Climbing the Tower with Multidimensional Avatars - Chapter 13

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 13. Galactic Martial Arts World – Reincarnation (4)

An antique logo materialized on the display screen.

[Special Documentary: History of the Galactic Martial Arts World, Part 3 – 2500 Years Since Humanity’s Expansion Beyond the Sun]
[Production: GBS Broadcasting, Beggar’s Sect Headquarters System]
[Presented by: GBS Martial God Third Star System]
[Production Support: Galactic Martial Arts Alliance – Martial History Research Institute, Galactic International Federation – Galactic Historical Records Bureau, Earth Historical Documents Compilation Committee]

Having watched parts one and two of the documentary yesterday, I selected part three.
I had chosen the sciences and engineering because I enjoyed working with machines, yet I harbored such a passion for history that I had seriously considered majoring in it instead, had my interest in mechanics been any less compelling.
The history of another world—could anything be more fascinating?
Part one had chronicled the ancient martial arts that originated in Egypt, their transmission to the Indian subcontinent where they were restructured, and how these martial techniques eventually flowed into East Asia.
Part two analyzed the development of martial arts that spread throughout East Asia centered on ancient China from the late Zhou Dynasty onward, and compared how the ancient martial arts transmitted directly from Egypt to Europe developed distinctive systems under Roman and Germanic peoples, bypassing India entirely.
Part three was scheduled to cover the martial history from the late ancient period by this world’s standards—or the early modern period by mine, beginning with the mid-Qing Dynasty through the twenty-first century, the earliest age of space exploration.

* * *

A Professor with a dignified bearing walked onto the documentary set.
While most of the documentary consisted of footage and narration, the Professor provided commentary whenever explanation was needed.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again. Today, as promised, we’ll explore the period from the late sixteenth century of the late ancient era through the twenty-first century, which corresponds to the early medieval period.”
Ancient Chinese cultural artifacts briefly appeared on screen before the image shifted to a historical drama filming location.
“Let’s review the previous material for a moment. Martial arts have always undergone dramatic development through periods of warfare. In ancient China, when martial arts had just been transmitted, the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods created a distinctly East Asian character that differed from Egypt and India—a character that became the foundation of modern martial arts.”
The screen changed, displaying footage simulating warfare from the era before gunpowder weapons emerged.
Stunt performers trained in martial arts demonstrated elaborate combat choreography on screen.
The image shifted again, revealing a timeline that marked the period of war corresponding to the late Ming Dynasty and the transition to the Qing Dynasty.
“Through the warfare of the Qing transition, martial arts underwent another phase of development. However, after the war, the Jurchen ruling class of the Qing Dynasty implemented policies that suppressed martial artists who had mastered these arts.”
The screen displayed scenes of Qing Dynasty-clad emperors and generals oppressing martial artists.
“For martial history, this became a dark age even darker than the Yuan Dynasty period under Mongol rule. Yet the darkness of the East, when compared to the darkness of the West, could hardly be called darkness at all.”
A map of Europe unfolded on screen.
As gunpowder weapons advanced, the martial arts developed by Romans and Germanic peoples naturally began to decline in Europe.
While the East saw martial arts suppressed by the state, the West witnessed martial artists voluntarily abandoning their disciplines.
This trend accelerated dramatically with the invention of cartridges and the emergence of breech-loading rifles.
An incident where two riflemen annihilated fifty cavalry wielding sabers proved catastrophically decisive.
Skepticism toward martial arts spread throughout Europe, and as modern weaponry became widespread, Western martial arts were virtually severed entirely.
Instead, unique martial disciplines like gunkata emerged in the West for mastering firearms, and as the Industrial Revolution began, the age of imperialism and colonialism opened.
As Western powers began their global invasion, the East—particularly the Qing Dynasty—intensified its isolationist policies and official corruption.
Consequently, the Qing imperial court and government became paralyzed by Western powers, and numerous nations suffered extensive plundering.
Yet ironically, in the annals of martial history, the Qing Dynasty’s decline and fall marked the end of the Dark Age.
As the Qing government that had oppressed martial artists lost its grip, the suppression of martial arts vanished, and amid the chaos of Western encroachment and a nation failing to function, ordinary people learned martial arts to protect themselves.
Though firearms were easier to master than martial arts, the West prohibited personal weapons from circulating in its colonies, wary of arming the colonized.
Even when colonists managed to obtain firearms, acquiring ammunition proved far more difficult than obtaining the weapons themselves.
Thus, martial arts—requiring no consideration of consumption—became the only viable means of self-defense for the colonized peoples.
Western nations mocked the Orient’s antiquated warriors, and history marched on.
The brutal nineteenth century—the Dark Age of martial history—ended, and only after the early-to-mid twentieth century, an era of global warfare, gave way to the late twentieth century did peace finally arrive.
The late twentieth century.
Though the international atmosphere remained tense with the superpowers’ Cold War, and sporadic conflicts erupted across the globe, it was undeniably a rare period of peace in Earth’s entire history.
Martial arts develop rapidly through warfare.
This principle held true even during the twentieth century’s world wars, when explosives and aerial combat became paramount.
Before the Industrial Revolution, martial arts advanced through how effectively one killed enemies and how readily one defended against their attacks.
But during the world wars, martial arts evolved through how well one dodged bullets and survived poison gas and bombardment.
It was a brutal era where survival itself meant victory.
Though devastating, the world wars granted martial artists who trained in these arts overwhelming survival capabilities.
These survival abilities would later become the fundamental foundation for martial artists’ expansion into space.
After the wars ended, the martial world of the twenty-first century entered another period of decline.
The peaceful world grew wary of individuals wielding power.
Martial arts could be defined as methods of combat, so it was natural for societies and nations desiring peace to fear those trained in martial arts.
Yet just as gun control proved impossible in America, suppressing martial arts—already widespread through the war era—was nearly impossible.
During this period, martial arts evolved toward greater secrecy, developing into forms that concealed one’s martial prowess.
The Professor on the documentary set walked slowly toward the camera and spoke.
“This development of martial arts’ concealment would play a significant role in the Age of Great Intelligence Warfare, surpassing the old Cold War period spanning the mid-to-late twenty-first century through the early-to-mid twenty-second century.”
The Professor, delivering the documentary narration, faced the camera for his closing remarks.
“Well, let’s wrap up here for today. Next time, we’ll explore how twenty-second-century martial arts were employed in intelligence warfare, and together we’ll examine the history of the martial world through the twenty-fourth century—the era of full-scale space expansion. Until next time.”
The screen darkened as majestic music swelled and the credits rolled.

* * *

The three documentaries covering the period I was most interested in had finished.
This world was thousands of years into the future after the martial arts world had expanded into space—currently the 50th century, while the 21st century where I had lived was called the Middle Ages in this distant future.
I found it amusing that even after three thousand years, most vehicles still rolled on tires.
But umbrellas had maintained the same form for thousands of years as well, so it seemed that when something was efficient, its fundamental design simply didn’t change.
Rarely, there were hovering vehicles, and the internal structures of tire-equipped cars might be completely different from what I knew.
In fact, just by observing Siu, I could gauge the scientific advancement of this world.
Wasn’t it remarkable enough that androids indistinguishable from humans existed?
“Have you finished watching? Would you like a snack?”
“Yes!”
I chewed on the rice cracker that Siu placed in my hand—a baby snack—and started the next episode.
After the Galactic Martial Arts World history documentary ended, I planned to watch one about scientific advancement and space exploration, and then a documentary on the Major Sect’s history.
“Documentaries are beneficial and good, but if you only sit still, your body will become stiff. Let’s take some time to stretch.”
I stood up at Siu’s guidance.
Siu laid out a mat with footprints drawn on the floor.
“Now, follow these footsteps and move like this.”
Though reluctant, I stepped on the footprints and mimicked Siu’s movements while stretching.
Wait… could these possibly be the foot positions of the Clear Wood Step?
“You’re doing well.”
I’m barely learning to walk and you’re already teaching me footwork techniques?
Well, I suppose it’s good if I can learn.

* * *

My life was monotonous.
Well, what else could be expected?
How much variety could an infant’s life possibly contain?
Eating, sleeping, and growing—wasn’t that simply the nature of infancy?
Yet the monotony was so suffocating that outside of my cultivation practice in the Heavenly Breathing Technique and footwork, along with documentary viewing, I spent most of my time accelerating time through my three-dimensional avatar.
I found the documentaries genuinely fascinating.
Unlike the world I had lived in, this was a realm where martial arts had become commonplace, so while the broad strokes of history remained similar, the finer details diverged considerably.
The fourth episode of Galactic Martial Arts World history primarily covered the rise and rivalry between the Beggar’s Sect and the Hao Sect.
The Beggar’s Sect—an information-specialized faction composed of beggars and society’s underclass found everywhere—and the Hao Sect operated within the same territories yet possessed starkly opposing philosophies.
The Beggar’s Sect, as an orthodox faction, established justice as its raison d’être, while the Hao Sect, disregarding law and morality, made the protection of society’s vulnerable its fundamental purpose.
As explained in the third episode, with the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the dark age of martial arts history ended, and after passing through the world wars, the martial arts world experienced only brief stagnation before being revived.
However, the Beggar’s Sect entered its own dark age.
Before the Industrial Revolution, beggars were accepted as a natural part of society wherever they appeared, but as cities developed, nations and societies drove them to the outskirts under the guise of urban beautification.
Especially during important international events, beggars were expelled even more ruthlessly.
Since gathering intelligence required proximity, the Beggar’s Sect’s information network became hopelessly compromised.
Meanwhile, the Hao Sect entered its golden age.
The Hao Sect’s strength lay in society’s vulnerable—innkeepers, courtesans, and traveling merchants.
After the Industrial Revolution, inns transformed into hotels, brothels became salons for the elite, and merchants evolved into international trading companies, making information gathering far more efficient.
Particularly, cleaning workers—belonging to the most vulnerable class—infiltrated everywhere, making them ideal for gathering rumors across both political and financial circles.
Thus, the twentieth century could rightfully be called the Hao Sect’s greatest era in history.
Facing absolute decline, the Beggar’s Sect resolved to shed its fundamental identity as beggars to address its existential crisis.
In the twentieth century, at the height of its decline, the Beggar’s Sect’s leadership became convinced of the value of the nascent internet and staked the faction’s entire future on it.
The Beggar’s Sect’s prediction proved remarkably accurate.
Information flooded the internet, and by the twenty-first century, the Beggar’s Sect’s dominance of the internet overwhelmed the Hao Sect’s information capabilities.
Leveraging this advantage, the Beggar’s Sect began encroaching on the Hao Sect’s offline territories.
Having abandoned its fundamental identity as beggars, the Beggar’s Sect had no qualms about invading the Hao Sect’s domains.
Losing its internet monopoly and facing the Beggar’s Sect’s offensive offline, the Hao Sect found itself surrounded on all sides.

(To be continued in the next episode)

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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