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Chapter 6: The Awakening of Power
Elias sat in the silence of the Slums, the damp air of the forgotten alleyways swirling around him. He had been here for a few weeks now, hiding in plain sight, blending into the backdrop of a world that had no place for someone like him. His eyes were fixed on the flickering light of a nearby lantern, the only illumination in the otherwise darkened alley. Time, he thought, was the only thing that had truly mattered to him since he had left the academy. And now, it was his greatest asset.
His training began in earnest after he escaped the academy. The Time Breathing Techniques he'd developed were still rough around the edges, but he could already feel the immense potential they held. The more he practiced, the more he realized how much more there was to time than he had initially understood.
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Time Breathing Techniques were the key to his mastery of time manipulation. With each breath, Elias could manipulate the flow of time around him, creating time bubbles to slow down or speed up his environment. But as he continued to train, he realized that the technique wasn't just about speed or slowing things down—it was about focus. The control he had over time was tied to his mental clarity, and the more precise his thoughts were, the more he could reshape time to his will.
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Elias took a deep breath and entered his Time Breathing stance—his movements slow, deliberate, as if every second stretched into eternity. He focused on the energy within him. It pulsed gently at first, then surged as he tapped deeper into the flow of time around him. His surroundings blurred as he slipped into a moment where he controlled every aspect of his perception.
Time Breathing: Flash.
A sharp whoosh filled the air as Elias shot forward, his body moving faster than the eye could follow. Time blurred as he sprinted through the small room, the walls vanishing in a flash. He slid to a halt, his breath steady. He had covered more ground in an instant than most people could in an hour.
But speed wasn't enough. He needed control. Mastery.
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Elias took a deep breath, pulling his focus inward. Time Breathing: Freeze.
In an instant, the world around him seemed to grind to a halt. The motion in the room stilled, like a video paused mid-frame. A single drop of water from a crack in the ceiling suspended in the air, frozen in time. Elias stood amidst this frozen world, his pulse calm, feeling the weight of the moment.
He slowly reached out, touching the drop of water. It was as solid as it would have been if time were still moving. He could feel the flow of time within it, the subtle vibrations that made it alive. The mastery of this technique wasn't about controlling the world; it was about controlling the moment—the fabric of time that made up the world around him.
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He let the freeze dissipate, watching the world slowly begin to move again. The water drop fell, splashing onto the ground with a soft patter.
Time is a living thing, Elias thought. And I am learning to breathe with it.
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He stood up, stretching his arms above his head. The ache in his body was familiar now—a sign of progress. His Chrono Rank 2 still felt like a fraction of the power he could access. With the abilities of a 500-year-old time manipulator, Elias had more control over time than most could ever dream of. But that wasn't enough. He needed to learn how to stretch those abilities, how to use time not only for combat but to shape his very reality.
Time Breathing: Flow.
Elias focused on his breath, feeling the pulse of time around him. As he moved, he could feel time flow differently—speeding up in some places, slowing down in others. He moved through the room with a fluidity he hadn't felt before, his actions matching the flow of time itself.
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But even as his abilities grew, Elias couldn't shake the feeling of something more—something still out of his reach. The deeper he pushed, the more he realized the time flow was only a part of the equation. He wasn't just controlling time—he was becoming a part of it.
Yet, there was still more to learn. More techniques. More control. Elias had to understand everything—how time worked, how it could be bent, stretched, or even broken.
But the Slums weren't the place for him to master his abilities. They were a prison. The longer he stayed, the more the Time Guild would close in on him.
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As Elias glanced out of the small window of his hideout, he felt an unsettling pull. The world outside was still a chaotic mess. And it was time to make a choice.
He couldn't stay hidden forever. But the longer he delayed, the more dangerous it became to confront his powers. His time manipulations were no longer a secret—his growth had attracted attention. The next step was inevitable: he needed to leave. And soon.
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The idea of stepping into the unknown, leaving the Slums behind, both terrified and exhilarated him. He had trained for months, built up his skills. But the world outside was vast, and Elias knew that his abilities were still far from perfected.
But in this world, time was a tool. And as long as he had control over it, he could shape his future. The next chapter of his life was about to begin.
The dim room was quiet except for the rhythmic sound of Elias's breath. His training had become a sacred ritual, one where he could stretch the limits of his abilities. Every day, every hour, was spent honing his control over time. But today, there was a new sense of urgency—he had to push further, faster.
Time Breathing: Flash—Elias's body shot forward in a blur of motion. The world around him seemed to fall into slow motion as his speed increased. His heart raced, but he didn't lose focus. The power to bend time had always been a part of him, but now he was starting to understand it, to use it, as though he were one with time itself.
With a fluid motion, he reversed the direction, shifting into a defensive stance. Time Breathing: Freeze. The air around him hardened as time slowed to a crawl. Every particle suspended in place, creating an eerie stillness in the room.
But this wasn't enough. His abilities had grown, yes, but Elias knew there was still much to learn. He needed more.
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He moved to the center of the room, his breath steady as he visualized his next move. He had felt it during the previous skirmishes—there was more to Time Manipulation than simply controlling the flow of time. The idea had come to him during the fight against a Rank 3 manipulator in the Slums. The fight had been close, and something in his instincts had clicked.
Temporal Lapse.
Elias closed his eyes, focusing on the new concept. The ability was dangerous, untested. It was said to allow the user to either reverse time briefly or glimpse the future. But that came at a cost—energy. Time was volatile, and even the smallest misuse could be catastrophic.
He held his breath, imagining the feeling of time unraveling, and then—he reached out with his mind.
For a moment, everything went still. Then, a crackling wave of temporal energy surged through him. His vision warped as he tried to connect with the past—or perhaps, the future.
The world around him flickered. He could see fragments of himself, in a different place, at a different time. Flashes. A distant memory, a future moment, all blended into one chaotic vision. He saw himself standing in a familiar place—the entrance to the Time Labyrinth—fighting with someone, though the face was unclear.
Suddenly, the world around him snapped back into focus.
It worked, Elias thought, his heart racing. But that was too much. His mind burned with the intensity of the experience. Temporal Lapse wasn't something to wield casually—it was an ability that could break the fabric of time if used improperly.
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Elias staggered back, leaning against the wall, trying to regain his bearings. The ability was still new, raw. It had come to him as an inspiration in the midst of a fight, a product of his growing understanding of time. He had seen how it had affected his future self, and now he realized how dangerous it could be.
His Chrono Rank didn't matter here. His abilities were growing far beyond what the rank system could measure. He wasn't bound by a set timeline, and that gave him access to potential others didn't have. It was terrifying, but exhilarating.
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As he steadied himself, Elias looked at his hand, imagining the next step. He had seen glimpses of how his powers could evolve, and now, his weapon was the next challenge.
Time Constructs had been his go-to technique, and he'd created swords, shields, and armor from the flow of time. But now, he wondered: could he create a more permanent form? Something tangible. Something that could reflect his power in its purest form.
The answer came to him in a flash of inspiration.
A katana.
His hand outstretched, he formed the blade from pure time energy. It began as a faint shimmer, then solidified into a gleaming blade. The aura of time swirled around it, a perfect fusion of weapon and time manipulation.
The katana hummed with energy, its weight real and substantial in his hands. Time Breathing: Blade. Elias swung it through the air. The blade cut the stillness around him like a scythe, but it wasn't just a weapon—it was a manifestation of his connection to time. It felt like an extension of himself.
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Elias took a deep breath, examining the katana with new respect. He could feel the potential in the weapon, in himself. This was the weapon he'd been seeking. A weapon that could bend time, a weapon that could control the flow of moments.
It wasn't just about defeating his enemies—it was about becoming a master of the moment. His understanding of time had evolved from defensive techniques to something offensive, something dangerous.
Elias smiled, looking at the blade. His journey was far from over.
The room was silent, save for the hum of energy and Elias's measured breathing. His training had taken on a new intensity—each moment, each motion was an exploration of what time could truly offer. It was no longer enough to simply manipulate time; now, Elias was learning to shape it, to bend it into forms that could empower him.
Elias had spent countless hours working with the Time Breathing Katana, refining its use. The blade now felt like an extension of himself, but today was different. Today, he had a new challenge in mind.
He stood in the center of the room, eyes focused on the target. The environment was no longer just his training space—it was a simulation. Using his time powers, he had constructed a scene in his mind—a battlefield where he would face an enemy, just as real as if he were fighting in the outside world.
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He breathed in, and with a flick of his wrist, his katana appeared in his hand, formed from the air around him. Time Breathing: Manifestation. The weight of the blade was comforting, its glow a soft pulse of time energy.
Before him, the enemy materialized—an opponent formed entirely from time manipulation, a representation of the fight that was about to unfold. This opponent was faster than anything Elias had encountered. Its movements blurred, fluid like liquid time.
Elias's heart raced, the feeling of the battle already consuming him. The opponent lunged with a deadly slash, its movements unpredictable, coming from angles Elias hadn't anticipated. His katana came up in a defensive block, but to his shock, the time energy around his sword started to falter—the blade was stuck. His weapon, no matter how much he focused on it, couldn't keep up with the attack.
The enemy's blade came down fast—too fast.
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Elias's instincts kicked in.
In a split second, his left hand shot out, and with a flash of time energy, he created Time Breathing: Shield. The shield materialized in front of him, a shimmering disc made of time's essence. He used it to block the incoming strike, the impact reverberating through his body as the shield absorbed the force.
But the enemy was relentless. As the shield blocked the attack, the enemy prepared to strike again. Time Breathing: Flash, Elias thought. He was fast—but not fast enough.
In a desperate moment, he extended his free hand, drawing on his time powers to manifest something new. A Time Construct.
With a sharp twist of energy, a gun appeared in his hand, formed from the same time energy that surrounded him. He aimed at the opponent and fired. The sound of the shot rang through the room, but instead of the sharp crack of a normal weapon, it was a burst of time energy, designed to stop the enemy's movement. The force of the shot created a ripple in the air, and the opponent hesitated, momentarily stunned.
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The opportunity was now.
Elias moved fluidly, his body reacting instinctively. The enemy, still stunned by the shot, staggered backward. In one smooth motion, Elias swiped his katana through the air, cutting through the time manipulation around the opponent. The figure dissolved into particles of time as the blow landed, its body unable to maintain the construct.
Elias took a deep breath, lowering the gun and shield, watching as the simulation faded from his mind. The room was quiet once again, but inside, something had shifted.
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He sat down on the ground, his legs crossed, the sweat on his brow the only sign of exertion. As the simulation faded completely, Elias reflected on the fight. It had been a battle against his own weaknesses—his time constructs had been imperfect, the katana had been slow to respond, and the shield had only held out for so long.
But something had clicked during the battle.
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An epiphany.
Elias closed his eyes and let his mind wander back through the moments of the fight. The shield had protected him, but it wasn't enough to win the battle. He had needed something more. The gun had given him a window, a moment of clarity—but it hadn't been the weapon that mattered. It was the timing.
He realized now that time wasn't something to be controlled; it was something to be embraced. Time wasn't just a tool—it was a living, breathing force. It wasn't about blocking, evading, or slowing down time. It was about understanding the moment—seeing the right instant, the right timing, to act. He wasn't just manipulating time to gain an advantage; he was learning to become one with it, to flow with its pulse.
Elias smiled, his mind racing with the possibilities. The time constructs he had created weren't just weapons. They were expressions of his control over time itself. The katana wasn't a mere tool—it was an embodiment of his mastery of the moment. The shield wasn't just a defense—it was a manifestation of time's resilience.
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As he stood up, a new understanding flooded through him. His abilities weren't about controlling the world. They were about being one with time—letting time flow through him, not just as a tool, but as part of his very being.
Elias's powers were evolving, and with each epiphany, he was unlocking new layers of his potential. He was no longer just fighting time; he was becoming one with it.
And the road ahead, full of battles and choices, was just beginning.
Elias sat cross-legged, sweat dripping down his forehead as he let out a deep breath. The training was intense, each day more exhausting than the last. But today, there was something different in the air—a sense of progress, a feeling that he was getting closer to mastering time itself.
With his arms resting on his knees, Elias closed his eyes and centered his thoughts. He had reached a point where his powers were growing far beyond his Chrono Rank. The Rank itself no longer seemed to matter. What mattered was his growing ability to embrace time, to become one with it.
He felt the familiar tingling sensation as the system activated, appearing in his vision like a transparent screen. The panel lit up, displaying his progress:
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SYSTEM PANEL
Name: Elias
Chrono Rank: 2 (With the Power of a 1000-Year-Old Time Manipulator)
Age: 18
Time Mastery: 1000 years
Time Constructs: Fully Developed (Sword, Shield, Gun, Armor)
Total Time Energy: 90,000 Units
Abilities Gained:
Time Breathing: Flash
Time Breathing: Freeze
Time Breathing: Flow
Time Breathing: Blade
Time Breathing: Manifestation
Time Breathing: Temporal Lapse (Unstable)
Elias's eyes scanned the panel with a sense of awe, though his chest tightened. He was far stronger than anyone had expected, and yet, there was still so much uncertainty. But one thing was certain: his time-based abilities were growing exponentially. He could see that now.
The Time Breathing Manual, the techniques that had shaped his abilities, glowed faintly in his mind. Unlike others, Elias did not just control time—he embraced it. His manual wasn't simply a guide for manipulating time—it was his way of breathing with it.
Elias wasn't just using time as a tool; he was letting it flow through him, connecting with every moment, every second. He wasn't an observer of time—he was a participant in it. The more he trained, the more he understood this truth.
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Time Breathing Manual
1. Time Breathing: Flash – A technique that enhances speed by compressing time. It is a temporary burst of speed, allowing Elias to move faster than the eye can follow.
2. Time Breathing: Freeze – Temporarily halts the flow of time around Elias, freezing everything in a radius. He can freeze moments, objects, or even enemies.
3. Time Breathing: Flow – Allows Elias to adapt to the natural flow of time, bending it to his will to remain agile and react faster than anyone could anticipate.
4. Time Breathing: Blade – The creation of a time-infused blade that forms from the flow of time. Used both offensively and defensively.
5. Time Breathing: Manifestation – The creation of tangible objects, like weapons and shields, made from the very fabric of time. Elias can manipulate time to form armor, barriers, and other constructs.
6. Time Breathing Temporal Lapse – A powerful, unstable technique that allows Elias to either reverse time briefly or catch glimpses of the future. This ability is still in its infancy and is dangerous to use.
Elias paused, reflecting on the unique nature of his powers. Unlike others, who simply manipulated time, he embraced it. To breathe through time was what set him apart. He didn't force it; he allowed it to move through him, to shape him. He didn't just control time—he existed within it.
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But it wasn't always this way.
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As Elias looked at the system panel, something stirred in his chest—a familiar feeling of insecurity. He had always doubted his abilities. Growing up, Elias had felt out of place. He had always struggled to find his purpose, to fit in. His parents had neglected him, leaving him to fend for himself. School had never been an option.
He had always felt like he was too weak, too unimportant to matter. His powers, even now, didn't feel like enough. He constantly wondered if they were truly his, or if the system was manipulating him. Was this really his path? Could he really harness the power he had?
But over the past few months, Elias had begun to accept it. He could no longer afford the luxury of doubt. Time was his to control, to wield. The past, the future—he had access to all of it. And now, he was starting to see the value in his abilities, not as a gift or a curse, but as a part of him.
He smiled wryly at himself. The boy who had once been too afraid to trust in his own strength had learned to embrace it. He wasn't perfect—he wasn't even close. But he had come to terms with his power.
The Chrono Rank didn't define him. His abilities weren't just about what he could do with time—they were about how he chose to live through it. Elias had learned that sometimes, the only way to move forward was to accept yourself, flaws and all.
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A sudden notification appeared on the panel, and Elias felt a jolt of energy.
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SYSTEM MESSAGE:
CONGRATULATIONS, ELIAS!
You have unlocked the title: Darling of the Multiverse.
Effect: Unknown. Further investigation required.
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Elias's heart skipped a beat. "Darling of the Multiverse"? It was a title he had never seen before, one that carried unanswered questions.
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