Martial Arts: 武技. A strange set of abilities. In glorious Nippon, they're called 'Bugi' which pretty much means Martial Arts. If you read it literally, you can see it as 'techniques of war' or 'techniques of warriors'. you may recognize 'Bu' as the same 'Bu' in 'Bushido'. So if you wondered why Martial Arts might be Warrior locked, it stems from the very name for example. Only WARRIORS can use the PATH OF THE WARRIOR.
"Why are you fixating on this???"
I know it's pedantic but hear me out. Imma blow your mind at the end of this bizarre adventure with head canon! But first... Did you know, Martial Arts used to have another name?
"Nani?!"
At one time Maru used 戦技, where 'Arts' is the same. But the prefix kanji, 戦 is often used for 'battle' or 'fight'.
Valor: great courage in the face of danger, especially in battle.
That's the connotation between the normal and false martial art name. So you are supposed to read Martial Arts as 'Martial Arts' as a compound word, but if you analyze his kanji choice, might we not gain a different understanding? Remember the Kotodama Overlord hypothesis?
>The choice of kanji choice is both relevant and made manifest by some mechanism. Flavor text becoming real and changes to YGGDRASIL abilities reflect a correlation to kanji decisions, while New World exclusive abilities were altered to be expressed solely in kanji.
So where does valor factor in?
We've seen Martial Art users tap into great power in times of need or great emotional moments. I wrote an article on it. The power of anime, it's a form of courage. Now someone like Eruya seems like a piece of shit, but you can have courage or valor despite your likability. Courage can come from your own self centeredness or stupidity. (smash cut to Remedios hur hur)
Courage: strength in the face of pain or grief.
It's closer to conviction or resolution despite the odds. Really, it's a romantic way of looking at warriors, for good or bad.
But mainly, Martial Arts, do seem to be powered by the heart or soul (these ideas may not be disjoint given both WM and MA can create similar buffs). Gazef being able to get up and emit a powerful force, Zaryusu countering negative energy in his body, Climb overcoming killing intent. Courage and the heart do go hand in hand. Whatever this power is, New Worlders can not only sense it they can harness it.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uyBrrQk1LrLXM_ArkIMVIUNjzMpe666DHfe7Og9k7ek/edit?usp=sharing
—Martial arts.
They were skills mastered during a warrior’s quest for martial perfection.
Some people called them ki or some kind of aura, but they defied easy
description.
In the face of a massive, towering foe, a person who had learned Fortress
could negate the mighty blows of his opponent and stand blade to blade with
him.
Someone who had learned the ability to concentrate ki onto his blade and
swing with Slash could slay even the most resilient of foes in one hit.
Against heavily armored foes, the bludgeoning martial art called Bash came
into play.
Anyone who had learned to temporarily improve their physical parameters
with Ability Boost could seize victory through their power of their augmented
bodies.
They were skills mastered during a warrior’s quest for martial perfection.
Some people called them ki or some kind of aura, but they defied easy
description.
In the face of a massive, towering foe, a person who had learned Fortress
could negate the mighty blows of his opponent and stand blade to blade with
him.
Someone who had learned the ability to concentrate ki onto his blade and
swing with Slash could slay even the most resilient of foes in one hit.
Against heavily armored foes, the bludgeoning martial art called Bash came
into play.
Anyone who had learned to temporarily improve their physical parameters
with Ability Boost could seize victory through their power of their augmented
bodies.
[V3]
Using this line of thinking, perhaps we can come to another reason why Succulent was never shown using Martial Arts - he didn't develop or lacked a strong enough heart. Gazef says focus or concentration is needed to power Martial Arts but maybe it needs to be tinged with conviction? Succulent as a warrior fought with agility and illusions, almost as if he was scared of getting hurt. an interesting thought, no?
"Maruyama isn't really such a language nerd though, right?"
I don't know, WAIRUDO and WARUDO magic and all the lisping stuff seems to suggest he has fun doing this, even the names he assigns. Even Ainz Ooal Gown being Nine's Own Goal originally is either a reference or an example he does actually focus on language. Theoretically his pen name also bears meaning.
“Don’t be foolish. I heard that you used to be an adventurer, Ainzach, so let
me ask you again: When you think about the word ‘adventurer’, really ponder
it, do you think you exist merely to fight monsters? Before I learned more
about adventurers, I thought that they were beings who turned the unknown
into the known.”
me ask you again: When you think about the word ‘adventurer’, really ponder
it, do you think you exist merely to fight monsters? Before I learned more
about adventurers, I thought that they were beings who turned the unknown
into the known.”
[V10]
But besides all that, if we suppose Maruyama is a nerd (which should be obvious to any of you by now), let's look at another specific word:
Magic, 魔法.
Both Primordial and Tier Magic use 魔法 to describe them. From what we know, Primordial Magic (始原の魔法 literally Origin Magic or Beginning Magic) can use souls and even destroy them - Cure Elim both alive and undead can do this, and Draudillion describes her use in similar ways. There's an insinuation that you need to use the souls of others to use stronger effects beyond your own means. Only time will tell of course. But irregardless, souls do seem to define Primordial or Wild Magic.
Consider what Magic is. To us, it's just random supernatural abilities done via casting. It's almost a stale of fantasy at this point. But what is magic, really? Why does Keno's talent recognize Primordial, Tier, and Super Tier as 'magic'?
Consider Martial Arts: 武技. Why are these referred to as 技 and not 法 as in magic? For my burgerlandians and similar readers, 技 is often read as 'technique' or 'skill'. The problem is 法.
法 can mean many things from dharma to law to principle. Case and point, the Slaine Theocracy is spelled as
法国 or literally 'principled country' or 'the nation of the law'. For a stolen example:
"For example, one bun 文 is a "sentence," but bunpou 文法 means "grammar," the principle which governs the sentences."
Think about it, why would the dragon lords call their Magic, maho 魔法? Not 魔技 (fusing both the magic in Maho and Gi from Martial Arts)? Or why not Majutsu, 魔術 'magical arts' / 'magical techniques'? Something to think about.
There's something I want to stress: Dragon Lords call Tier magic filthy and vile. Yet they too use 'magic'.
Basically, if we are to literally read kanji, you can read 魔 as ' Evil'. Remember, Maruyama calls Demiurge the Evil Emperor, Masou. You all know the MaOu right (魔王 Evil- king, the bad guy in most Japanese fantasy)? Let's consider Ainz's country, the Sorcerer Kingdom 魔導国. 魔導 is often read as 'magic' or 'sorcery'. Did you know if you used the homophone 魔道 instead of 魔導, it sounds exactly the same but means 'underworld' or 'dark side'? Basically if a Japanese person heard 魔導国 they could mistake it as 魔導国 if auto translate didn't exist (or the person telling them hated Ainz could cause the translation shift). In Buddhism 魔導 is used to refer to those going down the bad path. It's no bueno basically.
The joke here is Ainz accidentally named himself the 'king of darkness' by accident due to a pun.
"Maruyama is a language nerd! That bastard!"
Anyway, I wanted to stress why it's strange even Dragon Lords call their magic '魔法'. Also why Martial Arts are not called 武法' but 武技. Ziggy believes there is significance to this. In particular, we know a class called 'Soul Blasphemer' exists. Likewise, Super Tier magic causes the world to scream yet doesn't use 'mana' or 'MP', but it's still ''Maho'.
INCOMING HEAD CANON *Mega Man X boss WARNING SFX Play*
I suspect the blasphemy relates either to stripping souls out of others or destroying souls. Of. Most religions would see that as bad. And if Souls are truly fragments of a greater whole (the world), you'd permanently be destroying fragments of the world.
“This, this is! It’s saying that souls are entities like the foam left by the
waves of this great world, and so whether great or small, they are
fundamentally the same. That meeeeaaaannnns!!!”
waves of this great world, and so whether great or small, they are
fundamentally the same. That meeeeaaaannnns!!!”
[V10]
Remember, souls seem to be part of a whole or want to be reunited by something.
There was a world of darkness
She did not know what “she” was
She wanted to open her eyes ― but she did not know what eyes were
She did not know what darkness or the world meant
She did not know why she was thinking of these things
She knew nothing
She was vanishing
She did not know what “vanishing” meant
But she was vanishing
However, suddenly, she felt like she was being pulled by something
From above, from below, from the left, from the right, from somewhere―
A completed world was pulling her
A pitiful being who had been completed by the works of their friends
Someone who had sealed away all thoughts that there was a greater treasure
than that
And then ― an explosion of white light dyed the world
There was a tremendous sense of loss―
A sense of separation from a whole―
She did not know what “she” was
She wanted to open her eyes ― but she did not know what eyes were
She did not know what darkness or the world meant
She did not know why she was thinking of these things
She knew nothing
She was vanishing
She did not know what “vanishing” meant
But she was vanishing
However, suddenly, she felt like she was being pulled by something
From above, from below, from the left, from the right, from somewhere―
A completed world was pulling her
A pitiful being who had been completed by the works of their friends
Someone who had sealed away all thoughts that there was a greater treasure
than that
And then ― an explosion of white light dyed the world
There was a tremendous sense of loss―
A sense of separation from a whole―
[V13]
This brings me to a favorite theory of mine - the sapience of the world. We get hints at it of course like above with pulling souls back to it or it being something you form a pact with. .
“Magic doesn’t seem like the sort of thing you can learn in one or two days.
Well, you need to connect to the world, but only people with the appropriate
talent can do it. If not, you’ll need to take a long time to experience it.”
Well, you need to connect to the world, but only people with the appropriate
talent can do it. If not, you’ll need to take a long time to experience it.”
[V2]
The dragon looked once again, eyes glazed with emptiness.
The knight looked in the same
direction, but could not see anything. No, even the dragon was not
looking at anything either. In response to the knight’s confusion, the
dragon explained.
“I just felt that the world was screaming.”
“Screaming you say?”
The senses of a dragon was on a different scale. The knight knew that he could not feel anything and did not enquire further.
The dragon said nothing. However, his senses told him that he had felt this feeling long ago.
And Wild Magic.
No one but the dragons knew the primordial magics, the secrets of the world.
[WN]
“Because magic is a compact with the world, once you become tied to that compact it becomes very difficult to change things to how you would like.
[WN]
“Because magic is a compact with the world, once you become tied to that compact it becomes very difficult to change things to how you would like.
[WN]
Or it being the presence casters feel while casting.
“Well, do listen. That’s just my theory. But if that were the case, if you do
borrow the power of the gods to work your magic, could dead people provide it
to you? Or rather, what are the gods? Do they even exist? Are you really using
the power of the gods?”
“…What are you trying to say?”
“…Have you ever seen the gods?”
“The gods are always by my side!”
“That is to say, you’ve never actually seen them directly, then?”
“No! When we use our spells, we feel the presence of a mighty being. That is
our god!”
“…And who declared that that presence to be a god? The god himself? Or
someone else drawing on that power?”
Roberdyck recalled the theological debates he had taken part in. There was
no clear answer to Ainz’s questions. Until today, the priests still debated hotly
over whether that was the proof of the gods’ existence.
Just as Roberdyck was about to speak, Ainz interrupted him.
“…Well, supposing these super-dimensional beings—which we shall
generously term gods for our purposes—do exist, I wonder if that means they
were originally colorless entities. Simply put, they are masses of power.
Because drawing on their power dyes them in a different color and changes the
thing… well, they do exist in a world with magical laws, I just wanted someone
to chat with someone about this. It wouldn’t be funny if there really were
gods.”
borrow the power of the gods to work your magic, could dead people provide it
to you? Or rather, what are the gods? Do they even exist? Are you really using
the power of the gods?”
“…What are you trying to say?”
“…Have you ever seen the gods?”
“The gods are always by my side!”
“That is to say, you’ve never actually seen them directly, then?”
“No! When we use our spells, we feel the presence of a mighty being. That is
our god!”
“…And who declared that that presence to be a god? The god himself? Or
someone else drawing on that power?”
Roberdyck recalled the theological debates he had taken part in. There was
no clear answer to Ainz’s questions. Until today, the priests still debated hotly
over whether that was the proof of the gods’ existence.
Just as Roberdyck was about to speak, Ainz interrupted him.
“…Well, supposing these super-dimensional beings—which we shall
generously term gods for our purposes—do exist, I wonder if that means they
were originally colorless entities. Simply put, they are masses of power.
Because drawing on their power dyes them in a different color and changes the
thing… well, they do exist in a world with magical laws, I just wanted someone
to chat with someone about this. It wouldn’t be funny if there really were
gods.”
“Why, why do you want to do that?”
“To prove that god exists… eh, I’m not going to bother going on with that
joke. Truthfully, I want to become stronger by understanding the nature of that
power. And if those beings you call gods really exist, I want to know if they
have emotions or thoughts. I want to confirm that.
“To prove that god exists… eh, I’m not going to bother going on with that
joke. Truthfully, I want to become stronger by understanding the nature of that
power. And if those beings you call gods really exist, I want to know if they
have emotions or thoughts. I want to confirm that.
[V7]
Could it be what divine casters feel is the World? Certainly if the world really pulls souls to it, can't people from the world pull back? Maybe Ainz was right along and doesn't know it... It's a fountain of power and could have emotions. Each system may just alter the power it draws for instance.
Regardless of which tradition of magic one was studying, the important thing
when one was starting out was to get a feel for it. Most of the people who had
learned to use magic had done so through the feeling of making contact with
the world. Anyone without that experience would be unable to cast spells.
However, there were no teachers who could teach this part to their students
in sufficient detail, and so many people stumbled here.
when one was starting out was to get a feel for it. Most of the people who had
learned to use magic had done so through the feeling of making contact with
the world. Anyone without that experience would be unable to cast spells.
However, there were no teachers who could teach this part to their students
in sufficient detail, and so many people stumbled here.
[V'14']
Back then, Keno had been young and did not know these things, so she had
believed in the gods with all her heart. However, on that day, and every day
that followed, the gods had not reached out to save them. Therefore, Keno no
longer believed in the gods. However, the power of the gods was a different
matter.
The existence of divine magic casters proved the existence of the gods’ powers.
Therefore, Keno had done research to borrow, seize or steal the power
of the gods, in order to try and restore everyone to normal. However, nothing
she tried had any effect – perhaps she was not talented in that field – and
so she had halted her research into the topic. After abandoning that research
and years of work, as she was returning the books she had borrowed from a
temple, Keno witnessed an undead being entering the city.
believed in the gods with all her heart. However, on that day, and every day
that followed, the gods had not reached out to save them. Therefore, Keno no
longer believed in the gods. However, the power of the gods was a different
matter.
The existence of divine magic casters proved the existence of the gods’ powers.
Therefore, Keno had done research to borrow, seize or steal the power
of the gods, in order to try and restore everyone to normal. However, nothing
she tried had any effect – perhaps she was not talented in that field – and
so she had halted her research into the topic. After abandoning that research
and years of work, as she was returning the books she had borrowed from a
temple, Keno witnessed an undead being entering the city.
[V14]
Talent being a decided factor echoes Ninya's own statements. Likewise Fluder is special for creating his 'TriArts' magic likely since it rare to be born able to use multiple systems in the first place.
The Gods may not exist but all magical casters connect to the world,even Wild Magic users have a class called World Connector. Curious no? Keno could connect to the world but nothing she tried allowed her to get Divine Magic. Was it because she's undead? Was it just Aptitude? Or something else?
それにワイルド・マジック。
始原の魔法と呼ばれる世界の神秘を使えるものも、このドラゴンが知る限りでは自らしかいない。
結局世界は犯し、汚された。
ワイルドマジックは失われ、世界には8欲王が溢した魔法が主となった。
Besides Wild Magic.
Magic of the Beginning invoking the mystery of the world, of the people able to use it only dragons could invoke as far as he knew.
After all the world was violated, polluted.
Wild Magic was lost. The magic the 8 Greed Kings spilled out became the forefront / superior/ main principal.
[WN]
Notice the connection to the 'mystery of the world'. WN PDL didn't consider Wild Magic similar to Tier Magic in at least that regard. But why?Well the answer is it's' an obscure reference. Martial Arts and Talents are similarly based on the same source - basically think of New World only mechanics as a thing in an update Maru never got to play. So one way at looking at it goes (could be a dumbass pun by Maruyama too REDACTED REFERENCE -> Wild Magic(secret of world) -> WARUDO magic pun nonsense). Maybe Overlord has other reasons. But for now, World Connector actually being a class a True Dragon Lord can get gives us reason to believe there is some mystery of the world only dragons could tap into.Perhaps it's as simple as it tinting Wild Magic as a WORLD effect so far as World Class Items are concerned.
But let's look at what Dragon Lords call their magic - 始原. Literally " initial/start" and "wilderness/primitive/raw/ fundamental". You could read it as 'fundamental [magic] of the beginning'.Maru created the Engrish name Wild, likely to mean Wild as in 'natural' or 'existing in a natural environment'. Dragon Lords seem to dwell on the world's corruption at least.
Previously I talked about Primordial Magic as being... traditional in form. Ziggy doesn't know for sure Maruyama intended that, but it would fit the name - humanities initial ideas about magic are what Dragon Lords use, just exaggerated to giant proportions. Wild Magic not being unable to affect World Class Item bearers seems to be an unfortunate case of 'flavor text becoming real'.
“Dear holders of World Class Items, you should not have
been affected by changes in the world, but we have learned that keeping your
data unaffected will be a very difficult task for the system. Therefore, we are
making a special exception and changing your data as well.”
been affected by changes in the world, but we have learned that keeping your
data unaffected will be a very difficult task for the system. Therefore, we are
making a special exception and changing your data as well.”
[V4]
Tangent, there's a theory I like that speculates WCI holders were actually unaffected by balance patches. It would be a hidden feature of sorts so someone could have unpatched abilities (gag is Ainz has to face Surshana with all his unpatched abilities of self touching and undying flame). It'd be interesting if WCI bearers were immune to patches...
He had finished all the experiments he had planned over the past five years.
However, it looked like it had been patched. The bug that caused undead targets
struck by it to gain infinite healing was no more.
However, it looked like it had been patched. The bug that caused undead targets
struck by it to gain infinite healing was no more.
[V'14']
Yamaiko ran over to him, and the moment he touched her, a text box with the words
[Greater Lethal] appeared. This was a spell which caused damage with negative
energy, but it had the opposite effect on Momonga.
Momonga also had the ability to infuse negative energy by touch, but it could not
heal the undead. Apparently it could heal undead by touch during the first week of
the game, but it was immediately patched out. The ray of hope which shone down on
undead magic casters was snuffed out, as though it had been nothing but a dream.
[Greater Lethal] appeared. This was a spell which caused damage with negative
energy, but it had the opposite effect on Momonga.
Momonga also had the ability to infuse negative energy by touch, but it could not
heal the undead. Apparently it could heal undead by touch during the first week of
the game, but it was immediately patched out. The ray of hope which shone down on
undead magic casters was snuffed out, as though it had been nothing but a dream.
[Prologue B]
Anyway, why is Wild Magic called Magic?
Well if you read 魔法 as 'Principle of Evil' then it's strange. But you can also read 魔 as 'one who repeatedly does something evil'. That reading, my dear readers is my point of focus. For Wild Magic that makes perfect sense, they're using souls, sometimes even destroying them. In a way, that is evil. But what of Tier Magic? Dragonlords call it filth and vile. Is that not just bias though? Ziggy suspects it has something to do with how Super Tier magic caused perceptible pain to the world. Some readers think mana being forced into the world infused 魔力 or 'the power of evil' into it. Basically, one explanation is undead are part of the pollution, being caused by 魔力 in the area allowing the absorption of mana as Fluder called it. IE mana is a medium upset lingering souls can harness to create undead and get revenge etc. Also it may spawn Monsters from nothing like Hamusuke.
“This… this one hath lived in solitude all mine life. This one canst not
answer thee, for this one knowst not of this one’s… or dost thou imply that
thou knowst of this one’s species?”
answer thee, for this one knowst not of this one’s… or dost thou imply that
thou knowst of this one’s species?”
[V2]
“Perhaps,” Fluder had begun by saying, “Gazef’s sword was spontaneously
created by the natural absorption of mana, or perhaps through the magic of the
Dragons.”
created by the natural absorption of mana, or perhaps through the magic of the
Dragons.”
[V11]
Night Liches were beings who absorbed a great deal of mana and by so doing,
transcended the state of Elder Liches. Such occurrences were rare even
throughout history, for which many of the living were grateful.
transcended the state of Elder Liches. Such occurrences were rare even
throughout history, for which many of the living were grateful.
[V'14']
Curious right? To see mana as some power that facilitates evil beings. Fun fact: mana can be the reading of 真名, an alternate name for kanji that means 'true' (as in True Dragon Lord True) and 'name'! Really weird right? Just as auto translate lisps, could it have made a bug and caused not only 'magical mana' to exist but also 'kanji mana' to become real too? Maybe by using a request to bring mana, just like a monkey's paw it caused the other mana or Flavor Text Effect to occur too? It's probably a coincidence. I find it ironic though 'the world's pollution ' could just be the Flavor Text Effect, so Dragon Lord Wild Magic that now had various names would become manifested (like Tier magic changes) so any asshole Dragon Lord who made edgy spells got fucked over by the change but literal spell names remained the same.
EX Salty Peasant Tears the Wild Magic spell that made say a rock warm up now caused everyone and the user to get salt in their eyes.
I just think if AutoTranslate still fucks up that someone trying to bring Tier Magic over by say 'wishing for mana to come over' could have mixed up mana and mana since it's a verbal wish, manifesting BOTH, Tier magic and the Flavor Text Effect (真名).
A fun theory was a Player accidentally introduced Martial Arts by trying to buff Warriors in general and accidentally gave them some aspects of Wild Magic. Basically you make the wish and the world tries to manifest it with what it knows. They seem only able to use their own soul though, and it's got limiters at least. Still waiting on a MA confirmation date Maruyama.
Ziggy enjoys weaponizing his autism for these bruh moments.
TL:DR
Mana causes magic and mana causes 'magical hand waving'. Who knew mana fueled flavor text too!
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