When Dnekewy finished speaking, he glanced at Lee only to see sparkles in his eyes and his head nodding vigorously.
Seeing this, Dnekewy could only sigh inwardly. He knew he had to give him a complete lecture on everything.
"Stop behaving like a spoiled dog and listen well. Now I'll explain everything about this world in detail"
"Mana and Qi are two sides of energy. Mana is external and easy to control. Using spells and stuff is related to it. Anyone can study magic, but only those with Mana Pool in their body can utilise and store great quantities of Mana. Using Mana is less straining as it is less condensed, meaning the user has a lesser chance of fatigue. Be careful when absorbing it, as contaminated Mana can cause unpredictable results to one. Some have gone crazy while some die and become Undead. But that doesn't mean that Mana is dangerous. It has innumerous day-to-day life uses as well as combat purposes. To achieve complete mastery over Magic is very difficult"
"Qi, on the other hand, is an internal manifestation of energy. It can connect your mind, body and soul effectively. More condensed than Mana and can wear out the user relatively faster. Qi affinity is relatively rarer than Mana affinity. As you know, cultivation is based on Qi. The contradictory forces of Qi and Mana cancel each other out in many regions, making the atmosphere devoid of either one. Mastery of Qi may seem easy at first, but the difficulty spikes to 'Ultra Legend Maximum Purgatory' within a few realms. An innate characteristic of Qi is healing. Let me demonstrate!"
Dnekewy thrusted the glaive deep into ground and extended his right arm at Lee's stomach. A faint glow was visible in his palm and a tingling sensation went through Lee's body. The wound on the stomach began to close up fast enough for naked eyes to follow. Lee Shen wasn't amazed. He had seen and heard many things enough for a lifetime's wonder. So, he simply sighed and accepted the reality.
"Magic can also do the same thing, but you will have to learn a healing spell. But a Qi user only needs to channel his Qi just like this".
"But not everyone is born with such affinities. A major portion of the total population have neither Mana nor Qi".
"Then, are there professions for these common folks?" (Lee)
"Many, to be exact. Common jobs like carpentry, artistry, construction work, restaurant, etc…. exists. But there are jobs that even Mana and Qi users dedicate their life to. They are Alchemy, Blacksmithing and Rune Mastery. People infuse their respective affinity into their talent to produce multiple varieties of products.".
"These professions which need any one of the affinities, have 8 gradings of mastery. They are:-
1. Apprentice
2. Mortal
3. Expert
4. Grandmaster
5. Lord
6. Saint
7. Emperor
8. Singularity
The titles are self-explanatory. Each stage of mastery is achieved through a test conducted in the public and are evaluated using a 'Judge Crystal'. In all my life, I haven't even seen a single Saint level mastery in any three of them!".
"Then what are these gradings for?!" (Lee)
"I said, in 'MY' lifetime. Legends that achieved Singularity once existed. So these gradings are not baseless".
"As their profession grading goes, so does the product quality too. They are primarily divided into:-
1. Mortal
2. Iron
3. Bronze
4. Silver
5. Gold
6. Force
7. Epic
8. Deity
All these 8 grades have 'Lower', 'Mid', 'Higher' sub-grades. The higher the quality, the more powerful its aura will be and more expensive it become. This glaive of mine is a Lower Deity grade one. But it is sealed, for now".
Dnekewy paused for a moment and looked at the silent Lee Shen.
"Questions?!"
Lee understood that it is his cue to talk. He wanted to ask a lot of things, but he self-restrained. Taking a deep breath to calm his excitement, he opened his mouth to speak. But Dnekewy suddenly went on full-alert and raised his hand to stop him as he looked over his shoulder.
"Let's move from here. Someone is closing in".
Before Lee Shen could voice his doubt, Dnekewy grabbed his hand and flew like wind. It all happened in a blink of an eye. When flying away, he saw beasts resuming its action. Lee Shen knew they were flying, but did not feel any wind resistance. After a while, they both landed on some snowless clear ground far away.
"Sorry about that. Using Time-Break too long attracted some pests, nothing to worry about. We are safe here."
"Didn't that trick of yours pause everything?!" (Lee)
"Not exactly. What you see is my soul without body. So my power is greatly reduced and only effective on beings below a certain level. Time-Break will eventually weaken, if you cannot provide constant energy supply. Now....you may ask questions!"
Lee Shen took a moment to recollect his questions and then asked-
"From what you said, even demons and elves and dwarves have a chance to cultivate?! How about mythical creatures like Dragons, Vampires, Werewolves, Serpents, Kirins, etc..?!" (Lee)
"About the first question, yes, anyone born with Qi affinity can cultivate regardless of their race. About the second question, also yes, many kinds of legendary and mythical creatures from both fantasy spheres exist. Metalloid creatures are the rarest in this planet. Additionally, mutated beings pop up here and there from time to time".