The Path of Ascension

Matt grew up wanting to delve the rifts — the tears in reality that spill monsters into the world, and the same ones that destroyed his city and killed his parents. His plans collapse when his Tier 1 Talent is rated detrimental: no guild, no delve team, no future. Working at a nearby inn, he meets a mysterious and unusually powerful couple who see something in him no assessor did. They sponsor him onto the Path of Ascension, the Empire-wide race to climb the Tiers, and with their recommendation and a stolen Skill, Matt starts the climb from the very bottom.

The Empire spans thousands of worlds held together against the rifts, and everything in it runs on Tiers. Each person's Talent shapes how they advance, essence and Skills determine what they can do, and Bonds — companion creatures that grow alongside their partners — fight at the side of those strong enough to earn one. Matt's climb pairs him with Liz, a teammate with ambitions of her own, and Aster, the Arctic fox Bond who grows with him rift by rift.

The Path of Ascension opens C. Mantis's twelve-volume progression fantasy series, first serialized on Royal Road and published by Aethon Books. It blends LitRPG systems — Tiers, Skills, measurable advancement — with xianxia-style cultivation, following a team that levels the long way: delve, train, and climb.