The Broken Halo

F rank, E rank, D rank, C rank, B rank, A rank, S rank, and the Demi-God rank.

The letters made humanity’s power system appear simple, but every rank contained a range of Levels beneath it.

A person’s Level showed how far they had progressed through the System. Their Rank showed the level of power the System believed they could display after considering everything they possessed.

That included their Blessing, Aether reserves, body, skills, artifacts, combat experience, titles, and achievements.

Most newly awakened humans began at Level One, although rare individuals who received extraordinary Blessings could begin slightly higher after their first evaluation.

F rank covered Levels One to Ten (Level 1-10).

Humans within that range were comparable to Lesser Demons with Flickering Hearts. A trained F-rank could kill an ordinary Lesser Demon, but a powerful bloodline, unusual affinity, or dangerous artifact could easily overturn the expected result.

E rank extended from Level Eleven to Level Twenty-Five (Level 11-25).

It corresponded broadly to Fiends with Burning Hearts. At this stage, humans had developed enough control over Aether to use their Blessings and skills without exhausting themselves after only a few attacks.

Many Hunters began exploring in dangerous regions after reaching E rank.

D rank covered Levels Twenty-Six to Fifty (Level 26-50) and they matched the general power of Archfiends.

A D-rank Demon Slayer could enter a rift war and face demons with Infernal Hearts without needing stronger humans to protect them constantly. Those near the top of the rank could contend with Superior or Supreme Archfiends, depending on their Blessings and experience.

C rank stretched from Level Fifty-One to Level Ninety (Level 51-90)

This was the human equivalent of Greater Demons with Forged Hearts.

C-rank Demon Slayers were experienced fighters trusted to lead smaller units, defend important positions, and engage intelligent demons directly. Someone near Level Fifty-One would normally be compared to a Minor Greater Demon, while a human approaching Level Ninety could threaten the higher stages of the same Heart rank.

Elena Dravic and Mihai Corvin belonged to this rank.

Either could fight a Greater Demon, but their true performance would depend on the opponent before them.

B rank began at Level Ninety-One (Level 91) and ended at Level One Hundred and Fifty (Level 150).

It corresponded to Demon Lords with Abyssal Hearts.

The range was much wider because the difference between the weakest and strongest Demon Lords was enormous. A newly advanced B-rank might be capable of fighting a Minor Demon Lord, while someone near the rank’s limit could survive against a Prime Demon Lord.

Pavel, Ilona, and Dorian were all B rank, yet the System had not given them that evaluation for the same reason.

Dorian could fight a Minor Demon Lord directly.

Ilona could preserve hundreds of lives, remove Demonic Energy from wounded humans, and prevent an army from collapsing.

Pavel could use prepared formations to trap an enemy he would never defeat through his own body.

The System measured the value of their complete abilities, not merely how much destruction they could create with one attack.

A rank covered Levels One Hundred and Fifty-One to Two Hundred and Fifty (Level 151-250).

Because of how powerful Demon Lords were, and how vast each minor rank was, A ranks could not battle Demon Kings. Only Demon Lords.

Most A-rank combatants could fight Superior or Supreme Demon Lords. The strongest among them could challenge Half-Step Demon Kings, although doing so remained extremely dangerous.

Mara Veles and Tomas Radu were A-rank Demon Slayers.

S rank extended from Level Two Hundred and Fifty-One to Level Four Hundred (Level 251-400).

It was the highest ordinary classification used by the System.

An S-rank human stood near the mortal limit. Most could overwhelm normal Demon Lords and fight Half-Step Demon Kings. Exceptional S-ranks might injure a true Demon King, resist one briefly, or escape from one alive.

S-rank humans were usually comparable to Half-Step Demon Kings. and the System did not consider them equal to a Cataclysm Heart.

That distinction belonged to the next rank... Demi-God.

Demi-God covered Levels Four Hundred and One to Five Hundred (Level 401-500).

A Demi-God was comparable to a Demon King.

The transformation from S rank to Demi-God involved far more than gaining one additional Level. The human’s body, soul, Aether, and Blessing all had to cross a boundary ordinary power could not overcome.

At Level Four Hundred, the System displayed a warning.

[Mortal Limit Reached.]

Experience alone could not unlock Level Four Hundred and One.

The human needed to complete a unique transformation connected to their Blessing and path... at least that was what majority of humans believed. And because of this, many S-ranks reached the limit and died without ever discovering how to take that final step.

The Level ranges also revealed why advancement became increasingly difficult.

F rank contained only ten Levels.

E rank contained fifteen.

D rank contained twenty-five.

C rank contained forty.

B rank contained sixty.

A rank contained one hundred.

S rank contained one hundred and fifty.

More importantly, every individual Level required more experience than the one before it. Advancing from Level Seven to Eight could take a beginner several successful hunts.

Moving from Level Three Hundred and Seventy to Three Hundred and Seventy-One might require years, a deadly battle, an extraordinary resource, or a major improvement in one’s Blessing.

Humans gained experience through more than killing.

Demon Slayers progressed through battles, system missions, rift missions, confirmed demon kills, and achievements accomplished under dangerous conditions.

Hunters gained experience by system missions, hunting beasts, clearing nests, exploring unstable regions, and protecting settlements.

Runemasters advanced by creating, repairing, and successfully using order runes, formations, and arrays.

Healers gained Levels by saving lives, treating difficult injuries, and developing their abilities.

The System recognised the path of its owner.

It also prevented easy abuse.

Killing enemies far beneath one’s Level produced almost no useful experience. An A-rank could slaughter thousands of weak beasts without moving any closer to the next Level.

The System rewarded danger, accomplishment, understanding, and growth.

At the final Level of each Rank, progression stopped.

A Level Ninety C-rank could continue training and improving individual skills, but could not become Level Ninety-One until completing an Advancement Trial.

The trial differed from person to person.

A Martial Blessing user might be required to master a combat art or defeat a powerful enemy. An Elemental Blessing user could need greater recognition from their Elemental Spirit. Guardian and Divine Blessings sometimes imposed conditions connected to the beings who granted them.

Once the trial was completed, the System evaluated the human again and unlocked the next Rank.

A lower-Level Demon Slayer with an excellent Blessing and decades of experience could kill a higher-Level Hunter. A demon with a rare bloodline or powerful artifact could defeat the human supposedly equivalent to its Heart rank.

Ranks and Levels gave commanders expectations, but they did not decide battles.

Inside the command tent, the black fracture above the map widened by another fraction.

A red timer floated beside it.

06:24

The number changed.

06:23

Mara Veles stared at the countdown, and the rotating rings inside her metallic eye aligned.

”It’s almost time.”