The difference between an intermediate-ranked and an advanced-ranked might not seem huge.
But it was.
Especially if someone like Azriel, lacking the experience, had to fight against a monster like Benson—someone who had remained at that rank for nearly his entire life.
Each mana core level, except for the dormant one, unlocked something unique, the same for everyone.
Once a human became Awakened, they unlocked their affinities—like Azriel, who had the rare dual affinities of ice and lightning.
But when someone reached the intermediate rank, the game changed.
They unlocked what was called [Soul Veins], a term self-coined by humans.
Strangely, it was as if the status screen every human relied on skipped the part where [Soul Veins] were mentioned—nobody knew why.