*Yes, Zeke. Your body is fit and suitable enough to practice combat techniques. What's the use of your body when it can't execute moves?*

'Yes! I've been waiting for this! Where can I find that Basic Fist Technique?'

*It's in your inventory, Zeke. I will also now unlock the masteries section.*

Zeke checked his inventory and he indeed saw a skill tome labeled that. When he used it, a wave of information surged his mind.

The contents of the Basic Hand Technique are divided into four moves all based on using one's hands. However, he was slightly disappointed to see the three moves. It was three simple moves that Zeke instantly knew and recognized.

Punch - curling your fists and launching it to the target.

Palm - heel of the hand used to strike a target

Chop - hack the target using your hands in a saber-like manner.

Stab - thrust the hand in a spear-like manner.

'System, are these the only moves included? Why do these all look simple?'

*Yes, Zeke. These moves do indeed look simple but they are designed like that. Its purpose is to use less movement with more effect. The basic fist technique prioritizes efficiency over anything. These three might look easy to do, but that's because spectators won't see the exact movement of the arms. Try to think of the moves and watch how it is done in your head.

Zeke followed the system's instructions and tried to imagine how it is performed based on the information he got.

In his mind, a hazy figure of a person is standing still while punching in front. This is how Zeke imagined how punching would look like. Gradually, Zeke modified it by adding subtle movements based on the directions from the skill tome.

The final result shocked Zeke to the extreme. Comparing it to what Zeke imagined is like comparing a child to an adult. The difference was just too vast.

The figure in Zeke's mind went to a stance instead of just punching. When the punch was thrown, there were subtle flicks in the figure's elbows and wrists but it was too subtle to be noticed at first glance. The punch in the final result was indeed efficient as it didn't waste arm movement while also directing the brunt force in a drill-like effect.

Zeke was thrilled. He didn't imagine the actual punch would be like that. It seemed like his meager knowledge of a punch from his previous world seemed rubbish compared to the actual thing. He decided to change his mindset.

'I should not compare knowledge to the actual thing. It seems like things in this world aren't that simple.'

Zeke decided to sc.r.a.p his previous knowledge and learn it from the start. His mind, who was like a sloppy painting before, was now a blank slate, ready for a masterpiece.

Inside his room, he stood up and tried to do the stance. When he threw the punch, he realized that he couldn't completely do what the figure in his mind did. His punch seemed to lack power compared to it.

'It's hard.'

It was Zeke's first impression. When doing the punch, he couldn't execute those subtle movements needed to maximize the power.

*Congratulations, Zeke. You achieved the bare minimum of Punch, level 1.*

'Really? That sloppy punch is already considered level 1?'

*Yes, Zeke. You might have not noticed but if you didn't sc.r.a.p your prior knowledge, you wouldn't achieve that on your first try. At best, you could imitate the stance but the movement of your arm would've all been different. It was thanks to your change that you managed to do it. Your punch there should be something you'd only achieve after a few days if you didn't change your mindset.*

'I see. Looks like I need to adjust my mind whenever I try to do these. I'll keep in mind not to half-a.s.s my training from now on.'

Zeke then tried to visualize the Palm technique. He realized that it was easier to do as it only relied on the force to push back. Unlike the punch who had a drill-effect, the palm focused on the sheer impact to deal damage. It didn't have the penetrating force a punch, but it covered a much larger area of impact that it would deal more damage for a defenseless person than the punch. The stance of the Palm technique was slightly similar to the stance of the Punch so Zeke understood it quickly. He then tried to execute it but he could only do the most basic palm strike. He didn't try and overexert himself like he did on the punch, but he rather decided to take it slow.

After the Palm technique, Zeke s.h.i.+fted his focus to the Chopping technique. This technique utilizes one's hand like a sword or saber to chop down in front. The hand heavily resembled the blade of the sword chopping down towards the enemy. The key point of Chop is the slas.h.i.+ng motion. Unlike the Palm, who prioritized sheer strength on impact, and Punch, who prioritized penetration on impact, the Chop prioritized on versatility and lethality. To fully maximize the effect of Chop, one would need to hit a vital point of the body. Once it hit though, it could deal the highest damage of all the three that could even result in death if well executed. It is also versatile as it can hit an enemy from high, mid, or lower part of their body and it'll still deal significant damage. The stance of Chop is also similar to the previous two with the difference being the hand would usually be launched not directly but in a slas.h.i.+ng motion. Once again, Zeke tried it in a simple manner.

The Stab technique also works in a similar way as to how someone would stab using a sharp weapon. The body would need to lunge and form the fingers just like the Chop but with the thumb curled inwardly parallel to the four fingers. Stab also heavily emphasized on momentum, as the greater the momentum and speed of the strike, the more lethal the technique is.

Zeke tried all four of them but only did the bare minimum for the other three. It's not that he didn't want to try, but he figured he would learn all of them slowly but surely. Although he liked the fact that he got level 1 in his Punch instantly, he felt that he didn't learn its basics first.

What Zeke didn't know is that the three Basic Hand techniques were hard to do even for adults. People wouldn't normally practice these kinds of techniques nowadays because they could just rely on their mana to deal with pretty much anything. If normal adults try to practice this technique, they would probably need a month or so just to get familiar with the stance and arm movement. It would then take them a couple of months to get the gist of the moves and year to completely master it. It's just that they wouldn't want to waste their precious time on this when they could just use their time on practicing spells and mana applications. Only people who are dedicated to martial arts would practice these kinds of things for many years. For Zeke to familiarize himself and even execute Punch at that level on his first day showed his high level of comprehension.

Zeke spent his whole day cooped up in his room. He only went out to eat lunch and dinner before going back again to his room. His parents thought he has engrossed with some kind of book again so they didn't bother him. In reality, he practiced the four techniques to level 1 while also achieving level 5 of Mana Circulation.