Now, let us turn our gaze to the lowest rung of the ladder: the 9th Realm, aptly named The Scorned Abyss. This is Kael's home, a place fundamentally different from the structured power systems of the Upper Realms.
Here, there is no structured system of power.
The 9th Realm operates on a brutal, primal law: Merit Through Madness. Power here isn't born from a seed or cultivated through sanctioned training. It is forged in the crucible of ceaseless struggle, earned through sheer feats of survival, raw will, and an unyielding capacity for brutality.
This is a realm of pure survival of the fittest. There are no academies, no revered mentors, no established paths to 'ascendancy.' Every ounce of strength, every flicker of dominance, is clawed from the dust and despair, often stained with blood.
While beings born here may possess trace elements of dormant 'power seeds' from forgotten lineages (like Elian, Kael's brother), their activation and development are erratic, unpredictable, and often violently forced. These are not cultivated; they are brutally awakened by necessity.
Tiers of the Abyss (Feats-based):
In the 9th Realm, 'tiers' are not official classifications but rather whispered titles, grim acknowledgments of a being's terrifying capabilities, earned through reputation and deeds rather than innate power levels. They signify who has survived the most, killed the most, and endured the unimaginable.
⚪️ Unranked: This is the baseline. The vast majority of Dirtspire's inhabitants fall here. They are the survivors, the weak, the forgotten. Kael begins here.
🟥 Iron-Blood: Those who have survived impossible odds. Their bodies are hardened, their wills unyielding. They've shed significant blood, both their own and others', to endure. They are tough, resilient, and dangerous in a fight.
⚙️ Silver-Fang: Predators of the Abyss. These individuals aren't just survivors; they are hunters. They've claimed territory, dominated smaller factions, and possess a cunning that matches their brutality. They are feared.
⚔️ Black-Banner: True warlords. They command respect, often through sheer terror. They lead factions, control resources, and carve out significant domains within the chaos of Dirtspire. Their legend spreads through the whispers of the desperate.
🔴 Crimson-Sky: Apex predators of the 9th Realm. Their names are synonymous with massacres and unwavering power. Their capabilities are considered god-like within Dirtspire, often glimpsed only as flashes of overwhelming destruction. Carn Malach, the torturer of Dirtspire, embodies this tier.
🕳️ Void-Stained: Beings whose very presence warps the environment. They have faced the deepest horrors of the Abyss and emerged irrevocably changed. Their power is unnerving, often accompanied by a profound, chilling aura. They are anomalies even in this lawless realm.
🕊️❌ Heaven-Forsaken: The ultimate, terrifying designation. These individuals are believed to have defied all natural order, pushed past the boundaries of life and death, and become something beyond human comprehension. They are figures of myth and dread, feared even by the Crimson-Sky.
Kael's journey will see him climb these tiers, not through inherited power, but through sheer, unrelenting will and a terrifying ability to survive. His path will be one of blood, pain, and the growing legend of a boy who simply refuses to die.