Body Refinement
Body Refinement. Practitioners purify their bodies of impurities, excreting toxic and foul-smelling waste. It's common for non-practitioners in high Qi areas to absorb the ambient Qi and complete the body refinement layers without any conscious effort.
Approximate Strength: 0.05 (F-) ~ 4.36 (E)
Equivalent System Levels: 0-10
Layers: 12
Realm: Mortal ('Martial Warrior' Stages)
— Excerpt from Sextilus' personal notes on CMS.
Location: Not far away from < Berenices's 'Unnamed Settlement' > - One of a few such places scattered through the isolated corners of the lower heavens.
In the heart of one of the heavens' few dense forests, where the towering trees created a labyrinth of shadows the likes of which are rarely seen in the heavens, the figure of Marut crouched low as he could among the underbrush. The foliage rustled softly as the angel moved, attempting to merge with the natural tapestry of greens and browns. The forest floor, covered in a thick carpet of fallen leaves, muffled every cautious step.
Marut, clad in earth-toned robes that blended with the surroundings, held his breath as he huddled behind the trunk of a massive tree. The cool breeze carried the scent of pine needles, adding a layer of tranquility to the tense scene. In his hands, he delicately held a bundle of white cloth, which seemed to catch fragments of dappled sunlight that filtered through the thick canopy above.
Eyes widened with determination Marut scanned the surroundings, searching for any sign of his pursuers. The forest seemed to hold its breath alongside the hidden figure as if nature itself were keeping his secret. Marut knew that due to the forest walk sorcery he had cast on himself earlier the forest really was keeping his secret for now, it wasn't simply a trick of the mind.
For a time, Marut rested knowing he wouldn't have long. The only sounds were the distant calls of birds and the occasional rustle of leaves disturbed by unseen creatures.
The angel's heart pounded the only audible rhythm in the quiet sanctuary of the woods. Each passing moment heightened the suspense. For a second Marut who hadn't slept since it had left the tutorial almost dozed. Shadows played tricks on his tired, making every sway of the branches a potential threat.
As the seconds trickled away, the angel clutched the bundle tightly in his hands. Gradually, so slowly that Marut's fatigued mind almost missed it, the shadows of the forest withdrew, replaced by an ambient light that permeated the air.
When Marut finally registered the diminishing shadows, an fear gripped his heart at the transformation that if he had been in any other situation would have been reassuring. He glanced at his beacon of hope, the ever-present System notification that lingered in the corner of his vision.
Suppressing a sigh of relief, Marut felt grateful to see the quest he had undertaken upon leaving the tutorial still illuminated. The notification reminded him that there was still a chance, injecting a renewed sense of purpose into his weary pursuit.
Despite this, Marut was keenly aware that he was operating on fumes. Yet, in the midst of his rest, his fatigued mind recognized another glimmer of hope—he had managed to replenish enough of his depleted mana to craft one or two simple sorceries.
Even in the weariness that clung to Marut's mind, a flicker of recognition acknowledged the high stakes of his next move—a gamble born of desperation. His tired senses were acutely aware that, without a drastic change, his relentless pursuers would soon close in, spelling the failure of his quest, and worse yet, his and his charge's demise.
With the bundle of white cloth cradled in one hand, Marut extended the other, fingers splayed wide, palm down. Uttering an incantation beneath his breath, he wove a protective sorcery, infusing it into the fabric and its concealed contents.
The air brightened and more shadows dissipated, but Marut, despite the gravity of the situation, found himself grinning for the first time in what felt like an eternity—his sorcery had taken hold, he still has a chance.
Determined and fully committed to the gamble ahead, Marut cast a sorcery infused with the power of wind and storm upon himself, finding solace in the familiarity of the elements he wielded with expertise.
The familiar, mind-numbing pain coursed through Marut once again, the consequence of pushing his body to draw mana when his reserves had already depleted. Fortunately, through sheer willpower, he eked out just enough energy to successfully complete the sorcery.
In the midst of the discomfort, Marut couldn't help but appreciate the jolt of pain that momentarily roused him from his stupor. "If anything," he mused to himself, "I'm grateful for the pain—it served as a brief wakeup call."
As Marut unfurled his two wings, clutching a bundle of pristine white cloth in his arms, he felt the gentle embrace of the wind. With a deft command of sorcery, he propelled himself into the air with a speed that surpassed anything he could achieve by mere physical effort.
In the blink of an eye, he soared beyond the confines of the dense forest canopy, the leaves and branches parting beneath him like a sea yielding to a mighty force.
What unfolded before Marut's eyes struck a duality of emotions within him—an incredible fear that coiled around his heart, and a beacon of hope that shimmered as the most tangible lifeline he had encountered on his journey thus far.
The fear that had felt was from Marut the luminous cascade of divine radiance flooded skies, casting an otherworldly glow that revealed the legions of holy aberrations in his wake. Among them, towering like avatars of both beauty and monstrosity, were his three relentless pursuers.
Marut knew that these colossal beings had simply joined the advancing legion of aberrations. The very legion which had already had their sight set on his destination.
These aberrations, each a symphony of celestial and grotesque, eclipsed their kin in both stature and presence. Their bodies pulsed with an ethereal light, a manifestation of holiness that seemed to dance between the sublime and the nightmarish. They soared through the air with an eerie grace, their wings cutting through the divine glow like serpents of radiance.
For a moment Marut couldn't help but be transfixed by the paradoxical beauty that emanated from these colossal beings. Their forms, more than double the size of their lesser brethren, were a living testament to the extremes of divine power, a fusion of grace and distortion that defied mortal comprehension.
The air crackled with the intensity of their aura, and as Marut stole a glance behind him, the holy aberrations closed in with relentless determination. Each step they took through the air toward Marut and his destination sent ripples through the very fabric of reality, and their unsettling elegance belied a destructive force that sought to purge all that stood in the way of their warped vision of purity.
As Marut surged ahead, his eyes locked onto his glimmer of hope not too far away. A thin mountain, defiantly piercing through the celestial glow, ascended beyond the clouds.
In the heart of the relentless pursuit, Marut felt a surge of certainty. The mountain, its peak hidden in the ethereal mist, held the key to his quest. The place he sought, the culmination of his arduous journey, awaited him at that lofty summit.
Qi Condensation
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Qi Condensation. Practitioners condense Qi within their body, creating droplets of Qi that are stored somewhere in their body, be it in their bloodstream or somewhere else. Sometimes non-practitioners in high Qi areas absorb the ambient Qi and start completing the Qi condensation layers without any conscious effort, however, rarely do they make it past the third layer of Qi Condensation.
Approximate Strength: 4.36 (E) ~ 43.6 (E+)
Equivalent System Levels: 10-25
Layers: 12
Realm: Mortal ('Martial Warrior' Stages)
— Excerpt from Sextilus' personal notes on CMS.
Location: < Eri's Office in the 'Temple of Birth' > - One of a few such places scattered through the isolated corners of the lower heavens.
Having observed Lyra strolling with the little one toward the ground floor, Eri, cognizant of the substantial workload ahead and the ticking clock, gracefully traversed the hallway, heading towards one of the closed doors.
As she turned the handle and stepped inside, Eri found herself back in the office she had only recently claimed as her own, just the day before. A lone bookcase adorned one wall, previously vacant of any literary companions upon her initial arrival.
After ensuring that the fledgling was comfortably asleep last night, Eri recalled checking her quest progress, only to discover the successful completion of the task that directed her to locate the fledgling and earn its trust.
In a gesture of generosity, the System had bestowed upon her the books now neatly arranged on the bookcase, a tangible reward for swiftly accomplishing the quest.
A subtle smile played on Eri's lips as she silently expressed gratitude to the System, appreciating the quest that when she had exited the tutorial had promptly shown up alerting her to the presence of a vulnerable fledgling nearby, devoid of the protective shelter of a coven.
Sinking into the plush armchair she had selected for her office, Eri began summoning her bound spirit.
Seconds later, as the intricate summoning circle crafted in the air by Eri's mana gradually dissipated into shimmering particles, her bound holy spirit had taken a tangible form.
Eri's bound spirit was a holy river elemental—a flawless, semi-transparent golden sphere ornamented with two ethereal, nearly two-dimensional wings of magical energy, each wing hovering gracefully on either side.
The golden sphere displayed a few mesmerizing disks of mana, resembling rivers of crystal blue liquid, flowing in and out around it, weaving intricate and beautiful patterns around it.
Quietly requesting her bound spirit to envelop her in its healing and rejuvenating aura—a technique Eri was well aware would enhance her focus and productivity—she proceeded to retrieve the quill, ink, and parchment that she had requested from Forax the previous night.
Expressing silent gratitude once more to their coven's dedicated alchemist, who had risen early to complete synthesizing the magical ink, Eri diligently began to jot down her notes.
Eri, fueled by her ambitious spirit, aspired to begin crafting a complete personalized lesson plan for the new fledgling for the next day. It marked her first attempt at developing a lesson plan that included System elements. "Those books the System rewarded me are already proving invaluable," she mused as she immersed herself in the task.
In the midst of her fervent efforts, the System acknowledged the challenge Eri had set for herself.
The distinctive ping, signaling the arrival of a new quest, reverberated in the air. Eri's gaze swiftly shifted to the notification, confirming her expectations—the details of a personal class quest had unfolded before her.
Mirroring the plans she had laid out for herself, the quest beckoned her to develop the fledgling's initial lesson plans. With a time constraint of 12 hours, the quest tantalizingly dangled the promise of class experience and, perhaps, other rewards.
Grinning to herself, Eri mentally accepted the quest. With a subtle stretch of her wings, she quickly resumed her dedicated work, determination radiating from her as she delved deeper into the creation of the fledgling's lesson plan.
A myriad of subjects danced through Eri's mind, forming an extensive curriculum for the fledgling. Foremost among them was the sacred art of the coven's holy elemental spirit-qi cultivation, but the educational journey didn't stop there. History, magic, combat techniques, vocations, the seven paths of virtue, alchemy, scrying— the list seemed endless.
Yet, the scope expanded further as Eri considered the intricacies of the System. Skills, race classes, general classes, quests, titles, and possibly other unexplored facets that had eluded Eri's awareness — all comprised a rich tapestry of knowledge waiting to be unfolded in the fledgling's education.
For an extended period, the sole audible melody in Eri's office was the rhythmic symphony of her quill dancing across parchment. Oblivious to the tumultuous events unraveling beyond the serene sanctuary of her workspace, Eri remained seated, engrossed in her tasks.
As the hours slipped away, Eri, deeply entrenched in her endeavors, experienced a sudden recollection prompted by insights gained from her mentor class. The fledgling's peculiar movements had not escaped her notice—each leap and sprint seemed to defy conventional limits. Reflecting on this anomaly, she postulated that the silver-haired bundle of energy likely possessed the rare momenta affinity.
The affinity for momentum was a trait worth nurturing. She made a mental note to consult other members of the coven, exploring their knowledge of techniques associated with this unique attribute.
Undeterred, Eri pressed on. With her bonded spirit ever-present in the air behind her, maintaining her concentration and physical vitality, she continued to inscribe her thoughts onto parchment. A discernible expression of pleasure graced her beautiful countenance, for there was nothing she cherished more than cultivating the latent talents within the younger generations.
Foundation Establishment
Foundation Establishment. Practitioners stabilize the Qi within their body and use their understanding of natural laws to create a foundation off which they will grow. Generally, people are not recognized as true practitioners until they have at least completed the Foundation Establishment stage. Hence, it can be tempting to rush through this stage however, doing so can easily stunt one's growth due to an unstable foundation.
Approximate Strength: 43.6 (E+) ~ 132 (D)
Equivalent System Levels: 25-37
Layers: 9
Realm: Mortal ('Martial Warrior' Stages)
— Excerpt from Sextilus' personal notes on CMS.
Location: < [Information blocked.] > - Omnipresent over an isolated corner of the lower heavens.
In the celestial expanse of the divine heavens, a profound stillness enveloped a portion of the cosmic realm, undisturbed for eons. Among the radiant constellations and ethereal nebulae, a being of unfathomable power stirred from its aeons-long slumber. Its essence resonated with the very fabric of the cosmos, and as it awoke, celestial energies pulsed through the divine tapestry.
A shimmering portal materialized, heralding the manifestation of the being's avatar. Bathed in the luminosity of starlight, the avatar emerged, an embodiment of the divine force that had roused from its cosmic repose. The divine entity contemplated the vastness of existence, its consciousness attuned to the symphony of celestial energies that echoed through the cosmos.
As the avatar stood poised in the divine realm, a subtle resonance echoed in the cosmic background – the completion of the Tutorial.
Without a conscious thought, the being, humming to himself, seemed to channel the power of ages through the haunting verses of a poem.
Their souls ablaze with an audacious flame,
They dared to challenge gods, bring them to shame.
As he peered down from the celestial perch, the corner of the lower heavens entrusted to him by the System unfolded. A sigh escaped his lips, a regretful melody echoing through the cosmic expanse. If only he had heeded the counsel of his friend, Arden Six had given him a month prior, and embarked upon the tutorial with his true form, the dividends would have been cosmic, an astronomical boon.
Their weapons, forged by ambition and grit,
Struck divine beings, causing the heavens to split.
Each word hummed from the poem, a prophecy whispered by his young confidant just a month prior, now wove itself into the very fabric of reality. Rivers of karma dripped from every syllable, the lyrics dancing in and out of focus even in the unfathomably powerful being's mind.
In the midst of chaos, the gods convened,
Determined to reclaim the power they once had seen.
The being pondered, a musing interlude amidst the cosmic upheaval. "Still, though," he mused silently, "I can't fathom how Six was actually right about such a cataclysm." Plans formulated within the recesses of his profound consciousness, as he considered the next steps in this divine chess match.
With fervor rekindled, they sought to ascend,
To regain the dominance that mortal defiance did rend.
"By what cosmic design did he anticipate this cataclysm? Six, a mere twenty cycles old, and yet his foresight is greater than even mine."
They delved into realms of ancient mystic lore,
Seeking forgotten knowledge, long hidden from before.
Humming those words, the unfathomable being pondered its course of action. "I think I have made up my mind on what to do with this," he rumbled within the celestial symphony. With that resolve, his power silently unfurled across the corner of heaven that he had been entrusted with, leaving no trace.
The gears of fate spun even faster, the cosmic machinery responding to the silent directive of a being.