The Martial Unity

"Because of practical reasons." Officer Zherkes told him. "As you know, the tree attacks Martial Artists at or above the Squire Realm."

"But surely those attacks mean nothing to Martial Squires." He insisted. "I know they don't. I was able to avoid them when alert. Those attacks are nothing to a Martial Squire."

"They may be nothing to a Martial Squire, but they're everything to the tree itself." Officer Zherkes replied. "Martial Squires would be able to crush the attacks that the tree launches, but the reactive defense mechanism of trees that undergo banyanification, the broad colloquial term of the expansive growth process, is too self-destructive. Although Martial Squires would come out unharmed, the tree itself would not. The fruits would all be crushed and destroyed rendering them extremely difficult to process into potions, if not impossible. The fruits are just as valuable as the actual ore itself, if not more due to their pure constitution. Therefore, generally, nations do not dispatch Martial Artists at or above the level of power that would result in the triggering of the reactive defense mechanism."

"'Generally'?" Rui asked, catching the implication of the word. "This has happened enough times before for there to be a trend?"

"Indeed." Officer Zherkes nodded. "There is an unspoken, and sometimes even spoken and written agreement between relevant human nations to restrict the conflict to the necessary Realms, so that the conflict would not result in a waste of resources. Nations would rather get their hands on such processed bio-resources that are much easier to employ in technological solutions, rather than come back home empty-handed."

"I see..." Rui murmured. "So in this case..."

"That's right." Officer Zherkes replied immediately. "In this case, it is quite likely that Martial Apprentices like yourself will engage in the dungeon wars."

"'Dungeon Wars'?" Rui frowned.

"That's what they're referred to colloquially." Officer Zherkes chuckled. "Because there is a three-dimensional environment including the underground cave network, the surface and the branch networks that are more or less closed off, the environment of the banyanified forest are called dungeons."

has happened more than a few times, I'm

protocols is urgently summoning the Martial Artist or individual in question who discovered the banyanified tree and extracting a report from them." Officer Zherkes explained. "That is why you and I are both here. Now then, time is of the essence. Please provide

Rui nodded. "Understood."

his curiosity and interest and began typing on a typewriter that officer Zherkes had provided him. Because of the detail that

Rui huffed after he finally finished.

reading the finished pages of the report. "Good job Apprentice Quarrier. Your completion of the mission was nearly flawless and you have accelerated a process that would have otherwise taken much longer than usual, giving us a crucial time advantage. Now then,

"How would the other nations

allow them to learn of it given enough time. Furthermore, the seismic radiation projected by

issue. "So, if only Martial Apprentices will be involved in the conflict to monopolize the banyanified

Artists into participating..." Officer Zherkes nodded. "As for what

assured that

Rui raised an

snorted. "Playing modest, are we? You're a grade-ten Martial Apprentice with a skillset highly useful in dungeons. That alone is more than enough. Now then, I must get going, pleasure meeting you, Apprentice

into thought after he bid officer Zherkes goodbye, as

conflict between Martial Artists over the monopoly

grinned, excited. Just when he was getting a little bored, he gets presented