Merun woke up on the sand with a mouth as dry as a desert and a back that felt like it had been molded into the beach. He sat up, squinting against the harsh glare of the midday sun, and slowly made his way toward the village stalls, his stomach growling for food.
As he sat at a small wooden table, an old couple served him a plate of grilled fish and a pitcher of water.
"You're Iro's husband, right?" the old woman asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
Merun nearly sprayed a mouthful of half-chewed fish across the table. He coughed, shaking his head vigorously as the old couple broke into hearty laughter.
"Oh, don't mind us! We're just happy someone decided to be there for Iro," the old man said, his face softening. "She's had a tough life, that one."
Merun perked his ears, setting his chopsticks down. He stared at them, his eyes silently asking for more.
"Iro's family suffered at the hands of martial artists," the lady sighed, her voice dropping. "One night, her parents and siblings were taken. When she woke up the next morning, she was all alone. She despaired for a long time—three days she mourned, her little cries breaking my heart. But then, she came out. Instead of begging for food, she asked for work and side jobs so she could afford to buy her own. Truly a brilliant girl. Now, I believe she's part of a clan, right? She says they even allow her to read and write! I'm quite jealous!"
She place her palm on his shoulder, "I'm glad not all martial artists are like that."
Merun gave her a soft, contemplative smile. He ate silently for a while and after he finished, he reached into his pouch, grabbed a handful of coins—far more than the meal cost—and pressed them into her hand.
"Sadly, I'll be away most of the time," Merun said quietly. "But can you please take care of her for me? Keep an eye on her?"
The old lady grinned, pocketing the coins with a wink. "Bribe accepted, young man!"
———
After the hearty meal and the heavy realization about Iro's past, Merun returned to the hut. Finding it empty, he sat cross-legged on the floor and fired up the scouter. It was time to get back to the "meta."
He typed the technique Iro told him into the search bar: 'VAJRA TYRANT'.
Again, It was annoying, like typing on a TV using the remote.
To his surprise, not a single result appeared under that name. "Huh? Did I type that right?"
Instead, five individual techniques populated the list.
[SANCHIN: ROOT OF THE IRON PILLAR] [TENSHO: FLOW COMPRESSION] [SEISAN: PRESSURE LINE DRIVE] [BASSAI DAI: FORTRESS BREAK] [SUPARINPEI: ADAPTIVE SURGE]
Curious, he tapped the first one, and the technical breakdown flooded his vision.
[SANCHIN: ROOT OF THE IRON PILLAR]
[MARTIAL APPRENTICE]
[DIFFICULTY: GRADE 6 / EFFECTIVENESS: HIGH-GRADE]
[TECHNIQUE CATEGORY: ATTRIBUTE-CENTRIC STANCE (TYPE VI-III)]
[TEACHER AVAILABLE: Y]
[TECHNIQUE DETAILS] The bedrock of the Vajra Tyrant style. It focuses on grounding the heels as if the earth itself has claimed the warrior, turning the frame into a fixed point in reality. By locking the core and tensing the entire body into a dense, unbreakable structure, the user ensures that any incoming force is met with an "Iron Anvil" that reflects kinetic energy back into the attacker's limbs rather than absorbing it... SEE MORE.
"...Bedrock of the Vajra Tyrant style?" Merun muttered, his eyes widening behind the lens. "Wait... so it's not just a technique. The Vajra Tyrant is a martial fighting style?"
He quickly opened the second one.
[TENSHO: FLOW COMPRESSION]
[MARTIAL APPRENTICE]
[DIFFICULTY: GRADE 5 / EFFECTIVENESS: MID-GRADE]
[TECHNIQUE CATEGORY: DEFENSIVE COUNTER-OFFENSE (TYPE III-II)]
[TEACHER AVAILABLE: Y]
[TECHNIQUE DETAILS] Used to maintain control when combat becomes chaotic at close range. Instead of meeting force head-on, the user's arms become "alive," constantly circling, pressing, and guiding the opponent's limbs. By staying physically connected, the user spirals off attacks and absorbs momentum to return it along a curved path, ensuring the opponent can never reset their position... SEE MORE.
"This one doesn't say 'Vajra Tyrant' outright," Merun analyzed, "but it synergizes perfectly with Sanchin. If Sanchin is the anvil, Tensho is... the magnet that keeps them stuck to the anvil."
He realized he was looking at build paths. These weren't isolated moves; they were components of a greater sum. He checked the rest one by one:
[SEISAN: PRESSURE LINE DRIVE]
[MARTIAL APPRENTICE]
[DIFFICULTY: GRADE 4 / EFFECTIVENESS: MID-GRADE]
[TECHNIQUE CATEGORY: OFFENSE-ORIENTED (TYPE II)]
[TEACHER AVAILABLE: Y]
[TECHNIQUE DETAILS] Unavoidable forward pressure. Every step closes distance while keeping the body structure intact. The entire body moves as one crashing unit, forcing the opponent to deal with the user's mass.
[BASSAI DAI: FORTRESS BREAK]
[MARTIAL APPRENTICE]
[DIFFICULTY: GRADE 7 / EFFECTIVENESS: HIGH-GRADE]
[TECHNIQUE CATEGORY: OFFENSIVE BREAKTHROUGH (TYPE II)]
[TEACHER AVAILABLE: Y]
[TECHNIQUE DETAILS] An explosive technique designed to shatter the opponent's guard. Uses elbows, forearms, and shoulders as a siege-ram to crush through any fortified defense.
[SUPARINPEI: ADAPTIVE SURGE]
[MARTIAL APPRENTICE]
[DIFFICULTY: GRADE 10 / EFFECTIVENESS: PEAK-GRADE]
[TECHNIQUE CATEGORY: IRREGULAR UNIFICATION (TYPE X)]
[TEACHER AVAILABLE: N]
[TECHNIQUE DETAILS] The ultimate unification. The ability to shift seamlessly between flow, pressure, and breakthrough force in a single heartbeat.
Merun let out a sudden, sharp laugh that echoed in the quiet hut.
"This... this is perfect!"
He felt a boiling sensation in his heart. It felt more intense than usual... it was as if his battle-thirsty Saiyan body and modern mind were in sync.
Since his reincarnation to Gaia, he had been relying on his biology; on brute strength, raw power, and speed. He was a monster by birth, but he hadn't yet become a true martial artist... He was more of a brawler.
Thinking of learning and one day mastering all sorts of techniques gave him so much excitement.
How strong can I become?
He could already imagine people on reddit. 'Um awctually, this technique is straight up ass and garbage, try instead the wicked gale fear build I made and posted on the forums.'
How I miss rage-baiting online. Merun thought.
"Alright," Merun whispered, a predatory grin forming. "That's my martial style figured out... now, for a passive mental defense technique, and... a useful technique. Maybe something like Rui's Mind Palace?"
All of a sudden, Merun froze as he remembered a technique. A technique that Rui created.
A game-changer.
One that could truly make him a monster.
Hungry Pain.