Chapter 18: Martial Techniques

The martial way had been refined over thousands of years, tested by millions. To reach the Novice realm, one needed specific experiences to achieve the right state of mind. Some people couldn’t make the shift, while others were born ready.

One thing remained true: only the strong survived.

Andric, now a Novice realm martialist, emerged from his cave and breathed in the fresh winter air. He quickly retreated back inside to change into a fresh pair of clothes and a coat. He could use magic to keep warm, but wearing a coat helped him blend in. Besides, his martial realm protected him from the worst of the chill.

A thin layer of snow covered the ground. The nearby stream flowed as usual, but the birds were gone. Andric glanced down the stream and started walking, infusing his feet with spirit energy to move quickly through the snow, leaving large footprints behind.

"Silent Gallop." With two steps forward, his footprints shrank. The Silent Gallop Technique muffled his steps so well that even the snow under his feet didn’t crunch.

"Not bad," he thought, continuing along the stream.

After several days of travel, Andric reached a clearing where the forest gave way to a plain. Tree stumps marked the border, and a small house stood nearby. The stream flowed past the house and beyond sight.

A house near the forest wasn’t unusual. The forest offered wood, meat, and medicinal plants, while the stream provided fish. The plains were ideal for farming. Whoever lived here was fortunate to have such a prime spot.

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Cautiously, Andric approached the house. Well-tended farmland stretched beyond it, but no farmers were in sight. He hoped the occupants were home so he could ask for directions to the nearest town. Flying too high would reveal towns but also expose him to others.

Smoke billowed from the chimney, but that didn’t guarantee anyone was home. A well-tended fire could burn for hours, keeping the house warm until the owners returned.

Andric knocked on the door and stepped back. A few seconds later, a young man answered, opening the door a crack.

“Hello?” the man said.

“Hi, I don’t mean to bother you, but I’m passing through and hoped you could tell me which way to the nearest town,” Andric explained with a pleasant expression. He had no visible weapons and looked younger than the man.

“There’s a town about twenty miles that way,” the man pointed across the plains. “If you need it, you can warm up by my fire.”

“Thanks, but I have urgent business,” Andric replied, surprised by the offer. He couldn’t see what the man would gain from inviting a stranger in, unless he had a taste for human flesh.

“Alright, safe travels,” the man said, closing the door.

Andric took one last look at the house and began walking in the direction indicated. With less snow on the plains, his speed increased slightly. Using Silent Gallop, he reached a small town just after sundown.

The town, about half the size of Einburg, was named Radegart. Novice realm guards patrolled its perimeter. Andric asked one for directions to a tavern and was guided there.

In the dead of winter, farmers crowded the taverns, drinking wine and eating meat. As Andric entered, dozens of eyes scrutinized him, then quickly dismissed him as harmless due to his age.

Andric might have reached the Novice realm and grown a bit, but at fifteen, he still looked young. The eight months in the cave had left his skin pale, contrasting with the tanned townspeople.

Ignoring the stares, Andric sat at an empty table. Conversations around him were about farming or the martial way. He had never been to a tavern in Einburg, so this was a new experience.

After a few minutes, a busty woman approached to take his order.

“Something to eat or drink?” she asked.

“Roast meat and wine. How much for a room?” Andric asked.

“Five copper coins per night, meals not included. Twenty copper for the roast meat and wine,” she replied with a polite smile.

Andric handed her a silver coin. “I’ll use the change to rent a room.”

“Thank you,” she said, taking the coin and heading to the kitchen.

Soon, a plate of roast meat and a large cup of wine were brought to Andric. A man followed, giving Andric the key to a room on the second floor. The silver coin paid for sixteen nights.

In those sixteen days, Andric planned to study his meditation and martial techniques. He had only skimmed a few techniques and knew three martial techniques well enough to use them outside of combat, but he was far from mastering them.

Using Silent Gallop for days had given Andric some mastery, but he could only manage four steps before the technique failed. The Burning Palm and Boulder Crushing Sword Techniques required intense concentration to use, making them useless in combat.

The roast meat was warm and flavorful. Back in Einburg, his family rarely had meat. Traveling with the merchant caravan, meals were mostly soup. This was his first time having a large slab of meat on a plate. The wine was ordinary, but Andric had no basis for comparison.

After eating, Andric went to his room, which was barely big enough for a bed. A small table with a lamp stood next to the bed. Andric checked his bag and sighed. The room was minimal but sufficient. He was only disappointed there wasn’t enough space to practice his techniques.

Andric lay on the bed, waiting to sleep. Noise from the busy tavern below reached his room. He cast a spell on the floor, which spread across the walls and ceiling, silencing the room completely.

The next day, Andric went to a snowy field to practice the Burning Palm Technique. At the first stage of the Novice realm, he only used a small portion of his spirit energy, allowing him to practice extensively without depleting his reserves.

The effects were clear when he held a ball of snow in his hand, which quickly melted. At the first rank, he could increase his palm’s temperature by fifty percent, enough to melt snow and keep his hands warm.

He practiced all morning and into the evening, perfecting his movements. Hundreds of thrusts later, he only used spirit energy when the movement felt right.

The key to the Burning Palm Technique was the wrist’s strain. Too loose, and the technique wouldn’t activate; too tight, and it would overload before taking effect.

Andric noticed similarities between the Burning Palm and Flaming Fist Techniques. Their chants differed by a few syllables, and their spirit energy use was nearly identical, diverging only at activation.

Despite wanting to practice the Flaming Fist Technique, Andric decided to master the Burning Palm Technique first.

At noon, he returned to the tavern for lunch. The menu was limited due to winter, but the food was adequate. He spent the afternoon and evening practicing his techniques.

From dawn to dusk, Andric practiced. The snow melted under his intense training, and he could feel his palm’s heat increasing without needing a test. He was close to mastering the first rank of the Burning Palm Technique.