The Martial Unity

It wasn’t as though Rui hadn’t thought about what kind of techniques he wanted to purchase; it was just that the choice grew harder every time he returned to the library.

When he first entered the library looking for the very first Martial Art techniques he wanted to learn, the choices were almost no-brainers. However, once he finished his fundamental needs, then it became a matter of optimization, which was much harder.

Still, he had a good idea of what he wanted. He needed some degree of boosting his foundational parameters such as offense, defense and maneuvering. After that, he needed to increase the variety of his higher-level solutions. He needed become an all-rounder even in his trump cards. Firstly, because that was part of his Martial Path. Secondly, there was no point in learning another technique that was very similar to Stinger, he would quickly run into the same problem. The existing solutions that people found for the Stinger and Blink would apply quickly to similar techniques.

However, if he had a significantly differing solutions, then he could avoid falling victim to existing solutions and tactics.

Another important goal of the upcoming training stage was fixing the VOID algorithm’s faults. The first being difficult of application, and the second being adapting it to the Martial Art of Gaia.

Frankly, Rui had already thought about potential solutions. It was possible that there were mental techniques that could aid in the process, and he intended to verify that. Mental techniques that could aid him in the processing that using the VOID algorithm required. This could potentially solve the difficulty problem of the VOID algorithm, or at the very least, alleviate it to some degree.

As for adapting it to the Martial Art that existed in Gaia, that was a bit complicated. However, diversifying his Martial Art techniques and solutions should alleviate this problem. The Martial Contest and even the preliminary contest had shown him the sheer variety of fields of Martial Art that existed in this world. He had seen poison, heat, sound, nerves, shockwaves, friction, alcohol etc. as the basis for Martial Art techniques.

Perhaps there were Martial Art that could be best countered by one of these fields. In that case, Rui would only be able to effectively adapt to counter that Martial Art by possessing techniques in that field. And assuming there was no such thing as a field that had no weaknesses, barring all-rounders, then there should theoretically be no Martial Art Rui would be unable to adapt to.

With all of these thoughts occupying his head, he walked into the library.

(‘First, the basics.’) He mused. (‘Let’s just begin by picking techniques that boost my basic combat parameters; offense, defense and maneuvering.’)

In truth, he had already had ideas for what he wanted to pick.

As much as he disliked Ian Nepomniachtchi’s personality and character, he had to admit he was extremely attracted to Ian’s Martial Art techniques; the breathing techniques.

He had a foundational breathing technique that improved his stamina; Helical Breathing, however Ian’s Martial Art was on a whole other level. The Fire, Lightning and Earth Breathing techniques he had used in the Martial Contest were incredibly strong.

However, they were more than just strong. They actually fit Rui’s needs to an incredibly high degree. The Fire, Lightning and Earth breathing techniques amplified power, speed and durability respectively. Ian had mastered all of them and could switch between any at any given point in time, furthermore he could even use multiple techniques simultaneously, albeit partially.

What this meant is that he could effective manipulate and customize his physical parameters to suit his needs. Manipulating his physical parameters to specifically adapt to his opponent, it was practically made for the Flowing Void Style.

With this, Rui could elevate his adaptive evolution to a level he hadn’t even imagined. Before he could only alter the techniques, strategy and tactics he used to suit his opponents, now he could alter the physical parameters his body had as well!

He grinned, excited at the prospect.

Who wouldn’t be?

He immediately headed over to the breathing technique sub-section within the supplementary section, and immediately began deep diving into the techniques.

He hadn’t ever dug this deep into the breathing technique section, and he was surprised at how many things breathing could accomplish, it was truly remarkable.

Eventually, he stumbled into what he was looking for.

[Fire Breathing]

To increase the output of power of attacks by increasing the amount of air supplied to cells during the launching of attacks rather than a constant unchanging supply of air.

[Lightning Breathing]

To increase speed of certain maneuvers by supplying a large amount of air to cells during acceleration to top speed, allowing for top speed to be achieved sooner.

[Earth Breathing]

To increase durability by countering impacts with increase muscle rigidity caused by an increase in air supplied to cells.

The scrolls mentioned air instead of oxygen because Rui suspected that they weren’t aware of the compound present in air that humans actually needed for survival. Still, the techniques worked equally well regardless.

The only problem was that each technique was a grade nine technique, much to Rui’s surprise. But it made sense the more he thought about it. These techniques allowed Ian to hugely amplify his physical parameters. To the point where they allowed him to give specialists like Fae, Kane and Arjun a run for their money in their own fields.

Grade-nine techniques were extremely difficult to master. Usually, only people who a strong affinity towards the field the techniques were present in were able to master them.

Maybe if Rui spent a truly long time on one of them, he might be able to, althought that was quite unlikely, but three? That was hopeless. He didn’t want to pick only one either, since that would shift the balance of his Martial Art significantly, he would no longer be an all-rounder.

Just as he tried to think of a solution, something caught his eyes…