The Martial Unity

“…Is that why the Esocline Federation is as developed as it is?” Rui slowly realized. “It’s not just because it was led by an immortal sage; it was also due to the absence of Martial Artists.”

She nodded. “The Esoterist was able to attract tremendous FDI, foreign development investment, because he was creating a state without Martial Artists. Investors around the world thus saw that the risk of their investments being destroyed was extremely low since there would be no Martial Artists at all. With extraordinary funds and capital at his disposal, he began creating the greatest haven of science and technology, drawing talent from across all of Panama. It took some time and some favors from the other immortal sages, including myself, but he created a civilization where any human with talent may self-actualize and become the best versions of themselves.”

She directed a pointed gaze at Rui. “In comparison, your father had to struggle to attract even one-tenth of that kind of capital and investment into infrastructure and development. Since the Kandrian Empire has, what, forty-something Martial Sages and close to a thousand Martial Masters? I would be shit-scared to invest in major development projects because of their presence. All it would take is a sneeze from them, and it would destroy everything I may have ever built.”

“And yet the Kandrian Empire developed significantly. We have motorized carriages, robust public infrastructure, and technological goods and services.”

“That was because your father had a generous recompensation policy, which gave investors and financial markets great confidence,” she replied with a pointed tone. “And he managed to develop a great rapport with each of the Martial Sages and Martial Masters, and used that to ensure that they wouldn’t cross too many lines. It’s not something that anybody else can replicate. But you…”

The edges of her tone grew deeply solemn. “You do have the power to do something even greater.”

Her auburn eyes grew hopeful as they bore deep into the ethereal depths of his pitch-black irises.

“You have the power to tame the Martial World itself.”

Her voice grew into one of yearning.

“You have the power to impose the weight of law and order upon them.”

She reached out a hand, as if beckoning him to her vision.

“You have the power to bring true prosperity to the Panama Continent.”

Rui gazed at her with eyes that seemed to pierce right through, as if he could see right through her. It was a gaze that made her feel transparent before the knowing depths of his eyes.

His mind sense peered into the depths of her emotions and thoughts while his SOUL System uncovered the deepest burrows of her subconscious mind and the very inception of her intent.

All he sensed was sincerity.

A deep, passionate sincerity in her words and an ocean of knowledge born from a century of studying the life and death of civilizations.

“To tame Martial Art, is it?”

She nodded softly, never once taking her eyes off his. “If you are able to do just that, that alone would be more than enough. But it would mean that you would have to remain the strongest of them all forever. It means that your power would have to continue growing faster than that of the entirety of the Martial World. You will need to grow stronger every day. The number of Martial Sages, Masters, and other ranks is only growing, and the rate at which they are growing is also growing.”

She bore deeply into his eyes with a powerful gaze.

“Can you keep up with all of that?”

It was a simple question.

And yet, it bore on him with the weight of the sky.

Rui closed his eyes as the sum totality of his mind converged upon the one question.

The Martial World grew stronger.

This was always true at all times.

The number of Martial Artists constantly increased at a high rate, not just because of his own mass-triggered breakthroughs, but also because of the heightened pressure for survival that increased Martial drives and increased the rate of growth. Martial Artists of all ranks had begun popping around like mushrooms.

And now, with the recent breakthrough from the Psycher with his Enlightenment of Self AI, the number of Martial Sages would also explode exponentially. Hundreds, and eventually thousands of Martial Sages would become a part of the Panama Continent.

And then there was the manifold, which accelerated the rate of growth by a factor of fourteen.

Improving technology from the true world and accelerating esoteric technology from the Esocline Federation meant that training resources were also growing astronomically.

All of these factors combined meant that the Martial World was growing at an exponential rate.

This wasn’t even including the rising dominance and the already ubiquitous presence of MECHAs and the eventual spread of hemosapien power across human civilization.

It should have been absolutely impossible for one man to tame the Martial World.

It should have been impossible for anybody to truly impose law and order on this unfurled and unshackled beast that grew with a ferocious speed.

It should have been impossible for anybody to dominate an entire world of pathwalkers.

And yet…

Rui’s ethereal eyes opened, brimming with determination.

“I can do it.”

He was the most powerful Martial Sage and Transcendent Candidate to have ever existed. He had risen to a level so high that he transcended the fundamental limitations of the Martial Path. He was the King of Beasts and Emperor of Sea Monsters. He was soon to be the Emperor of the Kandrian Empire. He controlled all negatron matter.

If there was anybody who could do the impossible, it was him.

“It is a burden that will be heavier than any other,” she warned him with a heavy voice. “It is the single greatest piece of responsibility that anybody could ever hope to take.”

“It will push me to greater heights than I could have ever imagined.” He gazed at his hands as he felt a ferocious desire to grow stronger emerge within him.

Up until that moment, he had experienced a degree of satisfaction with his current level of power.

And yet, the moment he embraced the burden she had offered him, he suddenly grew deeply unsatisfied with his power.

It was not enough.

If he were to become the forge of prosperity across all of human civilization, then he would need to become stronger than he ever had.

“Thank you, Shepherd,” Rui spoke with deep sincerity while gratitude emerged in the depths of his ethereal eyes. “You have shown me the way. Now, I shall grow stronger than ever and use that strength to elevate Kandria and Panama higher than ever. That will be my path as Emperor and as Supreme Commander of the Panamic Alliance.”

His declaration hung in the air with a profound weight.

It was a declaration that would alter the future of human civilization.