Existence Is My Woven Tapestry

It had been two months ever since Reynolds came to this new world. He had just finished his shift at the quarry, mining ores he never knew what they did or who used them. Cleaned facilities and weaponry that he would never gain access to.

He would see all kinds of faces come and go. Some distressed, other happy to escape the fallen world and come to the new one unaware that here, it was another hell disguised as salvation. A fresh batch had arrived from the Fracture.

There was no sympathy in his eyes, merely contemplation as he made his way to his room. He had gone through this monotony to the point where he felt the pain that was once prevalent in his body wane as time went on. His interest was long gone and at once driven to the point of suicide however it was then that he realized what he had been branded with.

The number on his wrist, it wasn't a mark but a slave sigil. And with it he couldn't claim his life even if he tried similar to those around him. Wails and cries would echo through the halls and bleed through the walls as they weren't thick enough.

He too at once cried till there were no more tears to shed, only longing for death. Taking a shower, he made his way to the lower floors where he was met with a queue for the food. Here he was glad that the food was much better in comparison to his previous world but this was a spark that burnt out a long time ago.

At first he found it strange but packed with energy after he was done. He was sure that it was laced with either the mana he saw his captors used or a drug to boost his endurance and refresh his mind. But overtime even the food that he adored grew stale in his mind and ate without care.

However his emotions weren't truly dead as he looked at a certain figure. A figure that he once admired to something he loathed beyond his imagination. It was Malcom who oversaw everything at the city. Of course strings were pulled in the shadows and even he didn't have complete power but he had a high role, high enough to avoid the mind numbing work at the quarry.

They were both in the same hole, just at different depths. The city thanks to their slavery and sweat was much more livable, to the point that they were allowed to purchase foods and items alike from the shops. However that didn't mean that they were cheap at the slightest.

They were paid in the form of mana shards, bits in green that he held onto like his life depended on it. He had twenty green mana shards and six blue mana shards, the former from his job and the latter as a gift due to his well behaved nature. Everyone who had a clean record would be given a blue mana shard at the end of each week and he right now had six of those.

He had spent two on clothing and food at shops but the remaining six he chose to hold onto for later. After a refreshing shower, he made his way through the town where all kinds of people could be seen walk around. Some had smiles that betrayed the pain that lay underneath their skins and he knew it.

This time he didn't bother with superficialities but rather knowledge. Right now he stood right outside the library. Archivum Prismata. The words holstered as if welcoming all to take a peek however he knew that there was more to it.

The clerk at the front, indifferent spoke up. "You'll need a blue shards for access, two extra for magical eye lens translator. Without falter he handed over three blue shards and made his way through the common archives. There was a noble archive but the fee for it was ten blue shards and he lacked such resources .

With his monocle, he picked several books and quickly skimmed through them. Rather than drown in ignorance, he opted to fill his mind with knowledge he knew that wouldn't help him but it was a productive way of passing the time.

He had forced himself to be acquainted with the new language but it was anything but easy. He would usually hear guards converse and from their gestures deduct their intentions. Rudimentary as at time this method was flawed in aspects, not to mention the guards would sense his gaze thus he couldn't conduct it for long.

The library was a place to help him and brushing past the cover of his first book, he was taken aback with what he saw. Glyphs and circles he failed to recognize, they looked like alien drawings but hovering the monocle, the strange words reverted to English.

These were basic spells, useless to him as he wasn't awakened. Regardless he paid great detail to them all, hoping to use such information in the future if he could. A few minutes later and he found what he was looking for.

Looking at the contents, he was both pleased with his expectations. 'So this world does have a hierarchy system. Ranging from peasants to kings. It would seem that the core component of this world is magic, but here they call it malcore...'

He went on, seeing the true ranking of those who wielded mana in this world. 'It would seem that there are rankings to those who wield mana.' Presented to him was a list, from the weakest to the strongest. Ranging from humans to other races such as elves and demons.

[{‎The Nine Ranks of Malcore Mastery For Mages

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‎1. Ashborn

‎The spark that rises from ruin.

‎Those who have only just awakened to Malcore. Fragile, raw, and easily consumed.Can sense ambient Malcore. Casts single elemental sparks (light, fire, or ice).Magic is raw, unstable, low-tier.

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‎2. Veinweaver

‎One whose essence threads with Malcore's pulse.

‎Capable of channeling basic spells or weapon enhancements. Blood and mana begin to intertwine.Learns proper casting forms. Can shape spells with focus and chant. Access to basic utility magic (illumination, barriers).

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‎3. Wyrmkindled

‎Their power stirs like a slumbering beast.

‎Gaining control of internal reserves. Rarely seen in common soldiers. Mutations may begin.Dual-element capability unlocked. Can craft small ritual glyphs. Begins channeling Malcore through runes or talismans.

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‎4. Gravechant

‎One whose voice echoes in the underworld of power.

‎Spells become extensions of will. Users may command elements or curses with moderate control.Mid-range destructive spells (fireballs, frost shards). Constructs basic familiars. Enchants weapons/items with temporary effects.

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‎5. Dreadbound

‎Bound to fate, unshackled from mercy.

‎A feared class. Few who reach this level are ever fully human again.Cast without incantation. Can control battlefield-wide magic like fog, wind, or blight. Access to Malcore "domain shaping" (e.g., freezing a battlefield sector).

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‎6. Bloodwright

‎Master of form, fear, and flesh.

‎Shapes Malcore as if it were an extension of body and soul. Their presence alone warps lesser minds.Forms magic constructs or semi-autonomous spells. Barrier of absolute protection or wide-scale hex. Begins resisting magical attacks naturally.

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‎7. Hollow Saint

‎Revered in name, cursed in nature.

‎Capable of annihilating legions. Often revered or feared as living gods. Rare.Grants foresight in the midst of battle. Can collapse weak enchantments by presence. Astral projection and mind-reading possible.}]

This applied to humans and elves mages, demons had their own hierarchy however it wasn't written. 'I'm sure that the noble archives have a proper list for all the ranks.' He went on with his reading as he realized that it wasn't just magic that one had to keep in check.

[{Knight Body Ranking

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‎1. Bronze Initiate

‎Minor physical enhancement (above average strength and speed). Learns aura-hardening on skin. Weapon control training begins.

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‎2. Iron Strider

‎Can withstand spells or elemental attacks briefly. Weapon enchantments last longer. Endurance and toxin resistance improve.

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‎3. Silver Vow

‎Weapon arts channel force through terrain. Executes advanced forms (spiral cleaves, echo slashes). Can momentarily defy gravity.

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‎4. Crimson Sigil

‎Bones reinforced with Malcore. Shatters stone with bare fists or blows. Aura manipulation to repel or stun.

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‎5. Obsidian Heart

‎Blink-step or short dash in combat. Enhanced reflexes bordering precognition. Weapon extends its reach briefly with Malcore energy.}]

Such people who specialized in their bodies were called knights. One couldn't just take one field and ignore the other. Taking the path of malcore and ignoring the body would make one's body too fragile to sustain the turbulent malcore resulting in death or crippleness.

Those who chose to refine the body and ignore mana would rise steadily however it would be hard ascending towards a certain point due to the insufficient malcore in their bodies. It was a game of balance between the two paths.

Reynolds was both fascinated by this information as he recalled that someone tried to kill a guard with a pickaxe but it bent upon touching their skin and shattering like glass. The man was beat up to death shortly after.

'It would seem that this world follows the rule of the strongest rules it all. Here one can face armies by themselves and come out unscathed.' To some extent made him try to associate mutants with mages but the difference was too stark.

Mutants were bound to their abilities and had no way of making it stronger while mages could. Malcore was versatile while mutants were restricted however mages did face the problem of exhaustion much quicker as malcore depended on the mage using it and their pool.

Mutants were held back by their endurance as some skills were more detrimental than others. 'Hmmm... I wonder what would happen when a mutant is exposed to Malcore and resonates with it?' He immediately thought of Darius whose body was invulnerable making his endurance much higher than the rest.

He couldn't help but wonder how he was, be it in his bunker protecting the few remaining mutants or experimented on by the visitors thanks to Malcom who probably had sold him off. He went more indepth with what he read, learning more about malcore, it's uses and dangers and demons.

'So those were Wretchlings and Gorekins.' With the help of some diagrams he was able to deduce the demons that tormented his previous world. He came to realize that this world had demons as well however they were kept at bay by humans and elves.

He was sure that the rankings of malcore of both knights and mages went much further than what he was presented but due to his status couldn't pursue further. Satisfied with what he learnt he took his leave walking through the now lit lantern streets powered by malcore.

A major improvement from torches a couple of weeks ago. Before making to his room, he was intercepted by his neighbor.