The Martial Unity

Rui gritted his teeth day in and day out as he continuously experienced starvation and torture. He had underestimated the sheer mental fortitude required to master the Mind Switch that he had aimed to master.

The technique was grade-three as far as the difficulty of mastery went, the problem was that it was rated as a technique with low difficulty of mastery because most applications of the technique were to be able to trigger calmness and composure in the Martial Artist aspiring to master the technique. The best part about the technique, when applied this way, was the fact that it was relatively straightforward and didn't need any severe exertion from the Martial Apprentice.

However, Rui had gone far off the normal path and used it to try to trigger the neurological phenomena associated with hunger with pain.

This was something Squire Juvier still found absurd and stupid.

"What do you hope to accomplish?" Squire Juvier asked one day, unable to contain his curiosity any longer. "Why subject yourself to this madness? Why do you want to trigger hunger in the middle of battle? That will only get you killed, take it from someone with extensive experience in the Martial World."

"That's not how it works." Rui sighed. "Hunger is a physical sensation primarily. The Mind Switch technique cannot trigger physical sensations, it can only trigger mental phenomena."

It wasn't that Squire Juvier didn't understand how the technique worked, he just didn't have as thorough an understanding of the difference between sensations and mental phenomena as Rui had, thanks to his background.

"If hunger cannot be triggered, then isn't this even more pointless? Why chase after hunger?" Squire Juvier sighed exasperatedly.

"What I desire are the neurological phenomena associated with hunger," Rui informed him.

Squire Juvier asked,

help me obtain a more powerful Martial body when I become a Martial Squire," Rui replied to

definitely know of such a thing and they would have made it part of the standard procedure if this was worth it. They absolutely would have

simply shook his head but kept quiet. There was no need for him to debate with the Martial Squire, it didn't matter one bit whatsoever whether the Martial Squire approved or disapproved of

Juvier had obliged

a little over a month, Rui had mastered the Mind Switch technique. Even if he had made it more difficult due to his crazy modifications, it was, at its core, a straightforward technique that required zero talent. Furthermore, Rui had a strong affinity for mental techniques

a test." He

of success, if any at all, of the technique in achieving the objective with which he had mastered

to do was

with a smile that gave the former a headache. "What is

whipping part to me again," Rui

why?" Squire Juvier

whether the technique does in fact function like

finally managed to convince

things I do for Martial Apprentices

Rui instructed

quite well, he knew how much stamina he normally had. Thus, he would be able to detect any improvements to his stamina sharply. He engaged in physically strenuous exercise amidst the infliction of pain, using Outer Convergence and Flame Breathing