Previously, I could only take passive measures against enemies, such as 'running' or 'hiding'. However, by coexisting with the Almeiza Machine and obtaining power, the option to 'fight' has been born.
Of course, my main strategy is still focused on avoiding combat. The blunder the other day was the result of overestimating my own power and acting thoughtlessly, a point on which I must reflect.
However, there are surely cases where fighting is safer than running in the end. Narrowing the range of available choices myself could conversely lower the probability of survival. It becomes important to accurately assess the effective range of my abilities and quickly decide whether to fight or flee.
I realized this during the engagement with the Withered Tree Human. No matter how much I accelerate my thoughts, if my body cannot keep up with that perception, I cannot fully utilize my abilities. Ideally, I want my body to move instantly in battle without thinking.
In other words, I need martial arts. The battlefield is a world where a split second divides life and death. Acting after thinking is too slow. Basically, I think I rely too much on the tactic of firing 'Erosion Machine Bullets' from a distance. Maintaining distance is important, but having that as my only method is problematic.
Calling it martial arts is an exaggeration; I am not planning to acquire advanced techniques right from the start. The first thing I should seek is the mindset.
In all things, those with experience have the advantage. No matter how much one understands in their head, they cannot respond immediately when actually attacked by an enemy. That is something only those who constantly simulate battle and accumulate rehearsal can do. Before issues of physical ability or combat technique, I think that the spirituality of martial arts is exactly what I should emulate now.
The utility of martial arts in combat lies in 'Kata'—forms. This does not change regardless of the sport or school. One practices a pre-programmed series of actions until they seep into the body and can be performed without thought. That is why they are fast.
Even when escaping, by instantly shifting into one's own combat style, one can bring themselves into an action posture smoothly without being confused by unnecessary thoughts or feints. It has the effect of speeding up the switching of thoughts and heightening reaction speed. Learning forms is likely the shortest path to acquiring the spirituality of martial arts.
Of course, fighting strictly by the book is not always effective. Forms have speed, but they lack flexibility. For better or worse, they are programmed actions. Therefore, one eliminates openings by using multiple forms according to the situation and combining them. Even to spend thought on that judgment and widen the options of connecting forms, it is still better to be able to perform the forms quickly. That speed connects directly to adaptability.
In my memories, I feel like a master of the Shingen-ryu fought in such a way. I might be wrong, but I received that impression from that person's fighting style.
The problem is that I lack detailed knowledge regarding martial arts. I have an impression that the Shingen-ryu fighting style is simply amazing, but I have no idea what they actually do specifically.
I have a vague memory of doing some martial art called Judo, but it is as good as forgotten. I feel like my past self did not dabble much in such sports.
Most martial arts are techniques designed for human-versus-human combat. However, battles in the Dark Continent involve monsters; we are not exchanging techniques under fair conditions. I wondered if there was a combat sport that was practical to some extent against monsters and that even a beginner like me could take up.
As a result, I chose boxing. This is a sport where one simply punches with both hands. The basic stance of guarding the vital points of the human body, such as the head and torso, with both arms is also useful against monsters. The field of vision is somewhat obstructed, but blind spots can be compensated for by the Main Body's eyes, and Quinn possesses an intuitive recognition ability via 'Resonance'. I thought this was the martial art best suited for me.
And so, I have been continuing training for the last few days, but...
"Shh! Shh!"
This was unexpectedly difficult. I realized this painfully after trying shadow boxing alone.
Throwing a punch. It is merely that action, but when I try to do it intentionally as a martial art, the flaws are conspicuous. How should I put it? It was a completely amateur punch. When I used 'Multitask' to observe the usage of every corner of my body, I understood well just how unaware my punching method was.
My hips aren't in it. My core is misaligned. On top of my form not being solid to begin with, equipping the Main Body on my right hand applies a lopsided weight, making my balance even worse. I cannot fully utilize it as a weapon and am being swayed by its weight. If I can tell this much just by analyzing it as an amateur, an expert would surely raise many more harsh points.
Then, the element of stepping is added to that. Footwork is an action just as important as attacking, and in some cases, even more so. Even simply classified, there is the instep moving forward, the backstep moving backward, and the side step moving laterally.
To land my own attacks while dodging the enemy's, the technique to master these steps is essential. To parry impacts with a guard or to switch instantly to an offense from a dodge, just being able to move one's feet is not enough. I struggle with the coordination of my upper body and lower body movements. My steps and punches are catastrophically out of sync.
In short, the current me is just letting the physical abilities enhanced by aura do the talking and thrashing about. That is not boxing. Having thought it was a sport of just punching with two hands, I can only say I was completely underestimating boxing.
Boxing is also one of the martial arts that professionals in that path spend their lives approaching. There was no way I could master it easily. From the start, there is no martial art that can be acquired overnight. I have no choice but to steadily accumulate practice every day and improve.
Without an instructor, I have doubts about how far training devised by the shallow wisdom of an amateur will actually work. I had no choice but to mobilize all the knowledge of manga remaining in the corners of my memory and repeat trial and error.
I walk along a sandy beach that could be mistaken for a desert. This place, lacking obstructions, had too much visibility. My position is easily visible to enemies, but it can be said that I can also easily discover enemies.
Just a moment ago, I saw a sea hare of the 100-meter class. It might have been a sea cucumber. Anyway, the sandy ground where that giant body had moved left a glittering trail.
At first, I thought the mucus had dried and was shining like the trail of a slug, but looking closely, the ground had become smooth like pottery. The sand had melted, and the quartz contained within had transformed into glass.
Of course, I ignored the sea hare without getting any closer. It would be helpful if all enemies had dangers so clear at a glance, but there are many patterns where a guy who looks like no big deal at first glance actually comes to kill you in earnest. I wish they would stop that.
After walking for a while, I heard the faint sound of waves. The smell of the tide is mixed in the wind. The sea is near.
It seemed like a smooth exploration of the beach, but while I was following the sound of the ripples, a strange tinnitus occurred. A high-pitched sound, intense enough to cause pain, rampaged inside my eardrums.
The tinnitus subsided in about a second, but I heightened my vigilance at its unnaturalness. I immediately performed enemy detection using 'Resonance'.
'...Nothing is there...?'
I couldn't sense any particular anomaly. Perhaps it really was just tinnitus.
It was right after I thought that. A massive shadow suddenly appeared in front of me.
'!?'
It was a blue crab. It had a large physique, perhaps dozens of meters, but what was surprising was the claw that was larger than its torso. Only the right cheliped was abnormally developed. Its appearance resembled a fiddler crab.
Two eyes, extended long like antennas, glared this way. I took a step back at that intimidation. Crunch, the sound of stepping on sand rang out. As if that were the signal, the enemy moved.
'Thought Calculation (Multitask).'
By the time I entered accelerated thought, the situation was already such that the claw, like a roller press, was on the verge of swinging down upon my head. A terrifying speed that did not match its giant body. In the next instant, my vision was covered in shadow.
Overwhelming mass was slammed down. With a roar like a blank cartridge, the surrounding sand was blown away.
I managed to evade at the very last moment. I dodged the linear crushing attack approaching from the front with a side step. If I hadn't been practicing, I surely wouldn't have made it in time. It was truly a hair's breadth.
However, in the momentary relief of a successful evasion, that opening was devoured. The cheliped that had finished slamming down was now swung horizontally. I can't dodge it. The attack range is too wide.
When I came to, I was dancing in the sky. The scene jumped as if interrupted camera footage had been spliced together. It was natural for a blank to occur in my consciousness. I had taken that much damage.
Even so, I had taken every measure I could. I strengthened my whole body's defense with 'Ken', and at the moment of direct hit, I leaped so that I would be blown into the air myself. If I had taken it standing still, I would have been run over and turned into mince. I intend to have parried the impact to the maximum.
The result is serious injuries with fractures all over my body.
I think while dancing in the air like a tattered rag. I took the enemy's attack, but Quinn is still alive. We weren't killed in one hit.
'Could it be that this crab isn't that strong?'
It's not strictly a Nen ability, but they say that once one becomes a user of a certain level, they can sense the difference in power the moment they see an opponent. Having survived several bloody battles, I was also able to acquire that kind of gut feeling.
If I trust my senses, the strength of this crab is 'Average'. It's not weak, but it's not strong either. Although I was surprised by the way it appeared, its combat power itself doesn't seem to be that great.
Honestly, I wasn't worried about Quinn's wounds. Injuries of this degree happen often. It can be said to be on the lighter side. Function has declined, but the body still moves. And the stock of eggs is full. There was room in the choices I could take.
The problem is how to act next. The beast has just unleashed an attack, and there is an opening before it moves to the next action. Furthermore, thanks to it swinging its claw grandly, dust clouds have risen, and visibility is poor.