Gazing at the Fulgurite Bear, whose head had exploded into bits under the force generated by his attack, Valyr let out a long and drawn-out sigh as he slowly retracted his spear back, shaking off the blood that stuck onto it as he affixed it to his back once more. Then, after making sure that there weren't any other Fulgurite Bears in the vicinity, the young man distanced himself from the sea of monsters once more, allowing any nearby Fulgurite Bears to take a bite at the corpse he had left behind.
"I guess this is the final upgrade to the title, huh." Finally taking a look at the notifications he had received after killing the enraged Fulgurite Bear, Valyr was surprised that the title had finally reached its final upgrade. Though, at the same time, he was somewhat disappointed, considering that there were far more tiers beyond Mythic Elite.
However, just as he had begun to accept the fact that his journey to improving the title had ended here, Valyr went ahead and took a look at the title's description after making sure no monsters would be able to ambush him. Reading through the entirety of the title's description in a solemn fashion, a slight chuckle left the young man's mouth as a smile adorned his face.
"I stand corrected. It seems the journey to upgrade this title isn't over yet."
Ding!
[Slayer of Ascendants (Stage I)] (Title)
Rarity: Legendary
To have the ability to surmount the immense gap in level and experience between you and your opponent, while still remaining at a disadvantage in multiple aspects of combat, you have truly shown the world that your identity is not only limited to being a combat prodigy, able to surmount a single rank at most. Instead, you have shown the world the capability to upset the fine balance of the world and turn it to ashes, bringing awe and reverence to your closest of friends, and immense despair to your worst of foes.
You, who has the ability to slay those that came before you, have become the greatest enemy of these beings. Or perhaps, you have become their greatest ally. It is up to you to decide on which you shall eventually end up becoming.
[Stage I Recognition - You have shown the world that you have what it takes to turn even the most important aspects of combat, experience and time, into nothing but a foolish variable. However, will you show them that your path has already ended? Or will you show them that your path has just begun?]
Effects:
> +25% damage to monsters at Mythic Elite tier and below that are at least 20 levels higher than the user
> +15% damage to beings that are at least 20 levels higher than the user
> +15% Attack and Defense
> Reduces the efficacy of reduced damage against higher-leveled beings by 10% [Stage I - Recognition]
Upgrade requirements:
> Either kill 1,000 monsters at Mythic Elite tier or greater, or kill 1,000 beings at least 20 levels above your current level (0/1000)
Closing the screen before him after he was finished reading, Valyr pondered over everything he had just acquired from the title with a satisfied smile on his face.
Though he had not seen the changes the title underwent while he was on a killing spree to upgrade the title as much as possible, the first few effects of [Slayer of Ascendants] was enough to remind him once more that such a powerful title had come from the humble [Signs of a True Elite] title that he used to have.
However, unlike before, where its effects had only given him a negligible benefit to his combat at most, [Slayer of Ascendants] now allowed these effects to become more prominent, gaining a 25% boost to his overall damage, as long as he was fighting against a monster that did not exceed the Mythic Elite tier.
Add on the increased damage to enemies that were at least 20 levels higher than him, whether the increase stacked additively or multiplicatively with the damage boost from before, Valyr was more than certain that his attacks had become far deadlier than before.
Then again, the young man had more or less expected these effects to become more prominent after the title had undergone an upgrade more than a few times. What truly caught Valyr off guard was the final effect attached to the title.
An effect that even he had not come across in his past life while playing Greater Beyond.
"I was told back then that there were a couple of titles that allowed players to fight higher-leveled monsters with ease," muttered Valyr to himself as he went through his treasure trove of memories from his past life. "At some point, I dismissed it as some sort of myth since the Mythic class I got allowed me to do the same thing."
"But I never expected them to actually be true." As far as Valyr could recall, similar to how there was a system in place wherein higher-leveled beings wouldn't be able to gain as much XP from lower-leveled beings after some point, there was also a system in place that discouraged lower-leveled beings from fighting against higher-leveled beings… up to a certain point.
Commonly known by all players including Valyr back then as the Damage Restriction System, this system reduced the amount of damage an opposing monster or being took against a player that was of a certain level below itself. Each consecutive level increased the reduction in damage by an additional 2%, which meant that a level gap of one equated to a 2% decrease in damage dealt to the higher-leveled side.
On the other hand, a level gap of 10 equated to a 20% decrease in damage, while a level gap of 20 equated to a 40% decrease in damage, a gap that was only surmountable by players in the past by relying on high rarity classes, as well as Vital and Brutal Hits.
Of course, at the very end of the spectrum, a level gap of 50 equated to a 100% decrease in damage. This meant that whatever attack the player sent out at this higher-leveled enemy, the only damage the opposing side would receive would be a staggering one point. In many more ways than one, players have come to accept the fact that fighting against an enemy 50 levels higher than them was an impossibility.
However, just because of one additional effect in what was once a simple title, Valyr now thought that he could make the impossible a reality.
