"Every major milestone dramatically increases a skill's power."
"Level ten, twenty, thirty forty and fifty. In the Legendary tier, those jumps become especially significant. The Epic tier follows a similar pattern, but its growth is much more straightforward. The truly difficult part in both tiers begins once you reach level fifty. That's when you start approaching the next tier. I can't explain too much about that."
"There are restrictions on how much information our generation is allowed to pass directly to younger generations."
He smiled apologetically. "The value of knowledge has to remain... valuable."
"So you'll either learn the rest naturally...or when you enter the Academy."
He leaned forward slightly.
"But remember this, if your opponent possesses a level twenty-nine skill...And then breaks through to level thirty..."
"Run." Dante silently nodded. Seeing his father's unusually serious expression made it clear that this wasn't an exaggeration. Justin continued.
"Likewise, a level fifty Epic skill can contend with a level zero Legendary skill."
"The same applies between Legendary and Mythical. That's why someone who has only just entered a higher tier often feels far stronger than their level would suggest."
"A level zero Mythical skill isn't weak. But neither is a level fifty Legendary skill."
"So if you ever meet someone with, say, a level 50 Legendary skill..." Justin smiled. "Even if you've awakened a level zero Mythical skill...be careful."
Justin smiled softly.
"There are skills capable of defying logic. Skills that can overturn a difference of five or even seven levels. So even if you possess a level thirty-eight skill, someone with a level thirty-one skill may still be able to bridge that gap. Those are the outliers I mentioned."
He shrugged apologetically.
"I can't explain too much because of agreements we have with certain organizations and powers, such as Midvest Academy. All I can tell you is that those kinds of skills are incredibly rare."
"They're known as Stacked Skills."
Dante listened attentively.
"A Stacked Skill is a skill that possesses multiple unrelated sub-abilities. Generally speaking, once a skill begins possessing more than three distinctly different abilities, people begin referring to it as a Stacked Skill."
Justin thought for a moment before giving an example.
"Let's say someone possesses a skill called All-Might."
"If that skill grants immense physical strength, incredible speed, and extraordinary pain resistance, then although those are multiple abilities, they're all still centered around enhancing the body. That's generally considered a normal skill, albeit a powerful one."
"But imagine that same skill also granted self-healing, mind control, curse resistance, or the ability to create illusions."
He smiled.
"Do you see the difference?"
Dante nodded almost immediately.
"The last four abilities have almost nothing to do with the first three."
Aurora smiled proudly while Justin chuckled.
"Exactly. If you encounter someone whose skill seems to possess abilities that have no logical relationship to one another... Be careful. They're likely carrying a Stacked Skill." Justin leaned back slightly before continuing. The opposite is something we call an Optimized Skill."
"An Optimized Skill focuses entirely on reinforcing a single concept. For example, a Wind-Fire skill. It may possess six different sub-abilities, but every one of those abilities revolves around manipulating either wind or fire. Perhaps stronger flames, sharper wind blades, higher temperatures. greater control, longer range. They're all different applications of the same concept."
"Those sub-abilities are considered optimized."
He paused briefly.
"Mana Manipulation is another example, though I can't explain why just yet. In contrast, Stacked Skills contain abilities that almost feel like they belong to entirely different skills. It isn't always easy to distinguish between the two. But it's an important skill to develop. If your understanding is good enough, you'll eventually notice the difference."
Justin folded his arms.
"Occasionally, an Optimized Skill can evolve into a Stacked Skill. But once a skill has truly become a Stacked Skill...It can never become Optimized again. You'll eventually study all of this properly at Midvest Academy."
"For now, simply remember this. The more unrelated a skill's sub-abilities appear, the greater the chance you're looking at a Stacked Skill. They generally possess greater potential than Optimized Skills."
"Unfortunately... Most people never learn how to use them properly. They continue treating them as though every ability serves the same purpose. So despite possessing tremendous potential, they never bring out their skill's true power."
Justin's expression became a little more serious. "This remains true even among Mythical Beings and Sovereigns. Raw power is only one aspect of strength.Understanding how skills function..."
"How they interact with mana, with energy..." He smiled wryly...and the rest is something I'll leave for the Academy. The point is that a person's tier and level do not necessarily reflect their understanding. It isn't impossible for someone with an Epic-tier skill to possess a deeper understanding of skills than someone several tiers above them."
Dante silently committed every word to memory.
Justin nodded before continuing."Now then. Titles, they begin from the tenth level of each tier below Mythical and they're used throughout the world to roughly indicate a person's strength."
He raised one finger.
"Common Tier"
"Levels one through nine possess no title. I believe you can guess why."
"Levels ten through nineteen are known as Beginner True Skill Holders."
"Levels twenty through twenty-nine become Master True Skill Holders."
He raised a second finger.
"Epic Tier."
"Levels one through nine are called Warriors."
"Levels ten through nineteen become Kings."
"Levels twenty through twenty-nine become Emperors."
"And from level thirty all the way to fifty are called Saint Kings."
A third finger followed. "Legendary Tier."
"Levels zero through nine are known as Ascended Saints."
"Levels ten through nineteen become Sages."
"Levels twenty through twenty-nine become True Sages."
"Levels thirty through thirty-nine become Enlightened Sages."
"And finally..."
"Levels forty through fifty are known as Legendary Beings."
Justin stopped speaking. For the first time since beginning his explanation, he appeared genuinely hesitant. Aurora glanced at him, knowing exactly what he was thinking. Even Dante noticed the slight change in atmosphere. Justin chuckled quietly to himself.
'It's far earlier than I intended... but I suppose letting him know won't hurt.'
He looked back at Dante before continuing. "And finally..."
"Mythical Tier."
"Levels zero through ten..."
"...are known as Mythical Beings."