of course!] came the reply, followed by the answer soon after, [You rank up skills by using points. You can either use these points to rank up existing skills or to use the Talent Shop to gain new talents. You gain these points via fighting and beating opponents and through successful training sessions where you succeed in improving yourself! The stronger the opponent, the more points you get. The more training and the harsher it is, the more points you get!]

'Right,' I gave an answer, thinking about the things I'd been doing this last week. I hadn't just been training, after all.

Fighting gave me points as well. So, this past week, by working myself to the bone and fighting what delinquents I could take, and through that I'd gained:

[Talent Points: 2899]

A decent amount, according to Pats. Anyway, I was coming to my destination now, so I began to slow my running down to a slow jog, stretching my arms and back to relax the muscles there. Stretching is vital to exercise - both before and after! It reduces the chance of cramp and also improves results and recovery somewhat.

Coming to a stop, I began stretching my legs with lunges and whatnot, holding each stretch for about 8-9 seconds before moving onto the next one. Once I was satisfied with it, I opened the gate to my house and walked toward the front door.

I'd saved up my points for a whole week, so it'd be best to spend them now, right?

Because of my injury (being hit by a truck, remember) I was pretty much given a pass from school. I'd been in a coma since my last week of Middle School ended and I woke up a month and a half later. Which meant I had another two months until High School started. Two months to train and prepare.

Prepare for what? Remember? Strong People? Plus, over the last week I'd had a chance to look through my memories and the implications were...a little dire, honestly.

For starters, I knew 'History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi' was a part of this world. Kenichi was a childhood friend of mine and he spoke about Ryuto Asamiya when we were younger. I was also pretty sure I'd heard some of the delinquents I'd beaten speaking about some High School delinquent group called Ragnarok. Which is why I'm preparing so much.

Not because I'm scared either. No, no, no--Do you know how many people are in Ragnarok? How many points that could give me? Plus there's the fact that I should be around their level after two months of training...so it should be a pretty fun fight, no?

Feeling a rise of excitement inside of me, fanning the flame inside of my chest to grow bigger and bolder, I felt a smile come across my face which I quickly got under control as I entered the house.

Didn't want my sister to think I was going mental, you know...?

Anyway, as soon as I entered, I took off the backpack before putting it down next to the door and kicking my shoes off to sit right next to it, "I'm home!" I gave a shout before noticing a second pair of shoes in the hallway other than my sister's.

...Mom and dad are overseas working, so who the hell--Ah.

I practically stopped my thinking when I saw a orange-haired short girl appear at the end of the hall way, her brown eyes already tearing up as she saw me.

...Well--

Before I could think any further I was wrapped up in a hug that was incredibly similar to the one Naomi gave to me when she saw that I was awake. This was another childhood friend of mine and one who's existence was much scarier than anything else in my memories--

"Seth-kun!" the ginger girl said and I was somewhat...stunned for words. I honestly hadn't thought I'd see her for a little longer and I still hadn't mentally prepared myself for the whole debacle. I mean, for the most part it was because I was worried about the series she's from being but also because of this body's reaction to her. A childhood friend who the other Seth had a crush on - why did I have to deal with such teenager hormones?

Alas, I was capable of control and despite the hormones and brain chemistry effecting me, I could ignore it for now. That still left me with worry about dying because of the powerhouses from the series she originates from.

Clearing my throat, I gave a few supportive pats to the girl before trying to calm her, "Hey, Orihime-chan...Fancy seeing you here," I tried my best not to be awkward but the aforementioned reasons were keeping my brain pretty preoccupied.

The only solace I could find was that we weren't in Karakura Town. Ichigo Kurosaki and the other characters also weren't in my memories and I'd have no doubt seen them if they existed alongside Orihime. Oh--Yeah, this is my childhood friend, Orihime Inoue from the series 'Bleach'. A pretty scary series to possibly have happen if you're to be a part of it. Which I don't think I will...but you can never be too sure. I really hope I don't have to though. I like a good fight, sure, but that series is just filled with monsters who I'd rather not meet.

Just thinking that I possibly exist in the same sphere of existence as Aizen...Jeez, that's really not a nice thought.

But, again, I'm, like, 99% sure I don't exist in such a world. Karakura Town doesn't exist - I've checked - I can't find any such people like the ones from the original series either...so I'd say I'm safe.

(*A/N - Before anyone complains: No, Bleach will not be added to this story. Only Orihime is here. 'Bleach' is too much of a clusterfuck and while I will eventually add anime/manga with stronger people when the MC eventually outgrows the power levels for 'History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi' I'm gonna stay away from things like 'Bleach' and other such big works because they're exactly that - Too big, and their universes wouldn't mesh well with others.)

Despite hearing what I said, Orihime continued to hug me and didn't react to my lighthearted comment. Instead she just hugged me tighter.

Sighing, I did something this body would've never done before I got in control - I picked Orihime up in a princess carry. Why? I didn't want to just stand around in the hallway/entrance to my house. I was also hungry as hell. So, if she won't let go and is instead intent on hugging me, she'll have to deal with me picking her up and carrying her.

Mentally shrugging, I heard Orihime yelp but she seemed intent to continue hugging me despite the development. I just shook my head - I know I was in a coma, but can't people around me just react a little cooler? Like 'Look who's finally awake' kind of comments. All this hugging...I'm really not used to it.

Walking down the hallway, I saw Naomi looking toward us with a somewhat jealous-looking pout before she 'hmph'd and turned around, walking back into the living room.

Smiling wryly, I followed her into the front room and put Orihime down on the sofa. By this point she'd come back to her senses and let go of me when I put her down on the sofa. She instead went red like a tomato, so I spoke up first, "I'm gonna go get something to eat and have a shower...once I've done that we can have a talk, okay?" I asked and got a somewhat shy and robotic nod from the redhead.

Absentmindedly, I gave her a pat to the head before turning around and walking through the arch on one end of the living room and into the kitchen. Having known I'd be hungry, I'd prepared food beforehand. Good nutrition is the second most important part to building a strong body. In some cases it can even be the most important part.

Grabbing the salad, the one I'd prepared before heading out, from the fridge, I quickly began to scoff it down.

The salad was full of all sorts of veggies I needed alongside chicken and some other meats that were packed with protein and essential things. Despite the massive portion I'd made for myself, I finished it with a few minutes and finished it off with a protein shake. I'd have to eat even more later tonight after my practicing of the Imagawa Martial Arts.

Speaking of those martial arts...they were basically a rip-off of the Niko Style that Tokita Ohma used in Kengan Ashura. There were the four katas. Adamantine Kata, Flame Kata, Redirection Kata and Water Kata.

From Pats, I'd gained basic proficiency and knowledge of the style to practice it further and a decent level of talent in the Style.

Which led me to believe that the Imagawa Clan in this reality...was probably waaaay stronger than the one back in my original life. With the monsters from 'History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi' alone they'd probably be a clan of martial art fanatical monsters already but with all the other possible anime that could be a part of this world...Man, guess I'll probably run into them on my quest to be strong, huh?

Smirking, I gave a quiet laugh to myself - Who cares? If I run into them, I just have to beat 'em, right? So, for that eventuality, I just need to train enough now so that I'm strong enough in the future.

And I have a plan to make that happen.

But for right now, I need a shower--And then I can upgrade my existing skills and talent!