Four years had swiftly elapsed, and in the blink of an eye, a prodigious young lad was observed in a colossal library, engrossed in solitary study with an array of voluminous tomes adorning his workspace.
This precocious juvenile was, of course, none other than the precocious Alex, who, in a mere four years, had grown into a remarkably astute four-year-old scholar, diligently engaging in intellectual pursuits that belied his tender age.
As he delved into the depths of the pages, his young mind was ablaze with curiosity, eager to unravel the mysteries contained within the pages of his literary companions. His insatiable thirst for knowledge was palpable, and he was determined to satiate it at all costs.
Over the course of the past four years, Alex understood the language of this world and had gained a profound understanding of the world around him, and his thirst for knowledge continued to grow with each passing day.
Last year, he began exploring his family's library, much to the astonishment of his parents, who marveled at his remarkable intellect and the fact that he had been speaking fluently since the age of two.
As Alex delved deeper into the vast collection of books at his disposal, he stumbled upon a startling discovery - that the world was teeming with mages, and that he himself was born into one of the four great noble families, the Phoenix family.
The Phoenix family had long been a dominant force in the north side of the continent, but their hold on power had been slowly slipping away due to a lack of talented individuals in the past two generations.
Driven by his insatiable curiosity, Alex also delved into the intricacies of the power system that governed the world and its rich history.
His thirst for knowledge and desire to unlock the secrets of this world was unquenchable, and he remained resolved to continue his pursuit of knowledge with unwavering determination.
Alex was engrossed in '500 Years of Illios,' a book that offered a comprehensive history of the magical continent of Illios, including its unique magic system.
The book explained that Illios was formed 500 years ago when three demon kings were defeated, leading to the continent getting free.
The people of Illios are born with bloodlines that determine their innate abilities and potential for cultivation, which can be categorized into four types: elemental, supportive, manifestation, and summoning.
Elemental bloodlines are the most common and come in different forms. A person can have one or multiple elements from earth, water, air, and fire. As they cultivate and train, they can develop deviant elements of the original element. The most elements recorded by a person is three, and no one has ever used all four elements. Different deviants of the elements are discovered as they advance in their cultivation.
Supportive bloodlines are the next most common after elemental bloodlines. They come in different ranges, such as potion brewing related bloodlines, bloodlines which help in inscribing runes, bloodlines that help make artifacts, and bloodlines that aid in making scrolls for attack. These bloodlines are essential in the world of cultivation, as they assist elemental and manifestation bloodline holders.
Manifestation bloodlines are rarer but not as rare as summoner bloodlines. These bloodlines are passed down by families and hold the power of manifesting different powers of the mythical creature it is related to. As the cultivation stage increases, new abilities can be manifested. For example, dragon's bloodline wielded by the dragonic family and phoenix bloodline is wielded by the house of the phoenix, etc.
Summoning bloodlines are the rarest bloodlines of all. They help users to summon a monster in exchange for the magical energy stored. The summoners have grades from D to S rank, with a B rank summon being comparable to one of the weakest manifestation bloodlines, and S rank summons can compare to one of the strongest manifestation bloodlines. As the cultivation increases, the strength of the monster or the mythical creature summoned also increases. This bloodline is rare and sought after.
In Illios, there is a cultivation system with ten ranks. Whenever a person awakens to the next rank, their power increases along with the ability of their bloodlines. Each rank heightens the physical body, magical essence storage, five senses, and all-over body stats. There are also sub-stages, which are the 1st stage, 2nd stage, 3rd stage, 4th stage, 5th stage, and 6th stage. The 6th stage is the strongest, and the 1st stage is the weakest. The names of the ranks in ascending order are Ascendant, Eon, Radiant, Zenith, Empyrean, Luminary, Apex, Mythic, Transcendent, and Celestial.
Illios is also home to magical beasts. beast also got there own cultivation system and come in different ranks, humans assign these ranks to them. When a beast dies, they drop manna cores that help bloodliners awaken to the next stage.
The greater the monster ranks, the better the core. If it is a higher rank monster, high-ranking equipment can be created with a certain part of that beast, and the weapon carries a trait of the beast. The higher the rank of the beast, the higher ranking of the equipment can be created.
People can also sell the body parts and core of magical beasts to earn money. The magical beast's ranking in ascending order is Basic, Mid, High, True, Epic, Sovereign, Enchanted, Overlord, Legendary, Mythic, and Calamity.
It is said that magical beasts above the sovereign rank gain more intelligence, and beasts above the overlord rank can talk.
Humans and beasts can form a bond, this bond will help the beast grow faster and gives the protection for hunting, in return humans will get a strong companion and when beast archive true rank they can temporally fuse with humans to make them more powerful, this fusion will give the human the physical capability of the beast and it special attacks as well, but this fusion is less used because it strains the beast and the human as well.
There are no calamity beasts left in the current period, as 500 years ago, the only calamity beasts were the demon kings that started attacking humans. All humans combined to fend them off, and it is said that only a celestial rank can go toe to toe against a calamity-rank beast.
There are no records of a human ascending to celestial rank, and when a human ascends to this rank, they achieve godhood, which is comparable to a god.
As he read through the pages, he came across the intriguing information that each individual awakens their bloodline at the tender age of ten. The book also provided insights about the test of type of bloodline an individual possesses, as well as their affinity towards it.
Upon realizing this, Alex's heart started racing with excitement. He couldn't wait to awaken his own bloodline and discover the unique abilities that were exclusive to him. Lost in thought, Alex was abruptly interrupted by his mother's angelic and soft voice. It was none other than Sophia, "Lucas, its been hours now come and take some rest and eat your lunch" Sophia said with a concerned tone.
Responding to his mother, Alex acknowledged her concerns and promised to take a break from his reading. Alex had been going by his new name, Lucas, for many years now, and it had become a part of his identity. Despite this, he couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia whenever he thought back to his old name.
As he walked towards the dining table, Alex couldn't help but ponder over the magical world of Illios and the incredible potential that lay within him. He knew that with his bloodline and affinity, he could tap into unimaginable powers and achieve greatness. Excitement and anticipation coursed through his veins as he sat down to savor the delicious meal that his mother had prepared for him.
As Alex sat down to eat, he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement bubble up within him. With each bite, his thoughts were consumed by the desire to practice martial arts again, a skill that had always fascinated him.
In an attempt to make his dream a reality, Alex turned to his mother and asked with a hint of anticipation in his voice, "Mom, can you please ask Dad to appoint a martial arts instructor for me? I'm really interested in learning it."
Despite Alex's persistence, Sophia was hesitant to oblige. In the House of Phoenix, martial arts had never been a part of their traditional training regime, which was instead centered around the use of elemental powers. She explained to Alex that it would be difficult to learn martial arts with his manifestation bloodline, as it required exceptional talent to combine the two effectively.
Undeterred by this information, Alex remained determined to pursue his passion for martial arts.
He confidently assured his mother, "Mom, today I will show you a demonstration of my martial arts skills."
Sophia couldn't help but chuckle at the boldness of her son's statement.
Alex noticed his mother's amusement and asked, "Mom, why are you laughing?"
He then proceeded to explain how he had researched some of their ancestors who had successfully combined martial arts with their manifestation bloodline, becoming significantly stronger as a result. He also discovered that each individual had to infuse martial arts uniquely to achieve the full potential of their bloodline's power. He then told her that he read some random and basic martial arts manuals from the library.
Sophia was surprised but also elated by her son's passion and commitment to his goals. She nodded in agreement and said, "All right, quickly finish your meal and let's go to the training grounds. We'll see what you're capable of, young man."