The Martial Unity

Speed was both multi-faceted like strength and multi-varied like stamina. There were different kinds of speed just like there were different kinds of strength, and there were multiple variables that decided speed, just like they did for stamina.

Speed could roughly be divided into three categories; combat speed, maneuvering speed, and reaction speed.

Combat speed generally referred to the movement speed of the body when engaging in combat motions, like striking, charging, or dodging, and the many smaller and undefined motions that Martial Artists frequently make.

Maneuvering speed referred to the movement speed when Martial Artists shift from one point to another in combat, including motions like sidesteps, shuffles, dashes, and sprints.

Reaction speed referred to the speed at which the body can receive, process, and respond to external stimuli like an incoming punch.

Although these three broadly fell under the category of speed, it wasn't because their underlying mechanics were all the same.

Combat and maneuvering speed were both based on how fast the muscles of the body were able to accelerate the body. There were even simple formulae based on the laws of motion and rotational dynamics that would allow Rui to estimate speed if he knew how powerful the muscles generated and the weight of the body.

Thus if he wanted to increase or decrease speed, then he just needed to change the amount of energy generated and reduce the amount of mass the body had.

That was exactly what the Godspeed technique did, and it was what led him to realize that the Metabody project was actually plausible as a way of upgrading the VOID algorithm.

So in a way, he had already completed one part of the Metabody Project.

Martial Squires weak to speed probably could not contend with him due to the fact that he was too much to handle when he activated Godspeed and used Forestep.

('One issue is that I can only use it after I make a predictive model, so it isn't really the same as what I seek, but it is getting there.') Rui mused.

Furthermore, it could be applied to both combat and maneuvering speed equally. However, it could not be applied to reaction speed.

Unlike the other two, reaction speed was not something that he could improve with the Godspeed technique or by increasing his power output while lowering mass. In fact, the main issue he had with the Godspeed technique was that he could not improve his reaction speed to match his combat speed.

That was why he needed to rely on predictions to substitute for reactions. Kane had managed to improve his reaction speed to match his combat speed with Fulminata.

Even if his own solution wasn't nearly as good, he was fine with it for now.

One parameter that he had a much harder time working with was durability. How would he alter his Martial body such that the quality of his constitution improved on command?

Conditioning techniques were permanent improvements to passive durability. They were not reversible or changeable.

Active defense techniques were not changes to his Martial body, they were just applications of his body to defend against attacks, like all active defensive techniques.

('Hm, this one is rough, I can't even think of a concept of what I could do to temporarily amplify the defense of my body.') Rui frowned.

At least he had a specific goal and condition in mind to fulfill that would allow him to be able to obtain the Martial bodies of common Martial Paths. That was why he knew that there were little to no ways in which he could temporarily strengthen his body, off of the top of his head.

He considered the prospects of adding substances to his body to strengthen it at the cost of other parameters, but how would he be able to undo it when he didn't need it and it was not worth centering those resources on it?

After all, that was what was the of altering his spec configuration, it was lowering some specs in order to increase another spec that was needed to adapt even better against his opponent.

It was a more optimal redistribution of resources, an adapted redistribution of resources. He needed to figure out what was the best way of going about it, but he would need to explore his options more deeply.

('I'll put it on the list,')

As for being able to increase stamina, he already had created a technique like that, the Hungry Pain technique, he generated extra stamina that way and then burned that extra stamina for higher all-round specs.

('Maybe if I exert more control over my Hungry Pain technique, I can use it to manipulate the spec configuration of my Martial body,') Rui's eyes widened as he realized something that he hadn't considered before.

If he could somehow divert the energy and nutrients gained from the autophagy of Hungry Pain towards stamina and away from strength, he would be reducing his power output for the sake of higher stamina.

Furthermore, if he could somehow gain enough control, he could increase his power output sacrificing stamina!

After all, the Hungry Pain technique simply triggered autophagy, consuming dead cells, and converting them into energy and nutrients for alive cells across the body. It was an extremely efficient usage of power.

('It's going to be extremely difficult to be able to control Hungry Pain like that though,') Rui frowned.

He could immediately tell it would probably take both a breathing technique and a mental technique to be able to manipulate his metabolism like that.

However, it was not impossible, not at all. It was just another thing that he could put on his to-do list of things to be explored as a potential way to achieve Project Metabody.

He had just begun considering the matter very seriously, and he already had many things to do. It was going to take him more than just a little bit of time to get around to all of it.