After waking up from his horrifying blackout Max took several days to regroup and think about where he went wrong before deciding on a new approach to master the element.
Going back to the time- loop method Max decided to influence the shape of the rock within an isolated time pocket so that the backlash from altering reality could be mitigated.
Sitting cross-legged, Max focused on the simple rock that laid before him. His past experiments with Chaos had been volatile at best, but he had a hunch that he was approaching it all wrong.
The time-loop, he realised, was his ideal testing ground.
He began by trying to visualise the rock not as it was, but as he wanted it to be — a slightly different shape, smoother edges and a completely different structure.
As he focused, he willed the Chaos energy to swirl around the rock, its unpredictable nature fluttering around like a turbulent storm.
The first few attempts were, predictably, unpredictable. Instead of the desired form, the rock transformed into a myriad of bizarre and unexpected shapes — at one point, it even momentarily turned into a liquid puddle before reverting back. But Max was undeterred. With each attempt, he grew more attuned to the ebb and flow of Chaos.
Soon, a pattern emerged. Altering the present was difficult due to the karmic implications attached to every atom, every grain. But the future was a blank slate. Max realised that he could mould the rock's "future state" rather than its current one.
With this understanding, Max's attempts became more refined. Instead of directly altering the rock, he began to direct the Chaos energy to affect the rock's progression over time.
Surprisingly, within moments, the rock began to evolve. It smoothed out, reshaped, and moulded itself exactly as Max had envisioned.
Max's eyes shone with understanding. The past, with its ingrained karmic imprints, was rigid and difficult to modify. But the future was malleable, devoid of karmic ties.
With Chaos energy, he had the tool to influence the course of events, to set realities on paths of his choosing.
His mind raced with possibilities. If he could change the future shape of a rock, what else could he influence? The growth of a plant, the flow of a river, even perhaps the fate of civilizations? He wondered, however, with this newfound power came a weight of responsibility.
The universe was a delicate tapestry of interconnected events. Changing even one thread could have ripple effects beyond comprehension.
Max knew he had to tread carefully. While the power of Chaos was intoxicating, it was also treacherous. Mastery over it wasn't just about wielding its power, but understanding the profound implications of every alteration.
With a deep breath, Max took a moment to centre himself. He had taken the first steps into truly understanding Chaos, but the journey ahead was long and fraught with challenges-
—-------
( 100 years later )
For 100 more years Max experimented with chaos. His mastery and understanding of the element slowly increased over time as he realised its greatest strengths and challenges.
Chaos was supreme! There was no question in Max's mind that the element had limitless potential and that a master of chaos was potentially the strongest fighter in the universe.
Using Chaos to shape the future gave one the ability to weave the fabric of reality at will.
If he could gain subsequent abilities to wield Chaos, Max knew he could use Chaos energy to transform everything around him.
A piece of rock could be transformed into a precious gem-
A rock boulder could be converted into mithril iron and used to block an attack-
An asteroid could be shaped to become the replica of Ixtal and all matter could be manipulated into any organic/ inorganic substance.
Little by little, Max uncovered all the secrets of Chaos until he became a Master Of Chaos!
As his understanding of the element crossed the 75% threshold, he was declared a master of the element and his trial to promote to tier7 was officially completed!
However, the mastery of void, darkness and chaos sounded much more impressive on paper than it really was-
Max was only a master in understanding it's fundamentals and secrets, however, Max could not implement all of the powers of the ultimate elements at will.
He still needed subsequent techniques that would allow him to use a specific power of these elements out of the wide scope of things they were capable of.
Nonetheless, the achievement of reaching mastery in all three subsequent elements was still a MASSIVELY impressive feat that rattled even the celestials.
As Max reached master level understanding for Chaos, his entire body became enveloped in golden light as the surrounding energies of the Realm Of Chaotic Energies suddenly harmonised and began vortexing into his body.
" Well done Max Rajput! You have achieved something extraordinary today, something nobody has achieved since the perfect warrior ascended.
Initially there was only one of us who believed in your potential, but now there are seven who are willing to sponsor you-
Consider this day as the greatest in your life, for the choices you shall have today as your powers for successfully completing your tier7 promotion would be some of the strongest abilities known to the multiverse" A deep and joyous voice said as a soft smile spread on Max's face.
He could feel the surrounding energies flowing into his body and improving his very constitution as he underwent the benefits of reaching tier promotion.
This test was undoubtedly the most difficult tier promotion test he had underwent yet, however, the harder the tier promotion was the sweeter the rewards were bound to be and the claim of the celestials that they would award Max with some of the best abilities only made this moment that much sweeter.
However, the greatest satisfaction for him was that he had not deviated from the path of the perfect warrior!
He was still on-track to see it to the bitter end and had only one last hurdle left now between himself and the fabled realm of monarch's.
With only a few hundred tier7 warriors in the entire universe, Max could confidently call himself one of the finest in the universe now.
With this promotion, he had joined the ranks of the warrior elite and achieved something that only a few thousand had ever achieved out of the trillions that were born in the universe.