[This chapter will be an explanation about the ranks, powers in the world of the novel. This will be updated throughout the novel, and may contain slight spoiler, if read beforehand]
[General information]
The Abyssal Oath
The Abyssal Oath is a sacred and perilous pact forged between a mortal and a higher existence—gods, forgotten deities, primordial entities, or abyssal lords. When such a being acknowledges a human, it brands them with a unique sigil, permanently marking them as its Oathbearer.
This pact is absolute.This pact is binding.This pact is irreversible.
A mortal can only bear one sigil.The human body, soul, and mind cannot withstand the conflicting will of more than one higher entity; attempting to bear multiple sigils will result in soul rupture and instant death.
Sigils — Marks of the Gods
A sigil is a divine crest carved not on the skin, but into the soul itself. It is a symbolic fragment of the deity's essence—a metaphysical anchor that connects the mortal to the higher being.
Purpose of the Sigil
A sigil allows the Oathbearer to:
Tap into a tiny spark of the higher being's power
Channel abilities tied to that god's domain (blood, moon, shadow, chaos, storm, etc.)
Communicate through visions or dreams
Grow stronger by undergoing rites, battles, and sacrifices
However, this power is dangerous. The mortal mind is not built to contain the raw force of a higher plane. Using too much divine energy causes physical backlash—bleeding, hallucinations, temporary paralysis, or exhaustion.
Only through trials and evolution can a Sigil Bearer ascend into higher ranks.
The Upper Realm — The Dominion of Higher Beings
Beyond the mortal world lies the Upper Realm, a plane of existence layered atop reality like a shadow behind a mirror. It is not a place humans can enter naturally; it exists on a frequency of existence that mortals cannot endure without divine adaptation.
Nature of the Upper Realm
A place where gods, ancient spirits, and forgotten entities dwell
Time flows differently—sometimes faster, sometimes slower, sometimes not at all
Space is fluid and reconfigures itself based on divine will
Mortals transported there experience overwhelming sensory input
Only advanced ranks—such as Rite-Bound Champions, Vessel Candidates, and true Vessels—can survive even brief presence in the Upper Realm.
The Shattered Veil
The world where humans live is known as The Shattered Veil.Long ago it was a unified continent touched by divine presence, but after ancient wars between gods, the realm fractured—physically and spiritually. The divine faded, humanity survived, but traces of the upper beings lingered weakly, all contact with this realm has mostly been eradicated except for a few.
Most people will go their entire lives without even knowing what a sigil bearer is, let alone ascending beyond the lowest rank.
The Ascended Dominion
The place Balha'lah is being transported to is called The Ascended Dominion.
This is the lowest layer of the Upper Realm, where mortals who have formed Abyssal Oaths live. It is a realm of: drifting crimson clouds, floating stone monoliths, and echoing hymns sung by unseen beings.
Only those who have been chosen—those with high-compatibility sigils—can survive forcful elevation.
Balha'lah, marked as a Vessel, has been forcibly elevated there.