Absolute Mana Dominion: All My Talents Are SSS

Mana

Mana is the supernatural energy that exists throughout the world. It can be found in the atmosphere, the land, living creatures, monsters, and many special materials.

Most people are born unable to properly control it. To become a Mana User, an individual must first awaken their Mana Core, which allows their body to absorb, refine, store, and release Mana.

Mana is the foundation of every supernatural ability in the world, but possessing more Mana does not automatically make someone stronger. How well that Mana can be used is just as important as how much of it someone possesses.

Mana Core and Awakening

The Mana Core is the main source of power for a Mana User. It is an energy organ formed inside the body and does not replace the heart.

Its main functions are to absorb Mana from the surroundings, refine that Mana into a form the individual can use, and store it until it is needed. As the Core develops, its capacity, purity, recovery speed, maximum output, and ability to withstand pressure all increase.

Not everyone awakens at the same age. Depending on an individual’s natural talent, race, bloodline, and other factors, a Mana Core may awaken unusually early or considerably later than normal. There are also people who never awaken a Mana Core at all.

A successful Awakening occurs when someone becomes capable of sensing Mana, absorbing it, condensing it inside themselves, and forming the first stable Star within their Core.

Once this happens, they officially become a One-Star Mana User.

The Ten Stars

The primary measurement of a Mana User’s raw power is the number of Stars within their Mana Core.

There are ten known stages:

One-Star → Two-Star → Three-Star → Four-Star → Five-Star → Six-Star → Seven-Star → Eight-Star → Nine-Star → Ten-Star

Every new Star represents a major improvement to the Mana Core. Its Mana capacity increases, the quality of its Mana improves, recovery becomes faster, and the user becomes capable of releasing and enduring far greater amounts of energy.

Star Rank measures raw magical power and Core development, not fighting ability.

Because of that, differences in rank are not absolute. A difference of one Star can be overcome through superior control, experience, abilities, equipment, preparation, or favorable circumstances.

The System

The System does not exist separately from the Mana Core. When an individual successfully awakens, the System manifests alongside their new power and allows them to understand certain fundamental aspects of themselves.

Through the System, a Mana User can see information such as their Star Rank, Path, Talents, Affinities when applicable, Skills, Physique, and other supernatural characteristics they possess.

The System does not make someone powerful by itself. It reveals and organizes the abilities that already belong to that individual and develops alongside them as they grow stronger.

Paths

A Path can be understood as something similar to a class in a game.

When someone awakens, the System determines their Path based heavily on their bloodline and heritage. The abilities and Paths possessed by their parents and ancestors can greatly influence what eventually awakens in their descendants.

A Path determines the general way an individual interacts with Mana and the type of abilities they are naturally built to use. Different Paths can therefore produce completely different fighters even when two people possess Mana Cores of the same Star Rank.

Talents

When a Path awakens, an individual can also receive one or more Talents related to it.

Talents are innate abilities or advantages granted through someone’s Path. They can dramatically affect how easily someone learns, grows, fights, or uses particular forms of power.

Talents are classified from lowest to highest as:

F → E → D → C → B → A → S → SS → SSS

The higher the rank, the rarer and more exceptional the Talent becomes. Low-ranking Talents are relatively common among awakened individuals, while S, SS, and especially SSS Talents are extraordinarily rare.

Talents can be one of the greatest differences between two people who otherwise possess similar Mana Cores and Paths. Two Three-Star Mana Users may have the same amount of raw power while possessing completely different levels of combat potential because of their Talents.

Physiques

A Physique is a special characteristic of someone’s body.

Race plays an important role in determining a person’s natural physical traits, but certain individuals can awaken unique Physiques that go far beyond what is normal for their species.

A Physique may provide advantages such as greater physical strength, durability, Mana capacity, recovery, resistance to certain powers, superior senses, or compatibility with particular abilities.

Some Physiques are inherited through bloodlines, while others may appear extremely rarely within an individual. Because of this, two people of the same race and even the same family can possess very different bodies and capabilities.

Physiques are especially important because they can directly influence how much power someone’s body can safely handle.

Affinities

Affinities apply primarily to Mages and determine which forms of elemental Mana they can naturally control.

There are several primary ones, each divided into Aspects; for example, Aqua would be the affinity, and the aspects of Aqua could be Water, Ice, and more.

Skills and Spells

Abilities recognized by the System appear as Skills.

Skills can include spells, combat abilities, specialized techniques, passive abilities, or powers granted through Paths and Talents. Different Skills operate differently depending on their origin, but the System provides a simple way for the user to recognize and track them.

For Mages, spells are also classified by Stars. Under normal circumstances, a Mage needs a sufficiently developed Mana Core to provide the Mana necessary to use a spell of that level.

For example:

[Frost Bolt — One-Star]

[Eternal Winter — Seven-Star]

Skills can also develop in proficiency as someone becomes more experienced with them:

Novice → Practised → Refined → Sovereign

Items and Inventory

The System also provides awakened individuals with a form of personal Inventory.

Compatible Items can be stored within the System rather than physically carried at all times. The owner can summon an Item when needed and return it to their Inventory afterward.

Items are classified using the same general rarity scale as Talents:

F → E → D → C → B → A → S → SS → SSS

However, storing an Item does not mean it can be summoned without cost.

Materializing an Item requires Mana, and keeping certain Items manifested can continue consuming Mana. The higher the Item’s rank and power, the greater the burden placed on its owner.

Rank also affects summoning speed. A simple low-ranking Item may materialize almost instantly, while particularly powerful Items can require several seconds to fully appear.

Those seconds can matter enormously during combat.