Chapter 2

It was the year 2443, exactly 200 years after the emergence from the shelter. The Humanity Alliance worked together to form three cities, responsible for various different tasks. There was Aerren's Gap, the city responsible for mining ores and minerals from the mountains peeks encompassing the city. It had become a major trading hub, as well as the home of many blacksmiths and merchants hoping to form a monopoly on the supply of iron. The city while high up on the mountains was surrounded by large stonewalls, with guards posted 24/7.

The second city was known as Gale's Coast, it had one side facing a forest to the north-west, while to the west and south-west there was open land with many farms. Finally on the east side of the city was the large and boundless ocean. The city constructed many ships, to be sold to various merchants, hoping to try their luck at sea where the danger was great and the reward was greater. The city was surrounded by wooden walls and was responsible for supplying the vast majority of food to the other cities. Thanks to the evolution of the animals that came in contact with mana, as well as the crops, the supply of food was no longer as worrisome with their increased growth size and speed. While the sea monsters hunted by various sailors was a commodity rich in mana helpful in the growth of a mage, it was a dangerous journey venturing into the ocean which often ended in death. But, for the lucky few who could catch even the smallest of fish, it meant being set for life to live comfortably without work.

Finally, there was the city named after its predecessor, responsible for shaping the world, as it is now know, Andross. Andross was the major capital responsible for training units and children alike. It held two separate competing universities, which both focused on magic and hand to hand combat. Guns were still available but had grown much more expensive, as they required special ammunition and the gun itself to be inscribed in runes, capable of handling the extra output required to kill a monster. A Hunters Guild had been formed in the city, which handled assignment of quests and rewards, for hunting various beasts and collecting herbs. Lastly, Andross housed the only known research facility of this time; it was responsible for researching different runes, creating weapons, and designing defensive structures; capable of blocking the hordes of beasts that charged at the cities.

In all three of these cities people were forced to get stronger, or be left behind and killed by the beasts. Magic was a great weapon but, it took time to cast and people had to rely on their bodies to take a hit or two. People began cultivating by bringing the mana from the air and circulating it through their bodies; which in turn made them stronger physically. Many professions popped up which became an integral part of society; such as, Potion-Makers, Blacksmiths, Runesmiths, and Beast-Catchers.

Beast catching was one of the most dangerous and important jobs needed today. Humanity, throughout history, has relied on our ingenuity and knowledge to not only survive, but also to prosper. Thanks to these traits, people were able to form contracts with the souls of beasts, in a mutual agreement to protect one another. If for any reason the contract was broken by either party, both individuals involved would suffer huge backlash on their soul, which would take years to heal. But of coarse these contracts had limits; and for each cultivation rank, most people could only form a contract with two beasts. Cultivation ranks started at the lowest, F rank and was divided into five stars, following this came D rank, C rank, B rank, A rank, and finally the elusive S rank. A five star D rank was equal in power to a 1 star C rank, and while you didn't have to be at 5 stars to promote to the next rank it was a better idea as it ensures you have a strong foundation. Finally, while most people can control magic, individuals are stuck with a specific magic affinity. For instance, someone capable of controlling fire is equally likely to control earth or air, while it is extremely rare to control the opposite affinity being water.

If an F rank 5 star mage with a natural affinity of air begins cultivating in water or fire, they will break through to a D rank 2 star once they grasp control of either element. Then through the combination of both elements, can form stronger spells, such as the combination of air and fire… lightning. Promoting to the C rank is relatively common as with everyone's natural affinity towards one element they can successfully grasp two other elements in relation to the first. But, beyond that point they have 3 options. The first is to successfully learn the finally element which is the opposite of your natural affinity which can be extremely time consuming and nearly impossible. Second, you can grasp the elements formed through the combination of two, such as lighting and form it individually without the need for combining two elements. Finally, you can learn a sub element such as life, death, dark, and light, which is often, considered the most difficult. Leaving most people to follow the second path, often considered the weakest. While it leads to faster spell times due to skipping the mixture of two elements it only provides a small boost to an individuals magic output.