Soul Core

Shadow Core (with Soul Conduit Attribute)

**Soul Core** is a mystical core of one's spirit that can accumulate and store vast amounts of Soul Essence, usually over a human's heart.

## Background

It was unclear why the Spell had eventually decided on youngsters aged sixteen to eighteen after devastating the First Generation indiscriminately. Back then, humans believed that younger people were more likely to survive their first nightmare, possibly due to the difficulty of forming a stable core after becoming set in its ways. This could lead to an older person dying after their soul collapsed while trying to create a core.

## Special Cores

### Shadow Core

Unique to Sunny due to the special nature of his aspect. It looked like a black sun but actually, it was transparent with no major source of light. By directly killing the enemy, he can instantly absorb a part of their shadow and enhance his own core. That meant that shadow fragments could not be stored, and subsequently could not be bought or traded.

Since both Sunny and his shadows were tied to the Shadow Core, strengthening it would not only increase Sunny's power but also enhance the shadows.

### Fractured Core

Main article: Jet § Soul Core
A fractured core was only seen in Jet's soul core. This type of core, although powerful, constantly leaked essence like a broken vessel. It also seemed to lack the ability to naturally regenerate essence and had a bizarre ability to absorb the soul essence of others by killing. The tainted essence of Nightmare creatures seemed to be purified by the burning core.

## Soul changes after First Nightmare

Through a mysterious process, the formless state of a mundane soul was being galvanized, slowly creating a more solid shape. A soul core was not a soul, but it existed within the soul, serving as both its fulcrum and nexus. These streaks flowed to the chest and swirled, slowly merging into a sphere of brilliant light. As the sphere grew fuller and more defined, the familiar shape of the soul core started to emerge from the brilliance.

### Soul Core Formation

The nascent soul core exploded with a flood of ethereal flame, which rolled through the body as a radiant wave, rejuvenating it. After the soul core was formed, faint streams of weak essence coursed through the body. The body itself was being rebuilt by it, growing healthier and stronger, getting one step closer to perfection.

### Succumbing to Corruption

A seed of darkness appeared in the center of the forming core. It quickly expanded, spreading like a cancerous growth. Repulsive veins of darkness spread through the dying light, consuming it. The more light was consumed, the faster it spread. The Corruption spread through the body of the man, becoming one with it. Then, the body started to change into a Nightmare Creature.

## Multiple Soul Cores

A soul that had a core had many advantages, but it also had to bear weight. Not every soul has the strength and size to support even one person, much less several. The terrible pain Sunny felt each time his class rose was evidence of it.

See also: Category:Divine Aspect Holder
## References

1. ↑ Chapter 0 The Nightmare Spell
2. ↑ Chapter 332 Siege of the Crimson Spire (18)
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Chapter 912 Soul of a Man
4. ↑ Chapter 16 Rebirth
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Chapter 34 Only Steel Remembers
6. ↑ Chapter 863 Fractured
7. ↑ Chapter 874 One Last Mission