This will be a small explanatory chapter, in which I'll write about the ranks and other things. All the explanations here will be revealed throughout the story, so — reading this isn't necessary. But if you want to know something just to have an idea — read it for your own enjoyment!
There will be some spoilers here, but they're minor and won't ruin your exciting experience of reading this story!
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Distortion — This is a broken concept that appeared from who knows where. It descends upon worlds and distorts them, turning them into Dead Worlds. There are four levels of Distortion:
Low Distortion — It arrives when the Red Gates open.
Medium Distortion — It arrives when the Black Gates open.
High Distortion — It arrives when the White Gates open.
Broken Distortion — It can come from any Gate, the key feature is that no one knows where it leads.
Distorted Gates — These are mostly round or oval structures that can appear anywhere. They connect some Dead World to a non-distorted world and bring WAVES of various Distorted creatures into it.
Ways to stop the assault of Distorted creatures from the Gates — There are only two ways to do it: First: destroy all the incoming creatures, then you'll gain your own personal Gate through which you can travel to a Dead World or even create your own Fort Post. Second: if you destroy even a small part of the Distorted Gate that forms the portal to the Dead World, the Gate will automatically close.
Colors of the Distorted Gates:
Red Gates — These are the weakest of all.
Black Gates — Fairly serious, much more dangerous than Red Gates and can cause a lot of trouble.
White Gates — Extremely dangerous.
Dead Worlds — These are worlds that have been overtaken by Distortion. They are completely dead, with not a single living human left in them. Only ruins remain — and the memory of unreal moments. In these worlds, only Distorted creatures exist.
Dead Worlds also have levels. The higher the level, the more dangerous the world is for a human and their adventures:
Low Dead World (Magic World) — This world isn't as dangerous as the others. It's perfect for safe adventures and for finding treasures hidden in the ruins of the past.
Medium Dead World (Steam World) — This is already a dangerous world, which can hold not just treasures, but also madness and fear. The Distorted creatures that live here are much stronger than those in a Minor Dead World.
High Dead World (Sea World) — Peak danger. Not everyone is allowed to visit such worlds because dying there is incredibly easy.
*Author's Note: After the Dead World is revealed to the reader, I'll refer to them simply as the Magic World, Steam World, and Sea World.
Fort Posts — These are human settlements in the Dead World. They are usually built right next to the Gates for convenience. Typically, Fort Posts come in various sizes depending on how much the family values their home, as well as how popular the Fort Post is among the Awakened. But for the most part, they're erected near Black Gates and large Red Gates. Each of the Five Families has their own Fort Posts in the Dead World.
If a person somehow gets stuck in a Dead World, their only hope is to find a Fort Post — it's the only way back to the real world.
Distorted Creatures — Distortion can affect creatures, turning them into Distorted ones. These beings usually don't look much different from normal creatures — except they possess special skills/abilities they normally wouldn't have.
Distorted creatures can be anything, not just beasts. Humans and others can become Distorted too.
All Distorted creatures have a chance to drop a Soul Shard and a Distorted Chest.
Distorted creatures have ranks that define how dangerous they are:
Beast.
Monster.
Demon.
Devil.
Titan.
King.
Emperor.
God.
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Title System — A teenager who reaches the age of 16 has a chance to receive a special System that appears as a blue screen. On it, they are given a Title, which determines the ability they've gained.
There are three main categories that divide Titles by their main direction:
Physical Titles — Titles focused on physical abilities. If an Awakened gets this Title, they can receive powers linked to the body: high speed, powerful strikes, overall body strengthening, etc. These Titles are usually given to those with physical dominance.
Elemental Titles — Titles focused on elemental manipulation, such as water, fire, lightning, earth, etc. These Titles are usually received by those who are emotional and mentally developed.
Abstract Titles — These are the most mysterious and powerful Titles. The abilities you get are extremely strong and can be incredibly varied. For example: time, space, fate, luck, death, etc. These Titles are mostly given to those who are not just smart, but who display something truly extraordinary. Such people are in high demand.
As always, an Awakened can level up and rise in rank. Here are all the ranks:
Awakened.
Call.
Adept.
Chosen.
Ascended.
Purified.
True Name.
*Author's Note: I don't always have to call them by their ranks. The general name for all of them is "Awakened". I may also refer to a character like this:
Physical Awakened — someone with a Physical Title.
Elemental Awakened — someone with an Elemental Title.
Abstract Awakened — someone with an Abstract Title.
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Price — After receiving a Title, everyone gains a Price. A Price is what the Awakened must pay in order to use their skills. They fall into three types:
Body Prices — These are all Prices related to the physical body. For example: muscle wear, increased physical pain, weakened organs, etc. Physical Awakened mostly receive this type, as their abilities are tied to their body.
Mind Prices — These are Prices that affect the mind/consciousness. For example: hallucinations, forgetfulness, slight loss of self, etc. This category is mostly given to Abstract/Elemental Awakened.
Soul Prices — These are Prices tied to the human soul itself, such as loss of humanity, distortion of the self, loss of will, etc. This category is mostly received by Abstract/Elemental Awakened.
State — This simply shows the current condition of the Awakened at a given moment. With all its percentages and accuracy. It reflects general injuries and also distortion.
Echo of the Title — This is the imprint of the will, soul, and spirit of the PAST owner of the Title. It exists in an unconscious state and cannot think or express emotions normally. Very important for advancing to a new rank.
Soul Shard — This is a crystallized dead soul of a Distorted creature. After killing a Distorted creature, there's a chance that a Soul Shard will form in its brain. These are very valuable to Awakened and always in demand.
They are divided into three levels:
Low Soul Shard.
Medium Soul Shard.
High Soul Shard.
Distorted Items — These are items that have been subjected to Distortion. They possess incredible power — but come at a cost, of course. Any Distorted item can be found in the Dead World. But they can also drop from Distorted Chests.
Levels of Distorted Items:
White.
Gray.
Green.
Blue.
Purple.
Black.
"Distorted Chests" — These can hold various items from Soul Shards to different Distorted Items. Each chest drops from a specific Distorted creature, depending on its level.
Levels of Distorted Chests:
Beast Chest.
Monstrous Chest.
Demonic Chest.
Devilish Chest.
Titanic Chest.
? Royal Chest.
? Imperial Chest.
? Divine Chest.
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These are general terms and concepts that will help you dive into the story from the very first lines. So happy reading!