Chapter 1: Chapter 1
1. Ranks and Prospect Ranks
Ranks: F → E → D → C → B → A → S → SS → SSS
Prospect Rank: Determines the ceiling a person can reach.
Example: An E-rank prospect cannot advance past E, but an SSS prospect can reach the top.
Everyone starts at F rank physically, but their prospect rank is innate.
A hunter is one or the other, not both.
3. Advancement Requirements
To advance to the next rank (if your prospect allows):
1. Fill your core with energy – obtained by defeating mana beasts or demons.
Energy sources have ranks corresponding to hunter ranks (F–SSS).
Mana Beasts: Lower species of demon, provide standard energy.
Demons: Much stronger, higher energy yield, ranked as:
Grand Duke → SS (Entry)
Demon King → SS (peak nearly SSS)
Energy points example: An E-rank mana beast = 10 points, E-rank demon = 25 points.
2. Mastery Threshold – Combines energy and skill mastery points.
F-rank: Might need 20 energy + 40 skill mastery
E-rank: Might need 100 + 200
Accumulating mastery depends on how well you exploit your skills rather than quantity alone.
Spells: Tiered from Tier 9 → Tier 1
F-rank / 1-circle mage = Tier 9 only
SS-rank / 8-circle mage = Tier 2 and below
SSS-rank / 9-circle mage = All Tiers
Advancement does not change Tier availability; you refine efficiency or elemental resonance.
Can focus on one spell and master it deeply, or learn multiple superficially.
Mastery required for advancement can come from any combination of spell learning + mana control.
Special Magic Creation:
Starts at C-rank / 4-circle
One unique spell per rank
Recommended 1–2 elements for focused mastery.
Each element adds spells per rank; older spells need to be upgraded each rank.
Arts: Sword-based, elemental-infused techniques.
F = 1-star → SSS = 9-star
So for both mage and knight:
F = 1-star = 1-circle
Stage & Art Rank System:
1. Apprentice: Stage 1–3 → Usable by lower-rank hunters
2. Master: Stage 4–6 → Usable by C–A rank, some lucky D-rank
3. Supreme: Stage 7–9 → Usable by high-rank hunters
Note: A C-rank or 4-star knight who has mastered Stage 4 of their arts can make a singular branch art or ultimate technique. This can be done each rank with their new mastery while still carrying over the old branched art.
Arts transfer directly to the brain; only accessible stages per rank.
You can learn many, but focus + depth > breadth for strength.
Each art also has elemental integration.
Stage 1 sword art is the same as a Tier 9 spell in terms of scale.
Stage 9 sword art is the same as a Tier 1 spell.
6. Mastery & Efficiency Rules
Energy + Skill Mastery = Advancement ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel-fire.net
Focused training on few skills → stronger output per skill
Surface-level training on many skills → less efficiency, only sufficient to advance
Example: Learning 20 surface-level spells vs. mastering 2 → the masterful 2 will be far stronger in practice.
7. Artifacts, Runes, and Gears
Ancient gears or products made from ancient demons and races
Extremely rare, with different uses
Provide powers that can temporarily close the gap, either through a strong push to the next rank or a single high-ranking spell
An ancient form of magic and arts that are difficult to obtain
Runes follow commands: you say something you want, and give the world something in exchange
Runes can let a 3-circle mage cast a 4-circle mage spell
Some might make someone survive high-rank spells or provide ancient knowledge
Hard to find, and even if found, you need to understand the language to use them
Modern versions of artifacts, made from corpses of mana beasts or demons
Another way to close the strength gap
Even high-ranking ones can only close it by one or two ranks for low-ranked hunters
None for high-rankers, since the highest-ranked demon to be killed was a Duke and for mana beasts one SS rank, which almost destroyed the world
An E-rank prospect wielding a sword made from an SS-rank mana beast can bring out power close to a C-rank. Using it to reach A-rank could be fatal.
If the same person also uses a Duke’s corpse to make armor, they could block B-ranked attacks, maybe even A-ranked, but not much beyond.