Live A Live Part #13 - Tried and true training methods.

Part 13: Tried and true training methods.

It’s kind of a dump, huh?

So this’s the place where I’ll be trained…

I-I’m… hungry already… Let’s eat before doing anything else, Master…

I’m sorry, but first things must come first.

Awwww!

That one screen transition between the dojo and main intersection must cut out a lot of hiking.

C’mon, let’s get started!

Firstly, I’ll need to re-evaluate each of your skills to see where you are and where you need to be.

Li… Okay, but don’t go easy on me. My joints aren’t that stiff yet!

As if I’d ever give you a break!

So before the formal training can begin, we have to gauge everyone’s base performance.

By which I mean brutally kick their asses, because they’re levels 1-5 and the Master is level 10.

Phew… who’s next?

Me, me!

After we’re done, we can start perparing (sic) a feast!

The Master certainly knows how to motivate his new pupils, at least.

Sammo starts at the highest level of the group, and his natural beefiness allows him to actually get a few turns.

But it also turns out that the Master is capable of using his various WuTang techniques as counterattacks, which makes things still go pretty quickly.

And this is the last of the Master’s techs, Monkey Fist. While Lion Fist knocked the opponent backward, this one moves the Master instead. It also scales with speed, which means the Kirin Shoes are helping boost this and Squirrel Kick.

Mm… mmph… mph…

Phew, good… Now, Yuan…

... H-here I come!

Give me your best shot! Try to kill me!

Yuan is only level 1, and both of his two basic techs are completely worthless.

Naturally, this doesn’t last long.

Uhr… rr…

(Music stops.)

Before you ask, no. Yuan doesn’t even fall down in an interesting way.

This could be… quite a lot of fun… heh…

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Ah, the sounds of the mountain at night.

... Heheh… I certainly wasn’t expecting this… It’s been such a long time since I was last so physically exhausted, but this doesn’t feel too bad…

*Thunk.*

Oh my, is he injured?

…

That’s our Sammo!

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This will be a lesson in endurance. The air up here is very thin. You may have some difficulty, but you will improve faster.

Alright, so this is why I put up that vote for our successor last update. Obviously the next WuTang Master will be the one who gets the most training, so I wanted to know who to focus on.

Li grabbed an early lead that kept her firmly ahead as new votes started to even out between the candidates. Some scenes will change because of this choice, but these differences will be covered in a later bonus update.

For our main route, we will be following in inthesto’s footsteps.

Since the Master cannot gain experience, these fights are actually all about giving it to the students.

Oh, and they also get a nice stat bonus for every fight. +20 Vitality total? Yes please!

(Phew… Three more…)

LaoHuZhiWu gained.

The other important part of training is that if you focus on using one of the Master’s techs, the pupil will learn it once they level up. And yes, that does mean that Li can now use the Old Fox Dance against the Master.

(I’m getting tired… Two more…)

Li also has some ranged attacks of her own, though she’ll be better off once she learns the Squirrel Kick.

(Nnh… Last one…)

...I did mention Li’s IQ growth takes a while to kick in, right? Because she sure isn’t getting much damage out of dancing until it does.

Oh, and using a move she’s learned from the Master tends to trigger him using it right back.

How was it? Tough, yes?

Hmph… I-It wasn’t… that… hard…

You jerk! I don’t… need any… help…

No, no, no! L-Li’s a girl…

Oooookay…? I guess she’s not used to being seen that way.

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Agility… I-I don’t like this one…

It sure is hard to move around out here.

Hah! This place is like home to me!

Shall we begin?

The four fights in the forest are worth 5 Speed each, though Li already gets decent performance out of Squirrel Kick without the +20.

I should point out that because the students begin at different levels, they will learn different amounts of the Master’s techniques during this special training period. Li will barely fall short of level 8, so you can only teach her four of them right now. Sammo can only learn three if focused on, and Yuan will learn six. (Fusha No Sha will be the odd one out, since the Master can’t perform it on demand.)

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...Couldn’t you have given them mats or something?

Hmm? Where’s Yuan?

...

(Heheheheheh…)

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(No music.)

From this moment forward, you will obtain power by fighting directly with me.

I suppose all that earlier ass-whooping was an abstraction of the real training.

Can we have more food after we train?

This time… I will not hold back against any of you!

Still working on that courage I see, Yuan.

(Now, who to start with…)

The dojo session gives the usual +20, this time to Power. It’s also where the students actually start becoming something of a threat to the fragile old Master, provided you aren’t keeping them continually stunned and/or crippled.

But the Master still prevails.

Okay, that’s enough for today…

(Music stops.)

Master!?

Worry not… You were just… stronger than I’d thought. Heheh, looks like I over-exerted myself…

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(No music.)

To fight properly is not merely to attack your opponent, after all… I believe you are all ready to handle the next step.

N-n-no! It wasn’t me this time, I swear!

...what? Oh, no, nothing like that!

Thugs?

It must be the Tiger King! Do they think that the Master doesn’t care about Yuan Hua?

You alone will not be able to stop them. Or rather…

one mustn’t fight fire with fire. Aggression only leads to more hatred. Your minds have not been trained yet. I am sorry…

Sir…

O… okay…

And with that, we are able to leave. Though the Master’s pupils do each have another line to say.

B-be careful!

Master, come back soon so we can have dinner together!

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Now it’s time to deal with some punks.

Bring the beer!

As we walk up the street, we can hear them having a good time.

Bring the food o’er here!!

Alright, that’s quite enough of that.

(Music stops.)

You can either leave here now, or you can get hurt. I’m sure you don’t want that, yes?

You think I’ve been horsin’ around since we last met?

Eat this!!

Hey, guess what? These guys have exactly the same stats as before.

So, one dance-off later…

This isn’t over!

Well, this feels familiar.

Yi Po Men Kung Fu…

Wahoooooo!

Setting that thought aside for a moment, the people all along this street have rewards to give us.

Including the Fukahire Bun, which is a full heal. It’s pretty nice.

Come this way…

...Classy, game. Real classy.

On the more serious side of things, there’s a whole assortment of good stuff on this street now.

We have all three of the chapter’s accessories, as well as the Tiger equipment (which adds Power and is considerably stronger than our old gear). The tome is worth +10 IQ, the Chow Chow (as in dog?) is +10 Vitality, and the Panda somehow provides +10 Speed.