The Path of Ascension

Matt has wanted to explore the rifts since childhood. Rifts are tears in reality that let monsters through, and they are what wrecked his city and killed his parents. His plan ends when his Tier 1 Talent is rated detrimental, which closes off any guild, any rift team and any career in the field.

He takes work at a nearby inn. There he meets a mysterious couple of unusual power, who see potential in him that the assessors missed. They sponsor him onto the Path of Ascension, an Empire-wide contest to climb the Tiers. With their recommendation and a stolen Skill, Matt begins at the lowest rung.

The Empire covers thousands of worlds, all held together against the rifts, and every part of life in it runs on Tiers. A person's Talent shapes how they advance, while essence and Skills decide what they can do.

Bonds are companion creatures that grow alongside their partners and fight for those strong enough to earn one. Matt is paired with Liz, a teammate with her own ambitions, and with Aster, an Arctic fox Bond who grows with him rift by rift.

This is progression fantasy that mixes LitRPG mechanics, with Tiers, Skills and measurable advancement, with xianxia-style cultivation. The team levels the slow way: enter the rifts, train, climb. It opens a twelve-volume series, first serialized on Royal Road and later published by Aethon Books.