Sparring

Sparring can be done between two players using. Sparring, provided that both players spar with the same weapon type and are not at full hunger, will increase both of your mastery LEVEL, which is a hidden value, by one. The publicly displayed value, mastery RANK (which is just your mastery level minus 4), is more important. It should be noted that the damage you deal with your weapon is increased even if you haven't reached rank 1 yet. However, once you do reach at least mastery rank 2 (Again, this would be level 6), when you next revive, you will now permanently be at level 6 for that weapon type until you anoint or spar again. Essentially, this means you will always start back at rank 2. Once you reach rank 6, you can no longer anoint your weapon rank any higher, and must instead kill other players/enemies (that are higher in both slime and level than you) to do so. Reaching rank 6 also stops you from increasing your own rank through sparring, unless you are sparring with someone who has a higher weapon rank than you. You can only spar up to someone else's mastery rank, minus 1 (example: Sparring with a rank 15 master of the katana would, at most, allow you to get to rank 14). Sparring has a one-minute cooldown and raises your hunger by about 5%. Once you reach rank 8, you may also  your weapon, resulting in a matrimonial ceremony that increases your rank by two.