chsdbacks Chapter 60 Inquiry
Chapter 60 Inquiry
When Iai returned to the somewhat deserted Atomic Flow Dojo, it was already getting dark.
Only a few disciples remained in the dojo. They were overjoyed to see Iai return safely and surrounded him.
"Senior Brother! You're back!"
"Great! We heard that a Demon-level monster has appeared in G City. The three of you will fight together!"
"Senior Brother Qiu Wu and Senior Brother Drill..."
Iai calmed down his agitated junior brothers and sisters, telling them that Qiu Wu Da Dao and Samurai Drill were not in any danger and were receiving treatment in the hospital.
He ate a little something and then returned to his room, saying he needed to rest and recover.
After locking the door, Iai sat cross-legged on the tatami mat. Instead of going to sleep immediately, she began to sort out everything that had happened that day.
The completion of the soul, the fusion of powers, the slaying of Demon-level monsters...
It all felt like a dream, yet incredibly real.
He spread his hands, a thought stirring in his mind.
A rapidly spinning blue chakra ball appeared in the palm of his left hand—it was the Rasengan.
With his right hand fingers together like a knife, the fingertips were instantly covered with a deep black, radiating a cold, hard metallic luster.
At the same time, he concentrated his mind, and his Observation Haki spread out silently like mercury. Everything within a radius of tens of meters inside and outside the dojo—the crawling of insects, the falling of leaves, and even the suppressed breathing and heartbeats of the disciples in the distance—was clearly reflected in his "mind".
Deep within his body, the untamed and majestic Conqueror's Haki, like a sleeping lion, is quiet yet contains unimaginable power.
"Chakra, Haki, the Lunaria physique, and the swordsmanship and body-building techniques of this world itself..."
Iai's eyes gleamed with excitement. "By integrating these power systems and leveraging their strengths while compensating for their weaknesses, my future is limitless!"
The primary task at present is to thoroughly familiarize ourselves with and master the newly acquired power, and to deal with the inevitable inquiries and attention from the Hero Association.
His displayed improvement in strength is too astonishing and requires a reasonable explanation.
"Perhaps it can be attributed to 'breakthrough before battle' and 'hidden talent'?"
Iai thought.
After all, it's not particularly unusual in a world teeming with heroes and monsters to unleash potential far beyond the ordinary in the face of life and death.
As for the outward manifestation of Conqueror's Haki, it can be explained as the ability to materialize a special kind of "killing intent" or "fighting spirit."
Having made up his mind, Iai began to try refining chakra and training in Haki.
Although the rules of the world are different, the basic principles of energy cultivation have commonalities.
With the extraordinary comprehension boosted by the soul restoration, he quickly found his footing in cultivating chakra and domineering aura in this world.
Time slips away quietly during cultivation.
The next morning, Iai was awakened by a series of urgent doorbell rings.
He calmed his breathing, stepped out of the room, and saw a disciple leading a capable young woman in a Hero Association uniform into the dojo.
"Hello, Mr. Iaian. I am Linda from the Special Investigations Division of the Hero Association Headquarters."
The woman presented her identification, her expression a mix of seriousness and curiosity. "Regarding yesterday's ghost-level disaster in G City, the association has a few questions we need to verify with you. Is this a convenient time for you?"
Iai remained calm, understanding the situation perfectly. He nodded and led Linda to the reception room.
"Convenient, Ms. Linda, please."
Inside the reception room, the aroma of tea wafted through the air, yet the atmosphere was serious and businesslike.
Linda turned on the voice recorder and notebook, her sharp gaze fixed on Iai sitting opposite her.
The calm, unwavering eyes of the young man before me seemed to hold a composure and strength beyond his years.
She found it hard to completely reconcile the figure who had instantly killed a demon-level monster in the ruins yesterday, whose body was wrapped in dangerous red arcs of electricity, with the seemingly ordinary young man in front of her.
"Mr. Iaian, first of all, thank you again for your contributions to G City."
Linda began with a formulaic opening, then quickly got to the point: "Based on the on-site report and video footage, you demonstrated strength far exceeding previous assessments in the final stages of the battle, especially your attacks with red lightning effects and your ability to instantly recover combat capabilities. The Association wishes to understand the specifics, as this will help us more accurately assess your threat level and future mission assignments."
Iai had already prepared his explanation. He picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and began calmly, "Ms. Linda, to be honest, I was a little surprised myself. The situation was extremely critical. Qiu Wu and Drill were seriously injured and lying on the ground, and the monster's attack was about to destroy more blocks. Under that extreme pressure and at the critical moment of life and death, I felt as if something inside my body 'broke open'."
He paused, seemingly recalling something, a perfectly timed hint of confusion and lingering fear flashing in his eyes: "A power I'd never felt before surged up, carrying a destructive impulse. Things slowed down, and my body moved on its own. I wasn't quite sure what that red lightning was; perhaps it was a materialized form of a special 'killing intent' or 'battle aura' accumulated over a long period of training and unleashed only in dire circumstances? My master, Atomic Samurai, also mentioned that the aura of top swordsmen can influence reality; perhaps I inadvertently touched that threshold."
His statement was half true and half false.
Breakthrough in the face of battle is a common explanation, and "materializing momentum" is not entirely incomprehensible in this world full of strange people. In fact, some superpowered people or strange people have similar characteristics.
He attributed the effect of Conqueror's Haki to this, which both explained the phenomenon and avoided introducing the otherworldly concept of "Haki".
Linda took careful notes, occasionally looking up to observe Iai's expression.
The boy's narrative was logically clear, his emotions flowed naturally, and there were no obvious flaws. She pressed further, "About your rapid recovery from your injuries?"
"This may be related to my constitution."
Iai frankly stated, "I've always had better recovery abilities than the average person since childhood, coupled with long-term high-intensity physical training. In that 'breakthrough' state, my body's potential was unleashed, so it's reasonable that my recovery speed was accelerated. Of course, I was also extremely exhausted after the battle and needed to rest all night to recover."
He cleverly attributed the optimization brought about by the shared physical constitution of the Lunarians to personal talent and training results.
Linda nodded; these explanations sounded reasonable.
The Hero Association's records do indeed contain many cases of people awakening new abilities or experiencing a surge in strength at the brink of death.
She closed the notebook, her tone softening slightly: "Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Iaian. We will record your explanation. In light of your achievements and demonstrated strength, the association will reassess your hero ranking, which is expected to improve significantly. There may be further detailed physical examinations or ability tests, and we hope you will cooperate."
"I understand, and I will cooperate with the association's work at any time."
Iai nodded in agreement.
After seeing Linda off, Iai stood in the courtyard of the dojo and breathed a slight sigh of relief.
This hurdle has been overcome. Although the association has its bureaucratic aspects, it usually doesn't delve too deeply into things as long as the reasons are plausible and no obvious threats or signs of loss of control are found.
After all, a powerful hero is a valuable asset to the association.