Monster Crystal

The Monster Crystal is an artificial power system later introduced among the Devilhumans of Akalán by one of the Gods historically classified as an Evil God.

It was presented as a miraculous method capable of saving the Devilhumans when they were being pushed toward extinction by Human expansion.

In reality, the system was deeply restrictive and ultimately benefited Humans far more than the Devilhumans who received it.

Akalán

Akalán is the planet on which César's current world is located.

It contains multiple continents and an enormous number of races and civilizations.

Like many fantasy worlds, its religions distinguish between so-called Good Gods and Evil Gods.

However, this division is not an objective moral classification.

Good Gods and Evil Gods

Long before the current era, the Gods associated with Akalán competed intensely over Faith.

Akalán was especially valuable because it produced large amounts of highly useful Faith.

Eventually, the Gods divided into two major factions and entered into a divine conflict.

The victorious faction later became associated with the accepted Good Gods.

The defeated faction was branded Evil Gods.

In practice, the distinction was largely determined by victory and defeat.

The Divine War for Faith

Faith is a supernatural resource that Gods can use to increase their power, support their recovery, and maintain divine influence.

Ordinary mortals cannot normally manipulate Faith directly.

The competition for this resource eventually became severe enough to produce a large-scale divine war.

The victorious faction gained the recognized right to spread its worship freely across Akalán.

The Defeated Gods

The defeated Gods lost the recognized right to openly collect Faith on Akalán.

Many were forced away from the world and sought Faith elsewhere.

This history later contributed to the creation of numerous Artificial Worlds.

Many such worlds were created or developed by Gods later labeled as Evil Gods, although this does not mean that every Artificial World was created by one.

Heresy

Defeat did not necessarily stop the exiled Gods from attempting to gather Faith on Akalán.

Some continued doing so in secret.

Because the victorious Gods wished to avoid another direct divine war, the consequences were increasingly directed toward mortal worshippers.

Worship of defeated Gods became classified as heresy.

In many societies, heresy was punishable by death.

The Exception of the False God Method

Although Faith normally belongs to the domain of Gods, at least one mortal eventually discovered a method capable of manipulating accumulated Faith.

This became the basis of the lost False God method.

The existence of this method represents an unusual exception to the normal separation between mortals and divine Faith.

The Continental Barriers

In the current era, the continents of Akalán remain separated by enormous barriers created through divine intervention.

Most civilizations originally believed these barriers represented the end of the world rather than divisions between continents.

The barriers will not remain an absolute obstacle forever.

Human Discovery of Other Continents

On the continent of Muxuu, Humans coexist with the people known as Bararos.

Through forms of divine guidance, Humans gradually began discovering that additional lands existed beyond their known world.

With each successful expansion, Human civilization gained new resources, knowledge, territory, and power.

Human Expansion

Human expansion became progressively easier as their strength increased.

Newly conquered territories provided additional resources that could then be used to support further expansion.

This created a cycle in which each successful conquest made the next one easier.

Divine Favor Toward Humans

One of the major reasons Humans benefited so heavily from divine attention was the quality of their Faith.

Human Faith is unusually pure and valuable.

This made Humans especially desirable followers from the perspective of many Gods.

As a result, both Gods considered benevolent and Gods considered malevolent could find reasons to favor Human growth.

Stronger Humans, Better Faith

The strength and development of Human civilization also influenced the value of the Faith it produced.

As Humans became more powerful, prosperous, and numerous, the benefits they offered to Gods through worship increased.

This created another incentive for divine forces to support Human expansion.

The Future Invasion of Halvmen

At some point in the future, Humans will eventually reach Halvmen.

This continent is home to numerous Devilhuman races.

In César's current era, the Human invasion has not yet occurred.

Devilhuman Mana Before the Monster Crystal

Before the introduction of the Monster Crystal, Devilhumans possess ordinary natural Mana biology.

Their bodies are not inherently restricted from using the traditional Mana cultivation system.

The greatest problem is knowledge.

Primitive Mana Use

Most Devilhumans of ancient Halvmen do not formally cultivate a Mana Core.

Instead, Mana accumulates naturally within their bodies as they grow.

They primarily depend on:

• Racial Abilities
• Physical strength
• Instinctive Mana use
• Crude bursts of supernatural power

This does not necessarily mean that Devilhumans possess less Mana than Humans.

Some can possess large amounts of raw Mana.

Their weakness lies primarily in efficiency, technique, and organized cultivation.

The Human Advantage

By the time Humans invade Halvmen, their civilization possesses a far more advanced understanding of Mana.

Humans make use of:

• Formal cultivation methods
• Mana Core development
• Combat techniques
• Spells
• Weapons and equipment
• Organized military doctrine

Even when individual Devilhumans possess greater physical strength or larger reserves of raw Mana, Humans can use their power far more efficiently.

Knowledge Over Raw Power

The conflict therefore demonstrates an important difference between raw power and developed power.

Devilhumans may possess enormous natural potential.

Humans possess the knowledge required to transform their Mana into precise, repeatable, and highly efficient techniques.

This difference becomes decisive.

The Fall of the Devilhumans

When Humans eventually enter Halvmen, many Devilhuman populations are unable to compete effectively.

Their primitive methods of Mana use leave them at a severe disadvantage against Human cultivation systems, spells, techniques, and equipment.

The result is a devastating defeat.

Devilhuman populations are pushed toward extinction.

The Exceptions

Not every race within Halvmen is equally ignorant of true Mana cultivation.

The Dark Elves and Lycanthropes possess knowledge of the traditional Mana Core system.

This makes them important exceptions within the continent.

The Arrival of an Evil God

When the Devilhumans are nearing destruction, one of the Gods classified as an Evil God intervenes.

The God presents himself as a savior.

He offers the Devilhumans a new path to power.

That path is the Monster Crystal.

The Monster Crystal System

The Monster Crystal replaces the normal developmental path associated with a traditional Mana Core.

Instead of relying on gradual cultivation and refinement, the Devilhuman develops a solid crystal within the body.

This crystal becomes the foundation of the new power system.

Physical Nature

Unlike a conventional Mana Core, the Monster Crystal is solid.

After the death of its bearer, the crystal can be physically recovered from the body.

In this respect, it resembles the recoverable cores found in certain monsters.

Rapid Growth

The greatest attraction of the Monster Crystal is the speed at which it allows Devilhumans to gain power.

Early growth requires far less effort than traditional cultivation.

During the initial stages, Monster Crystal users can even progress faster than Human cultivators.

To the desperate Devilhumans, the system appears miraculous.

Engraved Knowledge

Monster Crystals contain supernatural engraved knowledge.

This allows their users to obtain combat techniques, spells, or similar abilities without following the full conventional learning process.

Normally, a cultivator may require extensive study, comprehension, practice, and repetition.

A Monster Crystal can bypass much of that process.

A Cultivation Shortcut

The system can therefore be viewed as a shortcut.

A Devilhuman does not necessarily need to spend years studying the theory behind every combat method granted by the crystal.

The required patterns are already contained within it.

This gives Monster Crystal users an enormous immediate advantage.

The Hidden Growth Ceiling

The system contains a severe hidden limitation.

Every Monster Crystal possesses an extremely low natural growth ceiling.

Once the bearer reaches that limit, normal development becomes effectively impossible.

Growth Beyond the Limit

To continue strengthening themselves, Monster Crystal users must obtain and consume additional Monster Crystals.

This transforms the system into a closed cycle.

Advancement beyond the natural limit requires resources produced by other beings trapped within the same system.

A Predatory System

The Monster Crystal system therefore encourages Devilhumans to compete with one another for advancement.

What initially appears to be an easy path to strength gradually becomes a system dependent on the crystals of others.

The path was never designed to provide unlimited growth.

Not an Accidental Flaw

The Monster Crystal's limitations were not merely an unfortunate weakness.

The system was fundamentally restrictive from the beginning.

It allowed rapid initial growth while preventing the Devilhumans from easily developing beyond a predetermined limit.

The Reproductive Transformation

The introduction of the Monster Crystal does not only alter cultivation.

It also produces an enormous biological change among the Devilhumans.

After the system becomes established, female Devilhumans stop being born.

Before the Monster Crystal

In César's current era, this change has not yet happened.

Goblins, Gnolls, Pigmen, and other Devilhuman races still possess their own naturally born females.

Their populations reproduce through their original biology.

After the Monster Crystal

After the transformation, new female Devilhumans cease to appear.

In exchange, male Devilhumans gain reproductive compatibility with females belonging to other species.

This completely changes the relationship between Devilhumans and neighboring races.

Conflict With Other Races

Because their own females disappear, the continued survival of Devilhuman populations becomes increasingly dependent on females from other species.

This contributes heavily to raids, conflict, resentment, and warfare between Devilhumans and surrounding peoples.

Humans become particularly important within this conflict.

Human Women

Human women eventually become especially sought after among many Devilhuman groups.

This dramatically worsens hostility between Humans and Devilhumans.

The conflict becomes both territorial and demographic.

The Human Discovery

The greatest irony of the Monster Crystal system appears later.

Humans eventually discover that Monster Crystals can be refined and used for their own cultivation.

Monster Crystal Pills

Humans develop methods for refining recovered Monster Crystals into pills.

The strength and value of the resulting pill depends heavily on the rank and quality of the original crystal.

Higher-ranked crystals produce significantly more valuable cultivation resources.

Human Power Growth

These pills allow Humans to improve their power using the remains of defeated Monster Crystal users.

The very system supposedly created to help the Devilhumans therefore becomes another resource supporting Human advancement.

Extracting Engraved Knowledge

Humans also discover methods for making use of the knowledge stored within Monster Crystals.

Techniques and spells engraved into the crystal can be acquired or learned without following the full conventional training process.

This allows Human cultivators to bypass lengthy periods of study and practice.

The Ultimate Irony

The Monster Crystal initially allows Devilhumans to catch up to their Human enemies.

Eventually, however, Humans learn to turn those same crystals into cultivation resources.

Every defeated Monster Crystal user can potentially leave behind a valuable resource for the civilization that defeated them.

The Evil God's True Motive

The intervention of the Evil God was never purely an act of compassion.

Like many other Gods, the being had reasons to value Human civilization and the Faith it produced.

Human Faith was simply too valuable to ignore.

A System That Benefits Humans

The Monster Crystal system temporarily prevents the complete destruction of the Devilhumans.

At the same time, it creates a population of enemies carrying recoverable supernatural resources.

Once Humans learn to exploit those resources, their own growth accelerates further.

Faith and Human Strength

Stronger Human civilizations are capable of producing even more valuable Faith.

From the perspective of Gods interested in Human worship, empowering Humans indirectly can therefore be beneficial.

The Monster Crystal becomes part of a cycle in which Devilhuman survival, Human warfare, Human cultivation, and divine Faith become connected.

Why César Is Relieved

César knows from the future history available to him that the Monster Crystal will eventually transform the Devilhumans.

Discovering that the system has not yet appeared is therefore extremely important.

It confirms that he has arrived before the future Human conquest of Halvmen.

César's Early Arrival

The continental barriers are still intact.

Humans have not yet reached Halvmen.

Devilhumans still possess their original biology.

Most importantly for César, the Goblin race has not yet been locked into the Monster Crystal system.

The Traditional Mana Path Remains Open

Because César exists before the introduction of the Monster Crystal, his Goblin body retains the possibility of following the traditional Mana Core cultivation path.

Whether he can successfully cultivate Mana depends on knowledge, talent, and circumstance rather than an artificial racial restriction imposed by the Monster Crystal.

César's Advantage

César understands something most Devilhumans of his era do not.

Their primitive relationship with Mana is not necessarily proof that they are incapable of proper cultivation.

They simply lack the necessary knowledge.

This gives César a major historical advantage.

Asia and Luna

Within Halvmen, the Dark Elves and Lycanthropes retain knowledge related to the traditional Mana cultivation system.

This makes individuals such as Asia and Luna particularly important to César's attempt to understand Mana before the future Monster Crystal era begins.

Timeline

Before and After the Monster Crystal

Known Facts

• Akalán is divided into multiple continents.
• The Good God and Evil God distinction originated from a divine conflict over Faith.
• The victorious Gods controlled accepted worship on Akalán.
• Defeated Gods became known as Evil Gods.
• Some defeated Gods continued collecting Faith despite the prohibition.
• Worship of defeated Gods became heresy.
• Human Faith is unusually pure and valuable.
• Humans receive significant divine favor.
• In César's era, Humans have not yet invaded Halvmen.
• The Monster Crystal does not yet exist in César's current era.
• Devilhumans currently retain their natural Mana potential.
• Most Devilhumans simply lack proper Mana cultivation knowledge.
• Humans later invade Halvmen and gain a major advantage through superior cultivation knowledge and equipment.
• An Evil God later introduces the Monster Crystal system.
• Monster Crystals are solid and recoverable after death.
• They allow extremely rapid early growth.
• They contain engraved combat knowledge.
• They possess an artificially low growth ceiling.
• Further advancement eventually requires other Monster Crystals.
• After their introduction, female Devilhumans stop being born.
• Male Devilhumans gain reproductive compatibility with females of other species.
• Humans eventually refine Monster Crystals into cultivation pills.
• Humans can also exploit techniques and spells contained within the crystals.
• César arrives early enough to avoid the system's racial restrictions.

Major Unknowns

• The exact identity of the Evil God who created the Monster Crystal.
• The exact method used to alter the biology of all affected Devilhumans.
• The full internal structure of a Monster Crystal.
• The precise rules determining which techniques or spells become engraved.
• The exact maximum natural growth of each crystal rank.
• The full process by which additional Monster Crystals are consumed.
• The exact method Humans use to refine Monster Crystal pills.
• The full divine purpose behind every part of the system.

Common Misconceptions

“The Monster Crystal already exists during César's childhood.”

Incorrect.

César lives before the Human invasion of Halvmen and before the introduction of the Monster Crystal.

“Devilhumans are naturally unable to cultivate Mana.”

Incorrect.

Before the Monster Crystal, they retain normal Mana potential. Most simply lack proper cultivation knowledge.

“The Monster Crystal was created because Devilhumans were incapable of using Mana.”

Incorrect.

It was introduced when Devilhumans were losing badly against Human civilization.

“The Monster Crystal is simply a superior Mana Core.”

Incorrect.

It provides faster early growth and engraved knowledge but possesses severe artificial restrictions.

“Monster Crystal users can grow indefinitely through normal training.”

Incorrect.

Their natural growth eventually reaches a low ceiling, after which further advancement requires other Monster Crystals.

“The Evil God genuinely solved the Devilhuman problem.”

Misleading.

The system temporarily strengthens Devilhumans but also traps them within a restrictive cultivation path and later becomes enormously useful to Humans.

“Female Devilhumans were always absent.”

Incorrect.

Female Devilhumans exist naturally in César's current era. Their disappearance is a future consequence of the Monster Crystal system.

“Goblins in César's era already depend on females from other races.”

Incorrect as a biological requirement.

Female Goblins still naturally exist before the Monster Crystal era.

“Good Gods and Evil Gods represent absolute moral categories.”

Incorrect.

The distinction largely reflects the outcome of the ancient divine conflict over Faith.

“Only Good Gods value Human Faith.”

Incorrect.

Human Faith is valuable regardless of the ideological or political label applied to a God.

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