Starcrest City was not a city built on equality.
It was built on cultivation.
From the moment a child awakened, their future was subtly decided—not by effort alone, but by what kind of power answered their call.
Kayden walked through the academy courtyard, listening.
Ever since the Awakening Test, students spoke more openly about their abilities. Pride and insecurity leaked into every conversation.
"Did you see her flame density?"
"He's an Earth-type, but his foundation is unstable."
"Lightning users really are unfair…"
Kayden kept his head down, absorbing every word.
This was the world he lived in.
And now, finally, he was beginning to understand it.
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The Cultivators of Starcrest City
In Starcrest City, cultivators were broadly divided into six major paths.
These paths were recognized by the academy, the city council, and even external factions.
Each path had strengths.
Each had limits.
And every cultivator was ranked not just by level—but by how rare and dangerous their path was.
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1. Elemental Cultivators — The Foundation Path
The most common cultivators.
Elemental users manipulated natural energies to reinforce their bodies and unleash techniques.
They were divided into primary elements:
Fire – explosive power, aggression, destruction
Water – adaptability, control, healing potential
Earth – defense, endurance, battlefield control
Wind – speed, mobility, precision
Advanced elemental variants existed:
Lightning – speed + destruction (rare)
Ice – control + lethality
Metal – weapon mastery, reinforcement
Mist – illusion, concealment
Most academies were built around training Elemental Cultivators.
They were reliable.
Predictable.
And powerful in large numbers.
Kayden's gaze drifted toward one particular figure across the courtyard.
Rayden Wolfe.
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Rayden Wolfe — Lightning Ascendant
Rayden stood surrounded by a small group of students, his presence impossible to ignore.
Tall. Confident. Controlled.
Lightning cultivators were rare.
Lightning cultivators with perfect affinity were almost unheard of.
Rayden's lightning was not wild.
It was precise.
Condensed arcs flickered subtly around his fingers, restrained but eager—like a blade waiting to be drawn.
"Lightning-type cultivators already have superior speed," a nearby student whispered.
"And Rayden's control is ridiculous."
Rayden wasn't just strong.
He was polished.
Instructors praised his discipline.
The academy used him as a benchmark.
At Starcrest Academy, Rayden Wolfe was widely acknowledged as one of the top students of his generation.
And he knew it.
His eyes briefly swept across the courtyard—and paused for half a second on Kayden.
Then moved on.
Kayden exhaled slowly.
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2. Beast-Bound Cultivators — The Symbiotic Path
Unlike elemental users, Beast-Bound cultivators did not rely solely on themselves.
They formed contracts with spiritual beasts.
Not summoned creatures—but living entities bound by mutual growth.
Their strength depended on:
The beast's bloodline
Compatibility with the cultivator
Shared growth over time
Common beast paths included:
Feral Types – strength, instinct, aggression
Aerial Types – mobility, scouting
Mystic Types – illusion, support, rare abilities
Advanced Beast-Bound cultivators could:
Share senses
Merge partially
Channel beast traits temporarily
However—
If the beast died, the cultivator's path often collapsed.
High risk.
High reward.
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3. Body Forgers — The Path of Flesh
Body Forgers rejected elemental manipulation.
Instead, they cultivated pure physical perfection.
Their bodies became weapons.
Bones reinforced.
Muscles refined.
Organs enhanced.
They specialized in:
Close combat
Endurance battles
Anti-mage suppression
While lacking flashy techniques, Body Forgers were feared.
A high-level Body Forger could tear through elemental barriers with bare hands.
But their cultivation was brutal.
Many didn't survive the early stages.
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4. Mind & Spirit Cultivators — The Invisible Path
Rare.
Misunderstood.
Dangerous.
These cultivators focused on:
Mental energy
Spiritual pressure
Perception and influence
They could:
Disrupt concentration
Create illusions
Crush weaker minds without touching them
Some became strategists.
Others became nightmares.
The academy watched them carefully.
Too much power in the mind could fracture sanity.
---
5. Transcendent Shapers — The Forbidden Adaptors
Very few knew about this path.
Even fewer acknowledged it openly.
Transcendent Shapers did not borrow power from elements or beasts.
They rewrote themselves.
Their abilities included:
Temporary form alteration
Adaptive regeneration
Environmental assimilation
They didn't transform into beasts.
They became something else.
Something in-between.
Because of their instability, this path was heavily restricted.
Most academies pretended it didn't exist.
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6. System-Bound Entities — The Myth
This path wasn't taught.
It wasn't acknowledged.
It wasn't written in official records.
Systems were considered legends—or disasters.
Entities that:
Grew infinitely
Defied cultivation bottlenecks
Rewrote rules over time
Every known system user in history had caused upheaval.
Wars.
Collapses.
Extinctions.
That was why systems were feared.
That was why Kayden's existence had to remain hidden.
---
Where Kayden Stands
Kayden sat alone during lecture, listening to Instructor Halden explain elemental resonance.
On the surface—
Kayden Arin was nothing special.
No affinity.
No awakening.
Sealed potential.
That was what everyone believed.
But beneath that calm exterior, something stirred.
SYSTEM NOTICE:
CULTIVATION FRAMEWORK ANALYSIS COMPLETE.
HOST STATUS:
NON-CONFORMING ENTITY.
RECOMMENDATION:
DO NOT FOLLOW ESTABLISHED PATHS.
Kayden's fingers tightened slightly.
So that was it.
He didn't belong to any of them.
Not Elemental.
Not Beast-Bound.
Not Body Forger.
He wasn't part of the system.
He was something outside it.
Kayden glanced once more toward Rayden Wolfe—the academy's shining lightning star.
Strong.
Talented.
Bound by limits he didn't yet realize.
"…Guess we'll see," Kayden murmured.
The strongest cultivator in Starcrest Academy stood at the peak of the known paths.
And Kayden—
Kayden stood at the beginning of something the world had forgotten how to fear.
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