In blood-soaked Crusade, weeks blurred into a tempest of sacred slaughter, two months of endless battle, of Holy War.

  Angar reveled in it, loving every second. For the most part, every fraught instant, save for the petty frictions grating at their fraternity, and the accursed tangles of forested battlegrounds, where the flora attacked as much and as viciously as the spawn of Hell.

  Spirit failed to return, to visit for a mere moment, agitating him a great deal.

  He couldn't get near gateways, or else the ancient evils beyond seized his mind with their iron demands to step through.

  Rebuking them was no simple matter, but a brutal war, the horrors clawing at his soul, nearly shattering his mind and will.

  Salvador had tested it mercilessly. Did full Resilience or frayed to threads matter? Yes, though he'd always managed to free his mind, fortunately.

  Did proximity sharpen the vise? It did.

  Repetition and experience were no help. It always worsened, the chorus swelling to drown all. Each test was a nightmare unfit for honing his will, giving no gain, only scars.

  Thankfully, the Saint relented after sating his curiosity.

  There was no need or reason to approach a gateway so closely, so Angar just stayed away.

  Garioch's armor grew ever more compromised with rents and breaches, thus consigning him more often to the turret's vigil, while Salvador's barbs rained upon him like that turret’s discharge, ceaseless insults, tearing the man down.

  Simo stoically kept his head lowered and endured, avoiding earning the Seraph's disdain, seen by Salvador as more of a tool than a man, a mere instrument.

  They returned to Fort Acre only five times, all those short respites orchestrated by Salvador days ahead of time, minimizing the hours spent in the base as they attended worship service, gave confession, had their gear repaired and supplies replenished, the credits for such flowing from their unwanted loot drops.

  He clung to a cache of treasures amid the spoils, artifacts of rare worth he intended to barter within his chapter for those gear points. Though he had little need for such himself, a scheme stirred in his mind, one that would bend these items to a greater purpose.

  During their first interlude, Angar sought word of Vernost, but the captain’s company wasn’t deployed to Crusade. He’d like to clasp her gauntlet once again, to offer his gratitude for the help bestowed in those early days striding the Glorious Path.

  Every time they returned to base, that den of inequity not only remained operational, but grew, and he wondered why the Ordines Sanctus Puritas allowed it.

  Then back to the grind of Crusade, of war, scouring their assigned sector of its infernal taint, hordes of Hellspawn writhing in their blasphemous multitudes, Gatekeepers stomping around like petty tyrants.

  Once, Salvador was summoned to join the mightiest Seraphs in battle against Karos, a Dreadfiend whose profane whispers were too much for most to be anywhere near, as the named entity of Hell cast a shadow of terror across Abyssalhome.

  Only twice did a gateway in their sector spew enemies too dangerous, beyond the four’s capacity to handle, that retreat became necessary.

  Salvador summoned Templar Companies forthwith, cohorts of Saints and Seraphs descending upon the breach in fury each time.

  To observe their onslaught from afar proved unremarkable, a nice light show, a rote recitation of doctrinal precision. They waged war as Vernost's own company had, deploying the same stratagems.

  Watching them battle was boring, a tedious affair, but their tactics ensured their wellbeing, safe in their numbers at range, the reason why ascension was such a crawl for most.

  Surety and caution reigned paramount, disregarding the blaze of glory, tempering impatience with the cold statistics of survival’s craft.

  Angar gave silent thanks that fate had steered him from such a regimented chapter. The monotony would have unraveled his sanity.

  The inefficiency of that slow grind, despite the safety, was proven by Simo attaining the exalted pinnacle of level 99, ascending to Paragon weeks ago, blazing through the third Tier much more quickly than the norm.

  As armor sets never dropped complete, and were far too expensive to trade others drops for, Simo still wore his third-Tier suit, but he’d gotten a sleek Low-Realm lancer. A few other upgrades from fallen Gatekeepers and such now complemented his gear, scavenged from the Crusade’s endless slaughter.

  Reaching Paragon was a triumph worthy of roaring feasts and drunken toasts, but the relentless grind of Holy War left little room for revelry.

  Angar and Garioch planned to address that, vowing to honor Simo’s ascent when they returned to Fort Acre for the mandatory New Year’s Eve Mass and festivities the last week of December.

  The requirement for Paragon diverged from those of Sainthood, though in essence they echoed one another in broad strokes, as did those of Hierarch, each requiring much time in combat, and victory over certain classifications of foes.

  The veteran commanded a couple group-rituals, the few every infantryman etched into their repertoire, but Paragon demanded no such knowledge.

  Hierarch, on the other hand, imposed the biggest burden there, mastery of at least seven solitary rites, and three wrought in unison with a group of brethren.

  As an E9, Praefectus Logis, Simo had dwelt as more an administrator in the rear than a fighter on the forefront. Years ago, he had fulfilled the managerial requirements, similar to those Angar still lacked.

  Hidetada had previously ordered Simo to take the Archetype most embraced by those ascending to Saint, Hierarch, or Paragon alike, being Bastion for most, Shepherd for those on more of a leadership path.

  Bastion: Your Resilience Stat gains +30% effectiveness when resisting corruption effects. All AP and SP must be allocated to Spirit and Resilience. Grants 1 additional Capstone Enhancer per Tier.

  Shepherd: Allies, including yourself, within 500 meters gain +10% Resilience per unique Shepherd source, stacking up to three times. All AP and SP must be allocated to Spirit and Resilience. Grants 1 additional Capstone Enhancer per Tier.

  Though many exceptions existed, Garioch and Speedster being one example, these two Archetypes were deemed all but essential when delving into the Underworld's graver perils, where corruption chipped away at both sanity and the soul like a ravenous beast.

  But most Seraphs claimed a partial Reset from the Holy System upon reaching the exalted third Realm, perhaps at its peak. Angar couldn’t quite recall the precise threshold.

  Whenever it came, those at the zenith often applied it to reshape their build, casting aside Bastion or Shepherd for an Archetype better attuned to their desired or destined role, as the need to ward off taint diminished for those who had clawed their way to the top.

  In the first Realm, one's Class and Abilities were mainly forged in stone, the second Realm honing that foundation without birthing new powers or reshaping the core.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Angar's own ascent dragged under the weight of the experience penalty unfairly imposed by Divine Theosis, a leaden chain that slowed his strides.

  But, especially when Salvador allowed him to break from the pack to hunt alone, claiming every scrap of glory undivided, progress inched forward slowly and steadily, like a tide breaking against rock.

  The third Tier already demanded patience, its levels a long grind, but this curse turned it into a torturous slog.

  Still, amid the ceaseless gateways spewing their infernal bile, he claimed respectable advances, determined not to let Theosis hamper his ascent, cresting level 75 three dawns of rough warring past, unlocking another precious Ability Option, though he couldn’t do anything but sit on it.

  Beyond that, he had gained two Ability Upgrades, hoarding them until their numbers were sufficient to exalt Lightning Strike in full. To apply them in piecemeal would fracture the Ability’s functioning, disrupting its purpose.

  No, he’d bide his time, forging it anew, not just prized merely for its shield, but for the ruin it could unleash upon his foes.

  This was along with two Attribute and Stat Points funneled into Body and Physique, further steeling himself against the unholy.

  From the Feat Option he gained at level 71, he had seized the one he had wanted for a while, one that thrummed with ancient fury.

  PROWESS OF BHIMA: Your might echoes with unyielding power, enhancing Physique by 2 points, while also increasing by 1 point each minute a foe is felled in battle, stacking against overwhelming odds. The effect enhances strength, not size.

  It failed to work as he had hoped, providing a cascading boon that swelled Resilience or amplified Power Level, but the surge in Physique grew pronounced in protracted clashes, forging him into a vessel for insane feats of might.

  The stack ceased at fifty, a crucial omission from the description’s brief scrawl, as was the truth that it evaporated immediately at battle's conclusion, or should he linger just a minute untouched by a foe's strike or his own retort.

  But the glorious fury coursing through his body at that fifty-fold pinnacle defied explanation.

  A great pick, that Feat.

  For some reason, the 2 Physique granted failed to trickle down. As far as he knew, they should have. A glitch?

  Loot-wise, they had all been making out like bandits, especially Salvador, who divvied out the drops. Angar assumed the Seraph kept the choicest items for himself, but that was a guess without any proof backing it.

  The bulk of the items handed into Angar's grasp proved worthless, fit only for trade. But fortune had graced him with a handful of true boons, or such were bartered from the hands of Garioch and Simo, though many were sequestered, reserved for after ascension.

  He did apply a Ring Enhancer to his Reliquary of Wrath, bringing it to Tier 3, a major upgrade he’d desired for a long while, the second equipped item he enhanced.

  Ring 1: Reliquary of Wrath, Tier 3 – Increases duration of channeled Abilities by 30%.

  Trinket/Accessory: The Unspoken Way (Enhanced 1)* – Enhances psychic power effectiveness and increases Resilience by 4 points. The wind blows where it wills, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.

  Enhancing the Unspoken Way, as it was without Tier, visibly increased the Resilience it provided by 1. As ‘enhanced’ was added to the title, he hoped it also improved its general functioning.

  With the Reliquary of Wrath now being Tier 3, increasing channel duration by 30%, Tempest now lasted 7.8 seconds from 7.2, merely giving him another spin, not another pulse of lightning. Lightning Bolt saw no benefit either.

  Not great, but the Low-Saint version increased duration by 35%, which would extend Tempest to 8.1 seconds, giving it another spin and pulse of lightning damage.

  He also had the High-Saint version of the ring, only waiting for his ascent.

  He had some other enhancers, also waiting until he ascended, as well as a choice of new rings requiring Low-Saint.

  Olcinator (Low-Realm) – Each initial direct damage instance has a 4% chance to reduce all active cooldowns by 1 second. (Subsequent damage of the same Ability such as periodic effects do not trigger this.)

  Storm Soul (Low-Saint/Hierarch) – Non-periodic electric damage has a 4% chance to unleash Echo Discharge, inflicting 10% of the hit's damage over 5 seconds as lingering shocks, and weakens the target's electric defenses, lowering resistance by 50% during the effect.

  Both seemed great, but as he couldn’t equip either yet, he hadn’t put much thought into which was better. He needed more information on what Storm Soul considered non-periodic too.

  As an alternative, he also had this drop.

  Purgator (Tier 3) – Grants a 36% chance per enemy killed to reduce all active cooldowns by 1 second.

  Great when facing large groups, a tempting replacement for the useless Auspex ring now.

  His Glory Points had crawled up to 179 from 114. Slow gains, as nearly all of his Glorious Achievements were shared, but gains nonetheless.

  After two months in the Seraph's shadow, watching Salvador tinker with his battlecycle or write in his journal after the post-combat tasks had been completed, Angar knew how the hours ahead would go.

  Barring some urgent hail, they’d linger in this clearing for six hours, maybe longer, before getting back to it.

  It was the time for sustenance, and rest for those needing it, for shared words among brothers, silent communion with the Lord, or one's ghosts.

  He’d already replenished his resources through prayer, ready to make another attempt at the Mindscape.

  Angar drew Fella’s missive from his pouch, its edges worn from countless touches.

  He pressed it to his nose, chasing a scent that had faded to a soft murmur of itself. He knew she wasn’t beautiful, more a beast than a woman, but in his mind’s eye, she'd become a vision of near perfection.

  Stowing the letter safely away, he grabbed a dense biobrick, chomping off a bite, and with a thought, summoned his Annals into view, poring over the tally of his hard-won gains.

  ANNALS OF SIR ANGAR MECIA (SAINT KRAKUS, ERIM, ZANAYA, EENGURRA)

  Age: 16

  Social: Holy Knight, Private, Lay Rank - Baron (liege lord of the planet Tribute, consisting of 42 fiefs. Direct ruler of one fief, Mecia, the other 41 sworn as vassals. Tribute has less than 6 million subjects and a negative income. For a detailed breakdown of the nominal ledger, tap here.)

  Chapter: The Smallest Spark

  Tier: 3

  Rank: Knight-Master

  Level: 75

  XP: 23%

  Glory Points: 179

  Voluvicas Credits: 61

  ATTRIBUTES, STATS, AND ADROITNESS

  (Each Attribute Point increases all Stats governed by that Attribute by 1. Applying 4 Stat Points to the same Stat will increase the governing Attribute by 1. Numbers in (parentheses) include increases from items.)

  BODY (Physical Attributes): With 19 AP applied – 64 (77)

  Physique (Size/Strength): With 19 SP applied – 95 (107)

  Endurance (Stamina/Health): 80 (93)

  Toughness (Physical Durability/Resistance): 89 (190)

  MIND (Non-Physical Attributes): 51

  Competence (Skills/Insight): 57

  Cognizance (Awareness/Perception): 65 (71)

  Resilience (Non-Physical Durability/Resistance): With 71 SP applied – 133 (141)

  SPIRIT (Metaphysical Attributes): 36 (39)

  Power Level (PL) (Ability Damage and Effectiveness): With 71 SP applied – 108 (111)

  Energy (Resource for Powers shown as Energy Points equal to 3 + (Energy Stat x 3)): 36 (39)

  Charges (Increases the number of times certain Abilities can be used per combat): 36 (39)

  ADROITNESS (Finesse/Reaction/Speed): 9 (10)

  RESOURCES

  Current/Maximum Energy Points: 120/120

  Current/Maximum Charges: 39/39

  FEATS

  ALACRITY OF ANGULIMALA: Your exceptional agility and swiftness grant you an almost preternatural awareness of impending danger, enhancing Adroitness by 1 point.

  BLESSING OF AL-KHIDR: Your intuition blurs the line between the apparent and the hidden, allowing you to discern deeper esoteric truths beyond what is immediately visible, guided by your faithful gut instincts.

  BODHI OF SIDDHARTHA: Beyond the Dibba-Cakkhu, your whole mind partially awakens, granting some clarity and awareness, enhancing general psychic ability and control, allowing deeper insight, extended range, and reduced mental strain in use.

  GRACE OF THE BLESSED MOTHER: Your bond with blessed Mother Mi Alcyone infuses you with a spark of her Divine purity, increasing your Spirit by 1 point and granting resistance to dark whispers and corruption beyond what is reflected in the Resilience Stat.

  LIGHT OF THE WORLD: And because he needed not that any should give testimony of man: for he knew what was in man.

  MIND OF SHALOTH’ESHK: Unlocks psychic potential.

  PROWESS OF BHIMA: Your might echoes with unyielding power, enhancing Physique by 2 points, while also increasing by 1 point each minute a foe is felled in battle, stacking against overwhelming odds. The effect enhances strength, not size.

  RAVANA’S BOON: Your ability to slowly regenerate applies to all injuries that do not immediately kill you. This minor regeneration effect cumulatively enhances (stacks with) most other sources of regeneration.

  RIGHTEOUS REBUKER: Your resistance to temptation, reflecting Jesus' obedience to God's will, fortifies against the corrupting whispers, temptations, and influences from creatures of Hell, effectively elevating your Tier by 1 for the exclusive purpose of resisting these influences.