The Martial Unity

Tempestuous Feel checked all the boxes he was looking for in an aerial sensory technique that could allow Rui to sense his targets better while also allowing him to sense the atmospheric conditions that could influence the trajectory of the sound bullet. When the technique was paired together with Seismic Mapping, it could allow Rui to sense his opponent with even greater detail and precision.

With this technique, Rui will have obtained two of the three techniques he set out to obtain. This was already a pleasant development, for him to have found what he was looking for this quickly.

Both of the techniques he had chosen to master so far were part of the Sniper Project, which was in line with Rui’s suspicions that the Sniper Project was the most likely to succeed out of the three projects. It couldn’t be helped, it was just far more viable than the other two projects, one of which he hadn’t yet even conceptually fleshed out, and the other; he didn’t even know if they were conceptually possible.

(‘Alright, time to get the final technique I’m looking for.’) Rui noted as he headed toward the defensive-technique section.

He was looking for techniques that could potentially be modified to allow him to elastically convert the kinetic energy of incoming attacks into his own kinetic energy, and then dispel that kinetic energy rapidly before it sent him flying away.

Of course, he had considered more ambitious plans as to what to do with the kinetic energy once his body was obtained, but they were astronomically more different. He could potentially consider them if Project Bounce ended up succeeding.

He went through the many techniques in the defensive section. There were many kinds of active and passive defensive techniques across the section. Many of them catered to a broad type of Martial body, mostly the ones that were defensive in nature. If Rui chose to master them, he would not be able to utilize the technique to their full potential. He automatically disqualified those techniques in his mind. If they were specifically created with the pre-condition of having a specific kind of Martial body, then there was no point in even thinking about purchasing these techniques.

He paused as he came across an old familiar technique.

[Elastic Shift]

This technique mitigated an impact by extending the distance and time over which the impact occurred by shifting along with the attack. It was the same principle that baseball players used when they moved their hands along with the ball when catching it.

He had already considered the technique, but he didn’t think it was particularly viable. This technique fundamentally differed from what he needed even though it also employed elasticity.

(‘Shame.’) Rui shook his head as he continued scanning through all of the remaining techniques.

At the end of an hour, he found that his worst fears had come true.

(‘There aren’t any pre-existing techniques that are close enough to what I want.’) Rui sighed. The ones that did cater to a different Martial body. There unfortunately were generalized techniques that he could use as the basis for the technique he truly needed.

This meant that he would need to create his own technique from scratch, drastically increasing the difficulty of Project Bounce.

Still, he intended to give it his all. Besides, if he succeeded then that would be a signal that even developing the core technique purely from scratch for any given project was not too implausible. He didn’t want to be restricted to only having to rely on the Martial Union’s technique

Shortly after, he received a message on his accounter.

[Squire Quarrier, your requested testing procedures are ready. Please arrive at the allocated locations listed down below as soon as possible.]

(‘Alright, let’s hope these tests give me better news.’) Rui sighed.

Having already finished his agendas in the Squire-level library. He immediately headed over to the designated procedure rooms.

He already had an idea of what to expect thanks to have already familiarized himself with the scientific literature surrounding the topic. The way compatibility with poison was measured was by administering non-lethal dosages of various poisons into the Martial Artist’s body, and observing the symptoms that the Martial Apprentices experience. Based on the symptoms and the general effect of the poison on the Martial Artist’s body, the degree of compatibility of the Martial Artist with said poison could be gauged.

This system was developed after observing the effect of poisons across people of all degrees of compatibility with poison. They gathered the necessary data to know exactly how people of various degrees of compatibility reacted to said poison, such that they could easily identify the degree of compatibility of a Martial Artist with said poison, based on the symptoms he showed.

“Excuse me?” Rui peered into the room he had been told to go to. “I’m Squire Quarrier. I was informed that this was where my poison compatibility tests would occur.”

“Ah yes.” A doctor greeted him. “Welcome, Squire Quarrier. Please provide your license for verification.”

Rui obliged as he inspected the procedure room. It was spacious with all kinds of instruments in the room. Within the room was another more isolated chamber with an operation table with restraints and cuffs at its side.

Of course, Rui understood that that was where he would be undergoing the test in. Since he would be subjected to the poison which could cause him to lash out, he needed to be restrained by what were probably Squire-grade esoteric alloys.

This was understandable. As a Martial Squire, even the shockwaves and wind gusts generated by his power could kill humans. It was simply too dangerous for these medical professionals to be in the same room as him when he was going to be subjected to poison.

“All done, we’re good to go.” The doctor smiled as he returned Rui’s Martial license back to him. “Please take off upper garments.”

Rui sighed with relief inwardly. At least it was only his upper garments, unlike his last procedure with the Martial Union.