After Aris gathered all the fragments of memories about the Creation Technique, he began to meditate deeply, quickly flowing into harmony with his surroundings, as if his entire existence had been condensed into his chest, which rose and fell rhythmically. The air around him grew slightly heavier, and mana slowly gathered toward him, flickering like transparent flames around his body.
Had Aris's eyes been open, he would have seen a new world for the first time; everything shimmering with a faint glow, mana swirling and dancing in dazzling vortices around him, like tiny stars orbiting their own cosmos.
Aris began to absorb mana through all the pathways of his body. As soon as it flowed inside, it transformed into specks of chaotic energy, glowing with a pale gray light, following their strict course toward the center of his being.
Suddenly, Aris found himself in a vast void, everything there dark and silent. He had no physical body, only a purely spiritual form floating in nothingness. He felt as if the echo of his own breath resonated endlessly, and that even the slightest movement of his awareness shook the void. His spiritual body trembled slightly, as though a clammy chill seeped into his essence.
He whispered to himself:
"This must be the inner world, just as the meditation technique described…"
Suddenly, gray mist began to condense before him, creeping slowly and spreading through the air, releasing a faint scent like burnt ash. It drifted and rippled as if alive, brushing against his awareness with an eerie coldness.
Aris smiled faintly and murmured:
"So… shall we begin?"
The Creation Meditation Technique was completely different from the techniques of knights or witches. Each technique had its function: knights formed a core resembling a small star, while witches shaped glowing rings, and the more they accumulated through practice, the greater their power. But the Creation Technique was something else entirely…
From the very first moment it began, mysterious information appeared, and with practice, it became clearer: it allowed the formation of something akin to an entire world. The star turned into a planet, and the ring became its protective layer.
Aris felt clearly that he could separate the chaotic energy into the elements of light and darkness, but he refused to do so, for chaos energy was the origin, and the first world would be the foundation upon which all others would be built.
He directed his awareness and guided the chaos energy to gather. At first, it formed into a gray star, pulsing slowly like a living heart, then Aris compressed it further and further until it began to solidify. But to his surprise, the chaos energy refused to remain stable; instead, it followed his inner instinct and transformed into a rotating vortex, greedily devouring energy, emitting a faint creaking sound like the tearing of the void. At the same time, a ring of chaos energy formed around it, like dense mist circling endlessly, whispering like hissing winds.
Aris lifted his awareness, staring at the scene with eyes gleaming faintly with lightning, and murmured in a deep voice filled with awe:
"This will be… the World of Chaos."
The Creation Meditation Technique was truly unique, for each world Aris created held a special function. Now, when he shaped the World of Chaos in the form of a vortex that absorbed energy, he knew that if he were to create another world, it would grant him different abilities. For example, if he created the World of Light, his power over the light element would increase. His focus wasn't just on raising his rank, but the World of Chaos would act as the main foundation elevating his energy level, making him at once both a knight with two stars and a mage with two rings. And so it would continue.
His strength would not remain the same; he would gain new energies, while at the same time each new world would enhance different forces within him.
When Aris saw that everything was stable, he withdrew his awareness from the inner void and opened his eyes. The air around him seemed to shiver, and a faint sound echoed in his head before a system screen appeared before him:
[Congratulations! You have created a new path: First-Rank Magic Knight]
A small smile appeared on his lips, and he whispered to himself with a shiver running through his body:
"This is one of the most important features of the Creation Meditation Technique… it allows merging two paths into one, so I can use them simultaneously."
You must understand that there are people who possess talent in both aura and magic, but they are unable to use both paths at the same time. They have to train separately, which hinders their growth speed, and they cannot swing a sword and cast a spell simultaneously.
Here, Aris surpassed all the people of the world, for as long as he could combine sword and magic in the same moment, he would be capable of defeating a two-star knight or a two-ring mage.
He murmured in a low voice, his tone carrying a mix of confidence and caution:
"I think everyone will feel pure terror at the emergence of a new profession… but I must not reveal my ability until I have enough strength to protect myself."
He gazed far away, his breath mixing with the chill of the night slipping through the window, before closing his eyes again and whispering:
"As they say… the giant tree attracts the wind. And that is what I do not want before I grow enough."
While Aris was thinking, a new screen appeared.
[Because you have created a new path that never existed and never will exist in the world, and which has altered fate, the system's development mechanisms have been activated]
[All functions will be suspended to storage]
[Development will begin]
[0..10..20]
When Aris saw the system screen, he felt a wave of astonishment.
"Is there truly only one Royal Magic Knight profession, and also—what I did changed fate—how can fate be altered so easily?"
Countless questions surfaced; he could accept the fact that no other Magic Knight existed, but changing fate was difficult to grasp. In the end, fate was something mysterious, hard to understand or control.
"Did I really change fate, that fate which made my past life like a dog working for people who never cared for me, or made me the shadow of Ryan?"
"Yes, fate caused everything. Now I can change it? No—I won't just change it, I will tear it apart and rewrite it."
His aura surged, filled with killing intent; the air grew heavy and distorted. Quickly, Aris took a deep breath to calm his emotions; his chest expanding and contracting as though holding back a storm, his blood pounding in his ears.
"I am truly angry, and I need to vent this rage, so I think I can test my strength."
To test his power and move his body in a real fight, and at the same time carry out his plans to unite the gangs under his command, he prepared to head out.
But this time, he wore a light leather armor over his black shirt, a mask over his face, and covered his head with a long black cloak; the cloak whispered faintly as he moved.
He placed three small vials into the system's storage and left. His target this time was not the Black Serpent Gang, but the Chameleon Gang.
"Honestly, I don't understand why all the gangs are named after animals."
Aris sneered, his eyes gleaming with a cold, lethal light as he moved swiftly under the cover of night; the air around him sharp and biting like metal from the force of his suppressed killing intent.
His footsteps were silent, the leather beneath his armor creaking faintly, while the damp scent of the street and a faint veil of smoke drifted toward his nose.
This time, Aris did not sneak in, but appeared directly before the buildings of the Chameleon Gang, which were clearly of lesser stature than the Brown Bear Gang's headquarters.
There were only two guards at the boss's door.
"Who are you?!"
One of the guards shouted at Aris, who had appeared like a ghost five meters away.
But before they could move or draw their weapons, it was as if time had frozen for them.
Pain etched itself clearly across their faces.
Moonlight fell over the place, revealing fine, thin threads binding their bodies like a transparent spider's web.
Suddenly, Aris flicked his finger lightly, and the threads quivered, tearing the guards' bodies into scattered pieces on the ground.
This was one of the simplest magical tricks Aris knew, a spell he had heard from one of his comrades, usually used for obstruction or traps.
But in the hands of a professional, even the simplest trick could become a deadly weapon.
And here lay the difference between those with experience and those without it.
Aris cast a cold glance at the heap of shredded flesh before him, but he did not yet enter.
He lifted his head slightly toward the rooftop, where a figure dressed in black silently observed him; one of Arthur's special daggers.
Aris raised his finger in a gesture of silence, then continued on his way inside.
The dagger, realizing he had been discovered, felt overwhelming terror.
His entire body trembled involuntarily when his eyes met Aris's; despite all his long experience, he had never felt fear like this before.
"I must quickly report the target's appearance."
He vanished at once, retreating into the darkness.
Inside, Aris was met with the choking stench of fresh blood mixed with the metallic tang of iron.
Corpses were scattered everywhere, butchered in a savage manner, as if watermelons had been sliced apart with a sharp blade.
The floor was slippery beneath his feet, and the air was heavy, saturated with brutality.