A boy with pitch black hair and black hole like eyes was training with a Longsword.
The long sword was pitch black, forged from a fallen meteorite, and it had beautiful transparent patterns over it. The hilt was pure golden with a black dragon curling around it, fitting perfectly between the young boy's grip.
The boy looked as if he was eleven or twelve years old, but he was really only six.
The swordsmanship he was showing was extremely balanced and precise. As he practice he continued to speed up as time passed, and at some point he became a blur as he performed at a level that only a grandmaster swordsman should be able to.
On top of the level of his swordsmanship, the young boy was already a stage seven apprentice. His internal energy was extremely thick and viscous, yet also serene and untainted, it was crystal clear like glass or maybe even clearer.
This young boy was Horo, Horo Vitreae, son of the fourth rank Sacred Knight Augustus Vitreae.
A Sacred Knight was at the peak of this world, outside of Demigods, who were extremely restricted due to being partial gods.
Horo is said to be the most talented knight of all time, well he actually is due to completing the Apprentice rank at five, and nearly becoming a Luminous knight before six.
On top of that he seemed to have experienced from previous lives with the level of skill he showed, he even achieved sword force something that was usually only achieved by sword sages, the level of sword mastery after Grandmaster.
To top it off he had a Divine Inspiration with unlimited potential dubbed "Projection. A Divine inspiration is a blessing from multiple gods or a higher god, but his blessing was crafted by multiple higher gods.
The only down side this prodigy had was his internal energy not being able to incorporate an element or unnatural component. But the thing is, that isn't really considered a downside because with a special breathing technique created by his father and modified by his module, he received much more benefits in exchanged for that flaw.
Speaking of all of these things, Horo was actually right with his assumption at birth.
This world's most used power system was completely dependent on life force.
....
In ancient times, devils and cults used to run amok and wreak havoc across the entire Evergreen world, sacrificing entire villages and towns. Only those with "Minor Divine Favor", "Divine Inspiration", Regular Knights and Priest of the church actively fought against the cults and the devils they conjured and summoned. Force users were hidden hermits who continued down their path of mastery.
That was until the first "True Knight", Israel, Appeared.
He was called a True Knight because he exceeded human's natural physical capabilities by creating the first ever breathing technique.
After developing it more he named it the "Raging Heart Breathing Technique", due to him first utilizing it out of anger from his entire family being killed by a lesser devil.
He had already become what is now known as a stage seven apprentice due to extreme physical training, while slaying devil creatures and beast. He had recognized a specific breathing patterned he subconsciously used while enraged and venting with his sword.
He later became the first "Sacred Knight" and created the Eternal Knights Academy, helping later generations achieve True Knighthood.
....
Knights Used extremely arduous physical training, breathing techniques and meditation to focus on sensing and nurturing their meager life force. Once their life force becomes strong enough for its flow to actually be able to be mentally controlled, they would use it to open the "Life Veins". After the life veins were opened one could continue to nurture, strengthen and condense their life force within their hearts.
Once the life force condensed to the point where it becomes an actual controllable energy, it would transform into what is known as internal energy, which is a much purer form of life force.
Once reaching the luminous step of knighthood they would fuse a compatible affinity with their heart, creating unique internal energy.
A lot of different breathing techniques were birthed due to different life veins and compatibility complications. More and more were created and developed throughout the years creating special knight lineages and also one of a kind knights.
Horo's family, The Vitreae Family, was known as the Glazed Flame Family or lineage. This was due to their breathing techniques giving birth to glazed flames, Flames that look like they are glazed, with miniature white sparkles that shine like stars. The beautiful small white sparkles shouldn't be taken as an accessory for looks, they are the embodiment of pure destruction. The white sparkles can explode on command while packing the force of up to a nuke, depending on the user's knight step.
As Horo continued to monitor the life of this knight version of him, he was surprised more and more.
He had seen many power systems by now, but this one was really odd. The main thing is the Devil's. They came from the abyss, somewhere opposite of this universe according to the church, and abyssal energy.
Abyssal energy was the reason Horo was born in a pool of divine and faith energy. His mother had died while he was only three months developed in the room. This was because the ever present Tree of Tragedy absorbing too much negative energy which was ever present because of the cults, devils, and abyssal gates opened by the former two. The tree even absorbed a slither of abyssal energy that had latched on to his father. His father requested for the church to save him when he was still a fetus, resulting in him being placed in that pool to finish developing in that sack.
Then there was the natural gods, born gods, demigods.
Their counterparts, the supreme devils, devils lords, lesser devils, devil beast, and profound, one and only, abyssal god.
The born gods and demigods resulted from the Birth of "True knights". When they came about after the first True Knight, their power system over took the power system of priests, because devout priests can't become gods, but their methods are much more expansive than the knights.
After the Sacred Knight step with the help of priests they could become demigods with a bead of faith, which is provided by priests and the priests also help it assimilate with the sacred knights sacred heart.
After that is establishing a bridge of heaven and god kingdom to become a god.
Natural gods are born with worlds and have gods kingdoms that directly attached to said world. If their world is destroyed or corrupted by the abyss, they will either become corrupted or lost gods with no power outside of their god kingdom. But they will be able to send their ascended followers out of their god kingdom.
Born gods are able travel through the cosmos and will not die until their god kingdom is destroyed.
Horo didn't know anything beyond that he is only able to know this much because one of his ancestors became a demigod and received this knowledge from the higher god that chose him.
He discovered that this knights system which is based off of life force is only able to reach the Sacred Heart step after that they have to transform their life force to something else by fusing it with pure faith power. The knights power is purely destructive and can affect everything if not controlled properly.
Priests methods are the perfect counter for abyssal creatures and cult methods. They can also empower knights and people or things through special methods, and help people receive Divine favor or divine inspiration.
Cultists and cult masters used curses, devil contracts and other methods.
And then there are "Force Users" . They are who master certain weapons to a point where they could harness the force of it. The force is obtained through pure mastery of said weapon, and they can utilize said force for their own techniques. They don't need an energy source like the internal energy of the knights, the divine and faith energy of the church members, or abyssal energy. Still there are instances where Force users and incorporating energies or other methods into their own, like some cursed force users of the cults. The down side is their bodies can't. Compare to those of knights or priests which is nurtured and protected by internal or divine energy. They can strengthen their body through arduous or even hazardous training methods, as well as protect it with their force. Each force user has different means and some may be even more special than any method or path of power on the Evergreen world.
At least 75% of Knights are with the church, others are Wondering knights, knights of kingdoms, knights of the academy.
Some paths can be dual cultivated like Horo, he's a True Knight, Swordsman Force User, and a wielder of divine inspiration. He even indulged in the path of priesthood due to being the god son of a high priest, the one who helped birth him.
He's not the only one using all three paths, but he's certainly the most exceptional, with the addition of being above a novice priest.
The true Horo thought "This Horo Vitreae is even more special and talented than any other version of me. Hopefully I can receive boons if he can overcome his tragedy"