My writing style is fairly strange, so as an author, I feel its necessary to explain a few things. When I write, the reader only knows what the MC does, with a few extras, and new concepts are explained when the character has them explained. This works well, until I have things the character knows, but the reader doesn’t, such as how the tiering and rarity systems work in this story. So, I intend to explain things that wouldn’t otherwise be here. And I’m very new to this author business, so go easy on me.

This is not a required bit of reading, it will just explain some topics that wouldn’t be otherwise.

First, are classes. Classes do NOT provide skills directly, instead they make it easier to gain related skills, and increase stat gain per level. They do not have a rarity, but grow increasingly specialized (even if that specialization is doing everything). The exception to the skills gain is explained in the next topic.

Second, are the tiers. This is a rough scale of how strong something is, since the increase in power over time due to levels is exponential.

0th tier: this is below Lv. 50. At this point the individual has no specialization other than their class, and very few skills. There isn’t much else to say here.

1st tier: this is when a ‘build’ starts in gaming terms. Starting at Lv. 50, you gain your subclass, specializing your main class. Ex. Warrior might become a berserker or Vanguard. You also gain a special skill at level 50. This is most people’s and monster’s first rare or higher skill. To reach level 50, you must have an element or bloodline. Almost every living thing has a bloodline by default. Most gain an element as an infant or juvenile. Humans are a notable exception, and are capped at 49 until they choose one. Also, you get your lifespan extended by 1/3rd. Humans usually reach here in 5 or six years if they are active.

2nd tier: starting at 100, the system starts to affect your race, and you physically evolve. You gain a racial skill, and better stats per level. Lifespan is doubled at this point. You are capped at 99 if you aren’t in touch with your race, like a crazy lumberjack elf, or dragons devoted to charity. Exceptions exist. Takes about 25ish years for an average human to reach if they are active. Not enough time has passed for this, so only gifted or skilled individuals have reached here.

3rd tier: reached at 150. You must have an element for this tier, because your class becomes an elemental variation, as does your race. Your class skill from level 50, and racial from 100 merge. At this point, it’s near impossible for a lower tier to really fight you, and makes a tipping point in power levels. You’re locked at 149 until you manage to incorporate your element in your lifestyle. The extension to lifespan has extended to 5 times normal. Gifted or skilled individuals might reach here in 70ish years. So far only the luckiest of those, or people who are both gifted and skilled have reached here. Currently there are less then 10 humans at this level.

4th tier: 200. This is the make or break. No human has been known to have reached this point, so very little is known. You experience another racial change, and gain a personalized skill.

There are tiers beyond this, but humans just haven’t reached that point.

Next up is the rarity system. Quite a bit simpler. There are 6 levels of rarity, and each is a little stronger than the last.

The lowest is junk, or very common. Junk rank means its substandard, while very common means exactly that. Thinks like apprentice made swords, or failed inventions are junk, while things such as grass, dirt, and plain wood are very common.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Next, is common and normal ranks. Nothing fancy here, just a plain old anything. Normal typically applies to living things, while common is for inanimate things.

Uncommon rank objects are a bit rarer. They require actual skill of effort to create, or are a variation of a common thing. These are high end items.

Rare rank is much harder to find. Almost all are special, and effort and skill went into its making. Specially made items, personalized weapons, and leader type monsters are this rank.

Legendary rank is much more powerful. This represents the pinnacle of what ever it is, and usually has varied and powerful abilities. A master smith might be given the resources of a kingdom, and exclusively work for years to create a legendary rank sword. Monsters at this rank are extremely powerful for their level, and are almost all intelligent.

Special rank items are rarer than legendary, but not always as powerful. These are separated out into 4 groups.

Unique rank is exactly what it sounds like. Anything that is practically unreproducible. A child born during a hurricane and volcano eruption, on the solstice will probably have a unique skill, or a sword that is made of demon bones, and quenched in the blood of an angel at the highpoint of an eclipse would be unique. It isn’t always stronger, but they will always do something special.

Artifact rank is reserved for something that a massive amount of work of resources and time went into. The crazed enchanter’s tower, or a suit of scale armor with every scale made from a different dragon will be artifacts.

Next is divine rank. Anything that a god had a direct hand in the making of, will be this rank.

Last is supreme rank. Things of this rank are the peak of perfection. Not necessarily strong, just a perfect item. Potions made using the exact right formula, heat, and measurements of ingredients, or a plain iron sword that a blacksmith did his utmost to perfect fall here. Usually about the strength of a rare item, since its hard to get anything but the simplest of things perfect enough for this rank.

Second to last topic is resources. I’ve included the three most common, but have a new one called will. Will is your mental strength. It allows you to keep using magic and skills, or to continue beyond your limits. When its emptied, you are simply to tired to think. Health is a measure of your vital force. Run out, and you die. You can still die when you have health however. Decapitation, blood loss and similar injuries will kill you regardless of health. Stamina represents your physical energy. It is used to active skills, exert yourself, and resist a hostile environment. Run out, and you start running through Will to stay awake. Passive effects that drain stamina (like extreme cold) move to health once it runs out. Mana is pure elemental energies. Using it requires Will to control, and has no inherent negative effects to running out for humans. Races that need mana to survive will die if it is depleted however.

Last for my explanations, is skills. Skills are passive, active, or both, and always start unfused. If I need to explain passive skills for you, you’re probably reading the wrong story. Active skills are either toggled, or instant. Toggled skills cost mana or stamina, and will per second. Skills that are both have a passive effect always on, and another effect that stacks when active. Any skill that is toggled takes will to keep using, due to mental strain. Magic is represented by a magic skill representing the class of magic. Ex. Solar magic, water, fire, and the like. Individual spells known are shown in they’re own tab. The skill merely supports the usage of magic. If you know a spell, and have the mana to cast it, you can even if you don’t have the skill. Most magic requires will to cast, but just unleashing raw mana doesn’t. Can barely call that casting however. Most magic uses a formula to cast, representing the inputs, outputs, and transformation the mana goes through to enact a change on the physical world.

Unfused skills are skills that you gained directly. Fused skills are created from the combination of at least two skills, which are subsumed into the created skill. Fused skills are always broader than the base skills, but usually only as powerful. You may choose not to fuse skills.

Every 50 levels a skill gains, it gets a related subskill. If enough separate skills have similar subskills, the subskills may fuse into a new skill. Skills typically evolve or fuse at every 100 levels.

And with that, my explanations are done. Hope they prevent confusion over whys and hows in the future.