Mortals, Immortals and Hierarchy of Gods.

(previous chapter - Gauge defeated the Gatekeeper with Var's support. Var filled the riftcore with the gate energy released from the Keeper.)

"3000 units is pretty solid. Though I was expecting to capture all of it, never knew the device had a limit. Never had so much currency."

Var speaks with enthusiasm as he was looking into his riftcore. He turned to see Gauge exhausted from the fight, his hands emitting residual vapours from the heat. He barely opens his eyes and looks at Var,

"What was that thing? Why attack me? I just got here..."

Var's expression changes from that of a jolly kid to a serious adult, He places his riftcore back into his bag and responds,

"That's exactly why. It is his job to keep track of gatewalkers and eliminate any potential threats. Even though you aren't morally a threat, considering the magnitude of the gate you walked through, The keeper must have speculated you to be a threat. he only acts based on Instinct, If you are strong and you walk through a gate, you'd be seeing him. Well not anymore."

Gauge gets up and dusts the ashes off him and asks,

"You called that thing a God, do people here worship that thing? or does he grant wishes to poor people, turn swamp water to sweet wine?"

Var laughs, he too stands up, places an arm over Gauge,

"Well, do that kind of miraculous gods exist? I wouldn't know, but as far as the mortal plane is concerned, Gods are simply ranks given to extremely powerfull beings."

Gauge was utterly confused. He has seen people praying to symbolic gestures of these gods and now it is all merely based on a ranking system? Var looks at him understands his confusion. He gives off a smile as if he were the same when he learned about these rankings,

"Fret not, I'll enlighten you,

Beings in the mortal realms are broadly classified into 3 categories,

1 - Mortals - normal beings and those with slightly enhanced stats come under these categories. The only classification where they die of aging and normal means like accidents and murders.

2 - Immortals - These are beings stronger than the strongest of mortals and are invulnerable to aging or mortal weapons. Only other immortals and higher beings can kill them.

Now there are beings that transcend from Mortal to Immortal ranking and there are species like Mine, the vampires, who were born Immortals.

3 - Gods - now here is where things get a bit tense. Beings who can destroy a planet, if they put their minds to it are ranked as Gods.

Further, based on their abilities as a god they re ranked from Bottom tier --> Medium-low tier--> Medium-high tier-->High tier --> Supreme tier.

Supreme tiers are divine remnants of omnipotent gods who once walked in the mortal plane, Now their whereabouts are unknown."

Gauge was genuinely astounded, he was raised by a mage ancient as the hills of Azoria. They didn't know much about the world beyond their own.

"Then what category will I belong to then?"

he asked curiously. Var looks to the sky as he thinks,

"Well, that depends on whether you bleed from normal weapons."

Gauge thinks about all the times he was in a fight, training with vagyros, the many wars he fought and finally the gatekeeper, after thinking for a while he respond,

"to my memory, i never bleeded yet. To phrase it precisely i ve never let a blade scratch me, not even once including the last battle thanks to you."

Var anticipated him to at least be a god rank, but now there is no evidence. Only the next encounter with a powerful being would determine.

"In that case, we just gotta wait till someone actually scratches you. (pauses and thinks for a while). Hey kid, you said you were trying to find your roots, that means you are actually looking for knowledge right?"

Gauge invested into what rank he would be given, suddenly turned his attention,

"well yeah something like that."

Gauge pulls up his riftcore and checks for something, and turns back to the market, replaces it and speaks up,

"In that case why dont we go to place which has plenty of it?(turns his gaze to Gauge and notices him nodding his head excited) alright, but we gotta return to the bazaar and make a pitstop there.

(vel kartha, Bazaar venue)

as they were heading through the market, Gauge finds this part of bazaar familiar.

"Hey, where are you taki....(notices the same weapon vendor who was selling Feryx)Don't tell me(looks at Var, one look and he confirms)yess...yes...YESSSS"

he runs straight to the weaponry and picks up Feryx,

"You!! put that down if you aren't buying it! No matter how many times you and your partner return, i ain't going a unit down from 700."

The merchant rudely informs them both. Var pulls out his riftcore as if he was showing off ,which he was, goes to the payment sector, connects the holographic casing of Feryx and clicked confirm."

payment sent successfully - Var's device

received 700 units from Var'zek of nytherra - merchant's device

A lot was spoken with silence...The embarrassed merchant replies politely this time

"I am so sorry the blade is yours take it by any means. kindly rate me on riftcore will ya?"

Gauge left the place quietly followed by Var. The boxing of the blade had an abilities menu, as gauge touched a list off abilities appeared.

Sentient blade
Has the ability to hold within it the heat of a star.
has 2 cm of virtual extension(2 cm of extra edge not visible to anyone but still cuts nonetheless

"Man I gotta try out these abilities soon."

Var looks at him like a father watching his son play with a toy,

"Wanna see something cooler kid?"

as both of them stop and gaze upon a holographic nameboard

RIFTCORE - INTERDIMENSIONAL BROWSING

Next chapter - The Living Forest