By the time he was done with the monsters, the lava river was filled with charred flesh and bone, the monsters’ resistance to the molten rock disappearing after they had died. A paltry amount of essence had been rewarded, fitting with the difficulty of the fight.

Edgar came floating down a moment later, taking a breather. Jonathan smiled at the man, and started to look through his notifications and System interface. Before it got too dangerous, it was time to break through another few thresholds. He had a few hundred stat points saved up, and he would certainly need them in this final floor. If the previous few floors were anything to go by, anything less than his full power would lead to his death.

Jonathan Harlowe

Tier 2

Void Human(Potent)

Divinity Aspect: Void Hegemon

Elemental Mastery: 10%

Elemental Juggernaut: Tier 2 Legendary

Level 194

(225 free points)

Strength

1460

Dexterity

1209

Constitution

836

Resilience

1127

Intelligence

872

Wisdom

875

Divinity

10

Health: 12540/12540

Stamina: 32850/32850

Mana: 13080/13080

* Titles

True Unbound Spirit: Unique

Nascent God: Transcendent

Forceful Initiate: Mythical

Hasty Initiate: Mythical

Durable Initiate: Mythical

Lesser Xenocide: Legendary

Greater Giantslayer: Legendary

Iron Will: Epic

Leader of Men: Epic

Refined Form: Epic

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Avenger: Epic

Lineage Hunter: Rare

Righteous Killer: Rare

* Skills

Hungering Decay: Mythical

Greater Smite: Mythical

Rune Savant: Legendary

Void Drill: Legendary

Void Cannon: Legendary

Channeled Basic Truesight: Legendary

Sense the Weave: Legendary

Void Slipstream: Epic

Warrior’s Trance: Epic

Fists of the Hurricane: Epic

Battle Focus: Rare

Impact: Rare

Focused Scry: Rare

Runes of Power: Rare

Redirect: Uncommon

* Pathway Skills

Martial Arts: Journeyman 5

Mana Manipulation: Journeyman 3

Runecrafting: Journeyman 2

Truesight: Journeyman 2

Stamina Manipulation: Apprentice 7

* Martial Path

Flowing Hurricane: Journeyman 4

* Quests

The Strongest: ???

Hellbreaker: Impossible

Complete Vengeance: SSS

His first priority was to break through with Constitution. Physical power would be more useful here than mental power. He did not bother working out the math yet. Perhaps he had enough for all three. With a tense grimace, he prepared. He told Edgar what he was about to do, and the other man simply nodded, creating a shield of wind around them.

Jonathan ignored his companion, and got to work. 99 points went into Constitution, in batches of three. This added 165 points to the stat, narrowly bringing him above the threshold. His body began to warp as the effects came into being, and he gritted his teeth, sitting cross legged. His body began to swell against the constraints of his skin, which was far harder to expand. However, he could tell that the effects of this threshold was somewhat limited by his possession of the Resilience threshold. If he was not wracked with soul wrenching agony, he would have planned around this. However, that was neither here nor there.

He could feel every aspect of himself growing, in both a physical and spiritual sense. His entire being pressed against invisible constraints, as his presence within the world increased. His body turned to soup as it pulverized itself against these constraints, before coming back together as one. Jonathan kept his teeth tightly gritted as this happened, letting the pain wash over him without comment. Eventually, the torture was over, and he was met with a notification.

You have passed the Second Threshold of Constitution!

In your journey of progression, you have learned that the only thing that you can trust is the strength of your own body. Allies can be fickle, magic can fail, city walls can fall. However, your own body is your temple, and it will last until your death. As a devotee of the path of Constitution, you know this better than most. Until you lie bleeding and broken at the feet of a truly overbearing opponent, you shall never surrender.

Jonathan closed the message, and opened the next one.

You have gained a new title!

Vital Initiate: Mythical

For reaching the second threshold of Constitution during Tier 2, you have proven your dedication to your path. You will obliterate all obstacles in your way through the strength and durability of your body. Although you might take a while to get there, nothing will resist your inexorable advance.

Bonuses: +10% boost to effective Constitution utilization

Jonathan closed the message and sighed. He was only getting started here. He had enough points to pass one more threshold. He decided to go with Intelligence, given that it would actively boost his mana reserves. Seventy eight points were slotted into the stat, sending 130 points into it after the multiplier. Immediately, the process began. His mind began to bulge with a torrent of insights. Initially, it was fine, enlightening even, but soon it became painful. The information was completely random, and seemingly infinite, as if he had tapped into a universal hub of constant commentary on reality.

By the time ten seconds had passed, he was fighting to hold on as the tide threatened to sweep his psyche away. Streams of completely useless knowledge burned through his brain in a never ending cascade of mind shattering enlightenment. If he did not know better, he would have sworn that his head had exploded at some point, no matter how impossible that was. Then the stream started to slow down, granting him reprieve. By the time it was finished, he found himself lying on the ground, convulsing. Every threshold was worse than the previous, and although his will and bodily strength had been tempered, he knew that was only a stopgap. Eventually, there would be a limit that he would have to pass. As he slowly recovered, he read over his notification.

You have passed the Second Threshold of Intelligence!

In your journey of progression, you have learned that nothing is ever eternal. Things come and go, even the gods themselves. To catalog such a universe, intelligence is needed, intelligence that goes beyond the realm of mortal ken. While the Intelligence stat is not true intelligence, it helps the truly wise to find their path.

Jonathan opened up the title interface next, idly wondering what would happen when he gathered all six.

You have gained a new title!

Knowledgeable Initiate: Mythical

For reaching the second threshold of Intelligence during Tier 2, you have proven your dedication to your path. Your mind is mighty indeed, even if your body might lack its power. A true devotee of the magical arts knows that this is not a curse at all.

Bonuses: +10% boost to effective Intelligence utilization