Info Chapter 1: Power Levels & Stages
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In this world, strength is not measured by titles, ranks, or muscles.
It is measured in stages — thresholds carved into the flesh of those who fight.
Each stage is a wall.
To climb it is to bleed, to fall, to stand again.
And with every wall broken, a fighter leaves behind another part of their humanity.
Stage 1: Initial
The beginning. The raw state.
Fighters here fight with instinct, brawling, and whatever strength their bodies naturally allow.
Some may be born monsters, capable of overpowering ten men.
Others scrape by, weak but unwilling to bow.
But in this stage, no matter how strong, there is a ceiling.
Strength feels wild, untamed — like a storm without direction.
Image in words:
A fighter in the Initial stage throws punches heavy enough to shake a man's bones… yet wastes energy, leaves openings, and crumbles against someone who has walked further.
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Stage 2: Awakened
The first true step.
Here, the body is sharpened by discipline, hardened by pain.
Reactions grow sharper, movements more deliberate.
An Awakened fighter begins to understand the rhythm of combat — the difference between swinging and striking.
Their eyes sharpen. Their presence grows heavy. They no longer fight only with body, but with awareness.
Image in words:
The Awakened fighter doesn't just swing wildly. He watches. Times his blows. Feels his opponent's breath. To fight one is to feel hunted.
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Stage 3: Ascended
The body breaks its limits. The soul surges forward.
This stage cannot be reached by talent alone. You must:
Endure pain that would cripple ordinary men, or
Fight battles where every strike could kill you, or
Train until your muscles scream and your lungs burn to ash.
In Ascension, movements blur into instinct. Punches cut through the air like blades. Even without thinking, the body flows like a weapon forged for war.
Examples:
Jirang reached Ascension young, his body tempered in the bloody arena.
Samuel Seo touched it when he unlocked Heat Mode against the Battle between the Big 4 Crew's Kings.
⚡ HeatMode° – The Flame of Desperation
Heat Mode is the shortcut — but it burns like fire.
The first time a fighter ignites Heat Mode, their body erupts beyond its limits.
Strength multiplies. Pain dulls. Every cell screams to fight.
But it is temporary, unstable. Each second burns the body from the inside.
Once Heat Mode fades, the body collapses, trembling in exhaustion.
Yet, after touching it, the wall to permanent Ascension becomes thinner, easier to break.
Image in words:
A fighter in Heat Mode moves like a beast unleashed — wild, furious, overwhelming. Their body steams, their eyes burn, their fists crack the ground. But the fire eats them alive with every breath.
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The Wall
Beyond Ascension lies the Wall.
It is invisible, but unbreakable to most.
A barrier where many remain trapped for years, clawing at the surface of greatness but never moving forward.
At The Wall, every fight feels heavier. The body feels restricted, as if the world itself is weighing you down.
Example: Zack Lee once stood at The Wall, unable to break through, until training under his Master finally shattered it.
Image in words:
The Wall is like facing your own shadow. Every strike is met. Every step feels restrained. For most, this stage is the graveyard of ambition.
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Stage 4: Mastery
Those who break The Wall are no longer just fighters. They are monsters among men.
At this stage, a fighter unlocks their Field of Dominance — their perfected trait.
The body chooses its path:
Strength – Bones become hammers, fists become wrecking balls. Every strike collapses defenses.
Speed – Movement so sharp it bends sight. Strikes slip through guards before the eye can blink.
Durability – A body of iron. A fortress that shrugs off punishment meant to cripple.
Technique – Precision beyond reason. Every angle, every breath, every counter perfected.
Most reach only one.
A rare few touch two.
Legends may master three.
Example: Sinu Han, reached Mastery in Speed , his attack almost invisible like thunder.
Image in words:
The Master has no wasted motion. No excess breath. When they strike, it feels final — as if the fight was decided long before it began.
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Stage 5: The Path
The last known stage. The point where fighting transcends thought.
The Path is not taught. It cannot be stolen.
It is yours alone, carved from every scar, every near-death, every victory.
At this stage, the body fights by itself. Even unconscious, even broken — the Path carries the fighter forward.
Example: Johan Seong's Path blends every martial art he absorbed, but reshaped into something uniquely his own. A style that only he can wield.
Image in words:
A fighter walking The Path does not look like they are fighting. They simply move — and every movement is inevitable.
And Beyond...
Most believe The Path is the end. The peak. The point where mortals can climb no higher.
But there are whispers of another stage. Something darker. Something greater.
A place where even Paths crumble.
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(To be revealed in Part 2)...