This was the second chapter of the book, and it dealt with a subject of extreme gravity: Void Creatures and weapons.
Kenzo kept thinking about what he had read. After the explanations about powers and prana came the section describing the rank and power of Void Creatures.
Stage Name: Stain, Infected, Condemned, Profaned, Putrefied,Taint, Calamity, DemonRank: Unconscious, Unstable, Imperious, Infernal
Kenzo's gaze froze. His throat tightened as he reread the marginal note several times:
The most powerful Void Creature ever recorded was a Putrefied Void Creature of Infernal rank. It required the alliance of four awakened kings and queens who had reached Sublimation the stage just after Manifested to destroy it.
A chill ran down Kenzo's spine. Almost involuntarily, he whispered:
– « Today, the Sublimated rank is the highest level ever reached by the Awakened… And since the Emperor of Florenthel and the Empress of Seikan no Kuni were the first to reach that stage… I understand now. They were able to prove their strength and elevate their kingdoms to the rank of empire. »
He closed the book for a moment, his thoughts boiling. This revelation was not just knowledge—it was a key to understanding the world around him. Alliances, wars, empires… everything was rooted in this hierarchy of power.
But the text did not stop there. The chapter then addressed another crucial subject: weapons and armor in the world of the Awakened.
These relics were not simple tools forged by human hands. They were born from death, struggle, and anomaly. Void Creatures, just like humans, could produce Deviants among their kind. Their difference manifested through unusual appearances or abnormal behavior.
And when an Awakened managed to slay one of these aberrations, an artifact would appear. That artifact would then be absorbed and stored within the Orb of Revelation.
Kenzo clenched his fists. A bitter thought crossed his mind.
– « Now I understand why I didn't receive any weapons during my test… »
His gaze hardened. He now knew that the absence of an artifact had not been coincidence—it was the result of a detail he had not yet understood.
The third chapter was even denser. It described how one evolved in the world of the Awakened.
To advance from Awakened to Transfigured, one had to undergo a test. This trial was tied directly to the Orb of Revelation.
The Orb allowed two essential actions:First, to initiate a Test or explore a Fragment.Second, to perform an evolution without suffering corruption.
Without this artifact, any attempt to progress became madness doomed to failure.
The text described the punishment in cold, merciless detail.
Forcing an awakening without the Orb was like plunging one's hands into the heart of the sun. Eighty percent of those who attempted it were swallowed by oblivion.
Their bodies twisted, their minds dissolved, and they were reborn as Void Creatures starved puppets of prana whispering the murmurs of corruption.
The remaining twenty percent survived.
But at what cost?
Erratic mutations. Fractures of the soul. Shattered perception. Their existence became a nightmare, and their power a curse.
Kenzo shuddered. The description left no room for doubt: corruption was not merely a danger it was an inevitability for the reckless.
Triggering a test was simple in theory, yet heavy with consequences.
First, one had to break the Orb. By extending a hand and shattering it willingly, the nearest Fragment would be used.
Fragments could influence the test. If an Awakened stood near a particular Fragment, that Fragment would become the arena of the trial. But if they were far away… the nearest Fragment would be chosen instead with a risk: the difficulty could increase by one or several levels.
It was both punishment for carelessness and reward for courage.
Second, there was the role of the Initiator. The one who broke their Orb would pull with them anyone in physical contact or bound by an energetic link. Their destinies would become intertwined whether they wished it or not.
But that was only the surface.
Fragments could take the form of objects, places, or works of art. All were filled with history, and that history directly shaped the test.
For example, an ancient painting could transform the trial into a surreal frozen world—trapped within the canvas itself.
Thus, a test was never neutral. It fed on history, emotions, and the memory of the world.
When a test ended, the Fragment used would disappear forever. Its essence would burn away, erased from existence.
But Fragments also offered advantages. They could soften or alter the rules of a test, and sometimes they revealed forgotten truths.
The most powerful Fragments granted unique rewards: special weapons, rare powers, or visions of the ancient world.
Some Fragments could even be explored outside of a test. In such cases, Awakened individuals entered a living memory. They could observe, relive, or even interact with past events.
But it was not without danger.
One could still die there.
– « Observe the past… decode an emotion… find a clue… » Kenzo murmured while reading the examples.
Any Awakened, regardless of rank, could explore a Fragment of any level. Unfortunately, the Void Creatures killed inside such explorations granted absolutely no prana fragments.
The stronger the Fragment, the denser and more realistic the loop became. Some Fragments could trap an Awakened for days, weeks, even years.
Sometimes those loops offered clues leading to other Fragments: maps, coded words, fleeting visions.
The manuscript distinguished three main types of Fragments.
The first were Fixed Fragments. Anchored to a specific place, they drew their power from the land, history, or curses. They were rare—but incredibly powerful.
The second were Transportable Fragments. Bound to an object, artwork, or artifact, they could be carried. However, their power was often conditional.
Finally, there were Unstable Fragments.
They could host an unlimited number of people during a test. But outside of that context, anyone who entered by accident would be thrown into a Fragment of unknown level. Even if they survived, their progress would be limited to a single stage.
Everything Kenzo had just read was not merely theoretical knowledge.
It was a brutal truth about the nature of the world.
These Fragments. These tests. This corruption.
None of it was a game.
Every step forward could become a fatal fall.
He inhaled deeply, then let out a bitter laugh.
– « So… this is the path waiting for me. A road paved with Fragments, broken memories… and possible deaths. »