Rebirth System: Blood and Ash

Aric had made it back to his room. He had given the order for a carriage to be prepared for their departure, and Serina and Lerai had begun preparations, as they would be leaving the imperial city on their long journey to Byzeth.

However, before setting off, The prince deemed it a priority to improve his martial arts now that he had Ki, and the quickest way to do that was to learn martial arts techniques. Normally, this was anything but an easy task, as even the simplest of techniques could be extremely difficult to learn.

One would need to read through the manual many times, understanding every single word and instruction, sometimes having to meditate over it for many days before even starting to grasp the technique’s concept.

This was not the case for Aric.

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Learnable Skills

Muscle Burst (Basic - Upgradable)

Ki Fists (Basic)

Ki Barrier (Basic - Upgradable)

Breakthrough (Basic)

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Of the hundreds of skills in the martial arts vault, Aric had decided these four would be the most useful.

Muscle Burst was a technique that allowed the channeling of Ki into specific muscles to enhance speed and reaction time in swift, explosive bursts.

Ki Fists was a basic technique that allowed the user to concentrate Ki into the fists, strengthening attacks made with the hands several times over.

Ki Barrier, as the name suggested, gave the ability to create a basic barrier made of Ki, capable of stopping assaults of low force.

While Breakthrough was a burst shot from the palm, capable of pushing things of considerable weight back.

They were not divine destruction level skills, but they were something. If Aric wanted to find anything better, he would need access to higher levels of the martial vault, and that was an endeavor he currently did not have time to pursue. He would have to make do with what he had.

[Would you like to learn this skill?]

The prompt appeared just below the description of the Muscle Burst skill.

"Yes," Aric accepted.

[Would you like to learn this skill using AR training?]

Aric’s eyes narrowed, slightly confused, as he turned to the guide, floating silently at his side.

"AR training? What’s that?"

"Augmented Reality is a high-level system function that allows the user to learn through augmented entities. Would you like to try it out?" the guide asked, her usual excitement about system functions clear in her cheerful movement.

"Yeah…" Aric replied, uncertain about what to expect.

The air around him became cold and glowed with a soft blue hue. Suddenly, a holographic humanoid figure materialized before him, its body glowing with an azure light and emitting a faint sound. The figure stood still, but its sheer presence caused Aric’s instincts to flare. He immediately tensed, dropping into a battle stance.

His heart raced as he prepared for the worst. "What the—!?" His fists clenched, ready to strike.

Before he could react further, the guide floated in front of him, a tiny chuckle escaping her lips.

"No need to be alarmed. This is an augmented entity, part of the AR training mode. It’s here to demonstrate the technique for you, not attack."

Aric blinked, slowly relaxing. "An augmented entity?"

"Yes," the guide chimed with excitement. "It’s a high-level system function that shows you how to perform martial techniques in real time. Think of it like having a personal instructor—except it never tires and shows you everything perfectly, down to the smallest detail."

Aric glanced back at the holographic figure, now standing motionless. "So, it’s going to show me how to perform Muscle Burst?"

"Precisely," the guide hovered closer, her tiny form now dancing around his head. "Just watch closely. It’ll demonstrate how to channel Ki into the muscles and execute the technique."

The holographic entity moved without warning. Its body shifted into a battle-ready stance, much like Aric’s, but far more refined and controlled.

Aric could feel the energy in the air shift as the entity began to channel Ki into its arms and legs. With every slight movement, he could see how the Ki flowed through its translucent muscles, causing them to bulge slightly, then contract in explosive bursts.

In a blur of motion, the entity dashed forward with blinding speed, its body a controlled convergence of power. It stopped just as suddenly, standing as still as before, the demonstration complete. The entire sequence had taken less than a second, yet Aric had witnessed every tiny detail—the shift of energy, the precise control over each muscle, and the timing needed to execute the burst.

"Oh…" Aric muttered, taking a deep breath. "So that’s how it’s done."

"Now you can attempt it," the guide sounded far too cheerful for what Aric knew would be a tough task. "Try to follow the same steps."

Aric focused, taking the same stance the entity had shown. He tried to mimic the flow of Ki into his muscles, but as soon as he attempted it, the energy faltered. His legs tensed awkwardly, but no speed or power followed.

He gritted his teeth and tried again, but his body refused to cooperate. Every time he thought he had it, the Ki slipped away, leaving him with only strained muscles and frustration.

Again. Failure.

Aric growled under his breath, a flicker of irritation flashing across his face. "It’s harder than it looks."

The guide, still floating near his shoulder, offered a sympathetic smile. "Don’t be discouraged! This is your first time using AR training, and mastering techniques takes patience. The entity will continue to demonstrate as often as you need."

The entity reset itself, ready to display the technique again. Aric watched with narrowed eyes, determined to get it right. The process was clear to him, but putting it into practice… that was significantly more difficult.

"Alright, one more time..." Aric muttered to himself. His muscles burned with effort, and his Ki felt like it was slipping through his fingers.

However, he had endured far more for far less… so he was determined not to stop until he got it right.