Before the Crimson Rifts tore open the sky, the world was arrogant.
Kingdoms warred over borders they would soon lose. Cultivators boasted of reaching heights never before seen, their names etched into history books now burned to ash. Cities gleamed with jade towers and golden gates, each believing themselves eternal.
Then the sky bled.
It wasn't sudden—not at first. A single tear appeared high above the Sacred Peaks, a scar of deep crimson against the clouds. Scholars called it a celestial phenomenon. Priests called it a divine warning. None were prepared when it widened... and things began to come through.
Not spirits. Not beasts. Things—twisted, hungry, and wrong. Flesh that reshaped itself. Eyes where there should be none. Blood that burned, rotted, or cried.
They called them Monsters because the human tongue had no better word.
The world fractured. Kingdoms fell. Cultivation techniques failed. Spirit stones dimmed. Entire sects were devoured overnight.
And from the largest Rift—known now only as the Crimson Gate—the worst of them came. Those who could speak. Those who remembered things no human ever should. The Crowned, cloaked in ruin and ancient hunger.
In this new age, survival became the greatest cultivation.
Humans now train to fight—not to ascend to immortality, but to live one more day. The path is harsh, the system reborn from shattered beliefs. They begin as Veinkindled, those who awaken their inner strength. They climb through the ranks: Bloodmarked, Soulbound, Spiritforged, and the rare, distant peak—Celestial Ascendant.
But one path remains unwritten.
Among the survivors, one will rise who does not walk the path of mortals nor monsters.
A boy, left behind.
A soul, twisted by grief and stitched together with vengeance.
A body, forged by blood.
They will call him many things—abomination, weapon, heretic. But they will all remember his name.
Shen Riven.
And as the Rifts widen and the old world crumbles, his legend will begin—not in glory, but in blood.
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Crimson World Monster Classification
1. Ferals
> "Blood without mind."
Basic monsters born from raw Crimson energy. They act purely on instinct. Often malformed or animalistic. Encountered in early Rifts or outer zones. Weak individually, deadly in numbers.
Examples: Bonegnashers, Crimson Hounds, Leechwings
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2. Thralls
> "Corrupted echoes of the world that was."
Former humans or beasts twisted by Rift exposure. They retain vague behaviors of their past selves, making them unpredictable. Smarter than Ferals, often able to ambush or adapt in battle.
Examples: Rift-Gorged Soldiers, Hollowborn Monks
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3. Aberrants
> "Anomalies that should not exist."
Monsters that defy natural biology. Aberrants mutate rapidly, possess unique abilities, and each one is different. Many are considered "named threats" by shelters. Encountering one without preparation is often fatal.
Examples: Bloodglass Widow, Flesh Lantern, Screaming Root
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4. Crowned
> "The rulers of crimson domains."
Intelligent, humanoid monsters capable of speech, command, and strategy. Each has a domain of influence—be it a Rift zone or a horde of lesser creatures. They often wield energy akin to human cultivators, but twisted.
Examples: Lord Gorran the Hollow Tongue, Veilshade Empress
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5. Elders
> "Whispers made flesh. Gods to monsters."
Rarely seen, often worshipped by lesser beings. The Elders are ancient creatures of immense size and unknowable power, likely originating deep within the Crimson World. Their presence alone distorts reality.
Status: Mythic. Encountering one usually signals regional annihilation.
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6. The Firstborn (Hidden Tier)
> "The origin of the corruption. Beyond understanding."
Unknown if they exist. Some say even the Elders fear them.
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Human Cultivation Path (Post-Collapse Era)
Name: The Path of Mortal Defiance
1. Veinkindled
> "When the body stirs and the blood remembers."
The initial awakening. A person kindles their inner power, opening their first vein and beginning their journey. Physical abilities are enhanced, but power is unstable.
Common Traits: Increased strength/speed, body heat regulation, first Qi control.
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2. Bloodmarked
> "Where power stains the blood—and cannot be washed away."
The cultivator's veins and meridians adapt to blood-energy flow. The user can now safely manifest techniques, sense hostile auras, and refine weapons.
Common Traits: Technique imprinting, minor regeneration, energy perception.
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3. Soulbound
> "When the spirit chains itself to purpose."
The user fuses their consciousness with Qi. Emotions sharpen. Techniques become expressions of will. Mental discipline becomes critical—failure can lead to soul backlash.
Common Traits: Manifested will, limited soul projections, resistance to illusion and corruption.
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4. Spiritforged
> "The body becomes a vessel, the soul the blade."
The cultivator has become a living weapon. Qi flows as naturally as blood. Attacks carry immense spiritual force. Only elite warriors or monsters reach this stage.
Common Traits: Passive aura pressure, spiritual weapon crafting, advanced elemental techniques.
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5. Celestial Ascendant
> "No longer bound to the earth. A spark of divinity in human skin."
The peak. Those who reach this are myths. They can tear rifts, shatter domains, and distort time within small spaces. No one under this stage can fight an Elder-class monster alone.
Common Traits: Reality-defying powers, flight, time/space influence, domain mastery.