Following my confrontation with Caleb, I began cataloging the systems and rules of this world--Earth-B7, a reality structured by the grand pillars.
Tiers 1 through 3 are the bedrock of society, comprised of E and D-rank citizens known as the "bronze ranks." To the elites, they are little more than statistics or laborers; they possess enough mana to keep the lights on, but not enough to change the wind. In a skirmish, a Tier-3 is a soldier, while a Tier-1 is merely a casualty.
Stepping into Tiers 4, 5, and 6, one stops being a face in the crowd and becomes a force of nature. These are the C B and A-ranks--the Silver and Gold tiers representing the backbone of the military and the elite guard. At Tier-6, a warrior can level a building with a single concentrated strike, commanding the respect of every one below them.
Tier-7 marks the threshold of the extraordinary: the S-rank, or platinum tier. Those who reach this level are strategic assets who don’t just fight; they dominate the battlefield, their presence alone can cause the weak-willed to tremble.
At Tier-8, one enters the realm of the SS-rank, the Emerald tier--the sovereigns of the society. To a Tier-8, physics is a suggestion rather than a rule; they move with a grace that defies sight and strike with the weight of a falling star.
Beyond them lie the god-tiers: Tier-9, the Diamond-rank Legendary Elites SSS-rank. To face a Diamond-ranked individual is to face a deity capable of shattering mountain ranges with a whisper or rewriting the laws of a city with a thought.
Above even these are the demi-humans, the pinnacle of the world system, capable of standing against cosmic-level entities. My parents are among them, though their whereabouts remain a mystery; a gap I intend to close once I have grown strong enough.
Curious about my own standing, I queried the system.
"System? What are my stats?"
((INITIALIZING...))
[GOD-TIER LEARNING SAGE]
NAME: OLIVER VEYRON
TIER: 0
RANK: E-
SKILL: ZERO-POINT MARTIAL ARTS {LOCKED}
ABILITY: HEAVEN’S JUDGMENT THUNDER
MANA: HEART OF NEBULA
UNIQUE SKILL: MONSTER VEINS |ABSURDITY OUTLIER
ULTIMATE SKILLS: {LOCKED}
"Tier-0?" I muttered, my heart sinking as I scanned the interface.
"I’m ranked E? That’s pathetic, Sage. You’ve made me a tier-less, bottom-of-the-barrel existence."
"..."
Silence. The System Sage ignored my complaint, but I didn’t care. My growth trait was absurd; no one would understand how an E-rank was scaling at this velocity. Still, why were my ultimate skills locked?
"System Sage, why are my skills grayed out?"
[Host must reach a certain level to activate these skills. Currently, I have prioritized upgrading your defensive capabilities to ensure your survival.]
"Fair enough. How does my mana attribute function?"
[Good question.The Heart of Nebula functions as a miniature, swirling galaxy within your core. Instead of a single stream of energy, billions of tiny stars of mana rotate inside you. This provides an infinite mana pool, meaning you never fatigue and have no recharge time.]
"Truly absurd," I murmured, stretching my limbs. "Next stop: Vanguard Academy."
*****
Vanguard Academy is the city’s most prestigious training grounds, where children of higher status comes to be trained into elite-combatants and where high-level spellcraft are learnt for impossible raids. Despite the strict entry requirements, I walked boldly to the gates. Two Tier-5 guards, hulking figures clad in armor with glowing spears, crossed their weapons to block my path.
"State your tier, boy," the left one growled. "Only Tier-4 and above are permitted for entrance examinations."
I simply held up my ID card displaying my E-rank status. The guards erupted into laughter.
"An E-ranker? You’ve got guts, kid. Leave or you’re brain-dead. E-ranks aren’t allowed to own a property, let alone attend this academy. Get lost before we use you for target practice."
[You are being mocked by Low-Tier pebbles.]
[ABSURDITY MULTIPLIER: 150.0x]
[NEW SKILL DETECTED: GUARD’S SPEAR MASTERY]
[LEARNING... 100% COMPLETE.]
"I’m not here to ask permission," I said, my voice dropping an octave.
The guard on the right lunged, his spear tip glowing with Tier-5 fire enchantment. To any onlooker, it was a blur of lethal heat. To me, it was moving through molasses. I stepped inside his guard, my hand moving fast enough to trigger a sonic pop. I grabbed the shaft; with a single twist, the reinforced alloy snapped like a twig.
"What--?!"
I drove my palm into his chest. I didn’t use a punch; I channeled the Heaven’s Judgment Thunder I’d acquired from Caleb. A shockwave of white lightning blasted him fifty feet backward, straight through the reinforced stone pillars.
The second guard froze, his spear trembling. He stared at my wrist.
"...A Tier-1... but that strength... it’s Tier-6 at least! Who are you?!"
"The name is Oliver Veyron," I said, stepping over the debris.
The guard paled at the mention of the last name which identified me as the offspring of the missing demi-gods. I ignored his priceless looks and entered the grand hall, where hundreds of high-tier students awaited testing.
The room was a sea of privilege, filled with children raised on mana-crystals. Among them, I saw a familiar face.
She stood near the center, shielded by a circle of Tier-7 bodyguards. Her hair was as dark as ebony with striking blue stripes, and her aura carried a chilling frost. My cheeks flushed at the sight of her. It was Suki. In my past life, she was my girlfriend, but here, she was Suki Von Valerius, heiress to the Northern Spire’s most powerful family--a Diamond-Tier prodigy.
As I walked forward, every gaze fell upon me like I was a stray dog. Suddenly, a voice boomed from the balcony. The Headmaster, draped in gold-trimmed robes, stepped forward. His boots hit the stone with a finality that could crush a man’s spirit.
"How did you get past the guards?"
I met his gaze without flinching.
"Your guards were inefficient. I’ve decided to enroll. Since I’m just a Tier-1, I suppose I’ll have to take a better spot for myself."
The hall erupted in jeers. Suki’s brow furrowed, her eyes betraying a flicker of confusion at my misplaced confidence.
"You want a better spot?"
The Headmaster laughed which was a cruel, jagged sound.
"Fine. We have a traditional test for the delusional. Defeat our testing automaton--a Tier-2 combat machine and you may stay. Fail, and you will be executed for trespassing."
A massive mechanical beast, constructed from divine obsidian and glowing blue cores, dropped from the ceiling, its sensor-eyes locking onto me.
[ANALYZING AUTOMATON...]
[CONSTRUCTION: DIVINE OBSIDIAN]
[WEAKNESS FOUND: MANA-CORE OVERLOAD]
I cracked my neck, feeling the multiplier climbing as the students laughed at the "homeless boy" about to be crushed.
"Let’s show them what an E-rank can do," I whispered to the system.