"The divine dwells in the void, unseen by the world."
"The bad, the ugly, the filthy, the evil gather in the void, transformed into foes of the divine, daring to provoke the gods."
"The divine is good, beautiful, kind, and great."
"The divine commands the enemies to scatter."
"The enemies refuse to listen."
"Thus, the divine commands them to change, to become good."
"The enemies refuse to listen."
"And so, the divine manifested in the world, revealing the true form of the divine, and the enemies perished, their bodies piling up, exuding an omen of misfortune."
"The divine, upon witnessing this, began to build the world from the bones and flesh of the enemies."
"The bad, the ugly, the filthy, the evil, the ominous—all were transformed."
— The Divine Words, Genesis
As the moonlight bathed the earth, Adam made his way to Gold's place.
The journey was uneventful, though Adam felt a slight unease, but he dismissed it as nothing.
Upon opening the door, a small bird flew over and perched on Adam's head. He glanced at his shoulder and casually shifted his eyes to the top of his head but said nothing.
"Hahahaha, what is this?" Gold laughed, pointing at the bird atop Adam's head, clutching his stomach in laughter, his face flushed with amusement.
"Is that what gets you laughing?" Adam quipped, unconcerned. "Teacher Gold?"
"Alright, alright," Gold eventually stopped laughing, waving his hand. He poured himself a drink, sitting on the bed, and lifted his glass to begin his first lesson.
"Let's start with professions," Gold said after a brief pause.
"Professions are pathways to acquiring extraordinary abilities. Common ones include mages, knights, shamans, and monks."
"Knights evolve into nobles. In today's world, nobility is both a profession and a status."
"Regardless of the profession, the essence is the utilization and development of the Three Elements."
"The Three Elements?" Adam's attention was piqued by this technical term.
"Yes, the Three Elements are soul, life, and nature."
"Take mages, for example. Mages begin by sensing and engaging with the soul, channeling psychic power. Then, they use this power through various rituals to influence nature, with further cultivation focused primarily on psychic power."
"Shamans, on the other hand, primarily focus on nature. They use various natural materials, combining them in different ways to create potions and remedies."
"However, even their focus on nature is not absolute. Many potions require the guidance of psychic power or the sacrifice of life force. Likewise, many mages study the manifestations of life force and develop rituals that influence it."
"The Three Elements are intricately tied to humanity. The division of professions arises because of human limitations—our energy and talents are finite, so we must focus on one aspect. Over time, these focuses solidify into distinct professions."
"And what about bloodlines?" Adam asked.
"Bloodlines are, of course, part of the Three Elements," Gold took a sip of his drink, his eyes drifting toward the moonlight outside.
"Life is inheritable. A son's appearance will resemble his father's—features such as hair color, eye color, and other inherent traits are passed down from parents and ancestors."
"The formation of a bloodline happens because the spiritual will of ancestors is also passed down with the inheritance."
"Through life, the legacy of the ancestors' spirit is woven in."
"The difference is that the bloodline of outcasts is tainted by sin, while that of nobility is tied to glory."
"Sin?" Adam frowned, uneasy with the terminology.
"Sin is also a part of nature in the Three Elements," Gold explained, his voice carrying a touch of gravitas. "However, the church does not acknowledge this force, deeming it the continuation of the divine enemies."
"Each time an outcast reproduces, sin and the ancestral spirit are inherited through life, becoming a seed that grows alongside the offspring. Just as humans consume food to nourish life, bloodlines absorb this natural power through sin, becoming the source of transformation. It is akin to having a second body that grows independently."
"Monks, however, are different. They use perception as a tool, turning psychic energy into a form of faith, sensing the presence of the divine, and receiving divine power to gain sanctity and divine arts."
"The divine created this world and has manifested in countless forms, considered the greatest natural force."
"Thus, monks are the strongest and quickest to form of all professions. After all, their support is the greatest."
"The awkward position of mages stems from their lack of restraint. They use any and all forms of natural power, even those related to the divine. Some mages who only use divine-related natural forces are still criticized by monks, who accuse them of theft."
"As a result, professions like mages and shamans are considered gray areas. Most churches disapprove of these professions, and some extremists even see them as heretics, akin to outcasts."
"Only the early knights were recognized by monks. However, with the evolution of nobility, everything has changed."
"Knights initially leaned toward the element of life. They were once monks with weaker spiritual gifts, who created the profession to continue advancing. They were first called Paladins."
"Originally, Paladins were the most loyal warriors of the divine, but as they began to harness life force, they formed the embryonic stages of bloodlines."
"But these early bloodlines only strengthened descendants' innate life-force talent, unlike the bloodlines of outcasts, which passed down power."
"Thus, someone proposed using sanctity as a bond to ensure that the power of the Paladins would be passed down to future generations."
"Sadly, the Paladin families have nearly disappeared, while nobles have proliferated, indicating that this method had its flaws."
"During one battle, a powerful knight defeated all enemies and was hailed as an undefeated legend. His life force spread into the surrounding natural environment, where it solidified under the influence of the collective spirit of praise from the people."
"This is the merit."
"Descendants who inherit his bloodline can summon the natural power of that environment, gaining strength from the accomplishments of their ancestors."
"For example, the undefeated legend—so long as his descendants remain in that area, no one can defeat them, as if they inherently possess victory."
"This inevitably led to fragmentation, triggering the God Valley Rebellion."
"With the involvement of mages and the lack of faith among the bloodline descendants, the noble crest was eventually formed. It symbolizes the noble bloodline, honor, and merit, allowing even those with weak life forces to tap into the power of accomplishments through the crest."
"The connection between nobles and monks runs deep, which is why the church has not outright rejected noble power. Over time, this has led to the current situation, where nobles have become a dominant force on the continent."
"Of course, this doesn't mean the nobles are safe. If the legend fades or the bloodline changes, the merit will be lost, needing to be re-solidified."
"This requires vast resources and the help of mages, which is why Mansra is so invested in the smuggling business," Gold said, his understanding of various professions quite clear.
"Is that so?" Adam said, finally grasping a clearer understanding of the extraordinary power system in this world. The Three Elements theory indeed encompasses the essence of most extraordinary powers, forming the foundation of the system.
"Exactly, the secret of professions lies in how different methods can enhance one's ability to utilize and control the Three Elements."
"Perception is considered the first and foremost element," Gold continued, not elaborating further, but instead turning the question toward Adam. "Which category do you think perception falls into within the Three Elements?"
"It should span all three categories," Adam responded thoughtfully after a brief pause.
"For instance, the basic five senses are tied to the body, while intuition and spiritual insight are more closely related to the spirit and soul," Adam analyzed carefully. "All of these exist to help one better observe the world."
"Exactly. Therefore, the foundation of most professions begins with perception."
"Mages begin with perception and then meditate to block out other bodily senses, focusing on enhancing soul-related perception to unlock psychic power."
"Knights begin with perception, repeatedly honing their bodies, observing themselves as they train, and merging their will with their bodies, understanding the life force flowing within them."
"As for me, a bloodline mage, I sense the presence of my bloodline through perception, gradually unlocking its potential and enhancing my awakening abilities, even acquiring some of my ancestors' powers."
"Because professions are based on the Three Elements, most professions have five stages."
"These stages are: Weighing, Overflowing, Refining, Reverting, and Ascending."