(Planet Juxta, The military base, Leo's POV)
Leo and Charles spoke for a long time about the scars of war and the burden of rebuilding both walls and spirits, as Charles admitted that while fortifications could be raised stone by stone, it was the breaking of confidence that left the deepest wounds, for faith once lost never returned in its original form, until finally, Leo steered the conversation toward a subject far more delicate.
"So, you're telling me the enemy Commander called you 'The Strongest Monarch,' and that for the past century your reputation in the universe has been one of an untouchable badass?" Leo asked, as his question made Charles straighten his back, pride flashing in his weathered eyes as he gave a firm nod.
"Yeah, I'm feared plenty in the Righteous Faction, being second in the Cult hierarchy and all," Charles said, as his words carried a weight of satisfaction that made Leo frown.
"So if you're the Strongest Monarch, and if you've carried that title for a hundred years already, why are you still stuck at the Monarch Tier? Surely you have the talent to push beyond and ascend to the Demi-God stage, no?" Leo pressed, confusion furrowing his brow as he struggled to reconcile Charles's fame with his apparent ceiling.
"I don't know if I do, boy. Maybe I lack the talent, maybe I don't. But even if I do have the right blood, I still cannot make that leap, because the Cult no longer has the ingredients to craft the Demi-God breakthrough notion." Charles admitted.
Leo stared at him blankly, his expression stupefied.
"Since you're looking at me like you've never heard a word of this before, let me educate you on what it really takes to break through to Demi God.....
First and foremost, you need the genetics required to even qualify for Demi-God ascension.
Most Monarchs don't have them.
For unless your bloodline ties back to the old Divine Gods, it's almost impossible to have such genetics.
Dupravel, for example, is a fine warrior and a capable Monarch, but he will never ascend. His bloodline isn't strong enough, so he will never reach the threshold."
Charles explained as Leo nodded in understanding.
This much was standard, the same rules applied to even Grandmasters and Transcendent Tier warriors.
For those whose bloodline was not strong enough, never reached that stage.
"But talent is only one of the requirements, let's say your parent is Søron himself, does that mean you can automatically ascend to Demi-God?
No, because even if you do everything right, you still need one key ingredient to break through, which is the Demi-God Breakthrough Potion ...."
Charles explained, as he put up three fingers.
"To make that potion, you need three key ingredients amongst other rare materials, namely:- Water from Granada, soil from the Pit and Moonshine Flower from the Eternal Garden.
And you already know who controls those three planets...."
Charles implied, as "Mauriss, Helmuth, and Kaelith," Leo answered quietly, the names heavy on his tongue.
"Exactly. Those three keep an ironclad grip on these resources, and by doing so, they prevent the rise of any new gods. Since if no-one ever becomes a Demi-God, they can never even hope of becoming a God.....
And that's precisely how they prevent the universal order from shifting even slightly."
Charles explained, as only now did Leo grasp the scale of the power play that governed the universe, his stomach tightening with disgust as he thought of the deliberate cruelty of preventing anyone from reaching the pinnacle of power.
Though secretly he could not help but also admire its cold brilliance.
"The Cult had several Demi-Gods two thousand two hundred years ago, but they were all killed by the Righteous Alliance in the years that followed, while none of our Dragons or Monarchs ever made it past this tier, because we could never get our hands on the potion.
Today, I suffer the same problem myself. I may stand at the peak of Monarch Tier, but without that potion, I will never ascend," Charles said heavily, as his admission sank into Leo like ice.
"But I do not regret it either, boy. Seventy percent of those who attempt promotion die in the process. The breakthrough is never guaranteed. You need mastery over aura and intent just to survive the attempt, and that alone defeats most Monarchs before they even try.....
In the end, when all is said and done, perhaps one in a hundred thousand Monarchs ascends, with only four reaching the Demi-God stage in the last two millennia."
Charles's words fell like stones into silence, and Leo found himself unable to speak for a moment, the statistic alone shocking him more than any battlefield had ever done.
"So, is all my struggle right now pointless?"
"So what you're telling me is that even if I somehow go past the Transcendent Tier and Monarch Tier..... I'll still never be able to become a Demi-God?"
Leo asked, his voice laced with frustration, as Charles simply shrugged his shoulders before patting Leo's head.
"You're still a long way from getting there boy, and I have faith that you'll figure out a way to make this work eventually...."
Charles said, as he encouraged Leo to not think too much about things beyond his control and to focus on the present moment for now.
Leo exhaled slowly, as he let Charles’s words settle in his chest, though his mind still churned restlessly with questions of future battles and impossible thresholds.
For a moment he studied Charles, the veteran who had struggled with this barrier for over a century now, as he realized that perhaps Charles had already spent a decent chunk of his life worrying about the same, which was why he was asking him to not think about it for now.
As while the problem was a complex one, focusing on it too much too early could dampen his progress as a warrior even before he hit that ceiling.
(More chapters in Buyers Club for TMT)