Ajal: Woven Through the Realms

Ajal crossed his arms as Aurielle's golden diagrams continued to unfold before him. His glowing core pulsed with curiosity, the Fractal Heartflow technique slowly integrating with his very breath.

"Alright, break it down for me. What's a Soul Halo, really?"

"A Soul Halo is a personal realm of spiritual architecture," Aurielle explained. "It manifests during resonance, allowing a cultivator to process their path's essence. Think of it as both forge and temple—a mental battlefield, a sanctuary, and a resonance engine."

"Only once a cultivator successfully constructs their first Soul Halo can they evolve beyond Level 99."

Ajal nodded slowly. "So the Halo isn't just spiritual fluff—it's critical to leveling."

"Precisely. The design of a Halo reflects the cultivator's Path Archetype. A Warlord's might burn like a battlefield. A Scholar's may resemble a cosmic library. Yours, as Vyrinthian… will be ever-shifting, ever-growing." Aurielle said before continuing.

"Before you ask, I will explain the power system a little more in depth." 

Level 1–99 – The Novice

-Abilities: Basic elemental control, bodily enhancements, rudimentary skills.

-Feats: Can lift boulders, sprint at horse-speed, conjure basic flame or healing.

-Combat Impact: Equivalent to trained soldiers or minor adventurers.

-Soul Halo: Unformed.

Level 100–299 – The Pathwalkers

-Abilities: Minor reality influence. Telekinesis, partial elemental fusion, regenerative capabilities.

-Feats: Level 150 can incinerate buildings. Level 200 can freeze lakes with thought.

-Soul Halo: Stable. Resonance begins refining instincts into raw might.

-Combat Impact: One Pathwalker could annihilate a battalion or flatten a fortress.

Level 300–499 – The Ascendant Class

-Abilities: Gravity manipulation, battlefield terraforming, time dilation within limits.

-Feats: Level 350 cultivators can walk on air, shatter mountains with strikes.

-Soul Halo: Layered. Multiple harmonics. Host to Spirit Constructs and Personal Daemons.

-Combat Impact: Level 400s can solo cities. Level 499s are considered demigods.

Level 500 – The Threshold

-Abilities: Cosmic resonance. Law interpretation. Limited conceptual creation.

-Feats: Can defy natural death, bend destiny, or obliterate continents.

-Soul Halo: Fractal or Divine. Begins transitioning into Abstract Sovereignty.

-Combat Impact: One such being could rival an entire world faction.

"But you, Ajal," Aurielle whispered like the promise of prophecy, "were not born to follow these tiers. You were born to rewrite them."

"Your Soul Halo will not be a sanctuary. It will be a storm."

Ajal's eyes shimmered with violet glow, his scaled chest rising and falling as he felt the truth settle into his bones.

"Then let's see what happens when the storm wakes up." 

As he said this the screens and prompts disappeared. 

"So, what should I do next... any suggestions?" He asked Aurielle.

"Actually, yes sit down cross legged and form your soul halo." She responded.

Ajal sat cross-legged in the heart of the crystal cavern. The ambient energy of the Forbidden Expanse stirred faintly around him, like whispers caught in sunlight. Deep within, the Fractal Heartflow pulsed steadily—each breath stronger than the last. 

Once he sat down, he spoke with a raised brow.

 "Didn't you say most people can't form one until Level 100? I just rolled out of a damn egg."

"Fufufu~ Well, you are correct. But you are a Vyrinthian. Your body and spirit are designed to break thresholds. Your Soul Halo will be the first anomaly Asyranth must learn to fear." Aurielle spoke to him as she continued. 

The air around him dimmed. Reality bent slightly—like a mirror warping at the edges.

"You may form your Soul Halo now because your soul has already aligned to an Archetype—Evolution Unbound. It is not a Path chosen by thought, but by nature. Your very existence compels growth."

Ajal felt something inside him stir. A center not of flesh, but of purpose.

"Alright," he murmured. "How do I start?"

"Let your soul express itself."

He closed his eyes. His breath slowed. The cavern's silence deepened.

Then came the storm.

BOOM!

A pulse exploded from his chest—silent, radiant, fractal. Spiraling golden and violet lines etched themselves in the air, creating a vast ring of energy behind him, like a celestial wheel forged of galaxies and roots.

CRACK-KSHHH!

The ground beneath him trembled, fracturing slightly under the sudden pressure.

It wasn't a circle. It was a spiral. Layered, recursive, each fold reflecting back an idea of who Ajal might become.

"Your Soul Halo is born," Aurielle whispered. "A Fractal Halo. The first of its kind. It will grow with you. Shift with your sins, your dreams, your conquests."

The air crackled—zzt-zzt-zzt—like lightning trying to form.

He opened his eyes. They glowed—one eye swirling with starlight, the other like black flame.

He stood. His tail flicked once—swish—wings stretching wide and casting long shadows across the cavern wall.

"Alright then. No more hiding in an egg." He spoke then he stood up.

--

CRUNCH!

Ajal stepped across shattered crystals as he emerged from the cavern into the untamed jungle canopies of the Forbidden Expanse. The sky was mottled violet, pierced by twin suns. Giant trees loomed in all directions, their roots as thick as towers.

"Your immediate goal is to raise your level through practical training and field resonance. The Expanse is riddled with beasts, remnants of fallen cultivators, and hidden ruins. Perfect for Sublimation."

Ajal stretched—crack, crack—rolling his shoulders. "You're telling me I get to punch monsters, loot ancient tombs, and get stronger?"

"Correct."

He grinned. "God, I love fantasy worlds."

"Additionally, rumors suggest a shattered ruin lies 6 miles north—possibly a Vaultbreaker ruin or an abandoned minor sect. Investigating may yield treasures… or challenges." Aurielle's voice sounded in his mind. 

Ajal nodded. "Sounds like an XP farm waiting to happen."

He took one last look back at the crystal womb that birthed him. A final pop of residual energy echoed behind him.

"Guess this is the part where I start grinding."

---

The next two days passed in primal rhythm. Ajal trained relentlessly, adapting his Vyrinthian body through sheer instinct and observation.

WHAM!

A tail swipe split a boulder in half.

FWOOOSH!

A flap of his wings knocked down two trees.

SHTK-SHTK!

His claws slashed through hardened bark like paper.

He hunted lesser beasts, not just for combat—but to resonate with the instincts they carried. Each kill brought a soft ding in his mind—resonance increasing, the Soul Halo pulsing brighter.

After every battle, he would sit—and meditate, feeding his Halo. Faint symbols flickered at its edge—memories of strikes, echoes of victories.

"Your Sublimation is nearing," Aurielle noted. "One or two more field kills and your resonance will be sufficient for Level 2."

"Good," Ajal muttered. "I can feel my body getting hungrier for it."

He paused.

"…Speaking of hunger," he added with a sly grin, "is this world completely monsters and ruins? Or am I gonna run into people soon?"

"Humans, fae, beastkin, draconic hybrids—yes. Civilization exists. Some clans and minor sects use the edges of the Expanse for trials. You will meet others soon."

"And the women?" Ajal asked as he remembered all the fantasy race from the novels he read.

"Many are beautiful. Some are dangerous. Some are both." Aurielle said.

Ajal chuckled. "Noted. Just making sure I don't train into becoming a hermit."

"You were not born to hide. You were born to be seen."

He looked north, toward the ruined structure barely visible on the horizon. Wind rustled through the trees—shhhhhh—like the jungle itself whispered of the fate awaiting him.

"Then let's make sure they remember my name."