Markings of Aether

Alone, Amon sat in a grand carriage that flew through the skies, pulled by winged horses.

It was a surreal experience, and yet he found himself numb to it all. After what he'd undergone, it was hard for him to be impressed.

Looking out the window, he overlooked a grand forest of trees called 'Bloody Graspi,' the same trees that made up the forest surrounding the city he'd just left to acquire his trip to the royal capital of the beast faction.

He took a deep breath, then exhaled, his mind focusing. He went and sat at the center of the carriage, cross-legged, and closed his eyes.

'Aether marks.'

For the method of ascension Amon had chosen, he could only form his marks after completing his five steps, but even then, it was complex.

First of all, beyond the matters of one's aether mark grade, there were stat limits.

Stat limits applied to each stage and referred to the number of marks one could form at each stage.

For the Awakener tier, the stat limit was originally ten but branched into three paths.

There was the Innate Stat Limit, the World Stat Limit, and the True Stat Limit.

The Innate Stat Limit referred to the aether marks one could form via their race and lineage. In a sense, it was a reflection of how powerful one's racial heritage was.

The World Stat Limit referred to the number of aether marks one could form by further comprehending one's aether and deepening one's control over it.

The True Stat Limit referred to the number of aether marks one could form purely by virtue of being in their tier.

So for the Awakener tier, though the stat limit was 10, in reality, it was 30.

But for Amon, things got even more complicated.

This was because of two things: his paths and his status as a limit breaker.

It had to be remembered that Amon currently followed five paths, reflected by the five steps he took at each tier.

The Beast, Martial, Arcane, Life and Death, and True Golden Paths.

Because of this, Amon could form five times as many aether marks as everyone else at each stage.

The most talented of cultivators at the Awakener tier would form, at most, thirty aether marks while he was blessed enough to be able to form 150.

But things became even more maddening when the second factor was counted—Limit breaker.

The fact that he was a limit breaker made his stats three thousand and eight hundred times more powerful than the original.

What did this mean?

It meant that if Amon formed a high-grade aether mark…

He'd be a monster among monsters.

***

Amon took multiple deep breaths, calming his mind and heart as he prepared himself.

Slowly, out of his pores, a bluish form of aether, holding a cosmic and ancient aura, leaked out.

It was thick, heavy, and carried an aura that seemed to have experienced everything.

The very world around Amon seemed to warp and twist under the presence of this aether.

'Origin aether…'

Origin aether continued to slowly leak out of his body, and slowly, in front of him, a rune began to take shape.

'Slow and steady…'

The first three grades of aether marks were additive but only for half of one's power. What this meant was that essentially, for each aether mark formed, one would gain the additional equivalent of half of their current power.

The next three grades, from the fourth to the sixth, were still additive but this time for one's full power.

From the ninth to the eleventh grade, it became multiplicative but only by 1.5. This meant that for each aether mark, one would be 1.5 times more powerful.

For the twelfth grade, it remained multiplicative but the index increased, moving from 1.5 to 10. For each aether mark, one would become ten times stronger.

As for the final and legendary grade, the thirteenth grade, it was both. Both multiplicative and additive.

For each aether mark, one would gain an addition of one, meaning their entire current power, and then it would all be multiplied by 100. For a single aether mark.

Though this all sounded amazing, the requirements for anything above grade one were ludicrous.

But thankfully, Amon had been preparing for a long time. A really, really long time.

More and more origin aether gathered around him and concentrated into the rune that stood before him.

It was a beautiful rune of purple with edges of dark green and reflections of white and gold.

It oozed with a primal and ancient aura, even more ancient than the origin aether that made it up, and yet, it seemed new, fresh, and full of potential.

By merely looking at it, Amon felt his comprehension of aether shoot through the roof as this mark seemed to be a reflection of his deepest self.

SHIHH!

Amon's face scrunched up as his body, covered in sweat, began to convulse.

From the corner of his lips, lines of blood could be seen as the formation of this mark began to take a toll on him, but regardless, he grit his teeth and pushed through, using his life aether to repeatedly heal and push his limits.

His future was on the line.

He felt his powerful bones crack, his blood boil, and his organs tear and break, yet he remained calm, allowing his life aether to heal him.

BANG!

The world around Amon rippled, akin to a calm river being disturbed, and around him, currents of white and black lightning began to appear.

'Tribulation lightning…for an aether mark…?'

They coursed through him and tore everything in their path, subjecting him to horrifying pain, but pain was the last thing able to faze him, so he remained still.

His own innate aether manifested and began to fight back against this lightning as more and more origin aether gathered.

A decisive light flashed through Amon's eyes, and suddenly, he funneled a terrifying amount of origin aether into the mark, at once.

BOOM!