2. A global "spiritual tide" erupts as rifts to another world tear open from the planet's core, and the old civilization collapses overnight. Among the human survivors, a select few awaken "Martial Aspects," tangible cores of combat power divided into Beast, Weapon, Elemental, and Conceptual Martial Aspects, the last of which are exceedingly rare.
Martial ranks: Copper Skin → Iron Bones → Blood Tempering → Gang Condensation → Skywalking → Mountain Shattering → Mountain Moving → Sea Shaking → Star Plucking.
Monsters evolve by devouring humans. Humans can break through by killing monsters and obtaining "spirit cores," but absorbing a core means witnessing fragments of the monster's memories from when it was alive and enduring its pain and fear.
