Ethan entered his room in the Inn, he had been quite nervous about been attacked from the back on his way here, he didn’t really trust the people here, despite how polite or grateful they seemed.
“Stupid Master, flying up on his own.”
Ethan muttered a complaint as he threw himself on the bed.
“Ha! What's that way of talking about your Master? Silly kid, I haven’t left you alone.”
His Master’s voice sounded right beside his ear, making Ethan jump up.
Next to the bed, a small golden-crimson bird stood looking at him. Ethan noticed the barrier in his room reappeared as last night.
“You think I’d let you alone among those monsters? And later in the city?”
Navin tilted his bird head to one side, sometimes Ethan felt silly when talking to his Master when he was in this form, which he kept doing at random intervals, apparently because it amused him.
“Well, you did fly away, and I only heard your voice when you told me to throw the Bloodvenus Crystal into that hole and it turned out to be a giant monster.”
“Well, I figured you’d be safe and capable of returning on your own, I didn’t expect you to ride a Voracious Vulture, though. That was funny.”
Navin changed back into his human form and sat on the floor cross-legged, he signaled for Ethan to do the same.
“Besides, it was better for you to think I was away from you, so you wouldn’t need to lie when they inevitably questioned you.”
“Ah, I see… Master, did you hear the interrogation then?”
“Yes, they don’t see you as a threat yet, but they are curious about you, your origin, and your Master, as well as the things we have, but they aren't planning on taking any hostile action for now.”
“Hmm. Then what now?”
“Now we do whatever we want, whether you want to stay here or go to another city or another country is fine by me. I actually encourage you to travel and explore, but training is still the top priority.”
“Can we go to another world?”
“We can, but there are still some things I want to investigate in this world, though it’s nothing urgent. This place will also provide a good environment for your training, so let’s stay. At least until you are Tier 3, then I can take you to a higher realm.”
“Tier 3? Ah, the ascension stuff you mentioned.”
Ethan’s casual reply earned him a strike on the head by a magically summoned toy hammer. It made a funny *Pikin* noise when it hit.
“This is important information, Ethan. Keep that in mind and focus on studying it.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Come on, look within yourself, search about the stages of cultivation.”
At his Master’s words, Ethan recalled the information within his mind, the mysterious rune that hid the secrets of his cultivation art was still shining as ever within him, but it didn’t give him all information.
Although he could glance at it, Ethan could feel and ‘see’ that the information was layered, he could ‘read’ through the first and second layer without issue, but on the third layer there were things covered by fog, with the 4th layer covered in darkness and from that point on the layers only let vague ideas and feelings about what was inside be detected.
It reminded Ethan of some video games from back home where there were locked characters or scenarios that you could only see as a black figure or a giant lock stamped over the image of the future map covering most of the view.
Navin had explained the existence of Tiers or Stages of cultivation when Ethan had asked about this situation yesterday before going to sleep.
“Every system for absorbing, manipulating, and cultivating energy is divided into Stages or Tiers. How much you understand that energy and how well you can utilize it determines the amount of power one possesses. Greater comprehension means greater amounts of power and higher energy levels.”
Ethan started speaking and closed his eyes, carefully choosing his words. He started drifting more and more in the information while looking at the mysterious rune.
Every path of cultivation was different, every world used a different system for manipulating energy, and even within the same world, there will be many different schools and people using different methods to cultivate and comprehend the Cosmos.
However, while the names and the methods may vary between practitioners, there were some things that were common, and that was the existence of Stages or Tiers in the process of advancing in cultivation.
Each stage had its own characteristics that defined it from other stages, although those characteristics varied between Practitioners of different systems, and the titles held by those in a certain stage was different in each world, the number of Stage and Tiers remained the same.
According to the information provided by the Rune within Ethan's mind, there existed 12 Stages of Practice in the Cosmos.
In ordinary mortal worlds, there were 3 Tiers that could be achieved, and one would need to ascend to higher worlds in other to cultivate to higher stages.
In Advanced Worlds, there could be people up to the 6th Tier, whereas in the Greater Worlds, one could reach up to the 9th Tier.
Once a Practitioner had reached the 9th Tier, they were considered Deities and could step into the realm beyond all worlds, the Peak of the Cosmos, the Divine Realm.
Within the Divine Realm, there was also a division between high and low, with the Major Gods being of Tier 10. They were the Regents of the Laws of the Cosmos, with only one being above them.
The Sovereign of the Gods. For eons, he was the only one in the history of the Cosmos to reach the 11th Tier.
Until Navin appeared.
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Right now, Navin was standing at the threshold of Tier 12, which would be Transcendence. Enabling him to go beyond this Cosmos, to the Realm Beyond Divine.
Humans and most creatures were born as mortals, which was considered Tier 1 or the Stage of Accumulation. That was when people started to cultivate by gathering Qi, Mana, Aura, and other energies from the cosmos. It was when they learned how to use basic Skills and techniques.
The Second Tier was known as the Vessel Tempering Stage, where the body or mind would be strengthened to really supernatural levels depending on the practice method or system that one used. Swordmasters, martial artists, axe wielders, archers and such would be strengthening their physical bodies and senses, while mages, shamans, psions, and other such practitioners would be enhancing their minds and mental faculties. It was during this stage that people would have what Ethan called ‘superpowers’ and also extended their lifespans.
The Third Tier was called Awakening, it was when one unlocked the hidden attributes of the soul, opening oneself to the Cosmos and realizing the path to ascension.
But Ethan couldn’t look at the information about Stage 4, all he knew was that someone of that level couldn’t be in an ordinary world, the density of their existence would pull them to a higher world.
“It’s basically that when I am higher-leveled I can enter higher realms, right?”
Ethan said while opening his eyes.
Across from him, his Master smiled broadly.
“Finally awake? You really are quite something, entering a meditative state so easily and naturally.”
“Ah?”
Navin chuckled at the sight of his flabbergasted Disciple.
“You were silent and deep in your own thoughts for hours, but that’s good, it means your understanding of what you were reflecting about will be greater. Ah, don’t worry, it’s not like you would suddenly fall into a cultivation coma while meditating, a simple slap or a push would have snapped you out of it. When you gain more control over your thoughts, you will be able to control it. This happened because you let your mind drift while staring into the Primordial Soul Profound Breath Rune, since it is so advanced and mysterious, way above your current level, you are naturally entranced by it.”
Ethan looked outside, indeed it was getting darker.
“I see…”
Ethan replied absentmindedly. It hadn't felt that long for him, just about a few minutes as he read the information inside the Rune, then properly analyzed it and ordered his thoughts for replying his Master. He hadn't expected that, in reality, entire hours had passed.
“Anyways, to answer your previous question: yes, that’s the case. Also, attempting to enter a higher realm without the proper preparation would be very harmful. It’s like trying to swim deeper into the ocean, it gets darker and the pressure gets higher on your body until the point it is unbearable.”
Navin explained in an amused tone. A practitioner from a lower realm could enter a higher world, but if they didn't have proper assistance, like a protective artifact or a high-level practitioner to cover them, the oversaturation of energies would be fatal. There were some who managed to adapt despite the sudden jump and big difference in the environment, but those were rare exceptions.
“But Master, if you have the necessary equipment you can dive deeper than without it, and one can take submarines to explore the depths of the ocean. Can the same be done with worlds?”
Navin considered it for a moment and answered with a more serious tone.
“Yes, it can be done, but it’s still not the same, right? Being confined on a machine can’t compare to actually swimming inside the sea. And as cultivators, we need to be able to stand on our own, not depending on external sources.”
“Well, that’s true.”
Ethan agreed with it, it wouldn’t be the same, obviously, and his recent experience in the desert had shown him that there were very scary and dangerous monsters out there; the monsters would only be stronger in a higher world, so if one wasn’t high-level then they would only be a prey to be eaten by others.
“And the same applies on the reverse, someone from the higher realms won’t have it easy to descend to lower worlds. If the gap is small, it’d be like asking a gigantic fish from the deep sea to go to the surface, the surface would be lacking the environment that can sustain it, both in the sustenance for breathing and the food. If the difference is bigger, then it would be more like asking a giant to feed on ants, he would only starve to death and produce damage to the environment if he attempted to satiate his hunger.”
Navin continued the explanation. He made some projections in the air to clarify his examples. If a low-level practitioner entering a higher world was like a shipwrecked person drowning due to the raging waves of the sea, a high-level practitioner descending to a lower world was like a wanderer in the barren desert suffering starvation and dehydration.
“The higher realms have greater energies on them, and the Qi there is way denser than in lower worlds, going unprepared to a world that’s too advanced for you would get you killed. Even the very laws of physics in that new world could be completely alien to you and the air be unbreathable for you, so if you don’t have the necessary power and the ability to adapt, you’d die almost instantly. You could get crushed by the gravity, shredded into bits by the wind blowing, turned into ashes by the radiating energies, and a very long etcetera. Of course, the higher worlds have people born there and they aren’t born with a high level of cultivation, but their physiques are different, adapted to the environment thanks to their parents.”
“Evolution at work, eh?”
“Exactly.”
They both smiled. An idea surged inside Ethan's mind, he looked at his Master for a moment before asking his next question.
“Then how are you here Master? You are at the very top of the Stages, right? I saw it… read it… ehm… learned it, yeah, learned it from the rune. You told me you fought alongside and against the Gods, right? If you are so powerful, this world shouldn't be able to hold you in, or I should be dead if we entered a world capable of housing you, no?”
“It’s ok to say it any way you want; hear, see, read or feel, it is all those at once and more. As for your question, well that’s due to 2 main factors: one, after you reach a certain level you can bypass the restrictions of the worlds, you need to be above Tier 7 to do it and one needs to restrain the use of power or the entire world could get damaged, but it can be done. Two, this is not my real body, but a thought-construct, a Nirmita; consider it an Avatar of myself.”
“Ohh, cool. Is that why you take that Phoenix form sometimes?”
“Yeah, it’s part of the reason. The type of Nirmita I use is different from a normal one, I use a special formation as the base, and this particular Nirmita I’m using right now is even more special, since I used a unique ability to strengthen it.”
“Awesome, so you are in many places at once?”
“Yes, my real body is in the Divine Realm, while my second body and 4 Nirmitas are traveling through the cosmos doing different things as we speak.”
Navin turned back into a small Phoenix and hovered in front of Ethan.
“Sounds very convenient. But isn’t it hard to do or confusing, Master?”
“I got used to it, besides, I have a strong mind and soul, so I can do it with ease. Well, that Hunter guy is coming here to look for you, probably for the feast he promised. Go have some fun, I’ll guard you from a distance. Don’t worry about poison, I can detect it and warn you in advance, even if you ingest it, I can erase it easily. Just be careful about not making any promises with them, ok?”
“Yes, Master. But… shouldn’t you come with me openly? That would be better to deal with them.”
“Hmm, maybe, but I don’t want to, and they would be nervous in front of me, so it would be boring. You go, have fun.”
Finishing speaking, Navin covered Ethan in a cleansing fire before disappearing and the barrier on the room dissipated.
Ethan let out a resigned laugh at his Master’s whimsical attitude and stood up. He contemplated changing his clothes, but decided to keep them and just get some robe over his shirt for going to the feast, he didn’t know what to expect, but he figured that a simple cream-colored robe would do fine.
Barely 5 minutes later, there was a knock on the door.
“Hey, Ethan. Are you busy now?”
Kareb, the veteran hunter, spoke in a friendly manner once Ethan opened the door.
“Not really, I was about to go out for a walk, I haven’t toured the city yet.”
Ethan answered casually, pretending he didn’t know why Kareb had come.
“Hahahaha, you are quite an interesting lad! To think there would be someone to come to this far and dangerous place and speak of a tour!”
Kareb laughed merrily. Lauhr City was definitely not a tourist attraction, as it was on the border of one of the most dangerous locations in the world. It saw a lot of business, true, but that was done only by those whiling to risk their lives here, not those aiming to have fun.
“Are you ready then?”
“Yeah, let’s go. Where are we going, anyway?”
Kareb slung an arm over Ethan’s shoulder.
“I promised before and I am a man of my word. For the help you gave us earlier today, I’m gonna get you a feast!”
He started walking ahead and Ethan went behind him, he couldn’t help but smile at the jovial energy Kareb projected.
Suddenly, Kareb turned around after going downstairs, he stared intently at Ethan.
“Hey, you can drink alcohol, right?”