This is a pretty old story I wrote over three years ago, maybe around four... I'm posting it here because I remember posting it elsehwere but never followed up with the rest... oh well.
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Chapter 1
It was a sunny day like any other day of summer.
/BAM!/
Deep in the mountains, beyond the forests, at the center of a valley, and somewhere close to a waterfall, the sun shone down at a clearing near the mountain's walls.
There, a young man stood before the mountain, his back towards the sunlight.
Extremely defined muscles and short blond hair. His eyes were closed and his knees were bent; he was in a strange stance with the front of his body turned towards the large mountain wall as he regulated his breathing.
Light skin and a broad physique, yet not overly large like some bodybuilders. He was lean, tall, and strong, that was all.
"… phew… Third stance… Burst!"
/Swup!/
/BAM!/
/Crack!/
The young man's arms turned into afterimages as he struck his two fists against the mountain wall! The rocky surface shattered in a one meter wide circle around his fist, displaying his superhuman strength!
To cause such damage to the boulder… He certainly wasn't a normal person...
"Huff…"
He opened his eyes and gazed at the damage he had done. Inspecting it intently as thoughts raced inside his mind.
"Hm... I am still a little short. The form should be fine, but my body is still too weak for me to properly execute this move. It seems this is yet another useless technique for the current me. Sigh..."
Surprisingly, despite his incredible achievement, the boy didn't seem satisfied with his results! Just what was happening to the world?!
/Buzz Buzz/
Something suddenly pulled his attention to the side where, on top of a small rock near a dropped bag, a small device similar to a wristwatch continually buzzed.
"What is it now? Didn't I set that to silent mode?" He asked out loud as he relaxed his body, "… Is Mom calling again?"
After a moment of deliberation, he opened his mouth and asked out loud, "Who is it?"
[Your brother is calling you sir] Replied a mechanical male voice coming from the wristwatch
"Ah! That's rare now! He's all busy now…"
'If he is calling me, it means… He got what I wanted!'
"Accept the call!"
/Beep/
The device beeped in response as a full-scale colored holographic image of a man appeared before him.
It was a tall man clad in a green military uniform, albeit he seemed a little shabby… probably because he was just discharged from his post and was relaxing.
"How's it going, bro? Did you get that thing?"
His brother grimaced, his expression like that of a constipated man, "Is this the first thing you say to me after three months?... No "How are you doing brother" or "Are you fine in the military" kind of question?"
But the young boy brushed him off with his hands and expression, "I know you will be fine! In any case, how's big sis?"
"She is..."
"Heyo!!"
Before his older brother could finish, a girl jumped right into the hologram. She looked young, around twenty-five perhaps? She wore the same uniform as him, but her hair wasn't in a buzz cut, being set aside in a ponytail.
"How are you doing, little Luiz?" She asked as she smiled widely
"I am fine, sister. How is everything going with big bro? Is he behaving well?"
"Oi! Am I a dog or something?..."
But he was cut once more… "He is doing fine! He even rose a few ranks now! Tell him your rank now!"
"Sigh... 32nd."
"That's… Incredible brother!"
Luiz wasn't being ironic with his statement, 'This is truly impressive considering he entered the River State Military Elite School.'
'Every year, at least a million young students will try to join this school. And even so, there are only a thousand available spots. Being there means you're one in a thousand talents.'
'But that's a thing of the past… brother has already graduated and has entered the official rankings of the University. This means he is competing against other military universities countrywide! In other words… it means he is the 32nd best in the nation!'
'Although only when it comes to the rankings of young prodigies of the military… There are many ranks out there, and brother wouldn't even qualify to enter the top powerhouses ranks. But that's to be expected.'
'Perhaps in 20-30 years when his age matches those old dudes…'
While Luiz was lost in thought, the girl continued in her overly-energetic tone:
"And I'm not too far behind! I am now ranked 68!"
"That's great, sister Lin. You're not too far from reaching the top fifty."
'Lin Sudong, this is the name of this energetic girl that's constantly smiling… my big bro's wife.'
After they exchanged a few extra words, Luiz' brother took the reigns of the conversation and said, "… In any case… Brother, I came here to tell you I got what you wanted. It sure took a lot of work… You are getting more and more abusive to me!"
Luiz frowned, "Come on! I sent you all the money needed and even some incentives!"
"Be careful of how you phrase it! You make some chocolates sound illegal!" He replied as his eyelids twitched
Luiz brother's expression changed, becoming calm and serious, "Another thing… I won't be able to talk with you for a while. So no more requests… Even if you send me money, I will not be able to get you anything."
"What…?"
Luiz was shocked, 'No way… How am I going to train if I can't get access to the military techniques?! The ones you can get from the Nexus are all trash for the current me!'
"Arg… What happened?" Luiz asked as he reached for his nose bridge
"There will be a special event soon, and this will open enormous opportunities for both me and Lin. So we will spend the next few months in hard training so that we can both get excellent results... You know how it is; you're doing the same thing now."
"So in the meantime, no more transactions."
"Shiiit…"
"Language, young man." He said with a smirk as he looked at Luiz
"... Sigh. If this is true, then it means I will have to advance soon..."
""WHAT?!""
Even Lin was shocked as she competed with her husband for space in the hologram. His brother's eyes shook as he shook his hologram around as if trying to strangle him.
"Have you finally decided to advance and stop being a lazy bum?!"
"You're being dramatic, I am not being lazy. The contrary of that even since I'm the one who works the hardest! I am merely strengthening my foundation..."
"Whatever you mean… you have been limiting yourself to the first stage for three years already! Get a grip! Others your age…"
"I am still ahead of most people though." Luiz interjected as he shrugged
"Luiz! "Most people" are not everyone!… I will say you are quite strong despite everything… you have to admit it man, it is already way past the due date for your transformation."
"… I will send some materials to you via Transmat later to help with the process. I'll also seek out some extra things on my end to assist you, so expect that as well."
"There is no need for that; I have been preparing for years. I already gathered all the necessary components for my transformation."
'I would prefer if you sent me more martial arts instead…'
His brother laughed, "Think about your older brother. If I don't give you something, Mom and Dad are going to kick my ass later… Send me the news when you advance to the next stage and enter Tempering."
While his brother stepped to the side, Lin took over the hologram and smiled as she waved at him, "Goodbye little Luiz~"
"Until next time, you two. Good luck and keep at it! Lin, don't let my brother rest!"
The two waved, and the hologram closed.
[Call closed]
[You have received a new mail]
"There it is… I've been waiting for this for quite some time."
"Open it!"
A new hologram formed before him. Multiple lines of strange symbols and numbers appeared like a cascading waterfall of scrambled information... It was an encoded email.
"A simple encryption… decode it as before… The code should be 12/10/2489, my brother's marriage day."
/BEEP/
The numbers disappeared, being replaced by a few lines of words.
[WARNING CITIZEN!
This is a classified transcript! It will self-destruct in T-minus 10 minutes!
[10:00]
Tier-5 Movement Style -> Continuous Marching
]
[Open?]
"Perfect... but not now."
'This isn't the right place for it… Anyhow, I finally got my hands on a Tier-5 Martial Art!'
In order to understand the significance of this, we need to go over a little bit of history… Four hundred years and fifty years ago, in the year 2030, the triple-star system Alpha Centauri suddenly went "Boom"! Even when they shouldn't in at least several hundred million years…
To be exact, they went into a unique type of supernova never recorded properly before… at least not classified yet, as only when it was observed did the people at the time realize something was wrong.
This supernova carried with it the energy of change… something that took around forty years to reach Earth, 4.3 light years away. And some aspects of it took longer, reaching Earth centuries after.
Humanity wasn't unprepared for this explosion. Around four years after it occurred, advanced observatories set around the edges of the solar system detected its light, informing humanity of the disaster that was to come.
It didn't take long for the people at the time to realize that something was different… that this supernova was unusual and unique... that it was going to reach them in due time.
The governments of the countries tried to maintain the secrecy of this information, yet, for the technological world of the time, it took less than a second for information to travel across the entire solar system.
How could it not?… It was obvious what happened afterward… If the world was going to end soon, why hold yourself back? Humanity's true nature was unleashed, and chaos soon reigned across the entire solar system…
Let's skip to what occurred afterward since much history got lost during those times...
While it would take decades for the energy to arrive, society had already begun spiraling down as all order collapsed in a matter of months… But because of the chaos, people didn't notice the changes around them.
With the light, something else had arrived, something they couldn't detect with their technology… this strange thing irradiated all bodies of the solar system, and with it, the planets had started to change.
It was only a few decades after, or a little over four hundred years ago, in the year 2070, that they finally noticed what was going on… and the reason for that was simple.
This was the year that was predicted for the end of the world to happen… But it never came.
The history books explain the event as if a wave of light suddenly washed over the entire sky… From that moment on, it was the end of the Chaotic Era and the start of the Era of Disasters.
For the next hundred years, as order slowly settled, humans tried their best to rebuild their lost civilization amidst the changing worlds, but they failed each time because of the constant environmental disasters happening all across the different planets.
Because of the intense pressure beyond their science, all of humanity eventually had to retreat back onto Earth since life in other places became unsustainable.
But Earth wasn't safe either… Tsunamis, tornadoes, storms, volcano eruptions. Many disasters happened in sequence and constantly throughout the globe and without warning.
It was evident. Not only Earth but even the Sun was changing in a radical way.
To survive the raging tides, the people of the past aggregated in regions of somewhat stable geological activities, studying the changes and preparing for the future ahead of them.
Finally, after decades of isolation, a new world opened for the humans a hundred years after the end of the Chaotic Era.
Three hundred years ago marked the start of the Sun Era, as to symbolize a new brighter age… But that was a lie. A terrible lie…
This era is also called, "The Age of Warlords".
The thing is that, while the world was on the brink of destruction, humans weren't the only ones suffering from the changes… all life was.
They were forced to change and adapt or be forgotten… and despite all the changes and mass extinction, this era was also when millions of species were birthed from the ashes of the fallen.
And with it… some humans actually mutated… They got strange superpowers and could do incredible things, being hailed as living Demi-Gods.
History tells these people took control of the governments with their superior intellect, power, and the support of the populace, who needed a figure of authority to rely on. And when the disasters finally ended… they showed their fangs.
A brutal regime that would span another hundred years started.
Many things happened during this period, but what matters most was the development of martial arts as an actual category of study.
Its obvious that in a period where superpowers were the focus of society, all kinds of mystic and ancient rites would resurface as a way for people to gain even more power or attempt to give sense to what they were experiencing.
Satanism, Witchcraft, Magic, and all of that were brought back in an attempt to heighten and further their understanding of their powers.
Most resulted in nothing at all, but some did bring results, Martial Arts being the most prominent one.
And this marked the end of this era. One hundred years of bloody wars and tyranny, an era where the strong reigned over the weak, for they had the power to contest with nature and its wild dangers.
… Although the people at the time would disagree with this...
Plants and animals and all other forms of life, even minerals, were changing.
Humanity wasn't at the peak of life anymore. That belonged to the fiercest of creatures that braved the wild changes of nature… and those that could context with them became the undisputed rulers of mankind.
What could a normal person do against a warrior that can run 90 km/h and make an elephant faint with a punch? While the humans of the year 2070 might've been able to deal with them with their advanced technology, the last two hundred years of conflict drove much of humanity into a pseudo dark age where most didn't even know how a virtual intelligence even worked… some even treating ancient sites of technology as religious places where spirits and deities reside…
Thankfully, this period of chaos ended when nature finally stabilized.
After two hundred and forty years of evolution since the first light blessed the solar system, they had finally stabilized their ecosystem, and humanity began to expand and retake their land… but they soon ran into problems.
At the start, it was only some outcast animals… But it soon grew to giant monster waves.
Small villages were destroyed left and right, and even bigger cities were wiped out as the animals and plants moved erratically.
There was no way to predict the habitats of these creatures, for they were evolving way too fast for that… To survive these times, humans had to gather in small areas to better protect themselves against the beasts. Because of this, the previous system of warlords and their territory was soon abandoned.
Humanity still maintained the system of relying on the strong, but without the idea of exploring and conquering land, what was the point of vying for such? People bent together to survive, there was no time to attack each other.
That said, despite everything, these creatures' attacks weren't natural… so why would the animals attack the Humans?
Simple… Humans tend to build their cities in the most suitable places. Be it near water and fertile land, or in places with large amounts of "natural energy" so they could train and grow…
… Well… Most animals would also like to stay in those places! If they can not get a spot in the deep wilderness, they can only dispute with the humans.
And this was the next brutal period in the history of mankind. The Era of Beasts.
The first time since humans had claimed Earth as its dominant species… The very first time they lost their throne. In fact, it had been over two centuries already since they had stopped being the rulers… They just didn't know.
This period lasted over fifty years until the humans figured out what made these animals so special! They applied these facts to their previous systems and fused them all together into something new, refined, and based in scientific research!
It took decades of research through the Era of Beasts for it to occur, but when the current modern system of martial arts was born, the Era of Beasts ended!
And although they were still rather crude… a new era came to replace the old bloody one. One that would last until today.
Three hundred years of hazardous history… it was all finally done…
The Era of Martial arts! And this year marks its 193rd anniversary.
"And it's currently December 1, 2493"
"The world started to change in the year 2034 and the Era of Beasts ended around the early 2300s…. But most scholars just take the turn of the century as the time to go by since it's convenient."
'The exact times each era lasted are up for interpretation, but it's fine to assume each of them lasted anywhere between eighty to a hundred plus years…'
"With that out of the way. How about I take a look at this technique?"
He interacted with the holograms and opened the folder containing the technique:
[Continuous Marching
Tier-5 Movement Style
Quick introduction: A movement technique made for quick movement over long distances while using the least amount of energy.
It's recommended to be at least an Accumulation Stage Martial artist to properly train and execute the technique.
…
]
There were many sub-folders within, each containing a different section of the technique. All neatly organized with explanations and even mathematical formulas explaining most of its functions and how they are possible.
Of course, some secrets are never meant to be shared. You don't want to simply tell anyone how your precious technique can be created from the ground up as some of its principles are shared between multiple others. That is how the martial arts of an organization like the military work.
"It's decent..."
'I expected a little more for a Tier-5, but my brother can only get what he can. I should be happy that he is willing to break some rules already.'
After he finished reading the technique, Luiz looked at the air and smiled. He raised his hand and swiped to the side, shaking his head.
"I will look at that later."
'Although I do not meet the requirements for this technique, that doesn't mean I can not practice it. As long as I am proficient enough and my body can keep up, then it shouldn't be beyond me to perform it.'
That's because, from the lowest to the highest, humans have classified themselves in four stages after hundreds of years of trial and error:
Human Awakening
Physical Transformation
Energy Accumulation
SuperHuman Master
These are the names of the four stages of modern martial development. It will probably change in the following hundred years or more, but so far, humanity has settled for those.
The first stage is very simple. It's the preparation of the human body for the future transformation. This stage also includes normal humans and their ordinary growth.
Everything from a newborn baby to an adult on the verge of entering the Physical Transformation stage is classified as being on the stage of Human Awakening.
Physical Transformation is, as the name says, the modification of one's flesh and bones. The hardening of one's body through various means. The tempering of the flesh so that it may become an effective tool.
This was the stage that dominated the world during the age of warlords.
Energy Accumulation is a giant step. During the Era of Beasts, humans noticed that certain creatures could gather energy into their bodies to perform extraordinary abilities, and by imitating that, this stage was created.
Over time, as people understood the principles behind it, humanity stopped imitating and began innovating. But even so, nature tends to surprise and beat their intellect, proving time and time again that it reigns supreme.
Energy Accumulation involves gathering a lot of energy in one's body and transforming it by following a certain method. Although in modern times, there are multiple methods centered on the same principle. Each method creates a slightly different outcome pointed slightly at a different path. So if someone thinks that's their affinity, then they'll go for it.
Finally, there's the realm of a SuperHuman Master… but Luiz doesn't know anything about that as anything regarding it is very confidential, unfortunately. If simple martial arts are already hard to come by, imagine the details on how to advance.
Luiz opened his eyes after he went through the realms inside his mind, "… a very quick rundown from all four main states, but it isn't over yet…"
'Just like humans are classified in four stages, the techniques developed by them are also classified into Tiers. From Tier 1 to 8… The lowest to the highest.'
'Tier 1 and 2 are meant for the Human Awakening. Also known as the First Stage of Strengthening.'
'Tier 3 and 4 are meant for the Physical Transformation.' Also known as the Second Stage of Strengthening.'
'Tier 5 and 6 are meant for the Energy Accumulation. Also known as the Final Stage of First Stage of Strengthening.'
'Tier 7 and 8 are meant for the SuperHuman Master. Which I don't know any other terms…'
'If there is anything beyond that, then it is not disclosed to the public…'
"There is also Tier-0, but that is a special classification meant for day-to-day techniques… They aren't hard to learn and they aren't that special. In fact, this classification will soon be purged from the schoolbooks as most Tier-0 techniques transition into the public domain as natural exercises and routines to be practiced by all."
"I am currently at the pinnacle of the Human Awakening and have been in this state since I was fifteen… or three years ago or so."
"At that time, I was a promising student who loved martial arts. But that was all." He said with a faint smile as he looked at the cracked mountain wall
'I did not devote all of my time to martial arts like my brother used to do, nor did I suffer through incredibly painful methods in order to grow stronger. I studied a lot, but I had a clear line between my private fun time and martial arts training.'
"My goal in life was to grow as a traditional martial artist and maybe pursue some ordinary profession since I didn't have the drive to train… But it all changed when we went to hunt beasts during the school trip three years ago..."
…
'Three years ago, I was nothing but an above-average high schooler.'
'I was popular at school due to my grades. I had a nice circle of friends. And my martial progress was decent since my brother was always there for me to help with questions and give me some tips from time to time.'
'As any school these days would do, to make the students more used to the life of martial artists. They would bring them to one of the many nature reserves of the city to see monsters from up close and get them used to them since most martial artists live to fight those creatures.'
'… What if someone didn't want to become a martial artist?… Are you dumb? Who wouldn't want to live longer and have a more promising future? To be strong enough to protect themselves from anything?'
'Even if this is a more peaceful era, it doesn't mean things are calm and collected… trouble still brews at peripheral cities from time to time.'
'In any case, if you abandon martial arts, be sure to live a poor life… If you can not even perform a basic sequence, you won't be contracted and finding a job will be impossible since martial artists perform far better.'
'For a construction job, who would be chosen between a normal human and a guy who can lift two cars?… Each job has its own requirements, but almost all of them will always pick the martial artist first. Especially if they have some degree of specialization towards the work he's doing.'
'Anyhow… that isn't connected to me in any way… Back in the nature reserve, being the hot-blooded youth I was, I requested to spar with the beasts. The lowest tier one of course.'
'And the teachers, of course, accepted! That was one of their main reasons for bringing students here. Besides, I was the brother of an already graduated Martial artist!'
'Someone in the Top-100 of our country's Elite, Military Academies!… I was the brother of a prodigy!'
'Well… It was exactly because of this that I used to be a brat… Look… I uh… since I was always compared to my brother… regardless if it was proper or not, I ended up becoming a small-time delinquent.'
'Nothing too big, I never bullied anyone… but I partook in several… "High-risk" activities… Going into restricted areas, messing with dangerous equipment, going to illegal places… trying to act cool by bringing weapons and smoking something I shouldn't…'
'… and my favorite of them all, "The Sneaky Peaky day" where I went to look at the girls taking a bath in the lake and fled with no one noticing… I was a kid, okay. That was over three years ago, anyway.'
'So how could I not challenge a monster! The result was rather evident… I killed it pretty easily! No matter how much of a delinquent I was, I had many years of training under my brother after all. And the creature was weakened to boot.'
'It was probably as strong as a dog on the bigger side of things… Nothing to be impressed about now, but at the time, I felt at the top of the world.'
'My ego was boosted beyond control… But that was when things began to change…'
…
[Absorbing energy...]
[Booting...]
[DNA matches with the one in the *****]
[Assimilating with Luiz Carter]
…
'I remember a feeling of extreme agony… I don't remember the pain but I remember how I acted. I wasn't a protagonist of an action novel, so I obviously screamed and panicked.'
'The teachers at the time thought I had been poisoned by the beast and took me to the infirmary where I took many emergency medications… Yet the pain didn't stop.'
…
[Assimilation completed]
[Modification is in progress...]
[Fusion with the Soul has been completed]
[***** has fused with Luiz Carter]
[You have hunted 1 Morning Tail Hound(Weakened) and gained 1 Point]
…
'I remember being confused and disoriented because of the sudden images. Not to mention the pain, and the drugs the doctors gave me. So I don't remember much of what happened after… But I know one thing… that I passed out.'
'I woke up in my bed several hours later since my parents had gone to fetch me up… And from that point on, I forgot I had this ability…'
'Until one hour later when I stepped on a bug.'
…
[You hunted a Moth(Larva)]
[The difference between you and the creature is too big to award you with a Point]
…
'I was confused, but I quickly regained my calm. The first thing I did was follow the novels I had read… How could I not? I went to my room and tried many names and things in order to invoke something I didn't even know existed.'
'Thankfully, my parents weren't home at the time. Otherwise, they might've taken me to the hospital again… Still, all that screaming served more to calm me down rather than to open the "Vital Sheet"… which I managed eventually but not then.'
'After trying for half an hour and failing, I decided to go around the place hunting every little insect I could find. At the same time, my parents returned, and I took this chance to see if my parents could also see the window tabs…'
'The result was pretty self-explanatory. They couldn't. I even went as far as to pick a beetle and crush it near my father so that the window would pop out right in front of his face… Thankfully he didn't notice it, otherwise it would be pretty awkward.'
'I had already spent enough time at the hospital. I didn't want to go to a psyche ward so soon…'
'That was when I grew rather bewildered. If only I could see and interact with it, was the window an illusion or was it real?… There was only one way to find out for certain.'
'Without other creatures of significance to kill, I went back to my room and continued to try to invoke the legendary Status I didn't even know was real.'
'The day passed… and it was only at night, after countless trials and errors did I manage to say it…'
…
"Life Notes,... Vital Statistics,... Vital Sheet."
[Opening]
"Vital… Hm?… W-What?... FOR REAL?!"
…
'Thankfully, my scream that time didn't attract anyone since my parents had gone for dinner at a nearby restaurant… I refused to go since I wanted to stay alone and keep trying.'
'That was when I saw it for the first time.'
…
[-Vital Sheet-
Points: 1
Mind> 1.81
Physical> 3.90
[LOCKED]
[LOCKED]
[LOCKED]
Martial Arts learned:
Tier-2 Fast Fist Style - Grasped
Tier-1 Three Steps Defence - Grasped
]
…
'Yes… I remember being perplexed but mostly excited…'
…
"It's just like those VR game screens..."
[It has been detected that you have 1 Point remaining]
[Would you like to spend the Point?]
"Point?... How do I do that?"
…
'One thing that I would realize over time is that the system was quite unresponsive... Never replying to me whenever I asked it. So I had to figure out things on my own.'
'I was still quite the brat and rash at the time. The pain had awakened me and made me realize what it meant to be alive, but it would still take some time for things to settle down…'
'Over the months of training, I figured out how it worked for the most part… I gain points by killing creatures, the stronger it is, the greater the chance of me gaining 1 Point. Just that. Never 2, even after three years and killing creatures much stronger than me, I never gained more than that.'
'I can invest these points in all of my stats and raise them up all the way to a certain limit. I can also spend these points to increase my familiarity with any Martial art I had already learned.'
'Now, what is familiarity? It's the term for your level of mastery over a technique…'
'Introduction-Grasped-Adept-Mastered.'
'Each determines just how well you are at using a technique and how much of it you can use. Someone who has mastered a technique is clearly going to use it in any situation as long as it's not something beyond its scope like trying to use it in water or mid-air.'
'You need a proper technique for that… for any extreme scenario. You can't swing a large sword in a narrow tunnel, and in a forest, you'll get tangled sooner or later…'
'There was also another detail to this power… By beating someone up… yeah, just like that. I can receive fragments of their understanding of their martial arts, which I can absorb to increase my own understanding in the same martial arts.'
'If I've never practiced the martial art before, then I'll slowly form it inside my head until I gain the necessary basics. After that is formed, the Vital Sheet will change its status from (Incomplete) to the standard form.'
'I can also gain stats by beating both people and creatures alike, but they're so rare I can count on my hand the number of times it happened. By the time I even got my first stat orb to drop, I didn't even need it anymore… so far, this property has only been good to have me learn new techniques from my classmates and help me save some of my points…'
'And that's "all"… at least all of what I figured out so far… But getting the Points is one thing… How did I find out I could spend them? Aside from the obvious innuendo… Mostly by sheer luck.'
'On the day I pulled forth the Vital Sheeth, I decided to focus on those two skills, and...'
…
[Invest one point to raise Tier-1 Fast Fist Style to Adept]
…
'And that's when my life changed.'
Chapter 2
After his long and meaningless flashback, Luiz picked a small blue bag and crushed it above his head.
/Splash/
A foamy substance fell from within right onto his head, and using his hands, he slowly spread it around his body.
After a few minutes, he jumped into the waterfall and cleaned his body.
"These military soaps aren't that bad..."
With everything out of the way, Luiz put on some clothes and strapped his bag around his waist.
After doing all of that, he abruptly departed from his location.
…
"… Sigh, thankfully, soon enough I will graduate. And when that happens, I'll be able to hunt in those prohibited places and my progress will quicken."
'Although humans have slowly grown and conquered Earth again, there are still some areas that are incredibly dangerous for humans as over 90% of the world remains as wild zones.'
'Prohibited areas are where wild beasts reside. Areas of danger where the risk of an attack hasn't been reduced to an appropriate level yet. To access one, you need the right papers and the right equipment.'
"… Now that I think about it, that's pretty much everywhere. Anywhere that hasn't been touched by us is dangerous." He looked around as he strolled the forests, "I managed to enter this Rank-2 danger area all thanks to my brother. The only problem is that I have to go soooo far away from home to get here."
"Even if I use flying cars, it still takes hours to reach this place. Precious time I could be training instead."
All areas are divided into ranks, from Rank-0 to Rank-7.
0 meant it's perfectly safe for ordinary human habitation.
1 means the highest danger is a beast with the same strength as a Human Awakening expert. Something along the lines of a pre-disaster bull or a tiger.
The same thing happens for Rank 2. This means there can be Physical Transformation level beasts prowling around… so one can imagine what it means for an area to be Rank- 3 or4… Although these ranks don't account for other un-ordinary types of dangerous creatures such as venomous snakes and spiders.
So what about the higher ranks? Although there isn't a stronger creature than a SuperHuman Master out there, a group of such creatures can still make easy work out of one. And worse, creatures grow smarter and even more dangerous the higher their rank is.
"Although it's not official, creatures ended up being ranked in the same way as areas are due to how civilians saw them… Meaning a Rank-1 beast is equivalent to a Human Awakening expert.
'And a Rank-4 beast is equivalent to a SuperHuman Master. There isn't anything above that.'
'Ranks 5, 6, and 7 are meant to delimit areas where even SuperHuman Masters could die. The higher the rank, the easier it is for them to fall.'
"That's nothing for me to worry about, though. Once I enter Uni, I will have access to those sweet Rank-2 areas just outside of my dorm room! And Rank-3 areas just around the corner as well."
'I think it's self-explanatory. But for me, having access to monsters right outside of your doorstep is the most valuable thing I could have… There's no need to worry about overhunting since nature self-regulates itself quite well… We have been killing creatures left and right for centuries and yet it hasn't made a dent in their populations.'
'It'll take a long time for us to start caring about nature preservation again...'
"Not only the Points but also the money and other things that can be gained through hunting too… So its the perfect occupation for me."
'Hunt, get points, upgrade techniques, buy new ones, repeat. That has been my routine for the past three years, and that is why I never underwent my first Physical transformation.'
'I kill monsters and get some points…'
'I sell the monster parts and get money.'
'I buy new and possibly stronger techniques…'
'I use these points to level these techniques while also training in them.'
'Now that I am stronger, I can try taking on an even stronger creature! And since the system works by calculating the strength between me and my opponent… If I hunt a creature that is in a stage significantly higher than me, I can guarantee a Point every kill.
"That's why I stopped raising my stats three years ago… Currently, I am stacked with dozens of martial arts from Tier-1 to Tier-4 and now one Tier-5."
'I can completely stop anyone in my level and easily kill Physical Transformation beasts… Why would I raise my level?'
"My original idea was to continually repeat this process until there was no noticeable growth anymore. And I think I have reached this limit… a few months ago even."
'Just by looking at it, I can see that I would be barely capable of even using this Tier-5 technique a few times before tiring myself out… So this leads me to my second idea.'
'My second idea was to stack hundreds of points and carry them to my next stage… But that died pretty quickly since I can only store 100 Points at a time. If I could store more, I might've had several hundred by now.'
"Sigh… There is nothing to fear! Now that I have joined a university, I can hunt monsters in the Rank-3 risk zone without needing to go through hours of driving every day."
'Being 18, of course I have a driving license. I didn't even need to use points to master driving… Can't have someone take me here every day and wait for me too. A man needs some level of independence.'
'As for my car? I bought it with my own money, of course! My family knows I hunt frequently, so there is no drama to be seen there; otherwise, it would be hard to create a story for why I leave home for several hours every single day.'
'… Although they don't know how strong I truly am.'
"Only my brother knows that... and even then he underestimates me."
Luiz stepped through the forest and reached another clearing where he ground his parked car near a boulder. He started the car and told the artificial intelligence to rush full speed back towards his home.
Although humans had their ups and downs, technology still developed ever since the start of the martial arts era. Gravitational technology might not be commonplace since it's rather expensive, but it's still nearly everywhere.
The rich can even have their own "cruise ships", or even use the Transmat Network to traverse across the planet.
"However, outer space is still out of reach..."
The reason for that is because no one wants to go out there when all the martial treasures are here on Earth. If the rich don't want to go to space, then they will not go to space and humanity will remain grounded.
"Those spaceships are only there for those boastful people to have their ego filled… tche."
They do look pretty cool… Some are fully equipped with many things, like mobile homes. And recently, it has become a trend among the rich to live on their spaceships.
"Its as if they were living in the skies cosplaying Gods…"
'Just a bunch of assholes that don't have what to do with their money.'
With an era where your value is determined by your level of martial arts, it's obvious that there is going to be a hierarchy between people. The stronger you were, the more money you had, and the more money you had, the stronger you could become.
A vicious cycle where the strong grew stronger, and the weak remained where they were… Of course, deemed they survived. The world of the strong is full of pleasantries, but it is also one where life and death go hand in hand.
"The rich receive better resources so they can easily make their talents bloom to their maximum potential, while the poor can only make do with themselves… Even if they are talented…"
"Although the government has been trying to increase the help towards those people… not to the rich's displeasure."
'But it's been a very long time since I last cared about that. I know how extremely privileged I am since my brother is essentially a military hero and I have access to a System… That's why ever since I got it, I slowly stopped carrying about those people's business. Never praising or criticizing their actions.'
'Call me a hypocrite, but it's reality. My motto is simple: I will do things at my own speed since I know I don't have to hurry. I don't care if I am surpassed by those geniuses or whatever. I just need to keep moving and that's all.'
"I'm an 18-year-old soon to be a Physical Transformation expert. It's not that bad at all… Although all of my classmates have already advanced… Doesn't matter, I can easily become an Energy Accumulation Expert within a year."
'Although I would never do that. Unless I see it as being more worth-while to advance then to remain at my stage, then why advance?'
"Go slowly and firmly, there is no need to attract unnecessary attention like those people in the novels."
/BEEP!/
His flying car's AI suddently comunicated with him, [Unidentified flying object is fast approaching, what would I do?]
"What? Here of all places?… Is it another trainee or a hunter?"
"Open the map!"
/Flush1/
A green hologram showing the topography of the area appeared before Luiz over the car's dashboard.
"This speed… it can only be a flying car. Is it that again?… Raiders?"
Raiders is the name given to the scum who live like criminals. They normally operate in the periphery of cities, and they prey on anyone who leaves its confines.
They are like thugs but with no order. Outlaws that grow and die like weeds.
"I don't have the patience to deal with raiders again. Full speed ahead."
[Understood]
/Uwoooon!/
The egine of the flying car made a strange noise as it sped up into the horizon…
…
/Meanwhile…/
"Tsk, he fled. Is that truly a Tier-2 Hunter? How does he have such a fast car?" One of the thugs, a man using some strange VR goggles, asked as he took looked at the side
"He must be the son of some rich corporate..." A big armed man in the back seat added as he spat outside
The man in VR goggles smacked his lips together, "Hum… It says here he is the target, though."
"Shit!… So did we fail our mission? Boss isn't going to be happy." A third man said as he smacked his hand on the car's seat. This one had a large cloak on his head
"Hum… I can try disabling his car, but it would require me to use our destabilizing tool… And the energy cells aren't cheap. It's not worth the price for this hunt at all." The VR goggles man said as he looked at Luiz fly outside his radar range
The man with the cloak thought for a few seconds before saying, "Call the boss and tell him what happened. The target has a habit of going in and out of this danger zone. So we should have enough time to set up a proper trap. We have more than enough time."
"I will call him right now..."
What they didn't know is that Luiz was hearing their entire conversation.
He mastered many martial arts, but it's obvious he was going to master hacking skills in a society where machines are completely integrated into day-to-day life.
He needs it to protect himself and his family. And spending a few dozen points for that purpose wasn't difficult at all.
"Hm... Shit. Is someone aiming at my life? What did I even do?"
'If so, these guys aren't raiders. They are either assassins or mercenaries.'
"But what could the reason be this time? I left no evidence when I killed the previous raiders, so it can't be any of the gangs coming for revenge..."
"Unless my parents have some shady past, it can't be them either... My friends? Maybe…"
"But the most likely reason is my older brother."
'My brother is quite a complicated person… In truth, we don't completely share the exact same blood.'
'Father used to have a family, but his previous wife died because of illness when my brother was really small, and he remarried my mother. And that resulted in this perfect me.'
'He is eleven years older than me, meaning he is 29 this year and he married four years ago.'
"The problem comes all from his lineage… My lineage, I would say…"
"We are nothing more than normal citizens.Yes, we have a decent amount of money, but that's mostly from my brother and me."
'I make more money than my parents combined. That's how profitable hunting is.'
"Because we are a normal family, some people do not really like seeing my brother all the way up there. That's not the place for a commoner, as some would say it."
'This is the true face of this society. I told my brother not to attract attention, but he never listened to me.'
"And he isn't the only one with such problems. Many talents around the globe with simpler backgrounds are often bullied by those richer bastards."
"If brother didn't have the help from Lin, he would've… Sigh…"
'Just thinking about it makes me sick. Thankfully, he married a good girl. She has a decent amount of political influence and money, while her father only cares about talent. That's why he easily accepted their marriage.'
'He is an Energy Accumulation expert at the end of the day and he isn't even 30. It is almost guaranteed that brother will become a SuperHuman Master. And maybe they're trying to get under his skin by getting at his family.'
"I'll have to warn him about it once I'm back."
[Would you like a coffee, sir?]
"Hum… Give me one with milk, you know how it is. Turn on the radio and search for some metal music."
[I am on it]
Small mechanical arms appeared from within a hole in the car's dashboard and printed a paper cup for Luiz. They filled it with some nice and hot coffee, just the way he liked.
"~Pa ran ran ran… Ba tun ts...~"
/Sip/
With his blond hair in the wind, one arm in the door, and another with his coffee in hand, Luiz felt at the top of the world.
"This is life..."
Luiz enjoyed the beat and his coffee as the car made its way back into the city, passing through the thugs before they even had the time to react.
…
/A few hours later…/
[We arrived]
The car stopped in front of a large three-story tall house, floating near the entrance.
"Is everyone home?"
[Contacting house AI… No sir]
[Your parents have left a message for you. Play message?]
"Do it."
[... Hey son! We didn't know when you were coming back, so we left this message for you in case we didn't meet. Your mom and I will be going to your aunt's house...]
"… So they went to the party… This means I have the entire house for myself. Great."
Luiz jumped out of the car and had the AI park it as always. He reached for the door, and it opened automatically.
Behind him, his car started moving on its own as it parked somewhere on the ceiling.
The interior of the house wasn't even that extravagant; it had a rather modern yet rustic feel. Perhaps because of the wood flooring?
Luiz didn't stop as the first thing he did was go to his room.
"Finally, let me test this..."
'Open Vital Sheet'
[DING]
[-Vital Sheet-
Points: 100
Mind> 9.99
Physical> 9.99
[LOCKED]
[LOCKED]
[LOCKED]
Martial Arts learned:
Tier-4 Hard Metal Boxing Mastered
Tier-4 Nimbus Step Mastered
Tier-4 Flowing Spear of Water Mastered
Tier-4 Nameless Footwork Mastered
Tier-4 Nameless Boxing Mastered
Tier-4 Nameless Defensive Technique Mastered
Tier-3 All Absorption Mastered
Tier-3…
…
Tier-1 Alliance Fast Hacking Technique Mastered
Tier-1 Fast Driving Mastered
Tier-1…
…
Tier-0 Restaurant Knife Handling Mastered
Tier-0…
…
]
"Three years of hard work…"
'A little over that since I got this power around the middle of the year so… three and a half years of work.'
'The locked options… I wonder if there are other features the System hides from me? Like enhancing martial arts, evolving, modifying, or maybe even fusing them together…'
'The first two locked stats are probably the Energy and Spirit statuses if we go by order.'
'Humans long ago created the habit of attributing value to stuff. So it's obvious that things such as body and energy would receive equivalent measurements.'
'Mind refers to one's pure brainpower. Most are given a value between 0.5 and 1 at birth and it develops over time until their twenties. But having a ten in mind doesn't mean that you are ten times smarter than someone else, it just means your raw brainpower is equivalent to that of ten gifted people.'
'Physical refers to a person's body, muscles, flesh, bones, organs, etc. Like before, most are given a value between 0.3 and 1. But unlike before, it's pretty safe to assume that having a ten in physical means you are ten times stronger than a normal person.'
'Although those rules aren't always valid. One may possess a weaker body than expected and still receive a ten in their measurements. What this means may vary, but it usually indicates an overcompensation from one area so the value is increased. Like being physically fragile but having enhanced regeneration.'
'Energy is a gauge used to determine the quantity and quality of a martial artist's energy. The reason it might be locked in the System is that I am still at Human Awakening. Not qualifying to wield it.'
'Spiritual is a more recent find. It's a value used to determine the strength of your spirit and affinity to spiritual arts. There isn't a lot of research in this though as it's kind of recent since it got into the public's hands. Less than twenty years in fact.'
'My father grew with scientists theorizing about it, and now here I am growing with its existence.'
'But why does any of that matter? Simple… My system stats are actually very close to the current Human Alliance values. So, I can usually just cross-reference them easily without issue. Which helps me better understand my strength in the grand scheme of things.'
'But there is one missing. The last [LOCKED]… I have no idea as to what that may be. In order to unlock those, I will most likely have to advance. However, I am not so sure about it either.'
'While I've been doing fine on my own, it wasn't solely due to my own power… I will agree with some that I could have progressed faster if I had been a little more… showy.'
'Although many dangers come from showing off your talent, it's undeniable that you would receive some sort of support from bigger powers. And although most of the rich may not like having the common citizens rise above them, this country's government has provided countless opportunities to raise its people's abilities instead.'
"But I don't need their support to grow, do I?"
'Look at how far I have gotten. I mastered some Tier-4 techniques even though I am a "normal" human. I even created a few from combining other martial arts myself! Hence the unarmed techniques I couldn't bother to develop further.'
'They aren't that good to be honest, most me trying to raise other techniques to Tier-4 with my knowledge. It's hard to say how the compare to other Tier-4s, but I say they are only about so-so.'
'That's why I say the only thing I believe I need is someone to provide me with techniques, and I'll do the rest just fine.'
"As soon as I master this Tier-5 footwork, I will start my preparations for the advancement."
The process of going through each level has transformed and been perfected many times over the centuries.
The current method has been in use for over four decades; it's incredibly stable.
It's using the Advancement Cabin… a pretty boring name.
"From Human Awakening to Physical Transformation, there isn't a super fancy method. You only need to consume certain supplements, go into a specialized medical cabin and let your body do the rest on its own."
'My body is at its limits, and that can be seen through my Stats, they're all at the limit of the Human Awakening stage. Once you have the physical raw strength that is roughly ten times that of a normal person, you can be considered to have entered the Physical Transformation stage.'
'You can undergo a few exams to see if your body can withstand the process, and if the doctors give you the green light, you advance. Simple… I could use my points to advance as well, but that is a waste since I can easily do that with available materials.'
'However, I did consider the efficiency and security of the process. Would evolving through the System be more effective? Because its not like the price is too high. I could recover the cost in a few days of hunting at most…'
"But it isn't like the modern process is a joke… The better materials you have, the easier the process is and the higher the chances of it succeeding."
'And if you use high-quality materials, your raw strength at the end of the process may grow. Giving you an edge over others. For example, instead of you going from 9 to 10 like in a normal advancement, you might go from 9 to 13 or even higher.'
'It might look small, but that is a massive change for such a short amount of time.'
"That said, the process of training and growing stronger changes when you go from Physical Transformation to Energy Accumulation. But that is for another day…"
'It's time to learn it now…'
[Spend 100 points to learn Tier-5 Continuous Marching?]
"Tsk…"
'It's so costly… If a Tier-5 is this much, how much will a Tier-6 cost? I won't even be able to pay for it with my 100-Point limit… Seems like the time has indeed come. I can't stay at this stage any longer.'
"Sigh. Do it!"
'I will refill those points tomorrow. I won't go to those mountains again, of course. It's best to avoid trouble even if those people can't do much against me.'
[DING]
[You have learned the Tier-5 technique Continuous Marching]
"!!"
A lot of information suddenly filled Luiz's head. He had passed through this process multiple times before, but it hurt a lot this time.
Thousands of forms, the equivalent of a few months if not more of training, were injected into his body, giving him the proficiency of a beginner, yet not of someone at the introductory level.
"Arg!... Huff… Phew… What a headache."
"I think I got the principle right… But after having it memorized, I'm now certain."
'I will never be able to master this technique with my current body.'
"Let's see… I still have a month and a half before the start of university, more than enough time to hunt and master a few more techniques..."
/BUZZ BUZZ/
[Master, Red Ant is currently calling you]
"Huh?… Zhong? Accept it."
/BEEP/
The room's wall unfolded like a curtain, revealing a television. The TV flashed, exposing the face of a handsome red haired young man.
Luiz smiled faintly, "What's up, Zhong? Did you consume all of your energy with those girls during the last week and you finally decided to talk with your Bro?"
The man smiled as a slender hand came from the side outside of the camera view, hugging Zhong as it tried to pull him into its embrace.
"I knew it. You can not remain even one moment without a girl."
"Fuck you, Luiz. I tried calling you earlier, but you didn't answer. Were you training in the Rank-2 mountains again?"
"Yes, I was… If you are calling, it means you are ready, right?" Luiz asked as he smiled eerily
"Of course, dude, just tell me when you are ready, and I will talk with Skinny."
"Go call him; the earlier we start, the better the result will be. Also, prepare some Advancement Cabins."
Zhong was stunned, and his face stiffened as he almost pushed the girl next to him in shock.
"Are we finally advancing?!"
His face suddenly covered the entire screen as he screamed.
"It's time already; Uni is just around the corner, and we need to be in top condition after all. Your parents have been pressing us quite a bit, so we ought to move on and show everyone why we're at the top of the class."
"Hell yeah! If that's the case, I will talk with Skinny and have him bring his own advancement cabin, since his company just released a new model. Do you have your own materials?"
"I have some decent ones. I have been preparing for years. I just need to wait for the last package and..."
/BEEP/
[Receiving Transmat delivery. Accept?]
'Heh, Brother always with his timed deliveries.'
Luiz smiled, "I am all ready now."
"Great! I am pumped up now! I will end the call now. Do you need a car?"
"Would be good; my parents just left, and I wouldn't want to let my car go back on auto mode."
'We'll be spending the rest of the time together, and I won't need a car with those guys.'
"Sure, I'll send a car in an hour… How about at 3 Pm? Can you get your stuff in time?"
"Fine by me. I'm mostly done so I'll just ring my parents and organize the rest."
"Rad… See you later, man."
[Call closed]
"... Time soon passed quickly."
'It's finally time to advance… I'm not saddened since it was inevitable, I'm just bothered since it'll be harder for me to gather Points… I'll have to work even harder now for the same effect. Assuming nothing changes once I advance.'
Luiz had a rushed life ever since he got this power. In the first six months, he learned how to maximize the effects of his gift. Using them to raise his power to the pinnacle of his stage.
To make time for all of it, he slowly stopped playing video games and going out with his past friends. They weren't as dedicated in martial arts as he was, so they eventually stopped talking when he switched schools when the year ended. It was natural as such things eventually came to be. Their paths diverged when he received his gift; their destinies bifurcated.
That was around the time he applied to his current school three years ago.
He became calmer and more collected, especially given the place he had gone to. He couldn't be a bothersome individual in such an environment. Remaining sharp was necessary for him, so he wouldn't lose his scholarship.
Luiz used to go to a private school, but ever since he got this power and started hunting, he decided it was best if he went to an elite school. So he pushed for it, studying harder and also getting as many points as he could and investing them in enhancing his theoretical knowledge.
With all of that, he aced the exams and was accepted into a higher institution of learning. In there, he got access to many higher-rank martial arts and made connections with the children of those in power. It was the perfect place to start his journey as he was exposed further and further to everything he was looking for.
But life wasn't easy for him. He was a commoner at a school for the rich kids. He was a constant target of bullying and isolation, a rather ironic development given who he was before.
Knowing how these kinds of people thought, as he was once like them, he always avoided trouble, but that didn't mean everything went smoothly.
Luiz always believed it was best to just avoid the bullies than to punch one of them and offend some of the powerful. That didn't mean he'd let them walk over him, as the moment he did so they would never stop.
Walking on eggshells, that was how most of his first few months went by.
But all of this changed when he met Skinny.
When he met him, he was truly thin. A true bag of bones… but no one messed with him because he was the son of a powerful magnate. Someone who owned much of the city's medical products and facilities.
Initially, Luiz approached him to get resources. He taught him martial arts, and he gave him money in response. This was a perfectly balanced circle that helped him in getting stronger faster while also making Skinny stronger.
Over time, they became friends, and the trio was completed when Red Ant joined them.
Red Ant was the son of a General, but he had trouble with martial arts because he was a womanizer and… He had a phobia about his height and size down there... There is a reason why his name is Red Ant. He used to be half their size at the start of Luiz' second year.
Even though his parents were tall, Red Ant was the smallest guy in the year… It was only at the end of the year and beyond that he quickly grew in size, and even now, he's still growing.
The three of them formed a perfect group where one would give medicine, another would give military techniques and forms, and the last one would help the other two in progressing.
With the System at the core, a perfect friendship was formed.
When the two reached the peak of Human Awakening, they didn't advance since they didn't want to behind. And for over two years, they remained at this level. Refining their martial arts further and further with him, making them true monsters and rather renowned in Class.
"I lost count of just how many times their parents asked for me to advance so their children could move on… They are good people and they respect me a lot for helping their children… but enough is enough."
'Even such understanding parents have their limits. They must've been at their wit's end…'
"Sorry aunties, and uncles. I'll stop holding them back now."
'It's time to rise.'