Chapter 61 Change The World

Words : 1167 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

After they had their fun, Malik stood up and headed back to the route. "H-Hey!" Safira skipped towards him and held his hand. "You still didn't tell us! How do we start?!" Jasmine did the same but only tugged at his sleeve. "Yes... how?" He glanced at them and then continued walking. "Well, there's only one way, and that's by unlocking your mutation... activating the core..." Before they could reply to his words, he held a finger to his lips. "Actually, hold that thought." Malik untied a bundle of Scrolls from his belt. The girls exchanged curious glances, Safira leaning in from his left while Jasmine peered from his right, her head tilted just enough to see what he was doing. He laid the first of the Scrolls out carefully on his palm, its edges curling from being tucked away for so long. "What's that?" "Magic homework?" Safira and Jasmine asked back to back, their eyes gleaming with the same curiosity. Malik shook his head. "Not exactly. These are Scrolls—mediums of Aether. I didn't realize it before, but they contain ability paths. Think of them like... maps for Aether. Each one shows a different path through the body, like the trails we're following right now, but y'know, for your ability." The one he revealed had a drawing of a human figure with thousands of lines crisscrossing its frame. "Let's see here." He traced them with a finger, his brow furrowing. It had the same general layout as a usual ability path... "Wait." Or so he thought at first. The Pathing had major intricate differences. "Mhmmm." Malik began to switch from one Scroll to another, seemingly on the cusp of realizing something. He scanned them from top to bottom, disappointed each time, but then suddenly... "Huh." His hands paused, roughly clutching the Scroll. There was no mistaking it. The lines on this one were strikingly similar to his own ability path. "Would you look at that..." Safira leaned closer, her nose almost touching the parchment. "What? What is it?" "This path..." Malik showed it to her. "It's almost exactly like mine. But see here?" He gestured to a tiny, subtle, barely noticeable, curve of lines near his shoulders. "This part had a two-line detour. It was removed. The flow was optimized." *** {Outside The Projection} The hall exploded once more, a seemingly common occurrence by now. But this time the energy was different. It wasn't outrage but shock, disbelief, and an expectation fulfilled. "No. Fucking. Way." "Did he just—?" "Wait... really?!" "That's Path Optimization! No way he just guessed that!" "A high-level technique!" "Didn't they only start teaching that after you become a Jinn?!" "And it's not in any beginner Grimoire, let alone that 'dummies' one he read!" "I had to get drilled on that for months!" "Same! And he just figured it out on his own?!" "This is him, right? The same guy who was eating breadcrumbs off the floor not long ago?" "Yeah!" Malik opened his eyes, a slow grin spreading across his face. "You clever bastard." "Who's clever?" Safira asked, tilting her head. "Whoever made this." He held up the Scroll. "They saw the flow and figured out how to... tweak it. Just a bit. Makes the element blast. Faster. Stronger." Jasmine leaned in, her small fingers brushing the edge of the parchment. "Can we learn it too?" He rolled the Scroll back up and slipped it under his armpit. "Nah, this technique is a no-go. Way too dangerous." With that, he went back to work, picking through the rest like he was shopping for fruit at the Thursday market. He tested each with a quick spark of Aether, sifting through what felt decent and what was plain trash. Most? Unremarkable. Basic stuff. Useful, but nothing he could use as studying material. Except a few caught his eye—healing scrolls, judging by the soothing vibe they gave off. And, of course, the one that mirrored his own ability. Once he'd checked them all, he packed the rejects back into his belt. "Alright, pay attention. Safira, these are yours." He handed her the healing scrolls. "You said you wanted the healing element, right? These should give you a head start. Just don't go playing doctor until you've got the hang of it." She grinned, absolutely beaming as she hugged them to her chest. "I won't! But just you wait—I'm gonna be the best healer ever. You'll see." Malik turned to Jasmine, handing her the scroll with the optimized path. "And this one's yours, Jasmine. It's not beginner-friendly, but I think you can handle it." Her eyes went wide as she gingerly took the Scroll like it might bite her. "You mean... it's like yours?" "Yep. Ember's Touch is the same for all elements. But it's got its own twist. You'll see." The girls stared at their Scrolls in awe, already brimming with questions. But before they could launch into a million of them, Malik held up a hand. "Hold on, let me explain something first." He stopped walking and crouched down to their level. "As I said, these paths—they're instructions for your Aether. It's like drawing a picture in your head, except the lines aren't just lines. They're how Aether flows through your veins, through your nerves, even down to your fingertips." Safira raised a hand like she was in school. "So we're drawing with our insides?" Malik snorted. "Sort of. But it's not just drawing. You've gotta practice. A lot. It's called Pathing, and trust me, it's not easy. You mess it up, and you might end up with a nosebleed—or worse." Jasmine frowned. "Worse? Like what?" "Eh, you'll be fine." Malik quickly waved it off, worried that he'd make her cry if he said anything more. "Just don't overdo it." Safira looked at her Scroll, her face scrunched in concentration. "So we have to memorize them?" "Yes. They have to get stuck in here." He tapped the side of his head. "That's your job for now. When we find a good spot to camp—like a cave—I'll help you activate your cores. Your 'fun' will begin then." The girls nodded, their excitement bubbling over into giggles. Malik couldn't help but smile too as he stood up and continued walking. "Alright, let's move out. Keep those scrolls safe. And don't go trying anything until I say so." Safira saluted. "Yes, Sir!" Jasmine just tugged on his sleeve again. "You'll show us everything, right?" He looked at her, then at the horizon. "Everything I know... And hopefully, a few things I don't." With that, they set off; the two girls already absorbed in their scrolls. '...I don't know when or how... but these two are going to change the world someday.'

Chapter 61 Change The World

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