Jonan recalled various battle arts he had read in the family library, and now, due to his great increase in intelligence, he was able to recall each one of them. This also improved his understanding of the complexity of battle arts.
While there were multiple battle arts he could recall, he thought it would be best to focus on Dexterity-Type Battle Arts, as he had only one attribute limit to break in his mind, and that was dexterity.
Even for the dexterity type, there were various battle arts, he could recall, one better than the other, but he thought it would be best to focus on a Dexterity-Type Battle Art which is most suitable for him.
From the back of his mind, he could recall the best Dexterity-Type Battle Art, "Void Steps", also used by the head of the Starfall Family, Draven the Hero.
Unfortunately, none could ever learn that Battle Art besides the Hero Draven Starfall, due to it's difficulty, it has just been placed to rot in the family library in hopes for any blood descendant to learn and master it, yet none of those whom Jonan knew of has mastered it.
"Freya may have learned it. After all, she is the family's most gifted prodigy, and every trace of her progress is fiercely concealed by the Branch Descendants," Jonan thought, a spark of suspicion igniting in his mind.
Anyway, it didn't concern him much. The matter that truly weighed heavily on his mind was the crucial decision of which Dexterity-Type Battle Art he was to choose.
After days of intense deliberation, his options were narrowed down to "Mirage of the Forgotten Path, Cloud's Embrace, Serpent's Coil, Gale's Fury, and Lurking Shadow."
Each offered unique strengths but were inherently different and their difficulty to master was reduced for him by a lot, as they were suitable for his future strategic way of fighting.
While The "Cloud's Embrace" was a style that focused on evasion and unpredictability. Like the clouds, it was fluid and ever-changing, capable of adapting to any situation. While intriguing, he found that it's reliance on fluid movement alone lacked the deeper strategic layers he sought. It was an art that would excel in agility but offered less in terms of control over his adversaries' actions.
"Serpent's Coil" offered a more subtle, dangerous approach. It was a Battle Art of precise strikes and deceptive movements, twisting through opponents' defenses like a snake in the grass. Though it was perfect for setting traps, the nature of the style felt more reactive than proactive, and he wasn't very fond of natures of snakes, he felt it less suitable for his taste.
"Gale's Fury", with it's explosive, tempestuous strikes, was an art designed to overwhelm through sheer power and speed. While undeniably effective, it seemed too reliant on confrontation, where his true strength lay not in brute force but in his ability to mislead and outthink his opponent. It is a Battle Art less suitable for his tastes.
Lastly, "Lurking Shadow", with it's emphasis on stealth and surprise, was an art he had considered deeply. It excelled in outwitting opponents through silence and unpredictability. However, it required impeccable patience and timing, traits he respected but knew he would need to develop over time. It's focus on ambush felt too solitary for his current objectives, which required more control over a fight than just waiting for the right moment.
From all of the chosen ones, only "Mirage of the Forgotten Path" stood out among the rest, and was balanced in every way for him. It was precisely an art based on misdirection, designed to deceive and confuse opponents by leading them down false paths, creating illusions of safety and danger.
A Battle Art built on subtlety and trickery, it appealed to his mind's love for strategy, allowing him to manipulate his enemies' movements and force them into making mistakes.
The very idea of controlling the flow of battle through deception, and being able to strike when his opponents were most vulnerable, resonated deeply with him.
But these were not the only things best about "Mirage of the Forgotten Path", from his memory Jonan could recall that this is the only Dexterity-Type Battle Art which has only three steps to learn and master.
Whereas, many other martial arts may have a vast number of steps, which sometimes exceed seven steps, while beneficial in terms of offering a broader foundation of knowledge and techniques, can often lead to a slower, more difficult journey.
Each additional stage requires a great deal of time, effort, and dedication, and many Weapon Seekers find themselves bogged down, and overwhelmed by the complexity of the teachings.
Pursuing those lengthy, multi-step arts, the road to mastery is long and grueling. Each step must be learned and perfected before advancing to the next, requiring deep concentration, immense patience, and years of practice.
While these arts may promise a well-rounded skillset training not only the body but also the mind, enhancing endurance, and offering a wide variety of techniques, they often come with the heavy burden of time.
Many who start these complex arts find themselves growing bored before reaching true mastery, overwhelmed by the exhaustive process of learning and integration.
On the other hand, Battle Arts that require fewer steps, such as "Mirage of the Forgotten Path" are often much more challenging to begin, but once mastered, they offer unparalleled power.
These arts are deceptively simple in structure, with only three or even fewer steps, yet they demand exceptional focus, sharp intuition, and an almost instinctual understanding of the principles behind them.
These martial arts, though difficult to grasp in the beginning, reward the practitioner with devastating power, agility, and control once they are fully understood.
What sets them apart from arts with multiple steps is their efficiency and potency. A practitioner who masters a shorter, more direct martial art gains an almost immediate advantage in combat.
In essence, Battle Arts with fewer steps are often more immediately effective, offering instantaneous combat superiority once mastery is achieved.
Though starting them may be difficult and challenging, which requires a sharp mind, an adept body, and unrelenting focus, the return is immense.
They allow the practitioner to become a true force of nature, capable of overwhelming their enemies with a combination of speed, power, and psychological warfare that other, longer arts simply cannot replicate.
Thus, "Mirage of the Forgotten Path", while difficult to begin, would offer him the most powerful tools to control any battle. Unlike the multi-step arts that require years to perfect, "Mirage of the Forgotten Path" could make him a master of his domain with far less time, granting him an advantage that most practitioners would only dream of, considering he can get started in it.
Jonan couldn't help but wonder, "Why do those Battle Arts with multiple steps even exist to begin with, when there's a better option?"
He had just chosen the "Mirage of the Forgotten Path", an art that demanded precision and mental acuity, yet he couldn't understand why someone would willingly choose a longer, more complicated path if a faster, more powerful one existed.
But what Jonan didn't realize was that for those of common origin, even glimpsing at such high-level Battle Arts was nearly impossible, let alone practicing them. These techniques, especially those with fewer steps were reserved for the most elite families, passed down through generations of prodigious talent and effort.
Only those born into top-tier families or those with extraordinary potential were even granted access to these Battle Arts.
The "Mirage of the Forgotten Path", though deceptively simple, was the product of countless generations of refinement. It had evolved from a complex, multi-step art that required years to master.
Ancestors of the noble families had spent decades refining and condensing the teachings, distilling them into a form that was easier to learn, yet no less profound.
It was a reduction, the art of simplifying the complex, making it not only more accessible but far more efficient and deadly. In essence, it was the epitome of martial mastery, where simplicity and power came together.
The prodigies of those elite families, capable of mastering such condensed arts, were born with a unique blend of innate talent and hard-earned wisdom.
It was their ancestors' work, yes, but their own potential allowed them to fully realize the depth and potency of such techniques.
"Mirage of the Forgotten Path" was the kind of art that demanded a mind as sharp as the blade itself, and only those with prodigious insight and talent could truly master it.
As for Jonan, he had made his choice. Though he didn't fully understand the history behind it, he had set his eyes on "Mirage of the Forgotten Path", a deceptively simple but deeply potent martial art.
He had started practicing with determination, immersing himself in its teachings. At first, it was difficult. His mind often struggled to create the subtle illusions and misdirections required.
He had to train his body to move as fluidly as his thoughts, learning to weave false paths into the battlefield. But slowly, after countless hours of meditation and practice, Jonan began to see the threads of the art take shape.
Each day, his understanding deepened, his movements became more precise, and the illusionary techniques flowed more naturally.
The essence of the "Mirage of the Forgotten Path" was deceptive. It wasn't just about physical skill, it required him to reshape his very way of thinking, learning to manipulate the battlefield through perception rather than raw power.
Every practice session brought him closer to becoming one with the art, and though he was still far from mastery, Jonan felt the flicker of a deeper understanding beginning to burn within him.