Chapter 45 - The Gap Between Talents
Leo absorbed the information the assistant gave him like a sponge.
This was a rare chance to bridge the gaps in his knowledge about how this universe worked, and he wasn't going to let a single word go to waste.
The assistant, noticing Leo's focused expression, adjusted his glasses and gave him a small nod of approval.
"Now that you understand the various skill tiers, let me explain how crucial skills are in shaping the combat potential of a warrior," he said, resetting the atmosphere.
Leo remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
"It's a simple concept," the assistant said. "The stronger the skills you can master, the stronger you become as a warrior. If you can execute higher-tier techniques, you hold a natural advantage over someone who can't. Makes sense, right?"
Leo nodded. It was basic logic.
"But skill strength alone isn't everything," the assistant continued. "Another key factor is how many skills you can learn and master in the first place."
Leo's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Individuals with higher genetic potential don't just have access to stronger skills—they can also master a greater number of them," the assistant explained. "That's where the real divide between the strong and the weak begins."
With a tap on his data slate, a holographic projection appeared in the air, listing different genetic tiers.
"Adept-tier genetic potential warriors," he began, pointing at the first category, "can only master five skills in their lifetime. That's their absolute genetic limit. No matter how much effort they put in, they cannot exceed that number."
Leo frowned slightly. A hard cap like that was brutal.
"Grandmaster-tier warriors, on the other hand, can master up to nine skills. This makes them significantly stronger than Adepts, not just because they can handle higher-tier skills but because they also have more variety in combat."
Leo absorbed the information, seeing the massive gap in talent between these two tiers.
"And at the top..." The assistant's lips curled into a smirk.
"Monarch-tier warriors can master over twenty skills."
Leo's fingers curled slightly.
That was more than double the limit of a Grandmaster-tier warrior.
And four times that of an Adept-tier warrior.
The difference wasn't just large—it was astronomical.
Before he could comment, the assistant pressed on, his tone growing more serious.
"But having more skills isn't just about variety—it's crucial for advancement."
Leo narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Advancement?"
The assistant nodded. "A warrior doesn't grow stronger randomly. There are thresholds. Breaking through to higher realms requires specific conditions—one of which is skill mastery."
The holographic projection shifted again.
"To ascend from Master-level to Grandmaster-level as a warrior, you must master at least five Legendary-tier skills amongst other requirements."
Leo's eyes flickered.
That meant an Adept-tier warrior, whose absolute limit was five skills, would need to master five Legendary-tier techniques just to reach the Grandmaster realm as a warrior.
And if (Legendary) was the highest level of skill they could even learn, then that meant they were scraping against their potential ceiling from the very start, just to reach the (Grandmaster) realm as a warrior.
The assistant continued, unaware of Leo's internal thoughts.
"And to ascend from Grandmaster-level to Transcendent-level, you must master at least nine Divine-tier skills."
"This means that, for an adept tier talent, who cannot learn skills ranked higher than the legendary grade, and who cannot learn more than 5 skills in total, becoming a transcendent level warrior is simply impossible"
"It's not a matter of determination or hard work, or even luck.... It's simply pre-determined, for in this universe, your genetics determine everything" The assistant explained, as he shrugged nonchalantly as if what he was saying was only natural.
Leo exhaled slowly.
Nine skills.
That was exactly the maximum number that a Grandmaster-tier talent could learn.
Which meant that even if they were the most talented of their kind, reaching Transcendent was next to impossible unless they maximized their genetic potential, but even then, they could never hope to become a Monarch.
In this universe, one could only defy their genetic potential by one tier at most.
An Adept tier talent, could become a Grandmaster level warrior at most.
A Grandmaster level talent, could become a transcendent level warrior at most.
And A Transcendent level talent, could become a Monarch level warrior at most.
However, Monarchs did not have that threshold.
Being a Monarch level talent meant that you could reach the highest God-Tier at most, which was the maximum ceiling, making Monarch level talents the best talent that one could be born with in the whole universe.
Leo processed the information in silence, trying to evaluate every implication behind it.
However, while he remained quiet, the assistant's enthusiasm only grew.
"As a Monarch, you can easily master over twenty skills.... And when I say over twenty, it's a rough estimate because we don't actually know the limit. Monarchs rarely participate in general surveys," he admitted, looking almost disappointed at the lack of data.
"Whether it's Legendary, Semi-Divine, Divine, or even God-tier—you have the potential to learn and master them all."
Leo's heartbeat was steady, but his thoughts weren't.
That level of growth speed...
That level of freedom...
It was terrifying.
The assistant adjusted his glasses before dropping yet another bombshell.
"And that's not all."
"Genetic potential isn't just about skill capacity," the assistant explained. "It also determines something else entirely—latent genetic abilities."
Leo's eyes narrowed slightly.
"There are individuals in this universe who are simply born with abilities," the assistant continued. "Abilities that are unique to their bloodline."
Leo stayed silent, absorbing the words carefully.
"Some warriors don't need to learn skills the way others do," the assistant elaborated. "Their genes hold abilities that awaken naturally as they grow stronger."
Leo's lips pressed into a thin line.
"Bloodline abilities," he murmured, as the assistant nodded.
"Some of these abilities are Divine-tier or even God-tier—and the person who inherits them doesn't need to master them. They already know them, as if they were born with the knowledge imprinted in their very bones."
Leo exhaled slowly, his fingers subtly flexing.
'Is that what happened to me in the reflex test?'
That strange time-slowing state...
Was that an inherited ability?
If so, then where did it come from?
Leo wondered, as the assistant gave him a considerate look before continuing.
"Finally, genetic potential doesn't just determine what you can learn—it also determines how strong your body can become."
Leo's focus snapped back to him.
"Your muscle quality, bone density, mana circulation efficiency—all of it is influenced by your genetics," the assistant explained. "This is why warriors with higher genetic potential can train their bodies to far greater heights than normal people."
Leo processed the information carefully.
So that was why some people grew stronger and faster despite training the same amount.
It wasn't just effort.
It was genetic superiority.
The assistant took a deep breath, stepping back slightly with a satisfied expression.
"And that, Sir Leo, is what genetic potential truly means.... I've explained it as best as I could, but you can always understand it better if you read books in the library—" The assistant concluded, as Leo remained silent for a moment, digesting everything.
He had learned a lot just now.
Far more than he expected.
And yet... the more he learned, the more questions he was left with.
What was his true bloodline?
What kind of abilities would he inherit as he advanced?
Just how far could he grow in the future?
These questions gnawed at his mind.
But for now, they remained unanswered.