The world I now reside in—Gaia—is far vaster than Earth, composed of four massive continents, each teeming with life, war, and ancient secrets. Compared to my old world, Gaia is a realm of epic proportions, both in scale and in the power that flows through its land.
The dominant race here is, unsurprisingly, the humans. They've spread across the continents like wildfire, building massive empires, kingdoms, and trade routes. But what shocked and angered me most was how they treat the other races—especially the elves and beastkin.
Elves, known for their ethereal beauty and magical talent, and beastkin, whose exotic, animal-like traits make them both fierce and alluring, are often hunted by humans. Not for war—but for slavery. Their rarity, beauty, and perceived "otherness" have made them victims of human greed. Despite the presence of gods in this world, slavery still thrives. And the elves and beastkin are among the most coveted and exploited.
The continents are fractured into empires and kingdoms, constantly at odds. Three of the continents are interconnected, leading to endless conflict between the three main races—humans, elves, and beastkin. War is a frequent reality here, with shifting alliances, betrayal, and bloodshed forming the rhythm of politics.
But the people aren't the only danger in Gaia.
Monsters roam the land, some terrifyingly powerful. Among them are beings of legend—dragons. Unlike the dragons from stories back on Earth, these creatures are not mindless beasts. They are intelligent, ancient, and capable of transforming into human form. In terms of raw strength, they are the pinnacle of mortal life.
In fact, if we gods didn't exist, dragons would rule this world without contest.
Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—their numbers are few. They reproduce slowly, and their population is the lowest among all species. But make no mistake: when a dragon appears, even empires tremble.
Aside from the major races, Gaia is also home to vampires and werewolves, ancient races that walk the shadows of the world. Vampires rule hidden blood clans, thriving in secrecy, while werewolves dwell in the deep forests and mountain regions, following primal instincts and pack traditions.
Then there's the fourth continent—the one that truly sets Gaia apart from anything I've ever known.
They call it the Dark Continent.
Unlike the other three, this landmass is completely isolated, surrounded by oceans filled with violent storms and spatial anomalies. No bridges, no trade routes, no kingdoms reaching out. It stands alone—and for good reason.
The Dark Continent is a land of monstrosities—beings born from chaos and destruction, many of which defy natural logic. Some of them are so powerful that their presence alone can warp the land around them. Others… have evolved beyond mere beasts. They have gained intelligence—sapient, strategic, and aware.
But despite their sentience, they are not creatures of reason.
Their very nature is destruction.
They live to devour, to corrupt, to ruin all that is ordered and pure. Even we gods tread carefully when it comes to the Dark Continent, because some of its most ancient inhabitants have powers that touch the edges of divinity itself. There are legends of divine-ranked monsters slumbering deep within that cursed land, creatures that could challenge or even slay a god.
Because of this, the Dark Continent is also called "The Forbidden Land."
And thankfully, it remains unconnected to the other three continents. Had it been otherwise—had there been a land bridge or passage—massive casualties would occur daily. Cities would fall, empires would burn, and even divine domains might be overrun.
It's not a place mortals can survive. Even the strongest warriors, blessed by gods or dragons, have gone missing within its borders. No one builds there. No one settles there.
Despite its terror and infamy, the Dark Continent continues to lure people in.
Why?
Treasure.
Even the lowest-ranked monsters there are unlike anything found on the other continents. Their corpses, once harvested, are treasure troves of rare materials. Mages use their bones and organs for advanced magical studies. Alchemists and potion-makers seek out their blood, fangs, and eyes to brew elixirs of immense power. Blacksmiths forge weapons and armor from their scales and claws—gear so potent it rivals artifacts blessed by gods.
The danger is extreme, but so are the rewards.
That's why, despite the overwhelming risk, adventurers, mercenaries, monster hunters, and treasure-seekers still venture into the Forbidden Land. Many never return. But those who do? The lucky few who survive?
Some of them come back with riches beyond imagination.
There are stories—tales whispered in taverns and guild halls—of lone wanderers who entered the Dark Continent nobodies, and emerged as legendary heroes or merchant lords, their wealth enough to buy entire kingdoms.
And that's the cruel irony of the Dark Continent.
It offers just enough hope to keep the desperate, the ambitious, and the foolish coming back.
In Gaia, the majority of people rely on two main sources of power: Aura and Magic.
Aura – The Path of Knights
Aura is the inner life force, drawn from one's soul and trained through rigorous combat and physical discipline. Those who wield aura are known as Knights, warriors who use it to enhance their bodies, cut through stone and steel, and withstand powerful blows. Aura can be used to cloak weapons, boost strength, speed, or even unleash devastating energy attacks.
The knight path is divided into distinct tiers—each representing a leap in strength, mastery, and presence:
Trainee – The beginning stage. Individuals here are just learning to sense and circulate aura through their bodies. They are considered weak and require mentorship and constant training.
Knight – The baseline of true warriors. Those who've learned how to channel aura into their strikes and bodies. A trained knight is already stronger than the average soldier or mercenary.
Elite Knight – Veterans of many battles. Their aura flows naturally and they can perform advanced techniques. These warriors often lead armies or serve as royal guards.
Saint Knight – Legends in their own right. A Saint Knight has aura so refined it can cut mountains and defend against large-scale magical attacks. It's said a single Saint Knight can destroy an entire small nation if unleashed without restraint.
Holy Knight – Near-mythical figures. Their presence alone can instill awe and fear. Holy Knights are said to match dragons in power, and their aura can devastate entire battlefields. They're often seen as national treasures and are heavily protected by the empires they serve.
Divine Champion – The pinnacle of mortal strength through aura. Warriors of this level are so powerful, they can wound even gods. But such strength comes at a cost—only a handful in all of Gaia's long history have ever reached this level. Fewer than twenty Divine Champions are known throughout recorded time, and most of them have long since passed into legend.
Magic – The Path of Mana and the Elements
Magic in Gaia is a powerful force harnessed through the manipulation of mana, the invisible energy that flows throughout the world and its living beings. Unlike Aura, which strengthens the body, magic bends the elements and the laws of nature to the user's will.
Magic is often elemental—fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, ice—but there are also rarer forms like space magic, necromancy, summoning, and divine light. The strength and precision of a mage depend on how well they can control and refine their mana.
The path of a mage is divided into six levels, each marking a profound leap in knowledge, control, and destructive capability:
Beginner – At this stage, a person can sense mana and cast simple spells like conjuring fireballs, forming water, or creating weak barriers. Beginners often study under mentors or at magical academies.
Mage – A fully trained practitioner. Mages can wield basic combat and utility spells, and they make up most of the magic users seen in armies or noble courts.
Advanced Mage – Mages who have surpassed the basics and can control multiple elements or large-scale spells. Their magic can turn the tide of small battles and wipe out dozens of enemies at once.
Master Mage – A rare tier. These individuals possess immense mana reserves and refined control, capable of creating magical storms, dimensional prisons, or massive element-based destruction. They're respected across kingdoms and often feared by royalty.
Sage – A title whispered with awe. A Sage's magic can destroy multiple nations if unleashed recklessly. Their knowledge spans forbidden grimoires, lost magical arts, and ancient incantations. They are walking natural disasters.
God Mage – A mythical level of magic. Mages at this level can challenge gods themselves. Their spells bend reality, erase cities, and reshape landscapes. Throughout all of Gaia's history, only a few God Mages have ever existed—and most of them either ascended into legends or vanished into unknown realms.
While Aura enhances the body and is favored by warriors and knights, Magic is the domain of scholars, elementalists, and world-shapers. Yet, both systems are respected, and sometimes even combined by rare prodigies known as Spellblades—those who wield both sword and sorcery.
While Aura and Magic form the foundation of most mortals' strength in Gaia, there exist three other rare and exclusive power sources, each belonging to ancient, elite races—or to the gods themselves.
Draconic Magic – The Power of the True Beasts
Draconic Magic is a sacred and primal force, possessed only by the dragons of Gaia. Unlike human magic, which is learned through study and training, draconic magic is innate, woven into the very soul and bloodline of dragons from birth.
It is vastly more powerful than human magic, capable of controlling elemental storms, bending gravity, and unleashing roars that shatter mountains. In their humanoid forms, dragons can use draconic spells to summon ancient flame, command lightning storms, or warp time for brief moments.
Draconic Magic is impossible for other races to learn or copy. It is a birthright, not a skill.
Dragons guard this power closely, and any being who tries to extract or steal it rarely lives to tell the tale.
Vampiric Magic – Bloodborne Sorcery
Used exclusively by vampires, Vampiric Magic is a dark, elegant form of sorcery that manipulates life force, shadows, and blood itself.
This power allows vampires to absorb energy from their prey, regenerate rapidly, dominate weaker minds, and even summon familiars made of living shadows. Elder vampires can stop hearts with a gesture, vanish into mist, or bind souls in blood contracts.
Vampiric Magic is tied directly to a vampire's bloodline and age—the older and purer the vampire, the more terrifying their magical power.
It is a secretive and forbidden art, feared even by human mages and knights. Entire armies have fallen to a single vampire lord wielding ancient blood magic.
Then, there is Divine Power—the force of the gods.
Unlike Aura or Magic, Divine Power is not something that can be trained or studied. It is bestowed, existing only within those who have ascended to godhood. Divine Power allows gods to reshape reality, create life, influence the fate of mortals, and bend the elements and concepts themselves—time, death, space, light, and more.
Each god's Divine Power is unique, tied to their domain. As the God of Fire, my power allows me to manipulate flames.
In the divine hierarchy of Gaia, gods are ranked based on their Divine Power Points. These points determine a god's strength, influence, and domain. The ranks are as follows: Lesser God (1–100 points), Minor God (100–1,000 points), Greater God (1,000–10,000 points), High God (10,000–100,000 points), and Supreme God (100,000–1,000,000). I, Zephry Fallus, currently stand at the lowest—a Lesser God, and not just any Lesser God, but the weakest among them all. Right now, I only have 30 Divine Power Points, and barely a handful of believers to sustain me. The primary way to increase divine power is through followers—each true believer gives 1 point, and the number of times they pray each day also affects the gain. Only genuine faith can be converted into power. Another method, though rare and dangerous, is to defeat and kill other gods, allowing me to absorb their divine power. But for now, with only 30 points to my name, I've decided to invest in something else. Instead of wasting it on flashy miracles or minor blessings, I'll create a simple system—a foundation that will grow with time. A leveling structure based on my knowledge of systems, novels, and games from my past life. Through it, I will grant power to mortals, and in turn, gain power from their growth and devotion.