As Vyn stepped out of his room, he noticed an unusual silence blanketing the guild courtyard—a sharp contrast to its typical vibrancy. The absence of the usual chatter and clanging of weapons led him to conclude that the guild members must be out for their morning practice sessions.
Without lingering, Vyn refreshed himself and departed from the guild house, making his way towards the bustling district of Ravencrest. This city, renowned for its administrative significance, lay close to the infamous Bloodrift Battlefield, making it a hub for numerous guilds, skill libraries, armories, and other establishments vital to a society scarred by constant warfare. Notably, Ravencrest boasted two mage towers—an extraordinary feat given the immense resources and expertise required to construct them.
The region's proximity to a cluster of formidable dungeons attracted scores of rankers—mages and warriors from around the globe, each driven by aspirations to strengthen their abilities, carve out reputations, and test their limits. This was somewhat ironic given the dark shadows cast by the Bloodrift Battlefield, a site where countless lives were slain. Yet, the flow of adventurers into the city remained undiminished.
For Vyn, Ravencrest was the last place he ever imagined he would find himself. His arrival here was not of his choosing but a consequence of the harsh destiny imposed upon him.
He vividly recalled the shock and horror that had etched itself across his face, the tears of his mother, and the stern, impassive expressions of the elders as they delivered their verdict. That day, his fate had been sealed; he was dispatched to this deadly battlefield with the burden of restoring his tarnished 'honor.'
Despite understanding his family's disappointment, the thought of being sent to such a notorious death ground as a mere child struck him as profoundly cruel. Being just sixteen at that time, could there be a harsher sentence for a person?
"Those shitheads,"
Vyn muttered under his breath, teeth clenched in unresolved anger. Each time he revisited these memories, a surge of rage washed over him. Clearly, the elders had anticipated his swift demise, perhaps even presuming him already dead by now. Was this not akin to a death sentence?
At times, he longed to sever every link to his family lineage, to erase the very blood that flowed through his veins. Yet, even the pure milky color of his hair—a constant reminder of his origins—haunted him relentlessly.
With these heavy thoughts weighing on his mind, Vyn reached the Skill Library.
Towering before him was a massive five-story structure, each floor dedicated to a different rank of power, from E, the lowest, to A, the highest. This was where he would begin his quest for knowledge and power, to forge a new path that might someday lead him away from the shadow of his family's expectations.
Of course, being ranked as 'A' wasn't the limit of power in this world. Far beyond the known rankings, there were legendary figures, those who had shattered or transcended the confines of the ranking system. They were not merely powerful; they were titans, giants among men, standing at the pinnacle of strength!
Why would such formidable beings be present in the Bloodrift Battlefield? As wielders of immense power, they typically managed the world's most critical affairs and were summoned only during dire emergencies that the ordinary rankers couldn't handle.
"Hello, can I get a library pass?" Stepping confidently into the hall, Vyn approached the attendant, a young lady in glasses. She was busily sorting through piles of reports at a desk tucked in the far corner.
She paused her work to look up at him, her eyes dull with boredom, as if she hadn't seen anything interesting in a long time. "What rank are you?" she inquired in a monotonous tone.
"D rank," Vyn replied instantly.
Upon hearing this, she pulled out a large, dusty record book and peered curiously at Vyn. "Is this your first time here? I don't recall seeing anyone like you around before." Her question was logical—after all, Vyn possessed an unusually handsome face, a single flicker of light in his otherwise gloomy existence. His strikingly white hair, rare and almost luminescent, made him easily memorable.
"Yes, this is my first visit," Vyn confirmed with a slight nod.
"That will be three silvers per day. How many days are you planning to stay?" she asked, noting down the details.
'Three silvers a day!' Vyn nearly gasped in disbelief. He had known that skill libraries were expensive, but the reality was even steeper than he had anticipated. After numerous battles in D-rank dungeons and securing only a modest twenty percent of the scant loot, which barely covered necessities like food, he had scraped together just about eight silver pieces. The thought of spending nearly half his savings on a single day's access was like a dagger to his heart.
"Why is it so expensive?" Vyn couldn't help but ask, struggling to mask the dismay etched across his face.
The attendant looked at him with an impassive face, adjusted her glasses, and explained in a flat tone, "Normally, the fee is four silver coins per day for the D rank section, but I gave you a discount since it's your first time."
"Oh…" Vyn's response trailed off into silence, a mix of gratitude and concern churning within him.
After stepping onto the D rank floor, Vyn was immediately struck by the high costs he faced. Spending what seemed like an enormous sum for just a day's worth of skill books left a sour taste in his mouth. He found himself constantly pondering over his decision. "I hope this will be worth it," he muttered under his breath.
The system had instructed him to acquire new skills to boost his intelligence and better control the boundless light. Despite his reservations, he hoped he wouldn't come to regret spending his hard-earned coins on these skill books, especially given the unreliable nature of the system.
The hall was bustling quietly with numerous individuals deeply engrossed in their books. Each person was heads down, absorbed in reading, the silence in the hall a testament to their focus and the serious investment they had made.
With a sense of purpose, Vyn strode over to the book section and picked out three distinct skill books, each specializing in attack, defense, and healing. Books in hand, he found a secluded spot at the far corner of the hall and settled down.
He opened the first book, "The Concept of Fire"—a primer on the fundamental principles of flames, designed specifically for beginners. Eager to make the most of the time he had paid for, Vyn dove deep into the content.
The book detailed the nature of fire and the myriad ways it could be manipulated. It emphasized that affinity and control were crucial in determining a user's prowess with flames. Another key factor was intensity—the strength of the flames hinged on the wielder's ability to channel their world power, which acted as fuel.
It outlined three primary sources of world power: the will of the world, the gods, and the elementals. Each source influenced the characteristics of the flames one could wield, shaping their distinct nature.
The concept of transcendence was also introduced. This referred to the mastery or full control over an element. Due to humans' reliance on secondary sources like gods, the world's will, or elementals for strength, complete transcendence was out of reach. Humans could achieve only partial transcendence, as their control over elements like fire was always mediated through another power.
Those rare individuals who achieved transcendence were often those who had exceeded the conventional ranking system of this world. Their powers were immeasurable by standard methods because they operated on a level that defied conventional logic. These exceptional beings were known as Saints.