Chapter 577: Three Techqniues

Chapter 577: Three Techqniues

There existed four distinct categories when it came to how one comprehended the path of their concepts, and among them, the most revered and unchanging were the Apex Grade elements—Space, Time, Life, Death, Fate, Destiny ane many more such elements.

These were not mere elemental affinities, but universal forces that had governed existence since the beginning of creation itself.

The concepts under these elements weren’t formed through personal insight or subjective experience like fire, wind, or earth. Instead, they followed an ancient structure, rigid and absolute.

They had laws—immutable, divine laws—laid down during the Primordial Era, and once carved into the fabric of the universe, they had never changed.

For example, Max’s first level Concept of Space was Dimensional Severance—a terrifying power that allowed him to cut across space itself.

But this wasn’t unique to Max. It was not something he invented or stumbled upon through enlightenment. Dimensional Severance was, by law, the universal Level 1 Concept of Space.

Whether one was a lowly mortal beginning their journey or a mighty sovereign cultivating at the edge of the Divine Realm, if they wanted to grasp the Concept of Space, they would all start from Dimensional Severance.

This structure extended beyond the first level. There were five total levels within the Concept of Space, and every single one of them was etched in stone, unchanged and unchangeable across eons.

The same was true for the Concepts of Time, Life, Death, Fate, Destiny and many more. These Apex Grade elements didn’t allow deviation. No creativity. No alternate routes. Only strict adherence to the path set before them.

Experts could not create their own version of a Concept of Time or twist the meaning of Death—they could only try to comprehend the predefined truths of these forces.

It was both a limitation and a mark of purity—those who followed these paths were walking the very same road the ancient Primordials once walked, but only if they had the will to endure it.

The second category of concepts was known as Weapon Grade Concepts, and these revolved around the weapon an expert chose to dedicate themselves to—be it sword, spear, axe, bow, halberd, or any other weapon forged for war.

Unlike the rigid structure of the Apex Grade concepts, the path to comprehending Weapon Grade Concepts was vast and diverse. There wasn’t just one path for someone who wished to master the sword; instead, countless interpretations existed.

A sword expert could pursue the Concept of the Killing Sword, focused on sharpness and lethality; or perhaps the Concept of the Slaughter Sword, centered around overwhelming brutality and devastation; or even the Concept of the Invincible Sword, which emphasized absolute dominance and unbreakable defense.

These paths varied based on one’s personality, battle style, and perception of their weapon. There was no universal rule—only the understanding and intention behind the weapon shaped the concept.

Then came the third category: the Elemental Grade Concepts. As the name implied, this included all the natural elements—fire, water, wind, lightning, earth, ice, and so on. These were considered the most accessible of all concepts.

Unlike the Apex or Weapon Grade Concepts, Elemental Concepts didn’t follow a fixed path nor were they shaped by countless interpretations. Instead, they were formless in their early stages, shaped completely by the user’s own comprehension.

However, as one’s mastery of an element deepened, the concept began to take on unique traits that reflected the user’s will. For example, someone who had grasped the Concept of Flames to level four might develop flames with distinct properties: they could become destructive flames that devoured everything in their path, or eternal flames that never went out, or even bizarre variations like freezing flames that both burned and froze their targets simultaneously.

The nature of the concept evolved according to the one’s individuality, making each person’s flames different despite using the same element.

Finally, there was the rarest and most mysterious category: the Myth Grade Concepts. These weren’t tied to elements or weapons, but to intangible forces—emotions and primal instincts such as killing intent, rage, greed, fear, illusions, despair, and more.

These concepts didn’t exist in material form, and yet they could be felt—seen through the tremble of an enemy’s soul or the shifting atmosphere of a battlefield.

Myth Grade Concepts were the hardest to comprehend because they were formless, deeply psychological, and required immense emotional understanding or personal experiences to grasp.

While they weren’t necessarily the strongest in raw destructive power, they were notoriously difficult to counter. Facing someone who wielded the Concept of Illusions or the Concept of Despair could unravel even a strong mind, making them among the most dangerous opponents to fight—not because of their strength, but because of the chaos they could cause within.

“I see.” Max nodded digesting the lecture Lord Harthorne gave him just now. He hadn’t expected there were types to concepts and each types were somewhat different from others.

He was previously curious why his sword concept was so different from lightning and flames concept but now he understood everything.

Shaking his head to refocus, Max turned toward Lord Harthorne with a calm, determined voice. “I want to choose my remaining rewards now,” he said. “A very strong attack-based lightning elemental technique, a sword technique, and a space element technique. That’s my choice for the three techniques.”

Lord Harthorne raised an eyebrow slightly at the specific request but nodded with approval. “Sword, lightning, and space… I see,” he said as a holographic screen once again materialized before him.

With a few taps and swipes of his fingers, he activated the selection protocol, and in the next moment, twenty or so transparent cubes floated down from the upper racks of the Treasure Hall, stopping just in front of Max in a perfectly arranged row.

Each cube contained a small book, glowing faintly with runes of varying color—some crackled with arcs of lightning, others shimmered with a faint spatial distortion, and some pulsed with sharp sword intent so potent that Max could feel the weight of their killing aura even through the cube.

“These are among the best techniques the Obsidian Dragon City has to offer in those three fields,” Lord Harthorne said, stepping aside. “Examine them carefully.”

Max nodded and began to inspect each cube one by one. He took his time, letting his instincts and comprehension guide his choices. After a while, his gaze settled on three specific techniques that resonated with him deeper than the others.

The first was a lightning technique titled “Lightning Manifestation Armor”—a fierce, destructive technique that summoned concentrated lightning transforming them into a pure armor increasing the overall attack, speed, strength of an individual.

The second was a sword technique called “Severing Flow Sword Art”—a technique that perfectly matched his Concept of Severing Sword. It focused on smooth, flowing sword strikes that built up severing force with each motion until the final slash could slice through even energy itself.

And the last one was a space element technique called “Void Severance Slash”, an offensive technique allowing user to gather spatial energy into their hand or weapon, compressing into a thin, near invisible edge where with a slash they could tear open the very void.

These three techniques weren’t just powerful—they were a perfect extension of who Max was and the path he walked.

Confident in his choices, he turned to Lord Harthorne. “These three,” he said simply.

Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!