by Aaron Oster
Techniques: The tools of the Martial Artist.
All Martial Artists will train in various techniques over the course of their lives. While there are nine overall technique types, they can be broken down into two categories: Body and Spirit.
Body techniques focus on enhancing the Martial Artist’s physical fighting power, enhancing strength, speed, and defense.
Spirit techniques focus on enhancing the Essence-based attacks, focusing on distance, terrain, and containment.
There are four of each, Body and Spirit, with the ninth technique being a combination of them both. All those who manage to combine their techniques into a single one has earned the title of Master and are considered to be true Martial Artists.
In addition, each technique can be improved upon a total of five times, increasing their power and potency, as well as cost and risk to the user. These improvements are called Stages.
Body techniques: Control of the physical self.
Physical: These affect the body directly, strengthening blows or lending them special properties. They are great in hand to hand fighting and are most useful to those following a more martial path. The downside to these is that the user must make physical contact for the techniques to work.
Movement: These affect how the body will move. This technique can increase speed, flexibility, dexterity, and so on. These techniques cannot directly harm anyone, but they can be used to bolster one’s own body and techniques.
Armorer: These affect how the body will stand up to damage. They are one of the most important for any Martial Artist, as they provide the bulk of their defense unless they manage to reach Green. While Yellow-Belts gain a certain degree of immunity to physical harm, it is nothing compared to what one would receive at Orange. Even that is a pale imitation of the immunity gained at Green. The downside to these is that the more punishment that is taken, the more taxing it will be on your Essence reserves.
Full-body: These techniques are the culmination of all three Body techniques combined. These techniques will lend the Martial Artist the aspects of all three of their Body techniques, multiplying their effects many times over. You should not attempt to use it until all three Body techniques have been thoroughly mastered. One slip-up can end in disaster.
Spirit techniques: Control of Essence.
Projected: These techniques are used to control Essence, projecting it outward and forming an attack. They are most typically used for range, but some Martial Artists have been known to use them to enhance Physical techniques. The downside to these techniques is that it requires a lot of concentration and leaves the body vulnerable to attacks.
Terrain: These techniques are used to control Essence outside the body, affecting the terrain itself. The Martial Artist uses their will to control the ambient Essence and bend it to their will. This technique can be used even if the Martial Artist has no Essence stored within their core. The downside is the risk that the Martial Artist will lose control of the Essence, causing it to run wild. Therefore, it is suggested that the core always be at least half full when attempting to use one.
Containment: These techniques are used to control others, or more precisely, to either capture someone or contain powerful attacks. These require an extreme amount of control and concentration and are normally slow to form.
Full-area: These powerful attacks are the culmination of all three Spirit techniques combined. The Martial Artist would reach out to the ambient Essence, then combine it with their own. They would then use their Containment technique to hold it in place and trigger a technique that covered a wide or targeted area. Like the full-body technique, this should not be attempted until all three Spirit techniques are mastered.
Master-level technique: Mastery of Body and Spirit.
Conqueror: This technique gives one full control over their body and environment. They combine the uses of all the others and demand a massive amount of both Essence and control. This is the mark of a Master in the Martial Arts.
Stages of Advancement
White-Belt: The first stage, received after clearing the Trial of Beginnings.
Yellow-Belt: The second stage, received after getting to 2nd Dan in the White stage.
Orange-Belt: The third stage, received after getting to 3rd Dan in the Yellow stage.
Green-Belt: The fourth stage, received after getting to 4th Dan in the Orange stage. At this stage, the Martial Artist receives their Core-Body, remade in Qi. This gives them the ability to safely use Qi without harming themselves.
Blue-Belt: The fifth stage, received after getting to 5th Dan in the Green stage.
Purple-Belt: The sixth stage, received after getting to 6th Dan in the Blue stage.
Red-Belt: The seventh stage, received after getting to 7th Dan in the Purple stage. At this stage, the Martial Artist receives their Perfect-Body, remade in Chakra. This gives them the ability to safely use Chakra without harming themselves.
Gold-Belt: The eighth stage, received after getting to 8th Dan in the Red stage.
Brown-Belt: The ninth stage, received after getting to 9th Dan in the Gold stage.
Gray-Belt: The tenth stage, received after getting to10th Dan in the Brown stage. At this stage, the Martial Artist receives their Immortal-Body, remade in Reiki. This gives them the ability to safely use Chakra without harming themselves.
Black-Belt: The eleventh stage, received after getting to 11th Dan in the Gray stage.
Perfect Black Belt: The twelfth stage, received after getting to 12th Dan in the Black stage. It is theorized that at this stage, another form of energy is unlocked, giving the Martial Artist access to even greater power.
???: Another stage of the Martial Arts theorized to be even more powerful than the Perfect Black-Belt.
Titles
While most Martial Artists are ordinary, others are anything but. In their pursuit of greatness, some Martial Artists have gone beyond the norm and earned titles due to their achievements.
Master: This title is earned by any who master all nine techniques of Essence. This is a great accomplishment only achieved by one in every hundred-thousand Martial Artists.
Grandmaster: This title is earned by any who master all nine techniques of Qi. This is a huge accomplishment only achieved by one in every million Martial Artists.
Supreme: This title is earned by any who master all nine techniques of Chakra. This is a massive accomplishment only achieved by one in every forty-million Martial Artists.
Sage: This title, unlike the others, isn’t earned by those who master specific techniques, but rather, by those of Gold-Belt or above, who have touched on the true meaning of their Path and have been deemed worthy by the Spirit of that Path. A Sage carries with them their sign of accomplishment, in the form of an Imprint — a mark left by the Spirit of their Paths for all to see.
This feat is accomplished by only one in over a billion Martial Artists, and thus, Sages are revered above almost all others.
Sovereign: This title is earned by any who master all nine techniques of Reiki. This is an accomplishment to make the very heavens take note and is only achieved by one in every hundred-million Martial Artists.
Scion: This title is earned by any Supreme who was also a Sage upon advancing to Black-Belt. These Martial Artists are so rare and powerful that almost none exist in the world. Some have left for parts unknown, while only four remain on the continent of Safaia.
Eternal: This theorized title is one given to a person who has managed to advance to Perfect Black-Belt and master all of the relevant techniques. Nothing much is known about these beings, other than that their power is said to be roughly ten times that of a Scion.
Afterword
What’s up, Super-People?! Thank you so much for reading another book. Wouldn’t you know it, you’ve advanced again! Crazy how that happens, right?
Anyway, if you could just leave a review, it would really help. I love writing this series and seeing your reviews is what keeps me going when I’m feeling dow
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Thank you so much, and I’ll hopefully see you all back for the next one!
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Coming Next
Rise to Omniscience: Book 8 (December)
Age of Ancients (January/February 2021)
Series by Aaron Oster
Complete
The Rules
Somerset: Book One
Pendrackon: Book Two
Grempire: Book Three
You can also pick the series up as a box set!
Ongoing
Rise to Omniscience
Supermage: Book One
Starbreak: Book Two
Skyflare: Book Three
Solarspire: Book Four
Stormforge: Book Five
Silverspear: Book Six
Sandqueen: Book Seven
Book Eight coming December 2020
Book Nine TBA
Buryoku
Power: Book One
Light: Book 2
Water: Book 3
Wind: Book 4
Book 5 TBA
Land of the Elementals
Rampage: Book One
Emerald: Book Two
Origin: Book Three
Book Four coming March/April 2021
All dates are only an estimate and are subject to change. Please check my social media for any and all updates.
