>>6342013There's no reason to beat around the bush. These people have been nothing but welcoming so far, and they might just be willing to give you a hand. You ask Dzokko how did he become so strong.
His eyes wander as he chuckles weirdly. "Strong? C'mon kid, I barely made A-Rank..."
As a D-Rank bounty hunter yourself, A-Rank feels a world away. A-Ranks hunt down necromancers and named demons. A-Ranks are equivalent to martial-arts masters. A-Ranks are one or two promotions away from getting collectible trading cards with their name on them. Your father never made A-Rank... except posthumously. You let Dzokko know that false modesty won't deter you.
"Aw, man..." He's squirming in his seat now. "Well... first of all, you're goin' about this ass-backwards. Ya' need to get a handle for where ya' are and what's available to ya'." You're not sure what he means.
"For example," he points to the gym, "that's not just some neighborhood squat rack for meatheads 'n pensioners," he says, "there's a lotta' specialized equipment you could use in there. Yeah, even someone like you," he offers, "And over <span class="mu-i">there</span>," he points to the corner shop, "that's not just some neighborhood deli with the sleepin' fat cat, it's an armory and drugstore and what-have-you," he stops for a bite, "plus there's a bulletin board inside." Oh. Okay.
He is explaining this with the rehearsed mannerisms of a schoolteacher, as if he'd been forced to explain it many times before; perhaps to his loose-cannon Guildmates. You make a mental note to get to know the features of Saturn Apartments better. It's true that you should explore your environment and get to know your neighbors, besides. Everyone here is a bounty hunter, so even the most innocuous-looking services will be especially tailored to them.
"As for gettin' stronger..." Dzokko continues, scratching his chin. "There's a lotta' different ways to go about that... ki or magic, I guess, are the most popular... some folks are all about cuttin'-edge technology, or monster-tamin'... and there's the legally-grey stuff... Me, I've always been a ki guy. Served me well. If ya want, I can teach you the basics sometime. Kids like you are pretty quick to get a grasp of it, normally."
You are effusively thankful to Dzokko for this, but it seems like no big deal to him. You toast on it and exchange phone numbers, making use of your shiny new flip phone.
>You can now call or text Dzokko.Dzokko downs his Kelpie and you follow. It's a private celebration for a new chapter in your training.
<span class="mu-s">Drink Counter</span>: 2
Ki... Of course you were aware of it, even back home. It was like a mysterious Eastern art of self-improvement. But the idea that one could use ki to perform superhuman feats was like something out of an old movie. Here, it practically feels like a prerequisite. Normally it's a discipline taught in exclusive dojos and monasteries over years, or under the tutelage of a strict grandmaster. You wonder how Dzokko learned it.