In the present day, the Reyath Continent was home to four Great Empires.

To the east lay the Brolia Empire, to the west the Trothia Empire, to the north the Zusakyan Empire, and to the south the Suton Empire.

All these mighty realms had emerged during the third major war, aptly named 'The Rise of the Great Empires.'

However, what set this war apart from the others was that it was essentially humans fighting among themselves. The human kingdoms battled for territory, influence, and supremacy, resulting in a tumultuous period in history.

In the midst of this internal strife, the beastfolk took advantage of the chaos. Some allied with weaker kingdoms, rising to power and changing their status from mere servants and slaves to equals with the humans.

The status of the beastfolk varied across different nations on the continent.

While some nations adhered to traditional norms, continuing to treat them as slaves or servants, others treated them as equals to humans. In a handful of territories, the beastfolk even held sway as rulers, with the majority of the population comprising of their kind.

It was important to note that although some nations granted equal rights to the beastfolk in general matters, they were rarely appointed to authoritative positions even in those nations. This could be considered a racial distinction between the two races that could never be bridged or resolved.

Edwin vi Rocswell, the seventh prince of the Brolia Empire, hailed from a nation that classified beasts as servants and slaves.

However, it was essential to clarify that this classification was only extended to the pure beasts with awakened intelligence, while the other pure beasts were deemed savages.

As for the demi-beasts, they enjoyed a similar status to the intelligent pure beasts.

In reality, the demi-beast population in human societies across various nations far outnumbered that of the intelligent pure beasts. This was primarily because awakened intelligence was a rare trait among the entire continent's pure beast population.

"Wow, so that's why we've got all these folks in our empire with funky ears, noses, and even tails" Edwin exclaimed, his face lit up with newfound understanding, as if he'd just cracked a mystery that had been on his mind for a while.

As Edwin continued reading about the third major war, he couldn't help but notice that this book held a lot more detailed information compared to the first two major wars.

He attributed this to the fact that it was the most recent war and had left a significant impact on the nations across the entire continent.

Turning the pages, Edwin learned that it was following this third great war that the Brolia Empire of the East and the Trothia Empire of the West seemed to develop animosity between themselves.

The book didn't specify the reasons, but it hinted at their profound significance.

The young prince kept reading about the heroes of this war, fascinated by the accounts of brave individuals who had shaped the course of history.

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Weeks passed as Edwin diligently read many books and absorbed the intricate details of the three major wars etched into the continent's history.

As he closed the book, Edwin let out a contemplative sigh, his mind filled with the impactful events that had shaped the continent's history.

Once he left the library, Edwin headed to a lovely garden tucked away in the Royal Palace. This was his daily ritual after wrapping up his reading in the Imperial Library.

The Royal Garden was an expansive, breathtaking oasis filled with a wide variety of exquisite flowers, plants, and trees.

His mother, acknowledging both its safety and tranquility, had granted Edwin permission to explore its serene corners freely.

The dedicated gardeners who tended to this verdant paradise were exceptionally kind. They gladly accompanied Edwin on his explorations, introducing him to unique flowers, herbs, and sharing their knowledge about their distinctive properties.

After spending a few blissful hours in the garden, Edwin would make his way back to his chamber, seeking some well-deserved rest.

With the Three Major Wars neatly tucked away in his mind, Edwin's insatiable curiosity led him back to the library, eager to explore a different topic.

This time, his eyes fell upon a tome promising insights into the history of chakra. Excitement surged, and Edwin eagerly plucked it from the shelf, keen to uncover the secrets of this mystifying energy.

As he delved into the history of chakra, the book recounted how humans initially discovered and absorbed chakra from nature, using it to fortify their bodies and develop their chakra pathways.

Slowly, they became more proficient with it and began to master their control over this energy while understanding its secrets.

As he read, Edwin's mind flickered with recollection about the First Major War, known as the Primordial Uprising of Humans. Novus had been a central figure in that war, introducing chakra and teaching others how to harness it.

The book noted that human progress in chakra had been slow initially, but at some point, it had taken off at an astonishing pace.

Edwin's eyes lit up with understanding, and he muttered to himself, "The breathing technique that Novus taught to others must have been the Primal Breath. This is why their progress had been slow. The speed of their progress must have increased after they modified the Primal Breath.”

Continuing his reading, Edwin discovered that humans practiced breathing techniques that focused on strengthening and developing chakra pathways in specific parts of their body.

He whispered to himself in realization, "I see… This must be the result of modifications to the Primal Breath. Instead of uniform development of the body, they began focusing on specific areas, naturally leading to significant power boosts. This method has become so infamous among humans that they completely forgot about the Primal Breath."

The book went on to detail the extensive research and evolution of the chakra system over time, forming the foundation of a structured power system.

The book laid out the continent's chakra system, encompassing five distinct ranks.

Edwin, his tone tinged with fascination, murmured, "Bronze Rank, Silver Rank, Gold Rank, Black Gold Rank, and, finally, Platinum Rank."

His eyebrows rose as he delved into the particulars of the Bronze Rank, stating, "An individual is considered in the bronze rank if he or she can harness chakra to fortify his or her physique." Edwin couldn't help but quip, "I should be able to reach this stage pretty swiftly."

Turning his attention to the Silver Rank, he continued to read aloud, "In the Silver Rank, individuals can manifest their elemental affinity. It's at this stage that they also begin to emit chakra outside their bodies, though the ability to do so varies from person to person."

Proceeding to the Gold Rank, Edwin narrated, "A person achieves the Gold Rank when they can materialize their Bloodline Spirit in the form of a Spiritual Avatar surrounding their body. This stage marks the formation and growth of a Gold Core within the abdomen."

He moved on to the description of the Black Gold Rank, noting, "The Black Gold Rank is a unique stage. It's not obligatory, as individuals can skip it and advance directly to the platinum stage. To reach the Black Gold Rank, one must successfully evolve their Bloodline Spirit. At this point, the Gold Core within the abdomen expands, increases in density, and turns entirely black. The power and size of the Spiritual Avatar tied to the Bloodline Spirit greatly increases."

Finally, Edwin continued, his voice more formal and reflective, "The Platinum Rank, the highest tier in the power system, is regarded as a variable stage. Significantly different power levels exist among individuals in this rank. An individual attains the Platinum Rank when they've harnessed all the power within their Gold Core or Black Gold Core, uniformly assimilating it throughout their body. This process corrects any weaknesses and promotes uniform chakra pathway development in the body, stemming from the modified breathing technique that focused solely on specific aspects of strength and specific chakra pathways. Not only this, but it also strengthens the entire body significantly depending on the energy in Gold Core or the Black Gold Core."

Edwin marveled at the knowledge before him, exclaiming, "Wow! So this is why humans ceased using The Primal Breath entirely, choosing to develop their own techniques. Just as Vlad asserted, they had been making a mistake. Yet, they persevered with their new methods and ultimately found a way to rectify the mistake. Only those who achieve the Platinum Rank can undertake this correction."

Edwin's curiosity drove him to declare, "I definitely need to explore more books on chakra."

For the next few weeks, Edwin was entirely consumed by his reading, exploring books that offered intricate insights into chakra and its various components.

But even amidst this newfound knowledge quest, Edwin made it a point to visit the garden every day for a few hours once he had finished his daily reading.

As time passed, news of Edwin's routine spread throughout the palace, becoming common knowledge among its inhabitants.