The Martial Unity

Chapter 3573: BioMECHAs

Unlike a Martial Apprentice, he sensed a change in her physicality. Her physiology had improved beyond what he would have expected in just a year or so after entering puberty.

She was already superhuman in her physical power, but she had grown even stronger since then. That was a massive difference from the Apprentice Realm, where the physical body remained unchanged, but a greater portion of the neurological potential of the brain was unlocked, allowing for unprecedented mechanical efficiency with her body.

What was especially stunning was the fact that he sensed that she had undergone that kind of change as well, as if partaking from the Martial Path a little.

’Ah…’ his eyes lit up with understanding. ’She has also inherited the natural bodily evolution that Martial Bodies are programmed with.’

Her mother’s physiology was that of a Martial Body, and she had inherited her mother’s genes. This meant that her body would naturally grow stronger and stronger with time as long as she didn’t completely deprive it of any pressure.

This process was likely enhanced because she was born with Martial Body genetics rather than getting a Martial Body much, much later in life. She was brimming with unfathomable potential that just waited for her to achieve it.

What he had a harder time imagining was what the Blood Path progression from this on was going to look like and what she would need to do to traverse it.

Even principles that he would regard as highly universal, such as individuality, were no longer as universal as he once regarded them as. For instance, even within the Martial Path, members of the Hive didn’t follow individuality like other Martial Paths.

Who knew what trait was most important for Blood Paths? At most, Rui could use his prophecy to help her avoid what he sensed was clearly a bad path. It was a good thing that his negatron-enhanced teleportation allowed him to go back and forth between the Great Void Ocean and the Panama Continent. He could help Arastia and perhaps even other blood children more comprehensively based on what he observed of her.

“Arastia is considering applying for MECHA training,” Max huffed lightly, shaking his head. “What do you think, big bro?”

Rui raised an eyebrow. “MECHA, hm?”

He had considered what it would look like if the blood children began to master MECHAs while also being superhumanly strong.

On paper, they would reach a level of power that would astronomically dwarf even Martial Art. However, on closer inspection, Rui realized that this might not be a good idea.

“MECHAs are designed to be a platform compatible with the Martial Path, specifically,” he told her with a knowing expression. “You don’t have a Martial Path, you have a Blood Path.”

“Aww…” she groaned at his verdict. “But MECHAs are so cool! They’re big giant machines that can beat any Martial Artist! I want to be that strong too.”

Rui smiled. “You’re plenty strong and you will grow plenty stronger. Who knows, one day you might even become stronger than me.”

“Really?!”

“It’s not impossible with your bottomless potential.”

“But I still want to pilot a MECHA…”

Rui fell into thought as he studied her pouting expression. “I wonder if it is possible to create a technological platform that is compatible with the Blood Path. I would imagine that it is not strictly impossible.”

The Blood Path was centered around blood and, more importantly, the manipulation of blood. Hemokinesis was to Arastia what Martial Art was to Martial Artists.

Thus, a mechatronic machine that conceptually and mechanically enhanced the power of her hemonkinesis without decentering Arastia and making full use of her potential, just as MECHAs were designed to.

Rui’s mind surged with interest as he began conceptualizing different models in his mind, honing in on one that very naturally came to his mind.

“What about a MECHA with blood and a biological circulatory system running through it?” Rui wondered with a curious expression.

Julian winced at those words. “That sounds like a monstrosity. What would be the purpose of such an unholy fusion?”

“How else would you have a machine that smoothly enhances hemokinesis without decentering Arastia or other children like Arastia?” Rui wondered. “With Martial Art, MECHAs have engines that increase the force that we exert. How do you increase the force that hemokinesis exerts without increasing the amount of blood? I suppose theoretically you could simply increase the electromagnetic field that hemosapien children use to manipulate their blood, but…”

He shrugged with a dubious expression. “It would demand too much precision and accuracy from the blood children to control that for a limited amount of blood. Thus, it makes sense to have blood within the MECHA, preferably in a circulatory system that runs across the entire machine, such that hemosapiens can control the blood. Maybe something similar to the relationship between therianthropic beast tamers and their beasts.”

Julian considered Rui’s words with a hint of interest. “When you put it like that, it might seem plausible. But… the question is whether such a project is worth going through with.”

“Given that these children are going to be the greatest assets of our civilization in the future, it makes sense,” Rui replied. “It makes sense to make these investments in their power. We’re not going to beat the Evolutionary Army in the future if we don’t do everything in our power to bolster our defenses for when the time comes.”

Julian heaved a deep breath. “It is worth exploring. It might just be that, for children like Arastia, a biotechnological MECHA will be what is able to harness their power.”

“Our biotechnology has not reached that level, has it?”

“It soon will. I am working hard to decode and reverse engineer the biotechnology of the elves, therianthropes, and the tekvores. The former are our allies now, and they have been rather forthcoming with what we need, at least as far as the basics. If not for the manifold, it would take me years and decades, but with the manifold…”

His tone grew more confident. “We can have bioMECHAs ready by next year.”