Chapter 15: Techniques (Part-2)

After a while, BetaDB said, "Student, I will directly provide you with the technique instead of recommending something. I would really request you to take this." BetaDB replied to Zen with conviction instead of its usual mechanical voice. 

Zen was bewildered. He knew for sure that the AI system were not supposed to do what it was doing right now.

"Why should I trust you? Shouldn't you just guide me instead of directly giving me the technique?" 

"Yes you are right. But I think this is the only technique that suits you. Take it or leave with only two techniques. This is only technique that fits your pathetic aptitude anyways!"

"What the f..."

"Don't cuss in front of me or else I will throw you out!" 

'FUCKKK! I can't choose my own technique and I can't even curse? This is tyranny! I won't comply with it! I am an Ashford!' 

"Yes Ms BetaDB. It is an honor to learn the technique that an AI like you recommended. Please bestow the technique upon me!" Zen was an Ashford, not stupid.

"Good choice!"

'Choice? What choice? Where is the choice? DO YOU KNOW THE MEANING OF CHOICE?' Zen wanted to shout at the top of his lungs.

Suddenly a technique came in front of Zen. It was named 'Thunder God Combat'. It was a mere human ranked technique.

"Shit! A human ranked technique? Are you kidding me?" Zen was really angry right now. Although he was not a mutant, he had confidence in his potential and intellligence.

"Do you want it or not?" BetaDB asked and Zen really didn't know what to say.

Sigh. Zen sighed and steeled his resolve. So what? Since there is no choice, he will not delve further in it. He will rather learn it as fast as possible and be done with it. Then he will master the two sky ranked techniques that he found.

"How much time is left? " Zen asked without looking at the sphere.

"You still have 1 hour and 17 minutes left."

'Good. I will use that time to look into this human ranked technique so I won't have to waste time in it outside.' He opened the Thunder God Combat and started reading it. BetaDB didn't say a word and just observed Zen.

Around an hour passed but Zen didn't move from the spot. He was completely immersed in reading and forming the technique inside his mind.

'Was I wrong? Is he not the one we were for?' BetaDB thought. She thought with dissapointment.

Suddenly, Zen stood up and closed his eyes as if he was recalling something. 

'Don't tell me! No that's impossible.' 

But BetaDB didn't get the chance to ponder more as Zen suddenly took the stance and started performing the technique.

He first kicked while jumping. Although he was in the air, he still was able to exert force from his hands to change the direction and perform another kick. This was one of the main essence of Thunder God Combat. Using force to change postures arbitrarily.

What the fuck just happened? Did this pervert really learned a technique in 1 hour? What the hell?

Of course, this was only the starting and the learning complete technique will take months if not years. But learning the essence was very difficult. Especially for Thunder God Combat!

"Can you put a mannequin for practice?" But apparently there was no reply.

"Excuse me! I need a practice mannequin!" Zen was impatient right now.

"...What? Yes yes certainly" BetaDB replied halfheartedly and some mannequins appeared in front of Zen. Zen didn't have time to focus on BetaDB as the time was running out. 

"Thanks" He replied and started kicking the mannequins. At first his form was not stable and multiple times while shifting the posture, he missed the timing to kick properly.

But he started improving. A minute later, his form was stable and Zen was able to maintain his balance. A few more minutes passed and now Zen was failing less times than before. His kicks started landing where he wanted. Although it was far from perfection as the kicks didn't have required power since he was focusing more on balance and he still missed the aim multiple times, but it was an undeniable fact that he was improving at a ridiculous rate.

|RINGGGGG| A sound was heard indicating that the time was over. Zen stopped and rested for a minute.

All this while, BetaDB didn't know what to say. She was unsure before and thought that she made a mistake and wasted Zen's opportunity to pick a suitable technique. But now her mind broke because of Zen's progress. Anyway, she couldn't show it to Zen as she was still not sure that Zen was the person 'they' were looking for.

Although she thought this and wanted to convince herself of this reason, she just wanted to maintain her seniority in front of Zen.

"Hmph! You were only able to learn this much of a mere human ranked technique after 1 hour? As I thought, your aptitude is really pathetic, hmph hmph!"

"...Wow! You went from a tyrannical AI system to a little tsundere real fast."

"Shut up and fuck off from here!" BetaDB shouted and then kicked Zen out of the database." 

Zen opened his eyes and found himself in a capsule. He got out of it and looked around and found that everyone was getting out of the capsule and there were numerous robots assisting the students. He understood that it was these robots who put them in the capsules in the first place.

He looked around and immedately found Tanya and Anna.

"Guys! I am here." He called them out and saw that James is also coming to them.

"So? How was it?" James was a bit despondent. "I only got one sky technique and two earth technique. My AI didn't help me one bit and I had to look into everything."

Zen's eyes twitched after hearing this. Was only his AI system weird?

"Same me and Tanya also got one sky ranked and two earth ranked. What about you Bro? Did you get techniques of your choice?" 

"Ahh yes, I got two sky and..."

"And what?" All there were looking at him like he was some clown on stage.

"And one human ranked."

"What? Zen got a human technique. Hahahah, now I fine with my choices, hahaha!!" James was really happy with the outcome. Zen could also see Tanya struggling to keep her laugh in check. 

"Yeah Yeah!" Zen know something like this will happen. His mind was very interested in his AI system and why it acted differently. He was sure that recommending him techniques and then directly giving one to him was not something trivial and there was a reason behind it.

"Alright, since everyone his here assemble here." 

Zen's train of thought was interrupted by David and so he absentmindedly went to the assembly area.

"Since you got your techniques, now you have to practice them without any laziness. Practice them whenever you get time. You can come to gym anytime you want and practice them. There are a lot of training rooms available where you can train as much as you want in various conditions. But as you know, everything requires points. If you have points, then you can do whatever you want. Now leave and have your lunch. I will see you next week on the same time."

Like this, Zen and co's first day of lectures came to an end. Zen was really looking forward to his life here as he knew that after today there will be plenty interesting things for him to enjoy.