The Martial Unity

Techniques were like weapons themselves. They allowed Martial Artists to achieve things that they would ordinarily not be able to. They allowed for greater prowess in combat. Lower-grade techniques had a marginal effect whereas higher-grade techniques could change the tide of battle.

Usually, the one with more of these weapons, and better-quality weapons won. They would usually overwhelm with a quantity or a quality advantage.

However, there was a variable that was often left unseen.

Mastery of these weapons. Mastery of these techniques.

Someone who had higher mastery of a technique would defeat someone with a lower mastery. Mastery was an important variable that had significant impact on the outcome of a clash.

Yet, there was a reason people moved on to another technique after mastering one to a satisfactory level. Learning new techniques was easier than increasing an already high mastery.

The higher the mastery, the more energy and time it took to raise that mastery. It became an inefficient exchange and the effort and energy it costed to raise the mastery even a bit simply wasn't worth it. Why spend all that time and energy for marginal gains when one could simply start mastering a new technique and make much greater progress?

This was the rationale that drove ninety-nine percent of Martial Artists to mastering multiple techniques.

Even Rui was part of this group. Perhaps he was even at the forefront of that group with sheer number of techniques he had mastered in a short amount of time.

But not Hever Mendelieve. Born in a prestigious Martial Family, he had reached Martial Apprentice even before he had joined the Academy.

Academy, he was the only Martial Apprentice

Meteor Swing technique the day he broken through to Martial Apprentice, and had dedicated everything

mastered the technique to a general level. He had mastered it to

wasn't satisfied with his mastery of the

matter how much better he got, there was always

of inadequacy only grew stronger and

grew more and more unsatisfied

Squire instructors had encouraged him to attempt learning other techniques, but he had deigned to reject their suggestions. He would move

Headmaster Aronian had encouraged his

the lowest of techniques, as well as the highest." Headmaster Aronian told him. "Yet most never realize this until much later in their Martial Path, many have heard

"Your sense of inadequacy grows because your subconscious awareness

the limitless potential of your technique grows, doesn't necessarily mean you have to realize that potential." Headmaster Aronian told him as he stroked his flowing white beard. "You don't have to

that mean?" Hever had asked,

it's a will, it's a desire." He said. "You only need to do what you want to, if you wish to keep travelling down this Path. So what is it that you want to do? Continue mastering this technique despite it

Hever Mandelieve stood before Nel in one of his final few matches in the twenty-seventh preliminary contest of the Hajin branch of the

to master more than

No.

asked, he would say he hasn't mastered a

muttered excitedly as they waited for the

between Nel and Mendelieve. Neither Rui, Kane nor Fa had faced either one of the, so that alone was enough reason to spectate their match. Furthermore, this was a fight between two undefeated top rankers, the outcome mattered a