Seeing his ability and its tier made Ragnar excited like he was a child waiting to unravel his presents. He had long forgotten this sensation. He was surprised he could still feel this emotion.

According to his knowledge, S tier was the highest tier of ability one can get. The tiers of ability were not always the deciding factor though.

Who would be stronger if two people of the same rank duked it out was never set in stone. Since, there existed abilities that completely countered others, and then, there existed people, who themselves were such beasts that ability tiers couldn’t stop them from seeing to their enemy’s demise. Environment, artifacts and many other factors could also be responsible for affecting the outcome of such battles.

That being said, it was also an acknowledged notion that the abilities given to people by the Realm would likely reflect their true selves and their true capabilities. So, the cases where a person with lower tier ability could triumph over someone with a higher tier ability were rare.

But they still occurred.

Ragnar might be trying to hype himself up with the ability tier since he had noticed the counter of Core saturation at the end of his status.

It read 0 out of 5000.

5 times higher than what humans were supposed to have.

He could already imagine the headache that would be.

Humans could not get these charges from killing one another, probably for the best.

Although this made the process seem like it was the Realm that was causing the Rank progressions but that would be far from the truth.

It was believed that all Realm did was keep a tab of their progress. Although not confirmed in any way, humans believed this because they observed their rank progression to be gradual and not instantaneous. Which means that one can sense themselves growing stronger and their core filling with every enemy they killed. They don’t get an instantaneous leap when they fill the counter.

Ragnar felt that this was enough about the Core Saturation and he should move to the main dish. Though he still hadn’t tackled the fact that he needed 5 times more charges than all other humans.

He put that thought at the back of his mind and focused at the description of his ability.

Wave Surge: The enigmatic manipulation of waves that ripple through existence.

Does that mean he could control waves? But what kind of waves?

Ragnar knew what waves were. Although his lessons had still not reached the terrains of the EtherShift Realm, Tristan had at least taught him basics of all subjects and much more.

Tristan had a knack for knowledge as he always tried to absorb as much as he could and then he would teach Ragnar whatever he thought would be suitable for him. Even though Ragnar hated studying, he never complained. He could tell that Tristan actually cared for his well-being. Also, spending time with him helped him keep his sanity in check, very important in that hell-hole.

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Well anyways, ‘Waves were oscillations of energy and matter that could manifest in several forms, from the gentle sway of a pendulum to the thunderous roar of ocean waves that could topple battleships and shatter islands.’

That was the definition he remembered.

But Ragnar couldn’t control the ocean, not yet. His ability currently had more to do with shockwaves. That could travel through all matter, albeit at different rates, but could be powerful enough to shatter metal into pieces.

He could control these waves to either send-off objects flying or he could cause a gentle ripple that might achieve something, someday, maybe.

He could also control another type of waves, Sonic waves.

He could use them to cause mental disruptions or even strong enough sonic waves that could cause physical damage like the shockwaves. However, that would be counterproductive since achieving the same effect would use much less essence if done with shockwaves.

Although their existed several other types of waves, like electromagnetic waves or brain waves, he knew that he had nowhere near enough control to create them.

Also, he might never be able to create waves of the Brain nature since his ability was more focused on destruction. So, he could not imagine himself gaining that precise control over it, ever.

That was not to disregard the boundless potential he felt this ability held, waiting for him to unravel. It was much more than just a gift.

But there was a problem, a severe problem.

Weren’t abilities supposed to reflect our true nature, our inner selves. How the fuck does this ability reflect the true nature of a person who has spent the better half of his life as an assassin. An assassin who deals decisive blows from the shadows, silently. ‘Silently’ being the key word.

Whereas this ability might as well be called Noise Surge. Because no matter what he did with it, it wasn’t going to be silent.

Then Ragnar discerned the situation he was in. His nose from his Shifted form had told him that this cave is frequented by countless creatures, and this might just be their nest. So, if he used his ability in this place. It would be like an invitation for a seasoned feast.

Thinking up to here, his thoughts went back to his Shifted form. The shifted creatures were also supposed to have abilities. That was why the humans who became Shifted were made to go through the trials even though they were going to lose their mind anyways.

Wait, but doesn’t this mean that all the creatures in the Realm had to have gone through that trial? But the number of humans that had turned into Shifted creatures might not even amount to a drop in this ocean of countless creatures that roam the Realm.

Ragnar suspected that he might be onto something that he was not yet eligible to know. He already had a lot left to consider about his own situation, so he couldn’t afford to solve mysteries at this point.

His Shifted form should have an ability of its own since it was not like the other humans.

In the case when humans turn into Shifted by giving in to their bloodlust, they keep their abilities from their human forms. His human form and Shifted form felt like completely different entities. He could switch between them whenever he wanted.

However, he could not see his status in his Shifted form for some reason. He had already tried it before transforming the first time.

That being said, it didn’t mean he couldn’t discover what his ability was. The ability was supposed to be a part of a creature, so they have an instinctual feel for what they can do.

Similarly, Ragnar had also detected this pull coming from his whole body when he was in his Shifted form.

Ragnar was ready to turn into his shifted form to check his ability. He had established that he did not care about the consequences of losing his humanity.

But he had discerned something by now, and going by the words the Realm had said when he was close to losing his consciousness about giving him a head start, he was sure.

The way his human ability was not something that suited his style in the slightest, or the fact that his Shifted form would be perfect in this environment that he had so conveniently found himself in, and he wasn’t even aware of the ability his Shifted form had yet. But going by this pattern of events, he was sure it would be something much more amazing than Wave Surge, and something that might suit him perfectly as well.

The Realm wanted him to spend as much time in his Shifted form as possible.