Days had passed since Zenith awoke in his new life, and though his body remained that of a five-year-old, his mind was restless—ever analyzing, ever calculating.
He spent most mornings sitting on a wooden bench beneath an old mana tree behind the orphanage, pretending to play while quietly thinking. His eyes wandered across the sky, but his thoughts were rooted deep in the lore of the world he now called home.
"This isn't fiction anymore," he reminded himself."This is real. The power system, the structure of growth, everything has consequences now."
And so, he began mentally laying out the rules of this world—refining, confirming what he had once read as fantasy but now had to live as fact.
Mana and the Core System
All life in Eteria revolved around one force: Mana.
It was the breath of the world—the essence in the air, in the earth, in the stars themselves. It was the invisible current that allowed beings to perform feats that defied the laws of nature.
At the age of twelve, every child underwent the Awakening Ceremony—a sacred event where their Mana Core awakened.
The Mana Core was a crystallized vessel within the soul, invisible to the eye but vital to a being's strength. Once awakened, it allowed the user to absorb mana from the world, refine it within, and unleash it as magical energy.
Zenith remembered the exact structure:
Mana Core Ranks
After Awakening, one started at:
1-Star Core – the beginningThen progressed to:
2-Star
3-Star
…All the way up to the mythical:
9-Star Core
Each advancement didn't just increase mana capacity—it refined the body, soul, and mind. The stronger your core, the more powerful and durable your body became. You healed faster. Thought clearer. Lived longer.
However, ascending wasn't easy. It required absorbing vast amounts of ambient mana, cultivating daily, and sometimes… surviving near-death experiences.
Core Grades and Talent
Not all Mana Cores were equal.
The grade of a mana core determined the limit of one's growth. During the Awakening Ceremony, the core revealed its innate potential:
🟤 Common
🟢 Uncommon
🔵 Rare
🟣 Unique
🟡 Epic
🔴 Legendary
⚫ Ancient
⚪ Mythical
✴️ Ultimate
The vast majority of the population awakened Common or Uncommon cores.
Only a handful across entire continents would see Epic or above.
In the novel, Zenith recalled, the main characters—the heroes—awakened Legendary or Mythical cores and abilities.
The protagonist, however, had awakened a Common grade core—weak, mocked, dismissed.
But he possessed a System, which allowed him to evolve his core and ability beyond natural limits.
"I have no system," Zenith thought."But I do have foresight."
Abilities: The Second Awakening
When the core awakened, some individuals also received a unique innate ability—a skill bound to their soul. These abilities were often what separated ordinary cultivators from legends.
They were categorized by the same system:
Common
Uncommon
Rare
Unique
Epic
Legendary
Ancient
Mythical
Ultimate
Some children never awakened an ability. Others gained simple ones—like Fireball, Minor Healing, or Stone Skin.
But those who awakened Legendary or higher abilities were national treasures—immediately taken in by noble families, kingdoms, or race leaders.
"The heroines in the novel... They all had Legendary-grade abilities from the start.""But abilities can be misleading. Power is nothing without mastery."
Some abilities complemented the user's core. Some evolved. Some could even fuse.
"I need to find a way to awaken a Rare or higher ability. If not…""I'll forge one myself."
Racial Cultivation Paths
Each race on the continents had a unique method of cultivation, suited to their nature:
Dragons: Compressed vast mana into draconic cores—immense destructive power.
Phoenixes: Cycled mana through reincarnation flames—resilience and regeneration.
Spirits: Merged with nature—mana efficiency unmatched.
Elves: Cultivated through harmony with forests—precision, speed, and archery.
Humans: Adapted techniques from all races—jack-of-all-trades, masters of none.
Dwarves: Infused mana into tools, runes, and machines—magic through metal.
Shadows: Bled their mana into illusions and stealth—masters of assassination.
Barbarians: Cultivated through battle—strongest bodies on the battlefield.
Monsters: Consumed other life forms to evolve—chaotic and unpredictable.
"I'm human… but I don't need to follow the standard path. I can mix, adapt, and forge something new."
Ranks Beyond Mana Cores
While the Mana Core ranked strength, Zenith remembered the combat ranking system that represented real-world influence and battle power:
Apprentice Mage / Warrior – (1-Star to 2-Star)
Adept – (3-Star)
Expert – (4-Star)
Master – (5-Star)
Grandmaster – (6-Star)
Archmage / Warlord – (7-Star)
Saint – (8-Star)
Divine – (9-Star)
Transcendent – (Beyond known limits)
The true monsters of the world resided in the Saint and Divine realms—walking natural disasters.
"If I want to stop the Second Abyssal War... I need to reach that realm."
Zenith exhaled slowly.
He had seven years.Seven years until the Awakening Ceremony.25 years until the first domino of the apocalypse began to fall.
The world believed peace would last.
"But I know better. The Abyss is only sleeping."
And Zenith Nova, a so-called extra in the original tale, would rise beyond what fate dictated.
He would not follow the script.
He would rewrite it.