The World of Ruin and the Hellspawn Disease

[This chapter serves as a stellar well of knowledge related to the world of the novel. Some of the information here are gradually released in the later chapters and it may contain some spoilers.]

✡ The World of Ruin

This is the term used to refer the areas of the world outside human settlements. The world almost ended two decades ago, thus, giving birth to a ruined world full of hellspawns.

✡ Hellspawns

Monsters that have mutated from the corpses of those who have died after getting infected by the hellspawn disease, making their souls fall into corruption. Hellspawn have their own categories in contrast with the aspirants:

 • Grunt

 • Champion

 • Elite

 • Elder

 • Defiled Emissary

 • Archfiend

 • Voidwalker

 • Primordial

✡ Hellspawn Disease

An apocalyptic illness that had affected many humans, draining their life force, slowly driving them mad, until they succumb to the illness and die. A human who dies while carrying the disease turns into a hellspawn.

✡Aspirants

People who challenges the labyrinth of trials. There are three stages in becoming a true aspirant:

 • Rookie Aspirant

 • Awakened Aspirant

 • True Aspirant

✡ True Aspirants

People who have conquered a trial and formed a hybrid core into ascension. There are eight stages to ascension:

 • Novice

 • Adept

 • Sage

 • Oracle

 • Valkyrie

 • Archangel

 • Divine Guardian

 • Supreme Deity

✡Corruption

A mystical event that corrupts the soul of a human or aspirants, turning them into a hellspawn with a hybrid core, even without being infected by the hellspawn disease.

✡ Labyrinth of Trials

A mysterious labyrinth that can be entered through a portal that has spawned in specific areas. Every year, it sends people into trials that differ from the previous ones. By conquering the trials, one can awaken their soul tree system into a hybrid rank.

✡ Soul Tree System

A spiritual system that allows the humans to awaken their innate abilities and become powerful enough to slay hellspawns. The soul tree system allows the humans to rank up and form soul cores, making them stronger than a normal person. An reversed system is bestowed to those who succumbed to corruption.

✡ Sealed Fortress

Human settlements reinforced with a magical system that protects them from the outside world and from the hellspawns. There are only few existing ones left in the world.

✡ Hybrid Core

A more potent version of human's soul core in which their soul orbs are infused with the essence of divinity. Hellspawn cores are infused with the essence of corruption instead.

✡ Innate Ability

An ability that all humans have. It has existed since the day they were born but can only be awakened through certain methods or through overcoming the trials in the labyrinth.

✡ Title

A brand or mark that is carved deep in the soul of a human that tells them what they have become. Some titles are beneficial while some are just horrible handicaps.

✡ Skills

The abilities a human or a hellspawn can use. Skills are classified into passive or active.

✡ Soul Orbs

The soul cores of a human or a hellspawn. All creatures can form up to eight cores.

✡ Mana essence

Sometimes called as simply 'mana'. It is the magical essence flowing into a person's soul that allows them to strengthen their body and spiritual power beyond a normal human's capability, and allows them to use their active skills by spending mana.

✡ Ascension

A method that allows them to rank up and get closer to divinity while hellspawns fall deeper into corruption.