All life forms in the Adept universe are classified into 0-9 grades and every level up is equivalent to evolution.
The only species capable of evolution through this methodology are those who have developed sufficiently in body, mind, energy body, and soul body. Other than those, other lifeforms must develop through repeated life and death cycles.
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Concept Benders:
Making use of concepts is the path of the Adepts. How they use and what they use those concepts for is totally dependent upon the user.
High Grade Lifeforms are capable of bending concepts, regardless of their nature, while lower Grade Lifeforms can use the solid energy structures of those concepts.
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Nature of Concepts:
To start a Fire. You might use wood, some oil and a spark. Anyhow, it's a more effective method compared to those trying to learn what fire is. If you start a fire in front of these people who are just starting out on their journey, they might call you the god of fire.
Essentially, what you have done is refine a concept, which is how fire is made, based on your knowledge of the materials. But something could do all of that without putting you through all this hassle, just with the flick of a finger, fire! We are talking about a lighter here! See how much a concept is refined by now!
Similarly, apprentices study diagrams observed in nature and make use of them.
See, how we are moving from gross to subtle! From wood fires to using a few lines to make a rune that can start a fire! Here we successfully eliminated the use of wood but the fire still needs energy and here, the apprentice provides the energy.
NOW! The apprentice wonders, how magnificent would it be if he could start a fire and it never dies down? Hmm, not a terrible idea but the fire must become independent of its nature. It should no longer be a byproduct of wood becoming ashes for it to exist!
Eventually, heat and light will merge into something more magnificent, fire! Something inextinguishable! There will be no fire until there is heat and light!
But then the apprentice laments, how does he get so much heat and light? Control! Control the heat and light from all around and concentrate them into a singularity! The apprentice becomes ecstatic... but it's not the end...
Imagine if one had supreme control and could unleash every bit of energy in a matter! Where is the end? Nuclear fusion? Nuclear fission? Then why not use that energy to create something more magnificent? When you have control, why not harness it?
So, power is control? Maybe? Yet if you do not know how to do so, knowledge is the power to do so! And what does an adept do? Acquire knowledge, learn to control the element of concept, and create something magnificent!
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Limitations of lifeforms
While a lifeform cannot exceed nature's physical limitations, harnessing its energy is a surefire way to proceed. Even so, the amount of energy a lifeform can store is limited, so refining their control becomes their goal. How much time they spend on their control is all there for all to see.
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[Grade-0] : Apprentice Grade
The apprentices must work on their bodies, minds, or energy bodies, as the soul body would advance anyway over time.
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[Grade-1] : Body Adept
Body, Mind, and Energy Body are at their peak, and an apprentice leaps into the void of the unknown. Even though he doesn't know what he is doing, the void of the unknown provides an opportunity, a chance to refine his control of his energies.
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[Grade-2] : Mind Adept
Refining control over energies.
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[Grade-3] : Energy Adept
Refining control over energies.
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[Grade-4] : Solar Adept
His energies have reached their peak, and he is now a sun of energy. However, the Adept sees that there is more to it, so he becomes the energy itself.
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[Grade-5] : Void Adept
The world can no longer contain the adept and his energies, and so, the adept starts residing in the void of space. An adept gains full freedom here. The adept increases the amount of energy inside him and his ability to control it.
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[Grade-6] : Singularity
The adept no longer remains an adept. The Adept realises the futility of increasing his energies and gaining control over them. This is a never-ending process. Turning to the origin, the Adept becomes the Void.
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[Grade-7] : Eternal
The body no longer poses a problem, and the mind becomes the ultimate tool of control. The fact that it can turn into energy means it's no longer suppressed by natural ramifications.
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[Grade-8] : One
Become one with what you call yours.
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[Grade-9]: None
Exist in the existenceless.
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