The Martial Unity

The time he spent with his family was healing and soothing. Helping them out with manual labor, and stockpiling enough firewood for the coming winter. Due to the distance between the Orphanage and even the closest district of the town of Hajin, it wasn't very practical to try and rely on it for resources once winter came in full force. The Orphanage stored up as much as they could on all essential supplies so that they would become self-sustaining for at least the harshest parts of winter.

Aside from that, he spent his time training Max and Mana too. Of all the children in the Orphanage, they were among the most inspired and motivated to follow in his footsteps and become Martial Apprentices. Their resolve had managed to withstand the test of time, and the difficulty of the training regimes that Rui had made them undergo.

They were both twelve. This meant that, soon, they would become eligible for the Martial Exam.

Rui had mixed feelings about letting thirteen-year-olds undergo the Martial Exam. Of course, he himself underwent it at the age of thirteen, but he was mentally an adult and he knew what he was getting into. Mana and Max were still kids, both physically and mentally.

Of course, in this world, people weren't coddled nearly as much as first-world kids back on Earth. The world was harsher and more dangerous. This forced them to mature faster.

Still, the Martial Exam guaranteed injury, and the possibility of death existed as well. The Martial Exam was made just tough enough that at least one applicant would die every year in each of the sixteen Martial Academies.

Part of this was no doubt to deter a large chunk of highly unfit Martial Artist aspirants that would have undoubtedly applied for the exam had the exam not been at least this dangerous.

Another reason he had some compunctions against letting them participate was that they would be younger and weaker than an overwhelming majority of the applicants partaking in the Martial Exam. Of course, failure was not bad. It would give them some experience with the difficulty and ruthlessness of the Martial Exam.

Still, that meant that they had a higher chance of suffering grave injury or, in the worst possible scenario; death.

be double standards considering that Rui had attempted and successfully cleared the Martial

genius-level intellect, having learned language and academics at an extraordinarily young age. He also had a generally calm and composed temperament from a very young age. So much so that after thirteen

severe determination had led the adults of the

said for Mana or Max. They were

training today?" Max asked, interrupting

their determination

"Mental fortitude," Rui replied.

we so far from home?" Mana

trouble others, unfortunately," Rui explained. "That's why I wanted to do

even is mental

but of the mind." Rui

train

same way you train anything else," Rui replied. "Perseverance. Now, stand

at what was

then, let's begin. From this point forth, you need to do your best to remain standing where

nodded, firmly planting their feet on the