"Okay, I'm all done," Meera said. "Now, can you please explain about the skill's numeral and also what is an Ascendant."

  "They're both interconnected," Darthin said. "An Ascendant is one who has killed a God, a Cosmarian, an Archdragon, or another Ascendant. An Ascendant is no longer a mortal but someone who has taken their first steps into divinity. They will see the world differently. They have unique abilities that mere mortals do not possess. Being an Ascendant means you've been touched by fate for great and terrible things. That is not all. They also have greater power in the form of a new system. There are two variations of the system. One is for mortals, and the second is a more powerful system for the aforementioned people."

  "I know," Meera replied. "Veridiana told me about it."

  He nodded. "How much did she tell you?"

  "Just what you said. She wouldn't go into details about what this system entails and why it was stronger."

  He was quiet for a moment. His eyes flicked to and fro as if he were reading something. Meera figured he was going through some notifications.

  "I see," he finally said.

  "See what?" Meera couldn't help asking.

  His eyebrows twitched as his eyes squinted in frustration, but the moment passed, and he was back to his regular self again.

  "Since you know of the second system, it'll make this go faster." He totally ignored Meera's question. "This new system, or should I say the original one, the one which Midiea and I used to create the system you've been using all this time."

  "Wait, you and Midiea created the system? But why?" Meera asked.

  "To bring order to the worlds," he said, as a matter-of-factly, as if it should be obvious. "Could you imagine what the worlds would look like if anyone could use any magic or skill without needing a class? We would have maniacs ruling the world. No, this is better, even if you don't see that.

  She wanted to point out that she'd seen a maniac king whose lust for power unleashed two Cosmarian spirits, but she kept quiet and let the god rumble on.

  "Midiea and I were supposed to keep watch over the system together, but in her absence, it has fallen to me."

  Meera remembered Hilnoa telling her about the story about Midiea merging with her mirrors, and no one had seen her since. "Is it true that Midiea is lost?"

  He frowned lightly. "Yes, she merged with her mirrors, never to be seen again."

  Meera felt kindred with the god because she, too, was looking for her sibling. It made her wonder what it would be like to know he would never return. She didn't even want to consider that possibility, so she changed the topic. "What is this new system?"

  "This system will put you a cut above the rest or, as some say, on equal footing with the gods. This is true, but only in a theoretical sense. If, at any point, you feel the notion of taking on gods after today, crush it immediately, or you will be crushed."

  Meera nodded. "Why would I do that? I only want to find my brother."

  "And in that pursuit, you've inadvertently destroyed the strongest magical faction in all the worlds, caused the death of a very powerful Ascendant, and unleashed an archdragon whose fury will do unheard amounts of devastation to this world. It makes me wonder just how far you will go in your quest?"

  She gulped and looked away, unable to meet the god's gaze. "I'm sorry," she peeped. She wanted to say more but decided it was best she kept quiet, and hopefully, Darthin moved on quickly.

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  "Regardless of my feelings for you, I must carry on and follow the rules that govern the system. Rules that I, myself, put in place." He sighed lightly and began. "The biggest difference in this new system is around the skills. Your skills will be more powerful. This you will notice immediately. They will evolve differently as well. No longer will you see them level up in straight numbers. Instead, they will go through tiers. From Tier I to Tier V. Each Tier only has a hundred levels. The subsequent tier levels go up more slowly than the last. Once you tier up, the skill's level will reset to 1."

  "I'm sorry, my lord, but can you please explain or maybe show me? I'm a visual learner," Meera said, feeling nervous under the god's judging eyes.

  He looked her up and down, judging her harshly, before speaking. "Imagine one of your skills—"

  "Ambush Tactics," Meera quickly provided.

  He squinted, and she was sure he was thinking of smiting her, but thankfully, he restrained himself and continued.

  "You've seen how it will look," he growled before sighing with a shake of his head. "Imagine Ambush Tactics is level 1. In this new system, it will be at Tier 1 – Level 1, and in your status screen, it will be shown as…"

  A notification popped up in her vision.

  Ambush Tactics (I) – Level 1

  "Oh, that's why Veridiana's skills had those numerals."

  "Yes," Darthin said. "Once I change your system, all your skills will change, and a few may evolve as well. In essence, skills only level up to five hundred levels in this new system, so from a number perspective, they evolve faster to their final form but level up slower. In Tier I, they will level up at the same pace as they do in the mortal's system, but Tier II skills level up one-fifth slower than Tier I or, to put it simply, twenty percent slower. The same is true for true for Tier III skills. They level up twenty percent slower than Tier II skills."

  "So, each tier levels up twenty percent slower than the last," Meera concluded. "Then Tier V skills must move at a snail's pace."

  "They do, but Tier V skills are devastatingly powerful, no matter their level. Almost all the skills evolve to their final form at Tier V, and Tier V – Level 100 is as powerful as a skill can get."

  Then something clicked, and Meera gasped. "Wait, so Eternal Petrification was stronger than Quaking Fist?"

  "Depends on your class and how you use it, for no skill is greater than another strictly because it sits in a higher Tier."

  "Thanks, that doesn't make me feel too bad," she said.

  "For you alone, I would have explained that when you stole a skill, it would revert back down to Tier I – Level 1, but since you can now steal skills at their true level, that should no longer be a concern for you."

  She sighed lightly. "Dodged a bullet there."

  He didn't care to learn the meaning of the phrase and continued. "I wouldn't rejoice. All your skills will be transformed as per the new system. Their levels, however, will not be transferred as is."

  Her heartbeat quickened. It had taken them so long to level them up, not to mention the copious amounts of pain she had to endure. "What do you mean?"

  "As I said earlier, each Tier only has a hundred levels, so your skill level will be affected accordingly. Also, with each Tier up, you will lose twenty percent of your remaining levels."

  "Oh no…" Meera felt herself sweating.

  "If you have a skill at level 200, it will be Tier II – Level 80 in the new system. The first hundred levels or Tier I will not experience a twenty percent decrease in levels," Darthin stated, and though he said it plainly, Meera was sure he was enjoying her anguish.

  She had a hard time containing her tears, but she held them back. "So, if I have a skill at level 400, it will lose 20 percent levels at Tier II and then again at Tier III?"

  "That is correct," the uncaring god replied.

  "What is the point of these Tiers if all they do is make it harder for you to level up?" Meera almost snapped.

  "Each Tier will significantly increase the skill's damage output and range. Some skills might get other utility additions such as terrain manipulation, armor penetration, or even elemental augmentations at higher tiers."

  "Will that be explained or kept vague like before?" Meera asked, still a little miffed about losing her levels.

  Darthin huffed. "It will be explained. The system will be much more informative and tell you the skill's affinity. Now, it's time."

  He made it sound so final that Meera didn't dare ask him more questions. He stood, and the man towered so high that she had to crane her neck all the way up. Just being in the presence of someone so large was intimidating. It was like he had a gravity unto himself.

  He placed his thick, beefy hand on her head, and she had no doubt that if he squeezed just a little harder, he would crush her skull like a grape. He motioned her down, and it took Meera a second, but she got the message that he wanted her to kneel. She got down on one knee—a storm of nervousness building in her stomach.

  "Mortal no longer, rise to your eternal form,

  For the threads of fate have called your name.

  With power unyielding, walk the path of divinity.

  From blood and death, will you carve your fame.

  Rise, Ascendant, for your name shall echo in eternity."