Martial Elf

The martial arts are the history of struggle.

The reason martial arts were created is ultimately to possess the ‘strength’ to protect and seize what is valuable.

Whether in a past life or this life, learning is a precious thing in this world.

When a merchant who has learned calculation does mental arithmetic or uses an abacus to calculate large numbers, it is clear from watching the common folk, who have not learned, calculate small numbers using their fingers and toes in a comical manner.

It is because they live their whole lives just digging the earth.

If even the calculation of small numbers is like that, what about a mysterious secret that uses the body, flies through the sky, and exerts the power of a thousand pounds through the strength of thought?

Whether by chance or necessity, humans began to connect with the various energies of nature and to manipulate them. I think various martial arts developed according to form and, at times, morals.

However, knowledge that possesses complexity in its manifestation has a very high entry barrier regarding that knowledge and becomes closed due to those who wish to monopolize that power.

Near-infinite formulas.

For a mere mortal who lives under a century, no matter how much one devotes their entire life, that attempt will inevitably have limitations.

Thus, there was a significant difference between a talent who learned the official martial arts (the martial arts) through numerous trials and errors as part of a clan and a wanderer who grew up in the marketplace. In the mundane world, taboos arose to protect the power that comes from that difference, such as not being allowed to observe someone else’s training.

However, I am likely one of the very few humans who have studied the mysteries of such various clans in the martial arts world.

With the ability to communicate with the heavens through the lower dantian, possessing exceptional intellect but unable to use my own martial arts, I am a figure destined to perish along with the secrets of martial arts.

Before dying, those who wished to develop their clan’s martial arts as much as possible entrusted their martial arts to me just before their death.

By the time my life ends, the work within this martial arts book alone will exceed two thousand.

It is not vast knowledge confined to places like the Shaolin’s Scriptures Pavilion or the Mount Hua’s Chuiun Palace, but rather various inspirations and knowledge that form the foundation of truth, regardless of type.

The knowledge imparted, without thinking of the consequences, shines in a new life as it is passed on to someone who is destined to disappear.

‘It seems that the form is slowly being completed.’

Three weeks ago, the giant brothers, who had promised not to harm humans, were still lumbering, yet agile, sweating profusely as they demonstrated various postures they had learned.

The existence of giants inspired me as a martial artist.

Naturally, a creature with that much mass would be unable to stand straight on the ground.

Much like the elves derived from the World Tree, the Titan giants also existed outside the normal rules of life.

Therefore, it was necessary to create martial arts not for those bound by common sense, but for those who exist beyond the rules.

Accordingly, I created fundamental techniques suitable for the giants and taught them.

‘Neither bad nor good; it was an average talent.’

Since we weren’t focusing on linking with inner energy, the basics were established, and the learning itself was fast enough even without exceptional talent.

When I first saw their punching techniques, they were worse than the punches of the street urchins.

They swung their upper bodies, primarily using their shoulders, as if spinning like a windmill.

They were postures where proper power transfer was not achieved.

Of course, considering the giants’ weight and strength, that alone was mythological violence.

Thus, there was no need to contemplate beyond that.

Hence, I taught them how to step, how to use their waist, and how to utilize their shoulders.

A genius with exceptional talent would instinctively grasp and use such basics without needing instruction, but typically, those aspects must be taught for realization.

But isn’t it true?

If those who do not understand instinctively are left in nature, that is usually the case.

Yet everything can be cultivated through proper education.

Whether knowledge or martial arts, that is the case.

While I had more to do, I didn’t mind it much.

I never thought the brothers would possess great talent in the first place.

‘But I can’t tell if this is the right path.’

The biology of these giants seems so malformed that I thought it might be beneficial to establish a connection, so I experimented and found their physical prowess exceeded my expectations.

The punches swung with just their upper body strength were powerful in themselves, but when a correctly postured giant, who I suspected could exceed eight lb teak in weight, swung at a boulder, it had enough power to shake the mountain.

Until the right posture was achieved, it was all the same, and I recall the astonished eyes of the one who tilted his head after dozens of attempts and accidentally got the bodily coordination right to smash the rock.

I don’t know how developed human civilization is at this point, but the force generated was enough to break a city wall of four lb teak thickness.

From that point, it seemed I had gained trust in the martial arts, but upon facing the giant’s potential, which was unexpectedly superior to what I had thought, I felt a bit worried.

If this giant were to show hostility towards humans, a mere fortification would be utterly insufficient to stop them.

Once it made use of its inner energy, it might even surpass me in destructive power.

‘If I’m not going to kill it now, then I’m already riding a running horse.’

The choice has been made, and I can only pray it’s not the wrong one.

“Let’s stop and eat.”

The meal for the two was roasted wild boar, skinned and gutted, from two hogs.

Around them, a good number of bone remnants had piled up.

These weren’t human bones; they were the remains of surrounding animals.

One cannot go without food for ten days; to ensure they wouldn’t harm humans, I had to solve the basic issue of sustenance.

For the first week, I personally hunted and supplied their food, and afterward, I analyzed the giants’ characteristics, developing and teaching them the martial arts for hunting so they could catch food on their own.

However, even in a sufficiently large forest, river, or field, three giants could not be managed at once, so I advised against hunting in the same area for two weeks.

If they settled in one place and consumed everything, it could collapse the ecosystem’s cycle; in cases where the cycle has collapsed and land has died, it can take an extraordinarily long time to prepare the materials for the cycle to restart, and sometimes it won’t revive at all.

Meanwhile, I facilitated exchanges with humans for the skins, teeth, and bones, helping to procure items that were hard to obtain through hunting.

I made the utility of being useful outweigh the risks of attacking humans.

I set all possible safeguards in place.

I took honey candy from my pocket and said.

“I’ve taught you the basic forms. There’s nothing more to teach until our next meeting.”

Golb stopped eating and asked.

“So… are you leaving now?”

“Yes. I should have left long ago. I’ve been watching over you for as long as it took to come out of the woods.”

“Then…”

“Elf! Elf! What are you eating?”

“Um? This? It’s a treat made with honey from my sister.”

Silv looked at it with sparkling eyes and pleaded.

“Can I have some too? I want to eat it too.”

“Um… this one is a bit small for me…”

He looked at the candy, which was only as big as one of his finger joints compared to the size of a giant’s mouth.

Even putting it in his mouth, he might not even feel it.

In human terms, it might not even be the size of a grain of rice.

“It’s too small for you to eat.”

“Hmph…”

As I continued to see his large, grotesque figure, honestly, he started to look rather cute now.

“Silv.”

“Yes?”

“If you keep the promise I gave you until I return, I’ll ask my sister to make you a big honey candy that you can eat.”

“!!”

He seemed genuinely happy as an honest creature with unfiltered emotions.

“What was the promise I made with you?”

“Don’t bother humans! Don’t eat humans! Hunt only the amount of animals that can be eaten! And rinse your teeth well!”

“Right. If you keep those promises until we meet again, I’ll bring you a gift.”

“Okay!”

After finishing their meal, Golb quietly listened to the meaningless conversations between me and his brother before speaking up.

“Thank you.”

“Huh?”

“Um… for teaching martial arts. For teaching us how to hunt… and for taking good care of my brother…”

“Well, for now, we are teacher and student, at least in a formal sense.”

“Teacher?”

“Yes, it refers to the relationship of a master who imparts teachings to a disciple who receives them.”

In major sects like Mount Hua or the Wudang, the relationships between direct disciples were sometimes likened to that of parents and children.

“In the places I used to be, the relationship between teacher and disciple was often compared to that of parents and children because knowledge and intentions are passed down through the generations.”

“Teacher and disciple…”

“If you both keep your promises, it will truly become that way.”

I stood up and approached Rudolf’s back.

At first, the giants, who were scared, now seemed no longer intimidated by Rudolf, yawning and relaxing.

‘It’s a good thing they’ve grown bigger, not just in their appearances.’

“I’m off now. I’ve experienced parting before, and dragging it out can’t be good. It leads to awkwardness and makes it hard to know when to leave.”

The two hurriedly stood up to see me off.

“Please say hello to your mother for me as well.”

“It’s a hassle. Just pass on my regards to Lady Bryonia.”

“Elf! Are you…?”

“Yes. I have a place I must go, so I will keep my promise and return.”

“Okay… I will keep my promise… you have to come back…?”

“Yes.”

I looked at the two giant brothers until they became distant specks and broke into a smile.

Rudolf glanced back with the expression of ‘Is this guy crazy?’ but I chuckled as I rubbed the fur on his neck.

He shook himself off, as if to say it was annoying, trying to shake me off while I maintained my balance on his back.

“The first chapter of my journey out of the forest was making two giant disciples…”

I thought as I faced the east, guided by the star shining in the sky.

It seemed this would be quite an exciting journey ahead.

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