Mana Cultivation Stages
This auxiliary chapter serves as a reminder for the ongoing readers to determine the power level of some character on their mana cultivation, and the basic knowledge of how the cultivation process works if they forgot. It also acts as a reference of the world and what to expect in the future.
The explanation will be detailed in some occasions and simple if it will lead to an information hazard for the upcoming chapter.
The cultivation stages that haven't been mentioned in the story will appear as '???' In this glossary.
There might be a hint of the future plot.
I hope you enjoy reading it :)
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---------| Cultivation Stages |
> Mana Gathering [1]
A phase available after a person managed to convert mana after years of training their consciousness strings.
This is a preparation stage. By storing as much mana as the cultivator could, they will be able to turn their miniature realm into a suitable place to collect resources for a golden's orb shell making.
Only a miniature realm that is able to create a life are able to proceed to the next stage.
Having one or two unique beasts or plants is the sign of the breakthrough. The needed mana might vary from person to person.
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> Hollow Orb [2]
A golden's orb shell creation phase.
A cultivator in this stage will begin to farm and cultivate the resources within their mana sea. Elemental Essences are fundamental to create a unique type of golden orb's shell.
After creating a vessel for their golden orb, the cultivator will begin the Golden Orb construction process depending on the cultivation law they took.
The material, quality of mana, amount of mana, elemental essence, state of the miniature realm, nourisher, and the external place for the breakthrough procedure will determine the quality and the type of the golden orb.
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> Golden Orb [3]
A phase where a mana cultivator will use their golden orb to fuel the resources needed to explore their miniature realm. Most golden orb will nourish the streamlined mana, increasing the efficiency of mana gathering by 50 times.
Large amount of mana is needed to create the 'World Catalyst', finding the center and grasping the entirety of one's own current miniature realm will lead to an enlightenment.
After the enlightenment, the cultivator will automatically proceed to the next phase.
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> Nascent Realm Enlargement [4]
With the knowledge from the enlightenment, a mana cultivator will make the World Catalyst as the center of their expanding mini-universe. By fueling the World Catalyst, the edge of the realm will expand and generate the rest of the unfinished realm.
Numerous anomalies and hostile existence will appear as the expansion goes. A strong spawned hostile entity could be the bottleneck and the end of the cultivator's whole progress, although there was a case where they could be befriended or conquered.
This stage is the most uncertain phase.
A breakthrough can be achieved after the expansion speed has passed through the bottleneck to create a 'Pseudo Supernova' that rapidly increases the expansion, revealing more new land.
The miniature realm could turn into a never ending flat world or even a globe, depending on the cultivation law the cultivator took.
After the breakthrough, a mana cultivator will proceed to the next phase.
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> Alcazar Foundation [5]
At a certain size, the miniature realm will stop expanding, and the excess energy will form a danger zone on all edges of the realm.
Hostile existence and horrifying cosmic entities will be spawned from the edges and will make their own territory.
Most cultivation laws have different approaches from each other on how to deal with this stage, but each of them have the same goal to proceed to the stage.
To create an Alcazar, but the definition of this Alcazar is different depending on the cultivation law they took.
After establishing the Alcazar, they will pass through the next stage.
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> Alcazar Establishment [6]
An Alcazar Establishment phase is a stage where a mana cultivator manages to establish their Alcazar, creating a stable foundation to nurture their miniature realm. Only by gathering more insurmountable mana to combine the World Catalyst into their 'Alcazar Core', they could expand their realm more. This is the second most fruitious stage as numerous entities with many benefits will be spawned.
Of course, the results of the established Alcazar will resulted varied benefits depending on what the cultivation law that the cultivator took.
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> Nascent World [7]
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> Soul Infusion [8]
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> Myriad World [9]
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After the Myriad World stage, a mana cultivator can commence the process of ascension.
The stages after the ascension will not be revealed until the story reaches a phase where they meet the higher realm.
---------| Basic Knowledge |
> Mana Cultivation
The act of using mana to nourish the Athenaeum/Miniatures Realm located inside their bodily vessel, to reach a certain height. The term of this act might be called 'cultivation' but the doer might be deemed as an Usurper.
By utilizing the tentacles of soul or the extension of consciousness called the 'Consciousness Strings', they could commence a mana conversion to start their journey into the great usurpation.
Although, it will take years for a newbie to train their consciousness to even be able to perceive Raw Mana.
There are insurmountable paths that can be taken with their own benefits and demerits. An already founded path is called a Cultivation Law or Cultivation Method.
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> Mana
A byproduct of fusion-like energy created by the union of metaphysical strings hidden within space at a certain frequency.
These strings are called Raw Mana as they haven't been converted yet.
By connecting three or more raw mana into a certain shape, the energy density and emissions will be affected. A complex shape will lead to unstable mana that couldn't be absorbed, too simple will give a minimum amount of mana.
Mana is extremely small at atomic level, but they will turn into a liquid form when entering a cultivator's 'Miniature Realm'.
Only a marked mana could be utilized, the process of mana marking comes with the absorption itself.
An inanimate object could also naturally convert mana overtime. Especially an old ore in the area with dense raw mana fluctuation, this led to the natural existence of Mana Crystal.
A naturally converted mana is unmarked and is in its most stable state, allowing flexible use of a container or even a fuel for magic formation and spell immediately without needing to enter the depository realm.
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> Elemental Essences
Essences of elements that can be extracted from nature or anything that exist in this universe.
A fundamental resource for developing a miniature realm as it will give the corresponding nature aspect to make their mini world to be more earth-like or anything that exists outside.
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> Athenaeum / Miniature Realm / Mana Sea
A seed of a universe that will be generated when a physical vessel is anchored by a consciousness, or in a specific term, soul.
Every miniature realm starts with a vast barren land with no life. There is something replicating a 'Sun' inside to create an eternal hot and scorching daytime. It's static but there will be a day and night cycle if it's developed enough.
Every living being has a miniature realm inside them, even a sentient rock, as it comes with the sentience of consciousness itself.
This realm also serves as a marker, if a mana is absorbed then it will be ingrained by the mark of the soul for it to utilize, hence why a mana couldn't be used without the access to the miniature realm.
Usurper at Peak Alcazar Foundation can invade others' miniature realm.
Just like raw mana, only a person with a trained consciousness string is able to perceive their own depository realm.
The radiation that a mana emits will nourish the miniature realm. A large quantity of mana can spawn a life inside such as mystical plants, and mythical beasts.
Of course, the miniature realm must've been developed first with the use of elemental essence before accommodating powerful beasts and plants.
Because Mana became a miracle water inside, every barren ground that made contact with the liquid form of mana will become a rich soil and will immediately grow grass. Surrounding a small plot of land with the mana irrigation could create a mysterious plantation or even something that doesn't exist in the real world.
Multiple types of natural miniature realm are also possible.
