The Path of Ascension

Echos Chapter 7

A scream wrenched itself from Liennas throat as she woke up, her body spasming once again with renewed agony. Though calling it a scream was a gross exaggeration, when in truth it was more a pathetic wheeze, as all of the air from her lungs found its way out through the holes in her throat.

The pain meds had worn off earlier than they were supposed to. Again.

She still couldnt take new ones until the morning. Or at least, she shouldnt

Lienna enviously eyed the crystal decanter on her bedside table. Surely one sip wouldnt hurt? Certainly not more than-

Agony.

Lienna turned an angry bead of focus towards her traitorous Talent, suppressing it as best as she could while she looked longingly at the potion on the table. Would it really be so bad?

But no, shed learned that lesson the hard way. It was why she was on her fifth type of anti-pain potion. The-

Agony.

Her frayed willpower gave out, snapping painfully and allowing her Talent to run at full power, unresisted by anything she could manage. Pain lanced through her body and mind a thousand times a second, her body endlessly resetting to the very instant it had been wounded. There was no reprieve, no respite, no Pause from the pain, in more ways than one.

Pause that distant dream was long-dead. Killed, in some senses, when a Tier 19 ghost of some sort had flayed skin from flesh, flesh from bone, and left Lienne bloody and raw in what parts of her body she still even had. Shed survived, because that was what she did, but whatever that-

Agony.

Whatever that monster had done to her, it had warped her Talent. Overpowered it in such a way that instead of restoring her body to pristine condition, she was reduced to the same sniveling, bloody wreck that she had been when shed first been wounded. And her Talent kept triggering, pulling her from the brink of death to the brink of death time and time again. It undid healing, it undid further injuries, it undid the modifications she made to her own body, it undid everything.

She was trapped on the brink of life and death, a state of constant torture. She couldnt bring herself to rupture her core and escape that way, though. She wouldnt - agony - she wouldnt give that smug ghost the satisfaction of knowing it had killed her, in the end.

The healers had some fancy-schmancy words for what was wrong with her, how the ghost had hurt her permanently. They knew how to fix her, oh did they know how to fix her. But they wouldnt. Oh they had their excuses, that nobody on the planet was strong enough to overpower her in the right way, all the best healers were busy with the war, blah blah blah.

She knew what it was all about. Control. Power. Shed seen the contracts theyd offered her. The nigh-slavery, a veritable eternity of it, to cover the cost of the healers doing their bloody job. Not one of them seemed to care that she was in eternal agony, that her body and spirit had betrayed her and left her a flayed husk of herself. They didnt care that she was Tier 15, that she was immortal, that shed be able to pay them back eventually. No, they all wanted to take advantage of her, a broken girl, bind her with shackles that would last forever. The army, the guilds, the corporations, the nobles they could all burn.

Burn forever, in everlasting - AGONY.

Her manager had abandoned her alongside the rest of them, leaving her to suffer the moment she left the Path and didnt join the army. Dropped her, like the bloody bandages piled up in the far corner, like she was some disgusting thing to be discarded the moment she was all used up.

Her body and spirit were her own. It was why she had joined the Path to begin with, freedom from all the chains that bound. She refused to leap headfirst into bindings far stricter than anything shed had as a child, not now, not ever.

Lienne tried to force herself back to sleep, but the endless cycles of pain refused her plea.

She lost the battle with her inner self, and she snatched the bottle of painkiller potion and took as deep a drink as the enchantment would allow a single dosage to be. It didnt do enough. It barely did anything. And now, Lienne had made herself that much more resistant to this particular potion, pushed it that much closer to the point when shed need a new potion, one even more expensive.

She screamed into her pillow, a faint wheeze muffled all the further by the scratchy, low-Tier sheets she was on. Her hands clenched and fabric tore.

Great. More expenses. As though she didnt have enough of those.

At least she had her job. Shed tried delving for a little while, but being down an arm and half a leg made that difficult. She was desperate enough to still do it, and it wasnt like she could get any worse, delving at-tier. The recurring agony of her body made it harder still, and shed pushed herself until she nearly broke again, simply trying to keep up with the required expenses of delving. Still, shed been able to get pain potions, and that had helped until shed gotten immune to the first one. The pain had eroded away at her mind, her Concept, wore down her willpower until she couldnt use her Domain. That had pretty much ended her delving.

From there, shed gotten an AI job. It was nothing special, just data-pushing and correspondence, monitoring some low-level finance for the hospital. Things she could do from her bed, from her chair. But they didnt pay enough, not enough to pay for her potions, but that wasnt her fault. If theyd just give her the healing she needed, then she wouldnt have needed the pain potions to begin with.

They didnt see it that way, of course, and theyd acted so magnanimous when they fired her, acting like they were doing her such a favor by cutting off her sanity lifeline. According to them, she should just curl up in a hole and either die or wait and hope that some passing high-Tier healer took pity on her which was more likely than the Empires higher Tier healers getting around to a case who couldn't pay for their services. They didnt care about her, they just wanted her gone.

But then shed gotten her offer. It wasnt anything much, just sending in a couple reports about the sorts of things she saw, the kinds of things that anyone could have told them and it paid just so well. She didnt know who her employer was, really, but what did it matter? Shed been able to pay for her pain potions, shed been able to pay for a nurse to assist her in daily life, shed been able to start saving up- not for healing, that was still beyond her for now- but for prosthetics. Once she had two functional arms, two functional legs, and a full face, then shed be able to go back to delving, back to advancing.

She was almost there, too. Less than a decade to go.

Agony.

Advancing meant shed be able to Tier up, again and again until she was Tier 20, and it would be safe for her to form her Intent. Forming her Intent would give her a way out. Shed focus it all on her Talent, not that it would be hard. Shed force herself into something that could modify her Talent, something that could give her an escape from her pain.

It was her mantra, it was her goal. Her only hope of relief.

She got no more sleep that night, and the intervening hours felt like weeks as she waited for the sun to rise. Then, at last, there was a knock at her door.

It was Jake, at long last. Her nurse was the only bright spot in her day, and only partially because he was able to provide her with pain relief and comfort of his own. Maybe some day, when she got a new face, shed ask him out on a date. He certainly was cute enough, and after all this time she didnt care if he was three Tiers weaker than her, that he wasnt fully immortal yet. No, these days her type was basically has skin.

Good morning! He was as cheery as always, and Lienne felt his Concept and skills wash over her, helping her relax and cutting the edge off the worst of her pain. How did you sleep?

Errile, she wheezed, before activating her AI speaker. Terrible, she repeated. The potions failing again.

Oh, thats no good. Just relax [Ease Pain]. he tapped her forehead, and Lienne sighed as her pain was reduced to something more akin to soreness and itchiness.

Thank you, she gasped.

Just doing my job, he smiled at her. Lets get you some fresh air.

After Jake helped her get dressed, replacing her bloodstained clothes with clean ones and sending the former off to be washed and purified, she fell into her chair. Though she could control her chair through her AI just fine, Jakes presence and guidance was always so much more comforting, and his skills not only kept the faint wind and pockets of chilly air from raking across her exposed nerves like so many nails, but also diverted attention away from her. She just couldnt take another kid staring at her half-melted face in horror, or hiding behind their parents legs when she came by.

They strolled down the garden paths surrounding her little home. Even here, the signs of neglect were abundant. Weeds were sprouting, bugs were marching around like they owned the place, flowers were already dying in early spring, and several places the dirt was disturbed from where something had gone where it shouldnt have.

Isnt today such a beautiful day, Lienne? Jake asked, The birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, the smell of rain is everywhere, the sky is clear, isnt it all just so lovely?

Lienne gave a small noncommittal grunt in response as she watched a worker ant cart off a leaf from a nearby tree towards its corpulent queen, seated in her underground nest not far away.

Jake sighed. Well, are you planning on watching the Ascension tonight? he asked, as they passed by a tree long choked to death on midnight blue ivy. He swept the vines clear of where they overhung the path. They shimmered with silver starlight as he did so, narrowly missing her all too-vulnerable flesh.

She didnt respond, prompting her nurse to keep pushing, Its important that you celebrate things like this, Lienne. Theres going to be a stream of the event set up in the cafeteria, I think you should go.

Will you be there? she asked, and he hesitated.

I can be, he eventually replied.

No, dont go on my behalf, she brushed off the offer, Celebrate with your family, Ill just watch it on my AI if I feel up to it. She really didnt want to bask in her misery any more than she had to, and seeing someone from her tournament complete the Path was like raking nails down the bad side of her face to her mind.

Lienne he sighed, Its important for you to focus on the good around you. Even for mortals, isolation and focusing on negativity isnt healthy. For cultivators, you can seriously mess up your spirit if you dont find at least some joy in your life. You arent the only person waiting for a wandering healer, you can meet your peers, your fellows. Celebrate that we have someone else finishing the Path, that someone else is out there protecting the Empire through this war and far into the future. Dont just waste away in your room. Youre immortal, you have eternity waiting for you once youre healed. Dont give up.

Oh, there was no worry about her giving up. She refused to give up. Once I get my prosthetics, then Ill become more social, she replied, When Ive got a face and two arms, and little children dont scream in terror when they see me.

Lienne expected Jake to say what he usually did, that one kid didnt make a trend, or whatever other excuses hed come up with this time, but he just sighed and kept pushing her chair. Apparently he agreed with her now, that was new.

Instead, he simply moved on to other topics, and the rest of their walk, and the rest of her day, passed as it usually did.

In the end, she ultimately did watch the Ascension. It would be all anyone would be talking about for weeks or months, so she put it on in the background while she lay in bed. Her eyes swept over the revealed identities

Elizabeth, Matthew, and Aster. Hmph. Of course a princess would be the one to complete the Path. So much for all of that so-called neutrality. No wonder shed been cast to the side the moment shed taken a bad hit, she was just some nobody from nowhere. Not the sort of person that the Empire would want representing them in the wars.

Fury burned in the corner of her mind as memories came back to her. Theyd been in the tournament twice! No wonder theyd done so well, if they got two chances to fight, to win prizes, when shed only gotten one. She didnt know any of them that well, but she had gotten her mana refilled by Matthew once, she faintly recalled. No wonder theyd been able to complete the Path, if thats what their Domains were like.

Now they were at the peak, where theyd get all the best medical attention. If they ever took an injury, theyd get it healed by people practically tripping over themselves to help out the Princess Ascender. Theyd never have to feel the pain of their Talent locking their bodies in a prison of pain, never need to worry about their spirits mutilating themselves.

She was glowering at the projection when a message popped up from her employer. It was asking for a report about Elizabeth, Matthew, and Aster. Hmph. Well, she didnt know too much about them beyond common gossip at the tournament, but her employers never had cared much about that before. And the pay

Lienne had a double-take. The pay was so much more than what she usually got for her reports. It was nowhere near enough to afford a healer, but it could cut down how long shed need to save for her prosthetics by months, even years.

Well, who was she to refuse? The Empire took care of Ascenders, but she needed to take care of herself.

***

Soddus slapped Girang on the shoulder as he watched the Ascension play out in front of them.

See, I told you she was a phoenix. Only a phoenix could beat me. I

Girang dropped a massive paw over Soddus's face and didnt let him up until he promised to stop bragging.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

Cursing his bad luck and the fact he didnt also have an Intent, Soddus could only relent.

Stupid bear.

Another paw hit him in the back of his head, and he realized he had spoken his thoughts out loud.

Whoops.

***

Long Zhiyuan let out a deep breath as his Second Revelation manifested.

He was only Tier 17, but he had all of his Talent given clones working on making the next stage of his Revelation since he had first broken through to Tier 15, and had been told the secrets of what was required. His Servant had cautioned him, saying that to seek out ones second Revelation before the twentieth Tier was to court death. Nonetheless, he had taken the gamble, knowing that his spiritual clones could die with no repercussion, and it had truly paid off. He did not know how many times they had failed, but he never suffered any worse than a mild headache for it. After all, without something truly spectacular to ensure his safety, his days had already been numbered.

Shining Lilac, his Sect Leader, had been trying to get him removed for a while now, as he voluntarily stepped out of the Young Master program. Everyone had called him mad, but he knew the truth. He had spent many a long night in meditation, seeking solutions that simply did not exist. He had died many times, and not once did his clones provide insight for how he might grow to Tier 25 in two centuries.

Perhaps he could have gone further, reaching Tier 20 and ensconcing his position as someone to be feared. However, finding ones Second Revelation at Tier 20 was interesting yet unexceptional. It spoke of caution and surety, not the raw talent of a prodigy. But achieving ones Second Revelation at the same Tier as the Drowner?

That spoke to the existence of an unstoppable force in the making. Strength above all, yet Long Zhiyuan did not possess that kind of strength, that kind of talent. But he could certainly appear to be such a generational talent. Perhaps not the second coming of the Lady of Ill Dreams, but certainly the kind of talent for whom the very best would be poured out.

He wanted the best, so he gambled.

He gambled that he could unveil his Second Revelation before Shining Lilac managed to get him killed, now that he didnt have the protections of a Young Master.

Opening his eyes, Long Zhiyuan flexed his Second Revelation and let the entire Sect know that Soaring Clouds Sect's Young Master wasnt a coward who bowed out of a competition, like Sect Mistress Shining Lilac had been telling everyone.

Best of all, Provincial Governor Adam, from the Tier 47 Smithing Hands Sect, was there for the coronation of their new Young Mistress and felt Long Zhiyuans breakthrough.

Long Zhiyuan wasnt one who gambled without being sure of his success. He also adhered to some form of common decency, and had only made his breakthrough once Young Mistress Tan Ai had finished her initiation ceremony. He remembered the pride he felt at being the center of attention and didnt want to rob that moment from her.

Provincial Governor Adam and Sect Mistress Shining Lilac arrived before the various Sect elders. All had equal expressions of shock, and Long Zhiyuan reveled in it.

Before Sect Mistress Shining Lilac could speak, Provincial Governor Adam interceded. And to think that your Sect Mistress scorned you for forfeiting your position as a Young Master. Tell me, Long Zhiyuan, how long have you known you would find your Second Revelation so young?

From the very moment I learned what was required, Governor Adam. I simply required some moments of peace, which I could not find as a Young Master, he replied, the very picture of deferment.

The man chuckled. Truly, you have shown wisdom and power well in excess of your age and station. Now I ask you, with such a grand spirit, what is your desire? Shall you remain here and rule over those you have exceeded? Or do you yearn for greatness, beyond what may be found here? Should you desire, you will be made a Core disciple of the Smithing Hands Sect, and the greatest treasures you have ever seen will seem as but dust unto you.

Long Zhiyuan smiled as he stood and bowed deeply to those present. Everything was going exactly according to his plan.

Thank you for the kind words, Honored Provincial Governor Adam. I am truly humbled by the offer. I must take care of only one thing before I can accept and leave my current sect.

Provincial Governor Adam raised an eyebrow while everyone else looked shocked.

He withdrew his gloves from his spatial ring and summoned them to his hand, just as he had put them away. Still dripping the blood of the final Young Master he had slain in his last culling. Combat ready, he locked eyes with Sect Mistress Shining Lilac.

You have held a grudge since I killed your daughter and tried to have me killed on nineteen separate occasions since I left the Young Master program. Before I leave the Sect, this grudge must be settled. Sect Mistress, I challenge you to a duel to the death.

Sect Mistress Shining Lilac had seven Tiers on him; she was a Tier 24, and she sneered at him. A seven-Tier gap was impossible to jump, and they all knew it.

Provincial Governor Adam looked like he wanted to step in, but as he remained silent, the others didnt have the face to speak up.

A whelp who doesnt know when they are saved wants to throw themselves into the bear's mouth. Learn well in your next life, Bloodhand, that not everything is under your control.

Long Zhiyuan just got in a combat-ready stance and watched the Sect Mistress. She didnt bother. Instead, she said, Did you think I drank your poison? I was trying to kill you, how could I not expect you to try the same thing? I saw you replaced my pills with poison. You are a thousand years too early if you wish to scheme against me. It matters not that you possess your Second Revelation. You dare to stand against me, and you shall fall.

Long Zhiyuan rushed forward and slashed out. His moves were easily blocked, but he didnt let up.

As his claws twisted through her defense, he snorted, The pills were bait, just as the wine was. The real poison was in your sword oil.

He saw the horror appear on her face as her cultivation failed to respond to her demands. The moment she tried to move at Tier 24 speeds, she found her limit far lower.

Her confidence was her undoing, and in just nine exchanges, Long Zhiyuan gripped her by the neck just as he had her daughter.

A deliberate choice.

He saw the hatred in her eyes. He saw the fear in the Sect Elders eyes. He saw the pride in Provincial Governor Adams.

Exactly as he planned.

As I offered your daughter, I offer you the chance to surrender. He wanted to kill her, but offering surrender was a benefit of the strong, and would solidify his position as a rising star better than simply killing her would.

Despite that, he didnt bother to loosen his grip. She could speak with her spirit, and he denied her even what paltry air she might seek to claim.

Fuck you, yo

Good.

Since she rejected his offer, he got to look magnanimous and remove a problem by the roots.

Whatever her next words were, no one knew, as Long Zhiyuan crushed her throat, and with it, her poison weakened spirit.

His Second Revelation was that of the Planner, and he had planned for everything. His former Sect Mistress had her own enemies, those who would be delighted to see the mighty woman brought low. He had used their avarice, their greed as a weapon as sure as any blade.

Wiping his gloved hands on her corpse, Long Zhiyuan dropped the Sect Mistress's body and bowed to the Sect Elders and Provincial Governor Adam. I am sorry you all had to witness my shameful personal matters, but now that that is settled, I gladly accept your offer. If it still stands, Provincial Governor Adam.

Provincial Governor Adam laughed. Junior brother, this senior brother welcomes you to the Smithing Hands Sect with open arms.

Long Zhiyuan smiled and bowed once more, deeper this time.

His life became a whirlwind. The Smithing Hands Sect truly endowed him with all the greatest treasures he had ever imagined, propelling him forwards in Tier at a truly momentous rate, and even getting him entry to the Thousand Lives Mountain, a vast formation that reminded him of his experience within Minkallas sixth floor. Years became centuries as he lived out life after life, each one enabling him to comprehend his Revelations in different ways and master techniques that would be almost impossible for him to learn in reality. It was even superior to what Minkalla could provide, as he could choose to re-experience certain lives time and time again to fully master all that they had to offer. It was usually reserved for the children of Grand Elders, Dao Children and now him.

He emerged a new man, with millennia of experience honing his Revelations and techniques, his Talent active in each and every simulated life he had experienced, and his experience with the device itself providing deeply profound insights into ways in which he could utilize his Talent and Revelations together. On the surface he lived each of those lives to master one thing, he was sure those who ran the Thousand Lives Mountain had some way to track his progress, but at the same time his Talent allowed him to master a dozen other skills or martial arts without anyone the wiser.

His power was unparalleled, but his emergence carried with it a notice that he was not alone.

During his seclusion, the Empire had managed to produce yet another set of Ascenders. As the strongest rising star within the Sects, it would be his duty to join with Dao Child Maven to end their threat once and for all.

Seeing their names, Long Zhiyuan smiled.

Enemies truly did walk a narrow path.

Flexing his claws, his smile grew larger.

Wonderful.

***

Claude sat on a cliff next to Sufyan and occasionally tapped into his mentor's sight to enjoy the setting sun. The fact that he was doing that seemed like it should be the answer to his inner turmoil, but things werent so clear.

As a Tier 22 who had fallen off the Heros Path at Tier 19, he had the wealth of the Guilds at his fingertips. While no one was pressuring him, Claude knew the facts. They were at war, and needed everyone who was capable of fighting, ready to fight.

And Claude was ok with that. Really, he was ready to do his duty and protect the citizens of the myriad worlds that the Guilds controlled. His Great Power had given him so much, and he needed to give that much back to society, or he would just be a burden on the greater whole.

With his showing as a Hero Candidate, he was given pretty much anything he wanted and things he hadnt even considered. Most of the things were welcome, new skills, new armor, weapons stronger than anything he could have imagined, even access to trainers who could teach him anything he wanted to know. It was all at his fingertips, but it came with an offer. An offer that, as was made very clear to him, was truly an offer. But Doctor Golden Crickets personal offer to heal his blindness was something he wasnt sure he wanted.

He used his Power to see often enough, like he was doing with Sufyan right now, but being able to see on his own?

He didnt know if he wanted that, or if he even needed that.

His blindness had been there with him for most of his life. At first, it had seemed like the greatest restriction he could ever encounter, but he had learned that it was an obstacle like any other with Sufyans help. His mentor had been instrumental in changing Claudes worldview about his blindness, and his Power, once awakened, had only reinforced that belief.

He could turn his weakness onto his opponents, and while he had lived every day with darkness, they hadnt. They couldnt adapt so easily. It allowed Claude unimaginable progress as a possible Hero for longer than almost anyone else in his generation.

That would be true if not for Quill, Torch, and Scoop. They had done the impossible, and he was only half a step behind them.

Wanting to keep his advantage of being able to blind people had seemed like an easy way to ignore the large implications of healing his blindness, but Sufyan refused to let him act blind, even if he was blind.

If Claude wanted to blind someone after swapping their senses, and his vision was healed, all he needed to do was close his eyes.

Claude was embarrassed to admit he hadnt thought of that on his own, and it destroyed his largest reason to stay blind.

It should be so easy to accept the healing, but he found himself faltering.

His blindness had been with him forever. Without it, he would have never risen out of mediocrity. Without it, he would have never caught the attention of Sufyan and his Guild. Without it, he wouldnt have gotten a Power for swapping senses. Without it, he wouldn't have learned how to deal with petty tricks and bullying from his classmates. Without it, he wouldnt have caused his parents extra stress. Without it, he wouldnt be as close with his parents as he was.

Without it, would he still be Claude?

He didnt know the answer to that, and that was why he was so worried.

What if he got his vision back and he killed a portion of himself that had once driven him to greatness? What if we got his vision back and he returned to the version of himself who was no different than any other random civilian.

Claude didnt like being blind, but it was all he knew. Change was scary, and despite everything he had gone through, he wasnt sure if undergoing such a change would leave him the same Claude.

He had already vented all of that to Sufyan, who had put to rest all of his doubts, but Claude couldnt dispel that last bit of worry.

The fact that Doctor Golden Cricket himself was offering to do the healing almost made it worse. The man was a well-known and respected healer for over a dozen active Hero teams. If he was willing to heal Claude, then wasnt it the right thing to do?

As the sun set, he and Sufyan got up and walked back to the guild hall in silence.

When they reached the outside patio, Sufyan turned to Claude and asked, Did you find your answers?

Claude snorted. Not even a little.

Sufyan chuckled. It can be like that.

Pulling out his vice guild leader medallion, Sufyan flashed both sides.

My name, you get healed. The guild side, you stay blind.

Tossing the medallion, Sufyan walked inside. His final words like a whisper making their way to Claudes ears.

If you are relieved at the side that comes up, pick it. If you dont like what it lands on, pick the other. Either way, you will have your answer.

Claude thought about flipping the medallion right then and there, but it felt wrong.

Instead, he went and started wandering the city.

It was bustling, even at night. Citizens living their lives walking from palace to place, the occasional Hero walking with or flying above the crowds on the lookout for any aspiring Villains.

Claude saw three Villains stalking a dark-skinned Hero in a skimpy outfit, but he didnt warn her.

Getting beat down because you were too confident was par for the course for a new Hero, and it was a lesson everyone needed to learn. The Villains wouldn't kill her, just like the Heroes wouldnt kill Villains.

Both were important aspects of society. Not everyone was suited for the light, and not everyone was suited for the darker nature of humanity.

So long as everyone followed the rules, those like Claude, a dozen Tiers higher, would just watch.

He smiled as his spiritual perception noticed two Villains break into a bank vault. The civilians moved to the side, and while the Villains shouted at them, they didnt try to rob or hurt them.

Just as they were escaping to the streets with their goods in hand, a lone Hero jumped out of an alley and tackled one of the men.

Their brawl created a hole in the surroundings as the crowds parted around them, but they kept any skill or weapon usage to a minimum, which meant the Watchers didnt even need to interfere.

Claude kept to the edges as he watched the various goings on. He passed low Tier Hero Guilds with just a dozen members working out of abandoned warehouses or garages. He passed similar Villain hideouts in everything from abandoned sewers to penthouses.

He remembered his time cutting his teeth with these trials.

They werent just fighting for wealth or status, but rifts.

Claude had made it farther than most ever did, but even he had eventually failed, and seeing those still aspiring to those highs refreshed his very spirit.

It didnt make his answer any clearer, but he did feel better about it.

Whatever he chose he would be ok with.

Stopping at a few food carts, he grabbed a dozen snacks that he knew his guildmates would enjoy before returning to their headquarters.

As the guild who owned and ran this city, it was all under their control and jurisdiction, but they werent an interventionist guild and mostly let things play out underneath them. They only acted as arbiters when needed. To that end, they had their guild headquarters on the outskirts of the city, perched on the side of a mountain. It kept them close enough to intervene, and more importantly in sight of everyone participating, but far enough away that the Heroes and Villains felt like they were in control.

If, or rather when, Claude became a vice guild leader, he would push for them to increase their presence in the city a little, but he mostly agreed with the guild's policies. Too much oversight stifled everyone under them.

And he did intend to rejoin his guild once he felt he had done his duty in the army.

He was already the same Tier as Sufyan, but his combat power was even stronger than the guild leaders, despite being lower Tier, which meant he could take the position of vice guild leader at any moment. If he wanted, he could even take the guild leader position, but leading was more than strength. Claude didnt know much, but he knew that.

By the time he returned, the rest of the Guild was already in the gathering room, and he rubbed shoulders with the city's Heroes and Villains who were important enough to get invited to such an event.

The guild leader had felt they deserved to see someone succeeding at the Empire's equivalent of the Hero Path.

Claude smirked as he heard a grumpy-looking Hero grumbling to their teammate, It's not even that impressive that they completed the Path. I heard The Empire doesn't even make their people fight each other like we do. So what if they can reach Tier 25 in two hundred years if they are only good at killing monsters?

On the surface, the man might seem correct, but Claude had fought with Quill, Torch, Scoop, and Queen in Minkalla, and he knew how strong they were. The Empire might not focus on having their Pathers fight each other except for their one tournament, but that didnt mean their Heroes were weak. If it only took fighting other people, then the Sects would have the strongest Heroes, but they didnt.

When he had realized how similar to the Sects Hero program the Guilds was, he had asked his Hero Mentor, only to find out the Guilds had once been a part of the Sects. Their ancestors had simply disagreed with the more brutal aspects of Sect society, and as the Great Powers had still been forming, declared their independence. Their shared roots could still be seen in a number of things, though.

Claude was sure the Sects thought they were fools, but he agreed with his ancestors. Competition was good, but there was no reason for death to be the only deciding factor in a battle. Not when it didnt have to be.

Greatness wasnt inborn, it was sometimes thrust upon you, you sometimes sought it out, but it was never given. Trials and tribulations were just how you sifted the gold from the sand.

Claude took his place at the front of the viewing platform and ignored the murmurs of those who saw him. Those young Heroes and Villains might think he was impressive and dismiss the Ascension they were about to watch, but he knew the truth. If he was stronger than them, he would be the one walking down a hall to Realm wide praise.

Seeing their identities be revealed, Claude flipped the medallion Sufyan had handed him.

It spun through the air, but as it landed in his hand, Claude knew Sufyan had been correct about the coin forcing him to decide what he really wanted. Secondly, he knew what his choice was.

If he wanted to blind someone, he could close his eyes. But if he wanted to make the greatest difference in the war he was about to join, he needed to open his.