The Martial Unity

”I’m not actually going to be selling it to a lot of people, but I will be making the offer to them,” Ria reassured him. ”That way, when the news about Planet Pinky becomes public. They will realize that the information I sent them in that email was completely authentic. So the next time they get that email, they will take it very seriously. It’s all in order to establish credibility as quickly as possible.”

Neera had told her about her conversation with the CEO of Terrestrike, a wily old woman named Mearsheim who ultimately went on to purchase the information. Ria understood she would need to be careful, otherwise she would be revealed as the true core of the company.

Of course, once her true identity was revealed as the princess, no one would touch her, but she hated that more than her ability to sense infected worlds being exposed.

Soon enough, all three of them had read and signed the contract, and Ria immediately transmitted the location of Planet Pinky to them. The Esoterist’s eyes lit up as he shot to his feet. ”Alright, pleasure doing business with you. Bye!”

WHOOSH

He teleported away, leaving the three ladies by themselves in the Vargard Palace.

”I sent this to the Mining Department, they’ll start a mission right away,” Arastia remarked with a nod.

”Minister Rockarche of the Ministry of Mining Affairs just told me that he would commence a mining operation,” Ru said, turning towards Ria with a smile. ”Now then, since we have handled business, let’s get down to more important matters.”

Her expression softened. ”Tell me about the friends that you lost.”

Ria stiffened. ”Like I said… I’m not sure I want to talk about it.”

”You can tell us, Ria, we’re family,” Arastia tried coaxing her. ”We’ll always be here for you.”

Ria shifted in her seat uncomfortably. She had insisted on getting to the deal first, evading questions about the fiasco with the excuse of business. But in truth, she appreciated her aunts taking the time to be with her in her grief.

They listened patiently as Ria slowly began opening up.

*****

”Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

The voice of the Emperor of Harmony made Runark’s expression stiffen. Today his godfather’s presence seemed to be truly extraordinary. Normally, he was quite personable and familial with Runark. But the moment he had set foot into the training chamber in the manifold with the man, his demeanor had shifted.

Runark nodded with severe determination. ”Please, Uncle Rui. You’re the only one who can help me grow stronger. You’re the only one who can help me catch up to Ria.”

It was the whole reason he was with his godfather in the training chamber in the first place. He knew that the Emperor of Water was his only chance to help him ever catch up with Ria.

The man smiled at Runark. ”And what will you do once you catch up to her?”

Runark’s expression grew embarrassed. ”T-That…”

The Emperor of Water huffed, shaking his head. ”Well, that’s between you and her. However, you should know how difficult what you’re asking is, even for me.”

His tone grew more serious. ”Ria is an extraordinary talent who surpassed my every expectation of her. She’s undoubtedly the most gifted Martial Artist in the history of Martial Art. And she will only grow stronger from this point on, especially since recent events have made her seek power more than she ever had in the past. Which means she will push herself to the limit, which will only stimulate her growth.”

He directed a pointed gaze at Runark. ”She’s already a Martial Sage, meanwhile, you’re still very much within the Master Realm.”

Runark’s expression grew pained, but he knew that his godfather was merely speaking the truth as it was. He nodded slowly, staring at the Emperor with a desperate expression. ”Isn’t there anything you can do? Can’t you give me whatever you gave her?”

”You’re too old for that, I’m afraid,” Rui shook his head. ”The younger one is, the more malleable one is, unless of course you’re Water, in which case you are endlessly malleable.”

Runark didn’t quite get what the man meant by that, but he simply kept listening. It didn’t sound like his godfather had anything for him.

”Rather than trying to have what Ria does, we should focus on what you can have,” Rui remarked. ”Normally, the kind of changes that you would have to undergo in order to even come close to her would be nothing short of inflicting grave psychological trauma on you. Power doesn’t come out of nowhere, and if I try to give you some generic boosts, it will only temporarily bring you higher, before eventually leaving you to be surpassed by her in the blink of an eye. I’m sure you understand that if you want to catch up to Ria, no amount of physical stuff like biological upgrades or a better neural inlay will help you.”

Runark nodded knowingly. ”Ria cannot be surpassed by such cheap paths to power.”

”Indeed, she can’t,” the Emperor replied. ”That is why ordinary solutions won’t be effective. Any solution that will be effective will be extreme. So much so that it would scar your mind and soul forever.”

The Emperor’s ethereal eyes bore deep into Runark’s green pupils.

”Are you willing to suffer fates worse than death in order to achieve the power you need to reach Ria?”

That question made Runark’s expression crumple with severity. He gritted his teeth, inhaling sharply.

”Yes.”

The Emperor stared at him for several moments before smiling. ”Remarkable. Your conviction is very pure. You must truly love Ria, hm?”

”…I do,” Runark admitted, this time without any hesitation. ”I don’t care what pain or suffering it takes. Just make me as powerful as her.”

”Relax,” his godfather’s tone grew more nonchalant. ”The good news is that you have already suffered from a tremendous wound that has scarred your mind and soul, so we don’t have to go through it all over again.”

Runark’s expression grew stunned. ”You mean…”

”That’s right,” the Emperor replied. ”Your trauma from the year you spent in absolute darkness and isolation, your nyctophobia… it is a curse, but if you have the courage to let it remain a part of you, then it may become a source of your power.”