“I knew a time when the greatest of the Archons was only level 60, and they walked Esun like humans. But none remain to testify to my knowledge.”

Oreanan Vainen

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Comput---

Redistrib--

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Recalculating…

Calculation complete!

Ten levels removed.

🠊 Level 63 gained!

“I only had to lose 32 levels? This is too easy.” Vrogott, formerly an Archon, now an Archmagus, stepped from a tear in reality onto Esun, bereft of twenty-two of his levels, and mortal once again. He appeared in Cardona, the capital of Esultare, as it burned and shook, its streets filled with blood. He intended to meet with the , whom he was now only 20 levels above, instead of 50.

He encountered a slumbering surrounded by the corpses of fleeing civilians, looks of horror forever marked on their faces, and chuckled before moving on, floating a foot off the ground through the use of a simple spell.

He floated towards the Pentagonal Palace, though as he approached he spotted a eldery woman sprinting toward him, a gleaming blade in hand.

“.” He said casually, and a bolt of pure red electricity forked out from his hand, zapping the elderly figure from a hundred yards.

She stopped in her traps, and collapsed, smoke steaming off her. Vrogott continued without issue.

Level 39 earned!

earned!

Stina Walsh got back on her feet as Vrogott floated past, and spat in his face. “C’mon, you bastard. Is that your best shot?”

He spun to face her from a dozen feet away. “You’re a tough one. You’re right, though, I’ve gotten lazy. .”

Three identical bolts of golden lightning materialized from above and arced toward Stina. “!” She yelled, and her blade was suddenly in three places at once, deflecting all three bolts.

Level 40 earned!

Class advancement unlocked!

🠊 !

Talent Advancements unlocked!

🠊 !

🠊 !

“Got anything else? I’ll never turn down free levels.” Stina said, chortling heartily, though her sword arm shook from exertion.

“ .” Vrogott cast three level 40+ protection spells on himself quickly, flying backwards a ways. “What are you? That spell is ten levels higher than you, at least. You should be dead, not strolling around like it’s nothing.”

“What can I say? I’m strong as an ox, and quick as a sparrow. I’ve parried lightning, came back from the dead, battled the Demon King, and turned down a Duchy. I’m Stina Walsh, and I’m not about to drop to some upstart idiot with a few potent spells.”

“ .” Vrogott used his level 55 Talent, and cast a level 60 spell, reaching out for Stina.

“.” Walsh sidestepped his outreaching arm, and stabbed down into Vrogott’s side, her blade shattering against one of his ward, leaving him unharmed. With the hilt of her blade, she knocked his arm up at an angle, causing his right hand, sparking with void-black power, to slap into his face. Becoming panicked, he tore his hand away, but the spell had already dissipated, eating away at his remaining wards. Driving her blade into his heart, Walsh said chidingly: “The thing about is, while Void magic can destroy basically anything, it also doesn’t discriminate; it’ll take out your magic too.”

Before he could cast another spell, she beheaded him on the spot, leaving the ’s body headless and listless, pure red, human blood spilling onto the ashen cobbles below. “See, the thing is, if you were an actual , you would’ve known not to be so cavalier with one of the most powerful spells in all of history. But your levels were handed to you, and you used them feebly, flaccidly, and without wisdom, grace, or compassion. And when your cause flagged for a moment, you ran as far and as fast as you could. You impotent little worm. Give me that.”

A former Archon died, and the world… shifted, a bit.

Blazing power flowed into Stina.

Level 49 earned!

Talent advancements unlocked!

🠊

🠊

New Talent created!

Talent unlocked!

A strange notification popped into her mind.

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Comput

Lock----

Stalling-----

Reconfi---u------

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Advance Tier?

Mortal 🠊 Transcendent?

YES/NO?

“You know, if you’d have asked me a few days ago, I would’ve said no. But we’re at war with false divinities. I want every edge I can get, but I want to earn it. So I’m not accepting your offer, O Grand Clockwork of the World. But I will advance my tier, as you call it. Let’s see…”

She was alive and dead. She was and she wasn’t. Her hand was in her own chest, in her own heart, her lifeblood pumping in her grip. She snagged the very tethers of the universe as they withdrew, and the world

SHIFTED.

Tier Advanced!

Level 50 earned!

New Talent created!

Class advancement unlocked!

New Class created!

🠊 Level 50!

“? A little stuffy, but not too far off the mark. At least it isn’t as long as the last one.” Stina said to herself with a grin.

As she walked off deeper in the city to confront her world’s history’s third greatest tyrant, her blade covered in the ichor of an Archon turned mortal, she whistled a spritely old tune. The world might be ending, but two Archons were banished evermore and one was dead.