The Martial Unity

"Huff…" Rui's cold eyes narrowed, staring at the Mellow Dungeon in the distance. "It's a shame I wasn't able to come here before I inherited the Elder Tree's knowledge."

Rui wasn't lacking self-awareness. He knew that he was different from before. He felt as though someone had dialed down his emotions. He recalled the fascination, awe, and wonder he had experienced when he beheld the magic of the Garden of Salvation.

He was unable to experience a fraction of that emotion when looking at an equally exotic phenomenon.

The revelation that very few things could trigger the same kind of experience was not pleasant.

While, before, a series of things could have triggered positive emotions, it was as though someone had drastically increased the threshold for those same experiences to bring him the same amount of happiness. Only the ecstasy born from his Flowing Void Style and Adaptive Evolution had been able to cross that threshold consistently.

"I mean, we could have."

Kane's voice interjected, cutting through his own thoughts.

"No," Rui replied stoically. "We couldn't have."

"Was it worth it?" Kane's voice was sharp. "Was breaking your own mind worth it?"

Rui turned to Kane with a detached gaze.

A single remark escaped him.

"Yes."

Kane shook his head, heaving a sigh. "I figured. It's your best and worst trait, man. It might get you killed. Thankfully, you have me. Now, are we ready?"

"Soon."

Rui had gotten a good understanding of the Mellow Manifold, all the low-hanging fruit were gone. Now, it was time to subject himself to danger if he wished to

of the operation into the Mellow Dungeon

challenges that barricaded the way to the center of the dungeon and get rid of as many as possible.

of exactly what kind of environment was most antithetical

yet to flesh out a specific plan, but he was absolutely certain that knowing the environments that were most antithetical

need to hurry," Rui sharply remarked, turning to

thought it

get there before he does, and the travel time alone will be a lot. It's

did not intend to spend thirty-six years

evolve to overcome any force that sought to defeat him. In order to grow, he needed to be exposed to different kinds of forces that

train and grow stronger by

case for a lot of the

that he had created after becoming a Martial Squire had been a result of trying to overcome certain challenges with his Martial Art. This had been the case when he adaptively evolved to the challenges

his exodus away from Kandria, hiding from Chairman Deacon. He created Greater Phantomind Void, Death's Sympathy, and similarly powerful techniques for the sake of killing Chairman

a result of adaptively evolving to the challenges

would not be able to find much of that in a prison as small as the Mellow

his foundations. It was a shame that he valued the diversity

"Done."

to carry all the instruments, artifacts, and tools that he had brought along with him to the Beast

men got up, facing

"Any time," Kane remarked.

"Let's go."