The Path of Ascension Novel

"The Path of Ascension" by C_Mantis tells the story of Matt, a young man seeking revenge for the destruction of his city and the death of his parents at the hands of monsters emerging from rifts. His aspirations are dashed when his low-tier talent is deemed detrimental, leading to his rejection by all guilds. While working at an inn, he encounters a powerful couple who offer him a chance to join "The Path of Ascension," an empire-wide competition to ascend through Tiers and achieve legendary status. With their endorsement and a pilfered skill, Matt embarks on a quest for ultimate power. This novel blends LitRPG and Xianxia elements, focusing on logical progression and internal consistency in its magic and advancement systems, with rational characters, deep world-building, and realistic portrayals of people and combat. The narrative avoids bland protagonists, love interests, gratuitous violence, and simplistic villains, instead offering a MC who acts logically, an empire that values its citizens, and believable character interactions.