I leaned back against the heavy oak headboard, the sturdy wooden frame creaking slightly under my weight as I watched the pale moonlight catch the pure white fur of the tiny creature curled up at the very foot of the bed. I told Elphyete that Snowball had decided to stay with Euphyne for the night, and I guessed that our little kitten had truly taken a liking to him. It was a genuinely funny thought, picturing the dazzling Euphyne being claimed as a designated nap spot by a tiny, fragile ball of fluff. We both laughed softly at the mental image, the sound muffled by the thick, heavy drapes that lined the walls of our room. The conversation drifted naturally back to the events of the previous day, and we spent a long, comfortable time talking about everything that had happened on the beach. We recounted the rhythmic way the salty waves had crashed against the pristine shoreline, the strange, glowing shells we'd seen half-buried in the wet sand, and the ridiculous, lighthearted moments that had completely defined our trip away from the academy. We laughed until our ribs ached and our breath ran short, the shared memories acting as a warm, comforting bridge over the lingering, cold tension of the Seer's cryptic warnings, until finally, the heavy weight of absolute exhaustion claimed us both and pulled us into a deep, dreamless sleep.
When the warm, golden morning light finally filtered through the tall, arched windows of the mini-mansion, the rich, savory smell of sizzling fat, spiced sausages, and freshly baked bread pulled us from our slumber. We gathered in the expansive dining hall, the atmosphere brisk, bright, and highly efficient as the morning servants moved like silent shadows. Euphyne, remaining entirely true to his intense nature, finished his massive plate of food with a speed that bordered on the supernatural. He set his silver fork down against the porcelain with a sharp, definitive click and gave a curt, deeply confident nod to the room, stating loud and clear that, as always, it was a dazzling breakfast. Without wasting a single second to let his food settle, he immediately began preparing for class, checking his uniform. We finished eating our own meals at a slightly more reasonable pace and followed suit, making sure our academy robes were perfectly straight, our minds were focused, and our magical focuses were firmly secured to our belts before we finally left the grand estate.
The walk to the university grounds was quiet and surprisingly serene, the crisp morning air fresh with the distinct, earthy scent of wet dew and distant, comforting woodsmoke. We walked along the cobblestone paths, watching the other students gather in groups, their faces a mix of sleepiness and nervous anticipation. Once we arrived at the designated classroom, Sir Vael was already there waiting for us, looking significantly more animated and energetic than usual. His eyes sparkled with a certain mischievous, unpredictable energy that usually preceded something incredibly difficult, dangerous, or both. He greeted us with a loud, echoing clap of his hands and announced to the room that today we would be entirely focusing on the mage's path. Specifically, he said with a wide grin, we would be learning about the highly complex art of mana folding. Lucian, never one to let a technical magical term pass by without an immediate query, immediately raised his hand and asked what mana folding actually was. Sir Vael paced to the front of the room and explained that mana folding is a delicate, intricate process and a specific internal method used by advanced spellcasters to exponentially increase the raw output and destructive force of normal spells and everyday magic casting. Before anyone could ask for a practical demonstration or a visual aid, he clapped his hands together once again, and the entire world simply blurred around us. In a dizzying heartbeat, the sensation of being pulled through a tunnel of pure light washed over us, and we were no longer standing in the enclosed, stone-walled classroom but were now standing outside in the expansive, open, and heavily warded grassy backyard of the academy's main training grounds.
Sir Vael turned to face us, his previously playful expression turning uncharacteristically grave and serious. He warned us, his voice dropping an octave, that mana folding is extremely risky and not something to be taken lightly. He explained in vivid detail that doing a single fold is incredibly hard because the mental geometry and focus required to bend pure energy is so complicated, but he added a small glimmer of hope by stating that once you successfully complete one single fold, it gets slightly easier because your mind and your magical pathways finally understand the physical feeling of the internal weave. However, he quickly cautioned us to be extremely careful, for doing too many folds without the proper bodily conditioning can literally break your physical form. He described the horrifying, gruesome image of a reckless mage cracking apart like a fragile, over-pressurized old teapot while the condensed, volatile mana inside simply erupts outward, leading to a very messy, painful, and highly permanent death. He noted that the standard, absolute safety limit is fifty folds, a monumental feat typically only achieved by the absolute most skilled, legendary mages in the entire world. To give us proper context on where we currently stood in the grand scheme of things, he decided it was the perfect time to explain the rigid hierarchies of power that governed the vast world of Dhenshin.
1 Minor The first, most basic classification for those just sensing their magical spark.
2 Adept Skilled, but still learning; possessing functional competence in everyday spells.
3 Arcane True mastery of foundational spellcraft and intermediate magical theory.
4 Master Complete control; the globally recognized benchmark of professional ability.
5 Grand A monumental leap in power and scope, capable of shifting the tides of battle.
6 Ruler Commanding a specific domain or an entire foundational school of magic.
7 Exalt Power that inspires true awe; standing far above the common high-ranking elites.
8 Titan A living legend in their own time; wielding spells of colossal, city-level scale.
9 Divine Power that directly touches upon the metaphysical or cosmic fabric of reality.
10 Primal Wielding the original, raw forces of creation and existence.
11 beyond Theoretical levels of power that transcend known mortal comprehension.
And this is the ranks of warriors
1 Vesper A novice yet to see the dawn of battle; the evening star of martial arts.
2 Squire A sworn attendant learning the heavy weight of steel and the gravity of duty.
3 Glaive The disciplined rank-and-file; a sharp, reliable edge in any military formation.
4 Valiant A warrior who has stood firm in the face of death and proven their absolute mettle.
5 Warden A steadfast protector of borders and a strict keeper of the ancient martial code.
6 Palatine An elite, heavily armored guardian belonging to the inner court of heroes.
7 Exarch A high-ranking tactical commander who leads grand armies with absolute authority.
8 Paragon A master of the physical craft; a living, breathing example of perfect technique.
9 Sovereign A warrior-ruler whose mere presence on a battlefield dictates the tide of war.
10 Zenith The unreachable peak; a legend who has completely transcended the blade.
11 beyond An impossible state of physical and spiritual martial transcendence.
Sir Vael crossed his arms and reminded us all that the beyond rank is essentially impossible for any normal, natural-born mage or warrior to achieve in their entire lifetime. He paused for a long, dramatic moment, then added a casual caveat that included himself, noting with a shrug that he was an otherworlder. Aria immediately tilted her head, her brow furrowing in deep confusion as she asked what an otherworlder actually was. Sir Vael looked up at the endless blue sky, a nostalgic look crossing his features, and explained that an otherworlder is a specific, unique race in this world, though they aren't originally from the world of Dhenshin at all. They come from entirely different, distant worlds, and they are fundamentally broken in terms of the natural power balance, possessing enough raw, unfiltered potential to literally end this world if they ever chose to do so. He casually admitted that he thinks he is the strongest among them, though they were so incredibly rare that he didn't even know if any others besides him currently existed anywhere on the planet. Aria pushed further, her curiosity thoroughly piqued, asking how they could possibly be so overwhelmingly powerful. He told her, without a hint of arrogance, that their immense power came directly from the gods themselves; upon arriving in this reality, they are granted five absolute wishes that can be used to ask for literally anything, though a truly world-altering, overwhelmingly strong wish might consume all five of those precious slots at once. Before she could ask about his specific origins or what he wished for, he quickly added that he couldn't remember a single thing about his past life before waking up here.
Vela spoke up then, her voice dripping with understandable skepticism as she crossed her arms. Oh, so if they're so powerful, why is this world still standing? she asked, raising a challenging eyebrow.
Sir Vael let out a booming laugh, clearly amused by her bluntness. Great question, he said, his eyes crinkling at the corners. I think they probably just chase fame, endless piles of money, and even build massive harems to keep themselves entertained.
Vela didn't back down. Why didn't you? she asked.
Sir Vael scratched the back of his neck, looking genuinely stumped for a second. Mmmm, I don't know... he muttered, his voice trailing off as if he had never actually bothered to ponder the question before.
Aria, still fascinated by the sheer scale of his existence, chimed in again. What's your first experience when you got in this world, Sir Vael? she asked, her eyes wide with anticipation.
He mused for a moment, tapping his chin thoughtfully. Mmm, the first few weeks is just me learning how to properly control my new abilities and, more importantly, figure out how to completely restrain them, he explained casually.
Zane, who had been quietly listening in stunned silence, finally caught onto that last terrifying word. Restrain them? he asked, his voice cracking slightly.
Yeah, Sir Vael replied with an incredibly nonchalant wave of his hand. I accidentally erased the entire planet and the whole surrounding universe while being slightly annoyed at a piece of fruit that fell on my head while I was sitting under a tree. But I quickly redid the timeline and fixed the damage, entirely removing the destruction that I did to the universe. Since then, I also locked away my full power. Right now, I'm just operating at 10% capacity. Besides, I think me being at 100% is just massive overkill for this world.
We all stood there, completely frozen, trying to process the fact that our teacher had once casually deleted reality over a mildly annoying apple. I finally swallowed the lump of absolute shock in my throat and spoke up. Sir Vael?
Yes, Sogha? he answered brightly.
Mmm, I wonder how big is our planet, I asked, desperately trying to change the subject to something slightly less existentially terrifying.
Our planet, named Dhenshin, is about 10 million kilometers big, he explained, slipping effortlessly back into his teaching persona. It has one incredibly massive main continent named Fhajin, but despite its size, the planet is still mostly covered in endless, uncharted water.
The reason it is this unfathomably big, he continued, pacing back and forth in front of us, is strictly because of the dungeons. The more dungeons that are discovered, entered, and conquered, the more this physical planet actually expands its own borders to accommodate the magical mass. These dungeons aren't just deep caves; they range from having 100 floors to 1,000 floors, to even 10,000 plus floors plunging into the abyss.
And here is the truly mind-bending part, he said, pointing a finger at us for emphasis. A single floor inside one of those high-level dungeons is roughly the exact size of an entire universe, because a floor isn't just a room; it is literally just another separate, fully formed realm of existence folded into the space. You can travel up and down through these massive, universe-sized layers either by using advanced teleportation magic or by trekking through the wilderness and finding the specific gate on each floor where you can actively choose to teleport up to the next level or delve deeper down into the dark.
We all just stared at him, our brains collectively struggling to comprehend the sheer, impossible scale of the world we were standing on, the universe-sized realms hidden beneath our feet, and the terrifying, god-like power of the man casually explaining it all to us on a sunny Tuesday morning. Sir Vael looked at our blank, overwhelmed faces, clapped his hands together one final time, and grinned.
Ok enough chit chat I gotta show y'all how to use mana folding,