The Path of Ascension 4: A LitRPG Adventure

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It was as natural as knocking a glass of water off a table. Some things just had to be done.

If they made it, then she would just have to deal with the restrictions. If they proved that competent, she could find another way to get Matt the resources he needed. They would probably come with extra risks that he didn’t need though.

When she returned to the fringes of Empire space, she stood high above the continent where the children trained below. She could feel them and see every minute mistake they made. It made her tail twitch and lash out. She wasn’t mad at them, but at the restrictions she was placed under. She was quite happy with their progress in the months she had been gone. But she was quite finished with the restrictions that she labored under. They were preventing the children from being the best they could be.

Once night fell and she had suitably calmed herself, she returned to her office with Kurt, who simply scrawled, “And?”

Bitterly, she growled, “Those fools denied it.”

Kurt looked as if he wanted to speak but refrained himself. While she was in no danger from him, they both knew it wouldn’t do for him to grow even the slightest bit lax when around such low-Tier individuals. It wasn’t like he was in the army, where he could be laxer behind enemy lines.

Instead, he hurriedly wrote out, “The restrictions?”

Luna nodded and he stilled. “I want to get Erwin to help with making an incredibly hard Tier 9 rift. One that is harder than most Tier 10 rifts. We’ll have them run it. I’ll let them know that if they f**k up, we will have to save them, and they’ll be off The Path. I’ve read the reports, they’re chomping at the bit and will jump at the chance.”

Even without her, Luna knew that the boy would be a force to be reckoned with, but she had a responsibility to make him the best. Not only for his sake, but the Empire’s, too. There were so many fates tied to his. It was hard for her to not simply force him off The Path herself.

She didn’t agree with the Emperor that an individual’s wants outweighed everything else. After a point, the burden was too high, and the betterment of all was worth more than one person’s autonomy or an overzealous desire to prove that The Path worked. She wanted what was best for her charges, but not what they thought was best for themselves.

The Path wasn’t optimal for Matt’s future growth, so it had to go.

Matt wanted to be the best. She knew that, but what would get him there meant abandoning The Path in favor of his own. The Path excelled at finding and nurturing normal geniuses, but it wasn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.

Liz fit the mold fine, and would thrive on The Path, but not Matt.

With Matt’s Talents, she believed that he had the responsibility to help alleviate the mana problem that the Empire suffered under. Trillions of lives would be improved immeasurably. And he needed to be strong because doing that would cause a war.

Luna would give her charges a chance. But she would make them earn it.

She sent a message to Erwin. She needed a rift designed.

6

As they neared the third month of their training, Luna returned and gave them the okay to delve a Tier 9 rift, as expected.

What Matt and Liz didn’t expect was for Luna to have a counteroffer and additional conditions.

“I don’t think either of you are ready.”

Seeing both of them about to react, their manager elaborated. “No, it’s not that I think you aren’t strong enough to fight in a Tier 9 rift. I think you should both leave The Path.”

This time, her upraised hand did nothing to stop the torrent of questions they had.

“What? Why?” Liz sounded almost frantic, and a part of him shared the sentiment.

Matt was more confused than upset, and added, “That came out of nowhere…”

Luna pointed at the two of them, “Neither of you are challenged by The Path. Your mana means it’s not a race at all; there’s simply no struggle. You could coast through The Path with zero effort. The only real hurdle you have is obtaining your Intent, but given how your Concepts have progressed, I don’t see even that as an issue.”

That irritated Matt enough to say, “I’m working my ass off. We all are. It’s hardly fair to put us through that training then say that we’re coasting.”

Luna just met his gaze. “I only said that you could coast. I will ensure that you do no such thing. The problem is the restrictions on The Path. I want to pour the best mana concentration potions in existence down your throat and get you the best skills for you now. But I can’t with the rules set in place.”

Matt didn’t think that it was all that important, and Luna seemed to sense that sentiment. She continued, “Think about it. Better resources to craft rifts and better concentration potions. Better trainers all at once instead of drip-fed to you, as we have to do now. If you step off The Path, I can train you without restrictions. I can ensure that no inefficiency is left unaddressed. You’re going to need a Tier 14 mana concentration potion to get your mana to near zero at your next Tier. When you’re Tier 8, you’ll need approximately a Tier 16 potion. Eventually, we’ll need Tier 35 plus natural treasures to ensure that we get the most out of your Tier ups. If you don’t max your mana concentration out at each Tier by bringing your max mana down to near zero, your mana will end up only seventy five percent as strong as it could have been if you used better potions. With sub-par concentration, you will be weaker than your peers. But these early Tiers are vital to establish your foundations properly, to set up your future strength. Your peers will have millions of essence dedicated to concentration. If we can’t even get potions in you, you will fall behind.”

Her words actually swayed him. He really didn’t have any challenge on The Path that Luna didn’t intentionally put there. It also didn’t sound like she would make it easier if he left, they would just have better resources to use.