In Gaia, power wasn't measured by luck or chance—it was measured by structure. A system that categorized the potential of every living being. Even before I fully understood the world, my mother had shown me charts and texts describing the strength classification that applied to physique, mind, and mana core.
The ranks ran from F all the way up to EX, with each grade subdivided into low, mid, high, and peak. F meant the weakest, barely able to lift a weapon or control a flicker of mana. EX, on the other hand, represented legends—beings whose strength surpassed even the strongest kings and mages of history.
It was a strange thought to reconcile: I was small, barely taller than my mother's knees, yet in a few years, I might develop a rank others only dreamed of.
When babies were born in this world, we started as low F in physique. Tiny, fragile, and powerless. Magic power, or mana, didn't exist in a usable form yet. Over time, as the body grew, as the mind expanded, and as mana was absorbed from the surrounding environment, a magic core gradually formed in the heart. This process was called awakening, the moment when potential became tangible, when a child truly became capable of wielding mana.
It wasn't instantaneous. It could take eight to ten years—or longer—depending on the environment, training, and the child's innate ability. Awakening was the doorway to everything in this world: power, skill, knowledge, and freedom. Once awakened, one's personal profile could be seen, like a system interface in the old games I used to play in my previous life.
The profile included:
[Name –
Age –
Physique –
Mind –
Mana Core –
Potential –
Elemental Affinities –
Skills –
Techniques– ]
Physique, mind, and mana core were all ranked under the strength system I had memorized. Potential showed the maximum limit a person could achieve. Elemental affinities revealed the types of magic a person could wield and how strongly they connected to their elements. Skills were graded F through DIVINE, unchangeable once acquired, and techniques detailed learned spells, weapon styles, and aura practices.
I spent countless nights poring over these details in my books, imagining what my profile would look like when I finally awakened. I was only four years old now, and awakening was said to happen around eight to ten—but something in me told me I wouldn't have to wait that long.