The Martial Unity

”The information I have on him is definitely significant, but I don’t know how much it will help you,” Rui informed her. “However, I am due to get a more thorough information package on the Divine Doctor soon. I will convey it to you when I get it.”

“You do that. It will be better if I complete the prophecies then,” Matriarch Nephi nodded.

“I did want to inquire…” Rui continued. “What kind of information can I expect from your prophecy?”

It was crucial for Rui to understand exactly what the output of the Eye of Prophecy yielded when applied. It would help him plan out how he was going to find the Divine Doctor better. He also was quite curious about the matter.

“The outcomes of the technique aren’t…uniform,” she admitted. “They vary quite vividly in many ways, including depth, precision, and the kind of sensory information that it gives us. Sometimes I get vague visions, sometimes it’s sounds, or even touch and smell.”

Rui frowned. “That’s…much less reliable than I had expected. Does that also happen in combat?”

“It’s more uniform and reliable in combat,” she reassured him with pride. “There are visions that allow you to see what your opponent is to do in combat. But it’s much harder to execute outside of combat since it is primarily a combat technique.”

Rui could definitely relate to that. After all, the same could be said for the Angel of Laplace. Its non-combat version was extraordinarily more difficult to use than the scaled-down version that he created for combat.

Her description of the output technique made him curious about the mechanics of the technique. It sounded like she didn’t really have any control over the process itself. Whatever it was, it clearly functioned differently from his predictive model or the Angel of Laplace that relied on statistics and physics, respectively, to give him the information that he sought from the two techniques.

“I am curious to learn more about the technique when I have the chance after my urgent commitments,” Rui replied. “I don’t know if I will be using it unless my life is truly in danger, though.”

It was a forbidden technique. That meant that it harmed the user too much. In this case, it consumed the lifespan of the user and aged them even faster.

The Martial Heart already made him age faster than he normally would if he never used it after breaking through initially. He would begin aging much more rapidly if he used the Eye of Prophecy regularly on top of that.

He hadn’t forgotten that his extremely young breakthrough to the Senior Realm allowed him to prolong the time period that his prime would last. A phase of peak growth, vitality, and vigor that would normally last only several more years would now last for a few decades.

“You do have longevity potions,” his grandmother remarked. “It is best you take them as early as you can and prolong your youth for as long as you can. I can assure you that you will never get it back. With those, you can also use the Eye of Prophecy with greater comfort.”

“True,” Rui nodded. “Perhaps even a little less than a year ago, getting a longevity potion would have been very difficult, but now I can definitely get one for myself.”

These were normally reserved for Martial Masters who were approaching the end of their lifespan. Its availability through the Martial Union or the government wasn’t strictly merit- based, and for good reason.

The Kandrian Empire stood to lose more if the potion was taken from the hands of an elderly Martial Master who needed it to prolong his life than from a young Senior who still had a century or two of natural lifespan ahead of him.

Still, he had far too much power to be denied now.

“In fact, I’m pretty sure that we can increase the supply of longevity potions if you join the Kandrian Empire,” Rui replied. “The raw natural resources needed to brew this potion are most abundant in powerful Master-level danger zones. We can gain more of them if the Silas Clan aids in their acquisition. In other words, you can prolong your own lifespans without relying on handouts from anybody else.”

This possibility was clearly appealing to the elderly matriarch. It made it easier to stomach the prospects of settling in the Kandrian Empire for potions if they were the ones who were largely relying on the potions themselves.

It preserved their pride.

The grandson and grandmother conversed about a variety of topics while they could, as Rui purposely took the time to build a greater rapport with this grandmother.

“As if we would ever settle with those ignorant antithetants!” Matriarch Nephi scorned when Rui asked her why she had never taken protection in the Virodhabhasa Theocracy. “We prophetants understand that it is the Transcendent Prophet who deserves the highest regard and worship, not the Antithesis! It is a prophecy that saved this world! It is prophecy that is supreme!”

She grumbled, much to Rui’s delight.

He was glad that there were theological conflicts between the Silas Clan and the Theocracy. Frankly, if not for that, the Silas Clan may very well decide to settle in the Theocracy. This would be a great loss to the Kandrian Empire and himself, especially.

They conversed more as Matriarch Nephi asked him many questions regarding their potential permanent residence in the Kandrian Empire. It was important for her to gain an understanding of the nature of what their life would be like in the Kandrian Empire before making a final decision in regard to whether they would take Rui up on his offer to permanently reside in the Kandrian Empire or not.

“…It has been a long day,” Matriarch Nephi heaved a sigh. “Much has happened. Why don’t you take some rest in our clan before departing?”

Rui smiled. “I’d love to, but as I said earlier, I’m not supposed to be here. I will need to return soon. Thus, I hope I can return home today with the name of the Silas Clan.”