The Martial Unity

"So, is the examination complete?" Rui asked.

"The analyst team will be cross-referencing my results with the data gathered by all the sensors." She replied. "They aren't just for show. However, those are only extra precautions that the Martial Union is taking to make sure beyond any shadow of a doubt that you are a Squire candidate."

"What follows from here?" Rui asked.

"Once they have verified your status as a Squire candidate, the actual briefing on the process will begin." She explained. "Once that's done, you will need to go through a few procedures that are necessary for the breakthrough to the Squire Realm."

"How long will the verification of my status as a Squire candidate take?" Rui wondered, curious.

"Should be done within a day." She replied. "I need to file a report regarding my examination of you, the analytics department will verify my evaluation along with the data the sensors gathered on you. Together, the truth will become irrefutably clear. The Martial Union will contact you when the results have been evaluated."

"Alright." Rui nodded.

He bade her farewell and returned to the Quarrier Orphanage, waiting patiently with high expectations. Sure enough, as Squire Deira told him, the Martial Union messaged him several hours within the day.

[Apprentice Rui Quarrier,

We write to inform you that the evaluation of your Squire candidacy examination has been completed. You have successfully passed and are now officially acknowledged as a Squire candidate. Your application for the breakthrough procedure to the Squire Realm has been processed and accepted. You may debrief yourself at the Hajin branch office of the Martial Union by an official at a time of your convenience.

Regards,

The Martial Union]

Rui didn't even hesitate.

He immediately returned to the Martial Union.

"Excuse me." He addressed one of the receptionists. "I received a message from the Martial Union stating that I was evaluated as a Squire candidate, and thus I could apply for being debriefed on the breakthrough process to the Squire Realm. I would like to proceed with that."

"That is correct." She said. "You can undergo a briefing session if you have been accepted as a Squire candidate and have applied for the breakthrough process to the Squire Realm. May I have your Martial license?"

She plucked the card from Rui as she ran the details through her terminal.

"You have indeed been evaluated to be a Squire candidate. Please wait while I make the arrangements for the briefing session."

Rui nodded.

Surprisingly, it didn't take them long at all.

"Apprentice Quarrier? The preparations for the briefing session have been made. Please head to presentation room thirty-eight. You will be met with a support staff member who will explain the process to you."

Thankfully, it didn't take much time until he got there, despite the size of the branch office of the Martial Union.

What he didn't expect was a Martial Squire waiting for him instead of the promised support staff member when he entered the room.

His presence was loud and eye-drawing. He did his best to restrict and halt his aura, yet Rui's keen senses and powerful mind instantly discerned his identity.

"Apprentice Quarrier." He said. "You have arrived. Let us begin immediately. I am Squire Gunther, and I have taken the liberty of handling your briefing myself when I received the notification that you were to be briefed on the breakthrough procedure to the Squire Realm."

Soon, Rui found himself seated at the front row of a desk as the Martial Squire finished loading up the projector.

Rui wasn't a fool. The fact that a Martial Squire had shown up for a simple briefing session was not random. It was a sign that demonstrated the value that the Martial Union put in Rui. Otherwise, it was inconceivable that a Martial Squire would go out of their way to provide a service that would otherwise be handled by ordinary support staff.

Still, he almost wished that he had gotten ordinary treatment, it was a little burdening and shackling having a Martial Squire to do this.

"The breakthrough to the Squire Realm, as you have realized by now, is not a natural spontaneous phenomenon that occurs to a Martial Apprentice. Unlike the discovery of the Martial Path, the breakthrough to the Squire Realm is entirely man-made." He explained.

Rui nodded, acting surprised and intrigued. He had expected to hear a lot of the same old stuff, yet he added something that made him knit his eyes in confusion.

"The breakthrough to each Realm requires the discovery of an important part of every Martial Path. The breakthrough to the Apprentice Realm requires the discovery of the Martial Path." She told him. "However, the breakthrough to the Squire Realm requires the discovery of the Martial body."

Rui's eyes lit up in interest at those words. ('The discovery of the Martial body... So that's how they've chosen to frame it?')

"The discovery of the Martial body...?" He probed.

"The Martial body is the body that Martial Squires acquire from the breakthrough process. It is effectively a brand-new body with superhuman physical prowess. One that is catered to suit your Martial Art and your Martial Path."

He began explaining the mechanisms and principles of the breakthrough to the Squire Realm.

Rui oohed and aahed as he did his best to appear surprised and shocked. He also threw in a fair bit of confusion, after all, he was supposed to be a Martial Artist in a world with an already poor scientific background.

"The details, frankly, don't matter." He waved his hand. "No Martial Artist truly understands the core of the science behind the breakthrough."

"Truly fascinating." Rui nodded. He probably understood the principles behind the breakthrough better than anyone else in the world did.

"All you truly need to know is that the procedure evolves your body, but there will still be a possibility of death, and a guaranteed tremendous amount of suffering." He explained. "The effectivity of pain-reliving medication and drugs is non-existent. You will need to bear the pain."