Hello everyone,
I wanted to take a moment to explain some things that may seem unclear or slow at the beginning of the story—especially the dialogue between Louskas and Eldron. While it might feel dull at first, that conversation is one of the most important parts of the story. In this world, a cultivator's path is not just about brute strength, but about understanding oneself and carving a personal road forward. Louskas is still in search of his own.
In this note, I'll clarify a few fundamental systems that define the structure of power in this world:
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Shards: The Core of Power
This world revolves around one crucial element: Shards.
A shard is a spiritual entity that a person is born with. That's right—you must be born with a shard. It cannot be found, forged, or implanted. It is part of your soul from the moment you enter the world, and it determines your power, path, and even fate.
No two shards are truly identical. Some may share similar properties or affinities, but each is unique, carrying its own intent and mark. The shard bonds with the user's soul, carving a unique sigil on it—a representation of the shard's nature. (More about these forms will be revealed later.)
To control a shard, the person must have a core, or spiritual nucleus, which contains a soul sea—a reservoir of power. The core distributes this soul energy throughout the body and channels it into the shard, activating its abilities.
The energy inside the core is known as Soul Energy, and its color matches the core's level. Once the energy leaves the core, it becomes Spiritual Energy, which powers techniques, weapons, or the shard itself.
Shards can only survive in dense spiritual environments. That's why most people are born with a shard only if they are surrounded by strong spiritual energy at birth. In rare cases, the energy may exist externally—but those are extremely rare and often linked to ancient bloodlines or fated events.
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—Human Advancement: Stages
While the story hasn't reached the deeper stages yet, here's what you need to know about human progression:
Strength alone isn't the main requirement for advancement. In fact, it's often the least important factor. Understanding your shard, your world, and yourself is what truly pushes you forward.
Each stage of growth has meaning, both spiritually and mentally. You must complete the full experience of one before advancing to the next. Skipping steps is impossible.
Stage One – Awakening:
This is the beginning, where a person creates their core and channels spiritual energy into their shard for the first time. The shard "awakens" if the process is done right. If the energy is withdrawn prematurely, the shard may never awaken again. It's simple in theory… but difficult in execution.
Stage Two – Flaw:
To reach this stage, one must first gain an understanding of their shard and how to nourish it. Only by feeding it the correct form of spiritual insight can it evolve. Upon reaching the Flaw stage, the person is afflicted with a personal flaw—something shaped by their soul, past, personality, and shard's nature. To move beyond this, the user must accept, overcome, or understand their flaw.
Stage Three and Beyond:
We haven't entered these stages in the story yet, so I'll keep them hidden for now.
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—Warning: minor Spoilers Ahead (For Those Behind in the Story)
—Shard Worlds & Selection
Every shard has a world of its own—a plane shaped by its rules and its essence.
In extremely rare cases, when a shard deems someone its true heir, it may choose them. The chosen are pulled into the Shard's World, where time flows differently and laws vary. They must remain in this realm until they progress to the next stage or get rejected by the shard—exiled, meaning the shard no longer accepts them as its wielder.
These rare chosen ones are called those chosen by the Light, and their journeys are among the most legendary in existence.
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—The Beasts: Tiers and Their Path.
Beasts, too, are born with shards and advance through tiers.
To avoid confusion: Humans progress through stages, and beasts progress through tiers.
Unlike humans, beasts constantly face challenges from their own kind. When defeated, a beast can willingly offer its shard to the victor—or the shard may remain hidden forever. Victory and strength determine who earns the right to carry a shard forward.
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Some shards belong to an ancient class known as Shards of Oblivion (or shards of forgetfulness).
These shards are remnants from the old world, bound to laws that defy reality itself.
They're extremely rare and possess minds of their own, often capable of bending fate or breaking world rules.
We've only scratched the surface of their potential, and Louskas's path is just beginning…
Thank you for reading—and remember, every scar has a story, and every shard hides a secret.