Ultimate Level 1

Chapter 423: What Rank Comes Next

Chapter 423 - What Rank Comes Next

“What you are saying is that you are far stronger than Igarra ever was,” Quilazmore stated. “To have a skill above Legendary is… very prestigious.”

Max glanced at the others who were all nodding slightly in agreement.

“I’m not planning on going out and promoting that I have one,” he replied. “Only a fool would do that.”

“Not necessarily,” Everett said, stopping the stroking motion he had been doing on his chin. “Your friend is right. For others to know this could strike fear or doubt in their ability to overcome you. There will always be a list of those who believe they might win while someone else lost. Knowing your potential power may cause some to dismiss their desire to fight.”

“Don’t doubt for a moment that a crafter wouldn’t tell everyone about their skill rank,” Fowl added. “Any dwarf with a Godly tier rank would be singing it from the ale houses.”

“But Ruznula was a better crafter than I am. Everyone knew about her skill and yet…” he paused, considering what had happened when he and the head weapon crafter for the king spoke. “She never admitted to having a Godly rank, simply smiling when I said something.

“Even Buwingrid never came right out and said her mother had that rank.”

“There have been rumors swirling around about that old dwarf for so long. Since you’ve been gone, Quilazmore has been trying to get me to confirm different crafters within this part of the city and their ranks for commissioning work. Igarra didn’t spend much time with many of them as she didn’t need the items they made.”

As the vorpal rabbit spoke, a tablet appeared in his hand and he started poking it.

“None of the crafters I have listed confirmed a rank above Legendary. As you said, many smiled or made jokes about what theirs actually was, but none confirmed it.”

Tanila’s fingers were drumming across the table slightly as she sat next to him, keeping the same cadence as the three fingers tapped over and over.

“Do you have something to add my love?”

Frowning she shook her head.

“Nothing specific other than confirming what everyone is saying. My father never publicly denied it when some said he must have one, but he also never came right out and claimed it. He occasionally spoke about the power that came from being above a legendary skill and the goal that we needed to have to acquire one. Yet in all my time… I can’t recall ever hearing about an elf with one outside a story or tale of some kind.”

“Everett, does the Faction have a record you can recall of someone upgrading their skill that high?”

Chuckling, he shook his head.

“No… the power drain to get one to legendary is costly and none have ever been able to gain enough power that I am aware of even to attempt it. Even… Baldin never considered getting that rank as he knew what it cost our Faction to give him the Legendary one. Imagine being responsible for fifty or potentially one hundred or more adventurers missing out on a Legendary skill upgrade simply to try and push yours to that limit.”

A low whistle came from their ranger.

Grunting, Max could easily absorb the knowledge and information others were sharing, yet he didn’t like how it appeared something else was hidden from everyone.

Could this be another tower thing? Like the last floor? Something some might know but don’t or can’t talk about?”

I doubt it's as much a can’t as a don’t. You’re easily talking about it, and I think the progression is possibly the most important thing. Imagine if you’re a god or someone else in charge of educating people on different ranks. Think about how that first sharing of knowledge to a world one creates and the people or species born in the god's image.

How do you tell them this is how powerful you can get? Do you simply say, ‘ Well, after Legendary is Legendary+ and then Legendary++, followed by ten more?’ Or do you say Godly, knowing none of them will ever achieve it? One path would confuse and dissuade them from even trying. The other would give them a goal to achieve, even if they all know it seems impossible.

The truth of what Bob said made sense on so many levels, and yet Max’s biggest hang-up was what came next.

“Is this something we need to lose sleep over?” Batrire asked. “I mean, you’re telling us you achieved something none of us would have imagined. Shouldn’t we be celebrating that?”

Fowl and Cordellia both pounded the table softly, and he knew that their healer was right.

“You’re always keeping me grounded,” Max replied. “I’m just wondering more about the long-term end of things. With each of you having acquired the skill ranks you did, what comes next? How do we get Fowl’s shield skill to the next level and what would that actually do for him?”

A grunt from their dwarf, followed by a frow,n told him what he had done.

“Sorry… I forgot that not everyone knows that.”

“I know… you’re excited, and this is big news. Stil,l I’d prefer not to share everything about me that makes me special.”

“Like your wonderful personality?”

Fowl gave Cordellia the middle finger as he smiled at her.

“If I can interrupt,” Aethern said as she stood. “I think both of you are right but if I’m honest, we need to start working on the list of things Max gave us. Rakonath and I need to get out and he needs to fly some. Meanwhile, I’m very interested in seeing this teleporter stationed up in the sky.”

“Please hold off on that for a moment,” Jazzjak asked. “Until he notifies everyone that you are part of his group and that you aren’t here as a challenger or as someone standing in his place, we’d prefer to keep any possible chaos to a minimum.”

“Is it that bad?”

The vorpal rabbit nodded.

“Before he came and defeated Igarra, only one dragon reigned here. There is still a lot of animosity towards those from that kind simply because of how she could be. Here on this world, strength comes from killing and she was a monster when it came to that.”

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Is that such a bad thing?

Max turned his head and saw Rakonath’s silver eyes focused on him.

“Do you want to ask that question out loud or you asking that just for me?”

Everyone turned to see what Max was talking about and a huff came from the younger dragon.

“I had not meant to say it out loud but I can. In a world like this is killing a bad thing? From what I’ve learned, there are or were rules here which limited how people kill. Chaos and disorder were kept to a minimum. You had mentioned the different rings of the city and how people in the farthest rings were often forced into slavery and yet none of that has stopped or changed since you took over. Meanwhile, all of the arenas are still active and fights are taking place.

“Somewhere out in the sand areas and beyond, I’m certain there are beings who are living and fighting as the world turns. Unlike your world, which has a different set of rules for getting stronger, if this world requires such a thing, how can you hope to change them?”

Chuckles from around the table caused the dragon to frown and Max stood, moving the few yards between them. With his hand he gently began to scratch the scales along Rakonath’s snout.

“That is a question i can’t answer or have simple solutions to. I’ve posed them to Everett before and that is one of the reasons why he is here. Jazzjak and Quilazmore both understand my concern but know their world better and explain how actions I might take will or won’t work. For now all I can do is try to protect the people here from being under someone that would abuse or misuse them.”

“But it also has to do with gaining power and items?”

His face reacted to the question that came from a creature that was less than a year old but somehow had wisdom and knowledge that surpassed many who had lived a lifetime.

He asks questions like that and I know that at no point is Rakonath trying to trap me, seem judgemental or has ulterior motives. He’s not naive… but innocent?

Your… dragon is trying to learn about two worlds and the human he is bonded to. He can see the kindness in your heart and has never watched you do what you must in order to protect those you love. Everything he has learned is from words or a dream. Can you blame him for wondering how you might have ulterior motives for staying in power here?

But we both agreed that I needed to remove Kazrak…

Sometimes yes, sometimes no, but we’re not here to have this conversation. For now, answer him as best you can and then make sure that Quilazmore shows him the replay of your fight. Rakonath needs to learn what it is you can really do and see how you use not just your might but also your mind.

“Tell you what… when we’re done here I’m going to make sure you get a chance to watch how my fight took place. Perhaps that would help you understand me a little better.”

“Is this your idea or… the other ones?”

Laughing, Max scratched harder on the scales, getting a trill in return.

“Let’s not tell all of them,” he whispered and motioned to the table with his head. “Not everyone knows about him.”

Ahh so like your dwarf friend having a Legendary Shield skill and you telling all of them?

Laughter echoed deep inside his mind and he knew Bob was enjoying this moment.

“Yes… exactly like that.”

A small thrum came from his dragon, who nudged him with his snout before laying it on the ground.

Well, then, I apologize.

Giving the large head a playful swipe, Max moved back to the table and pointed at the door.

“Alright, let’s get to work. Aerthen is right. We have a lot of things to do, and I want to make sure as much as possible is done before we head back.”

***

Watching a replay of the message he had just done, Max shook his head, still struggling to understand the technology as it was called here and what it could do.

“So… that replay,” Fowl asked, “is going out to how many different worlds?”

“Just ours,” Jazzjak stated as he tapped a few buttons on what was known as a large keyboard. “The one of the fight you all watched went out to over five thousand worlds.”

Tanila’s hand squeezed his arm tighter at that number, and Max could see her pulling some of her lip inward.

“How… how many worlds are there?” Cordellia asked.

Scratching a spot between his ears, the vorpal bunny glanced up at the overhead ceiling and hummed for a few seconds.

“I’m not sure any of us knows, but I know of over ten thousand. Rumors swirl and abound about how many there really are, but those numbers hurt my tiny brain.”

“Ten thousand,” their ranger muttered. “And… are they all as strong as this one?”

Shaking his head, Jazzjak pointed at her and then at Fowl.

“Which of you is stronger?”

The pair glanced at one another, smirking for a moment.

“As in who would win in a fight?” Fowl asked.

Nodding, the rabbit grinned as both sized the other up.

“Well, I could shoot him all day long and kite him, never letting him catch me but I’m not certain I’d do any real damage. Even worse would be the fact that each time I hit him… it wouldn’t be good for me.”

Fowl grunted and frowned.

“And I’d never catch her… I guess it would be whoever starved first or perhaps fell asleep and was killed during that time?”

“So what you’re telling me is that neither of you is stronger and yet each of you are powerful in your own way.”

Cordellia chuckled as their warrior shrugged.

“There are worlds like that out there. Similar and different. Some like yours allow you to get stronger by killing specific creatures inside a dungeon. We don’t have that here. Even though our tower is based on killing things, the truth is you must be powerful even to attempt it. Many have entered since Max left, and we opened it. Most have returned but a few did not. It would appear that those who have been successful are already strong, and the smarter ones have grouped up, working to help each other get stronger. Typically, though, it is only in groups of two or three.”

“And the other worlds?”

“Are even more different,” Jazzjak stated. “Some could come here and crush most of us. Others would be far weaker than any of us. Many worlds are mixtures of different species, while some are only one. Some worlds are locked in constant battles with others and need ones like ours to outfit or resupply their fighters.

“Your world, for whatever reason, is not part of this collective, though I could venture a guess why.”

“And that would be?” Fowl asked.

“Your gods don’t allow it. Anything else I’d venture to guess is just that, a guess. All I can tell you is what I’ve learned since Max changed everything here in the past months. Like you must be feeling right now, there was a time when my brain felt like it hurt from so many things I thought were one way, but it turned out to be different.”

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