The Martial Unity

Eventually, the time for the implantation procedure had arrived. As brilliant and competent Rui was, he could not complete a medical procedure of such a scope by himself by any means. He needed help.

Much to his surprise, the Martial Union swiftly proceeded with the process without too much delay. He had already been surprised that the Martial doctors were so easily offering their consultancy on the distribution configuration of the blueprint of his technique.

However, in hindsight, it shouldn't have been so surprising. While it was a little unusual for Martial Artists to create their own medical procedures to allow them to utilize a technique, it was not too unheard of. A system already existed in place to help Martial Artists develop such procedures with the help of medical experts and implement them with the help of qualified surgeons.

Though, based on the reactions of the consultants, it was rather clear that they hadn't run into anything quite like what Rui had sought their consultancy over.

"Squire Quarrier, pleasure to meet you. I am Dr. Dranim Vel, I will be the lead surgeon of the medical procedure that you're scheduled to undergo, you've arrived just on time," A doctor bowed to him courteously when Rui reached the medical wing. "Please follow our team's instructions to have you prepped for the surgery according to our guidelines."

Rui, who had just walked into the room, nodded. "Pleasure to meet you as well, doctor. I'll be in your care."

Thankfully, the preparations were limited. The main pre-op procedures had already been completed ahead of time. Rui had already had several tissue and blood samples collected to ensure that there weren't any concerning issues surrounding his compatibility with the esoteric substances that he would be implanting into his body at the moment.

Rui was guided into a separate operation chamber that was isolated from the surgical team that would be operating on him remotely. Based on Seismic Mapping, there was a three-meter barrier between them constructed from low-grade Squire-level esoteric alloys. It could very briefly contain even high-grade Martial Artists.

"Squire Quarrier, if you could please lie down on the operating table," The doctor courteously requested him.

CLACK CLACK CLACK

Several cuffs locked him into place automatically the second he lied down.

"We will soon begin the procedure," The doctor informed him. "Proceeding with the administering of a general anesthetic."

Rui huffed, unsatisfied as a breathing mask latched on his face, covering his nose and mouth before administering him a gas. Rui had objected to the administration of a general anesthetic but had ultimately had no choice when this was one of the iron-clad guidelines for deeply invasive procedures like the one Rui was about to undergo.

A dozen seconds passed since the gas had been administered to him, Rui just sat there awkwardly.

"…Squire Quarrier, are you employing a Martial Art technique at the moment? Please desist from resisting the procedure. This violates the terms and conditions," The doctor's tone was stern.

"I'm doing no such thing, doctor," Rui furrowed his eyes in confusion.

"Are you experiencing no side effects?" The doctor's tone was incredulous.

"I suppose I am feeling a little drowsy," Rui admitted.

He was curious why he was able to resist it to such a degree. He suspected it had something to do with his enhanced neurological parameters, however this was much too outside of his area of expertise to be confident on.

"…We will be administering an undiluted dose since the Squire-grade version does not seem to be effective on you. I'm afraid if even this doesn't work, we may have to delay the procedure,"

('Damn, it's at times like these my stranger qualities are a burden," Rui tutted.

Suddenly, he felt a strong wave of drowsiness wash over him as the world went dark.

…

"Mmm…" He got up with a bit of a headache, being greeted by a white ceiling.

He got up massaging his forehead.

His body felt strange.

"Ah, Squire Quarrier, you're awake?" A voice called out to him.

"Hm?" Rui looked up.

A nurse greeted him as she walked over to his side.

"Your procedure was a success," She informed him. "I just have to conduct some basic check-ups and then you can be discharged as long as there isn't anything wrong.

"How long have I been asleep?" Rui asked.

"Around half a day. Please open your mouth," She began as she conducted a basic check-up.

Rui couldn't even voice out the surprise from knowing he had been asleep for that long. He closed his eyes he focused on the strange sensations within his body. The Cryllin Stone and Grainer Pollen inside his body stirred and shifted in position and temperature with his own movements. They were no different from his other senses which were also stirred by his movements, and the movements of the world around him.

He tried focusing and applying the Gravitational Sensory System that he had developed applying the data of the two esoteric substances, the equations of relativity, and the Parallax Method to try and perceive the world through the curvature of space. But alas, it was extremely difficult.

It took him nearly two minutes, but eventually, he succeeded

Rui gasped as a black-and-white image of the world formed in his head, mapping out the world around him. The room he was in, the nurse skimming through some paperwork, and the furniture.

Even if it was his very first try, the time it took him as well as his range were very poor, but he intended to fix that over time.

('So this is what it feels like to sense space itself,') Rui grinned.

"There are no issues surrounding your health, Squire Quarrier," She replied. "Please sign these papers if you wish to be discharged immediately."

Rui found himself leaving the Martial Union a few minutes, later as he closed his eyes, trying his best to grow familiar with the new artificial sense that he had embedded in his body and the new stimuli that his brain was indirectly receiving.