Sieg moved his foot and stretched his arms and legs just a little bit. He had been standing in this arena for quite a while, he longed to feel a firm surface supporting his buttocks.
But Mister Knight seemed too absorbed in thought, and it would be awkward to interrupt, so the boy decided to endure it a little longer.
"Origin Arts are a specific archetype that manifests from an Ascendant's Aspects," Mister Knight said, seemingly unbothered by the cold, while Sieg could feel the shivers.
Sieg let out a small cold cough. "Then this Exalted Art, Mister Knight… [Permafrost Revenant] — is it the result of having Domination and Sorcery as a hybrid?" he asked, trying to piece everything together.
Mister Knight nodded faintly. "Correct. You're beginning to understand. Permafrost Revenant is the culmination of my path — my third evolution, to be precise."
"At Elite 1, because I had both Domination and Sorcery as a hybrid, that combination manifested into an Origin Art called [Revenant]."
"By Elite 3, these evolved, giving way to [Awakened Art: Frost Revenant]. And Upon reaching Elite 6, what you see now is the Third Evolution, [Exalted Art: Permafrost Revenant]."
"And finally," Mister Knight continued, "there is still one more evolution left for me at Elite 9: [Ascended Art]. But I am far from reaching that point."
---
Elite 0: Dormant
Elite 1-2: Origin
Elite 3-5: Awakened
Elite 6-8: Exalted
Elite 9: Ascended
---
Sieg's mind was having difficulties in keeping up with the scale of Mister Knight's progression throughout his lifetime. "Th… that's… incredible!" he stammered, "To think that there are still stages beyond even what you've mastered… I can barely imagine what it must take to reach Elite 9!"
He swallowed hard, then, unable to contain his curiosity any longer, asked cautiously, "Mister Knight… how does one even… progress through the Elite ranks?"
Mister Knight's gaze remained focused as he explained, "Progression through the Elite ranks comes from accumulating Orbs — Gather enough, and you have one of the prerequisites to ascend to the next Elite stage."
Sieg frowned. "Orbs…?" he repeated, a bit confused. "What exactly is an Orb?" though he did remember seeing it on Mister Knight's attribute screen.
"Orbs are the very energy of Eclipse creatures and Collapsals made tangible," Mister Knight said, his voice low. "And, grimly, from other Ascendants who perished — each one that dies leaves behind an Orb, and those who survive can claim it themselves."
Sieg's stomach twisted at the thought, and a cold shiver ran down his spine. Another Ascendant… killing another Ascendant... The idea felt both impossible and terrifying. To rise in power, one might have to take a life equal to their own — a rival, a peer, someone just like them.
He looked back at Mister Knight, awe and fear warring in his gaze. " I didn't realize… it could come to that…"
Mister Knight's expression softened slightly, though his tone remained as a lecture. "Do not worry about that for now. At Elite 0, you cannot gain Orbs — not until you have awakened your first Aspect and manifested your Origin Art. Until then, such concerns are meaningless to you."
Sieg nodded slowly, trying to comprehend the responsibilities of what he had just heard. "I… understand, Mister Knight. I'll focus on awakening my Origin Art first."
"But when you said 'prerequisite,' Mister Knight… what exactly did you mean? Aside from Orbs, is there something else required?"
Mister Knight finally moved, stretching his shoulders in a slow, careful motion. The faint sound of his joints cracking echoed in the cold air.
"Whatever I meant by 'prerequisite,'" he said, "you will understand once you become an Ascendant. As for now, it is trivial to your current situation, and everything else will reveal itself in time."
As Mister Knight stretched his limbs, Sieg noticed an underlying tone behind his movements. His mentor was preparing for something. At the same time, the boy's curiosity flared, and he hesitated only for a moment before inquiring.
"Mister Knight. if you don't mind me asking, your attributes how strong are they? And what is the gap between your strength and mine?"
Mister Knight didn't respond, and Sieg felt the atmosphere between them change. Instinctively, he grabbed his longsword, trusting his gut feeling.
"I have spoken long enough — I brought you here not to lecture you, but to test you," Mister Knight said firmly.
Sieg didn't utter a word. His heartbeat pounded abnormally fast, almost as if he were facing an apex predator in the wild. It was terrifying how quickly Mister Knight's demeanor could change.
"You're curious about the gap between us?" Mister Knight asked. He pulled his longsword from where it was struck into the ground and held it beside him, facing Sieg.
"I am, Mister Knight…" Sieg replied carefully.
"Very well," Mister Knight said, then moved his left foot, checking the fitting of his boots, and shrugged off some snow that had accumulated on his shoulders. "None of what I taught you matters if you're incapable of performing it in combat. I ought to demonstrate it to you."
The air between them grew tense as Sieg gulped, his grip on his sword trembling. The aura emanating from Mister Knight was dangerous and suffocating.
› [Notice: In the presence of a higher-Elite Ascendant, those lower on the ladder will struggle to stand their ground. This is the effect of an Ascendant's presence.]
› [Mister Knight is asserting dominance of the battlefield.]
As Sieg saw the system screen, Mister Knight commanded, "Sieg, defend yourself."
… "HUH?! WAIT, I'M NOT READY!"
In the blink of an eye, Mister Knight vanished. A sudden gust of wind swept through the arena, whipping up snow and dust in a blinding swirl.
Desperately, Sieg dodged to his right across the concrete — only to see Mister Knight reappear a few paces from him.
As he tumbled on the ground, Sieg felt, and heard, a terrifying force.
A sharp white shockwave rippled outward from Mister Knight's blade, tearing across the arena. The force smashed into the elevated seats in its path, splintering stone and sending debris scattering.
"Mister Knight… you've been hiding this strength all this time?!" Sieg's voice trembled.
His mentor shook the arm holding the blade twice, deliberately.
"Do not let my status intimidate you," he said firmly. "I did not teach you to be afraid. Stand and face me."
Chapter End.