The Path of Ascension 2

Matt, Liz, and their Bond Aster head out to the Empire's ever-expanding frontier in this second volume, joined by an unexpected temporary addition to their team. Their assignment takes them to an unexplored planet, where they contend with its hidden dangers while continuing their climb up the Path of Ascension.

The series follows Matt, orphaned by a rift-spawned monster attack and left with a Talent rated detrimental, who joined the Path of Ascension anyway — the Empire's open challenge that rewards those who climb its Tiers. Alongside his partner Liz and Aster, the Arctic fox he is Bonded to, he trains, delves rifts, and advances through a progression system that blends LitRPG mechanics with xianxia-style cultivation.

The Path of Ascension began as a Royal Road serial before Aethon Books published it in 2023, and the series runs to twelve volumes. Book 2 continues directly from the first: the team is stronger, the assignments are farther from safety, and the internally consistent magic and Tier systems that anchor the series get more room to develop.