This chapter details the fundamental concepts, threats, and power systems governing this blighted world—essential knowledge before embarking on the journey.
The Chaos Impact
A catastrophic phenomenon that specifically targets humanity — a mysterious, incomprehensible calamity known as The Chaos Impact.
It is a force that amplifies human emotions such as fear, anger, and sorrow, manipulating these feelings to attack both the mind and the soul. The Impact distorts reality through hallucinations and emotional corruption, driving its victims to madness.
Those who can withstand its influence are called Rejectors, while those who succumb to it are known as Acceptors.
The Chaos Impact often manifests in places covered by dense, otherworldly mists.
Emotional Core
Every human possesses a crucial core — the Emotional Core, one of the most powerful internal sources of energy in existence.
By maintaining balance among their emotions, humans can strengthen their Soul Essence and resist the corrupting effects of the Chaos Impact.
There are two known types of Emotional Cores:
Regular Core: Found in ordinary humans.
Irregular Core: Found in a rare few who possess unique emotional structures.
Soul Essence
The Soul Essence is the main life-producing energy core within every human.
A strong Emotional Core is vital for controlling the Soul Essence and ensuring stable Vitality production.
Some individuals are naturally born with powerful Soul Essence, capable of rejecting Chaos Influence — while others are born weak and vulnerable.
However, the strength of one's soul can be trained through emotional discipline and mental stability, allowing a person to reinforce their inner balance.
Vitality
Vitality is the life resource that fuels one's physical energy.
It can only be harnessed when the Soul Essence is strong enough to produce it.
This energy enhances speed, strength, and endurance, varying depending on one's level of training.
It is an ideal energy source for close-range combatants and warriors.
The Rejectors
Rejectors are individuals with regular cores whose Soul Essence is strong enough to withstand the assault of the Chaos Impact.
Most of them possess Regular Cores and have learned to control their Emotional Core completely.
By rejecting the Chaos, their core grows stronger, allowing them to harness Vitality as a usable energy source.
Rejectors also awaken Unique Abilities as a result of their resistance.
Those who fully adapt to this power are known as Aethernals — beings destined to uncover the origin of the Chaos Impact itself.
However, Rejectors must constantly preserve the stability of their Emotional Core; once it cracks, they risk becoming Forsaken, lost to madness and corruption.
The Acceptors
Acceptors are humans with Regular Cores who fail to resist the Chaos Impact.
When consumed by the corruption, their Emotional Core collapses, and they lose all sense of self-control.
These beings transform into Forsaken, terrifying entities that wield unstable and chaotic power.
Their abilities vary depending on the emotion that consumed them —
anger, despair, sorrow, or fear — twisting their very form into monstrous shapes.
The Adaptors
Adaptors possess Irregular Cores capable of adapting to the Chaos Impact instead of rejecting or accepting it.
Through this adaptation, they undergo genetic transformation and become Half-Forsaken, able to manifest fragments of Forsaken physiology.
They can regenerate like Forsaken, and harness Unique Abilities like Rejectors, starting from Trigger 0 but unlike rejectors, they progress slowly — the higher they climb, the more of their humanity fades.
If they lose control, they, too, become Forsaken.
Triggers
There are 15 Triggers in total.
Aethernals awaken one random main trigger at the start of their journey.
Trigger levels range from 0 to 12, with higher levels unlocking deeper and stronger abilities. Fifteen Known Triggers:
The Whisper
The Tether
The Scribe
The Patient
The Night Stalker
The Prophet
The Mirror Veil
The Malice Bloom
The Resonator
The Venom Catalyst
The Silent Void
The Phantom
The Bone Shards
The Sinner's Weight
Alchemists
Alchemists are practitioners of ancient magic who perform rituals and sealings through forgotten incantations.
Only a handful ever reach the highest ranks — those capable of communicating with deities.
However, performing forbidden rituals demands a terrible price: the sacrifice of one's soul.
Ranks of Alchemists(Lowest to Highest):
Tyro
Adept
Arcanist
Magus
Oracle
Transcendent
Fate Trials
When an Aethernal reaches Trigger 4, they encounter a Fate Trial — a divine test that determines their destiny.
Those who overcome it gain a unique Fate Attribute, shaping their future path.
Variant Forms
Upon reaching Trigger 4, an Aethernal begins transforming into an ancient hybrid form known as a Variant Form.
These transformations differ according to each individual's Trigger type.
From Trigger 4 onward, they can partially transform, while Trigger 5 allows full transformation into their true form.
Even among those with the same Trigger, Variant Forms vary greatly in appearance and ability.
Memory Fragments
Remnants of fallen ancient gods scattered across the world.
Each Memory Fragment carries broken shards of divine power and lost knowledge, often taking various forms.
Dream World
Starting from Trigger 2, Aethernals can enter the Dream World, where they may choose a deity to follow.
Within this realm, they engage in divine "games" — trials set by their chosen god.
Winners are rewarded with rare and unique items from the Dream Realm itself.
Dream Fragments
Dream Fragments are special items originating from the Dream World.
They appear in many forms — physical, conceptual, or spiritual.
Each fragment recognizes only a single owner and can merge with that person's body or consciousness.
Some even possess a will of their own.
Artifacts
Rare and ancient relics that can be used for powerful and mysterious events.
However, most artifacts come with severe side effects, often harming or cursing their wielder.
Mythical Weapons
Legendary ancient weapons created to annihilate the Forsaken.
Each one is said to contain a fragment of divine essence, granting unparalleled destructive power.