Interlude 8-III
The other possibility is that the apex monster’s territory is constricted, whether by choice, geography, or climate. Eventually a challenger may emerge from another area within the zone and encounter the apex. The victor of the resulting clash may walk, crawl, or fly away as a brand-new Tier 3. With its newfound power comes a significant reduction in future growth.
In the unlikely case it even reaches Level 39, it is highly improbable that it will find a foe of sufficient strength to advance to Tier 4. Thus, the apex monster in a given zone is typically a maximum of one Tier higher than the Level of the ambient mana.
There is one other less-frequent outcome, however. Some monsters, whether driven by natural cunning, base instinct, or some other force, will leave their natural territory in search of the kind of strong opponent they need in order to break through and Tier Up. This behavior is thankfully rare, yet exceptionally dangerous for anyone in its path.
- Bonnie, Level 41 Beastmaster, Bonnie’s Bestiary
It was an exhausted, battered, yet smiling group of Delvers – plus one annoying maybe-Delver – who sat around Medhi’s hideout that evening. The battle with the matriarch had lasted nearly thirty minutes, which was mind-blowing when Mason considered the speed at which it had taken place.
A lot could happen in a single minute of Tier 4 combat. Even though all but one of his Squad out-Leveled the monster, it had demonstrated the supernatural durability characteristic of elite monsters, coupled with a solid regenerative ability none of them had expected.
Espinosa theorized that the regeneration was a new ability, developed when it Tiered up in response to the many wounds it had suffered in the battle at the Academy. Mason was inclined to agree, and it had significantly drawn out the battle. No one had died, though Espinosa had burned through most of his mana regardless. Berzerkers always required a lot of Healing.
Mason himself had suffered several broken ribs, the result of a blow from the matriarch’s powerful tail, but he hadn’t bothered to inform the Healer. No point in wasting mana on something minor, after all. He could tell there weren’t any loose shards of bone floating around inside him. Not big enough to worry about, anyway. He hardly noticed the pain, his attention instead focused on the notification he’d received at the conclusion of the fight.
[You have now gained the required amount of experience to be promoted to Level 47! Congratulations, Citizen Whitmore! When you are ready to proceed, simply say ‘Level Up’!]
Forty-seven, he marveled silently at the number, ignoring the sounds of his team chattering. Perhaps someone else had Leveled as well, but none of them were close enough to the others to share. Except for Shieldbreaker and Haldred, that is. The rest of them were more in the vein of acquaintances than friends – they knew each other because, well, there simply weren’t that many Tier 4s in the Guild.
Mason accepted the Level, distributing his free points according to his long-established plan, then held his breath for a moment as the System displayed his Skill choices. This was the last Skill he’d get until Level 50, which was a milestone still far in the future. Level 50 was special, after all.
To reach any Tier below 5, you had to kill a monster or complete a Quest within your Tier to push yourself over the edge. And if you fought as part of a team, you had to make a decisive contribution to the fight, not merely be carried by your teammates. Thus, the matriarch, living in an area with largely Tier 2 mana, had gone hunting for a strong Tier 3 opponent when at the peak of Level 39. Unfortunately for the Academy, it succeeded.
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To reach Tier 5 and above, however, your final kill had to be at the Tier you were trying to reach. Even if he killed another hundred Tier 4 matriarchs, he’d never break through. It would require finding and defeating a Level 50+ monster for him to reach that Level. Mason wondered if he’d ever get desperate enough to try the deep Wastes – or perhaps worse, the QZ – but he forced his thoughts away from that distant future and back to the present.
[By reaching Level 47, you have earned a new Skill!]