Transcendental skill

Maruna's Crimson Blitz transcendental skill

A transcendental skill is an ability which can be used by gods, suras, and halfs. Human magic borrows part of a transcendental skill. Divine magic uses a transcendental skill of a god, and fiendish magic, when it existed, used a transcendental skill of a sura (a nastika in particular).

Overview

Unlike human magic, which borrows power from another entity, a transcendental skill draws on the user's own power. As a result, transcendental skills have a much higher vigor consumption than human magic.

Pure-bloods and quarters have much less vigor than gods, suras, and halfs, plus pure-bloods have very low transcendental values, so it is normally impossible for them to use transcendental skills. However, there are some notable exceptions:

• Teo Rakan, a quarter, is particularly adept.
• Rao Leez was a rare pure blood capable of using them as well.

Many transcendental skills can be used by both gods and suras, as long as they have the right attributes and a high enough transcendental value. However, some unique transcendental skills are specific to an individual.

Skill requirements

Just as divine magic has six factors that determine how well it is used (birthday attributes, divine affinity, vigor, intelligence, concentration, mastery), transcendental skills have similar requirements.

Unlike magic, transcendental skills do not have a usage limit. They can be used indefinitely as long as there is enough vigor.

Attributes

Main article: Attribute

The transcendental skills available to an individual depend on his or her attributes.

• Birthday attributes: These are based on the time you were born. (pure-bloods and quarters)
• Clan attribute: This is based on your clan. (suras)
• Source attribute: This is not granted, but is a personal attribute. (gods and nastikas)
• Hereditary attributes: These are attributes inherited from parents. (non-nastika suras and halfs).

Many transcendental skills have restrictions on the number of different attributes possessed by the user. For example, a transcendental that requires its user to be of a single given attribute will not be usable by a sura that has two or more different attributes.

Transcendental value

One's transcendental value (초월수치) determines the power and availability of transcendental skills. Transcendental skills have minimum thresholds, so an individual with a transcendental value below this threshold is unable to use that transcendental skill. This is unlike divine magic, where divine affinity determines the spell's power but does not limit its availability.

• Gods and nastikas have fixed transcendental values that were set at the very beginning.
• The transcendental values of non-nastika suras and halfs increase as they grow, so their transcendental skills become stronger and more varied as well.
• 1350 is considered to be a fairly high value for a half. It is rare for halfs to have a transcendental value of over 2000.
• Kasak Rajof has a transcendental value of over 10,000. As a dragon half, he is equivalent to a 5th-stage rakshasa in most aspects, so this may correspond to the transcendental value of a 5th-stage rakshasa.

Vigor

Main article: Vigor

Vigor consumption is higher for transcendental skills than for magic spells.

• Gods and nastikas recover vigor on their own, though the rate varies depending on the surrounding environment, and they recover vigor slower than humans. They do not recover vigor from eating or sleeping.
• 5th-stage rakshasas can also recover vigor on their own, so they do not need to hunt.
• Other suras must eat to recover vigor. Carnivorous diets are more efficient, and they cannot recover vigor from sleeping. However, they don't starve to death. Yuta appears to be an exception to this last rule.
• Halfs recover vigor from eating and sleeping. Carnivorous diets are more efficient. For this reason, we see Agwen Rajof ordering a large amount of meat for her half-dragon father Kasak Rajof, who recovers even more vigor later on by eating suras.
• Humans' vigor are affected by their emotions and state of mind. Leez has demonstrated a form of limitless vigor when she was taken over by another personality that wants to grant her wishes. Side effects for this are currently unknown. Being happy (and embarrassed) are also known to increase human vigor quickly.

Intelligence, concentration, mastery

Unlike for human magic, intelligence, concentration, and mastery have minimal influence on the effectiveness of transcendental skills. Accuracy and delay are fixed, and they do not have daily limits. Instead, their usage is limited only by available vigor. Samphati, for example, could train Maruna non-stop until her vigor was depleted.

Unique transcendental skills

Gods and nastikas have a variety of unique transcendental skills. They were "born" with these skills, which cannot be acquired later in life. These skills cannot be used by others, even by those with the right attributes and sufficient transcendental values. For example, the Fire Assimilation transcendental used by Fire God Agni cannot be copied by nastikas or other gods with the same attribute as Agni. Most rakshasas do not have any unique transcendentals, but there are exceptions such as Maruna with his Crimson Sunshine of Dawn.

Agni, however, has the unique ability to learn fire attribute skills via Sword of Hellfire. It is unknown whether any other gods or suras have a similar ability.

Unique transcendental skills are not necessarily more powerful than general transcendentals, but they are considered special nonetheless. Sagara and her group expressed outrage when Agni used the unique transcendental skill he copied from Vasuki.

Detailed lists of each type of transcendental skill can be found at the following links:

• List of General Transcendental Skills
• List of Unique Transcendental Skills

Notes

• transcendental skills was translated by fan translators The Company as transcendentals.