Ruger lay on the narrow single bed, looking at the scroll in his hands. He guessed this might be the Ascension Ritual old Lunse had used back in the day, probably obtained from Jenny. That would explain why it had no contractual restrictions and could be passed on to others.
Now it had appeared here as a parting gift, finding its way into Ruger's hands.
Experienced as he was, old Lunse naturally knew it might not suit Ruger, but he had given it to him anyway. He was probably afraid Ruger would fail to find an Ascension Ritual, so he had left him a usable fallback to keep him from growing too anxious or lost.
Flame River Tetherer Ascension Ritual.
A powerful Wizard had discovered an eternal river of flame in a strange place, its destination unknown. The river flowed through the void, seemingly beyond all touch, and countless strange chains lay within it. From this, the Wizard had created this peculiar Ascension Ritual.
The chains were connected to somewhere within the river of flame. While gaining power, those who ascended were subtly being used, becoming members of the salvage crew helping that Wizard.
No one knew what lay at the bottom of the river, nor did anyone know how many people had unknowingly become salvagers over those countless years.
It was an illusory struggle. Under the Ascension Ritual's influence, every increase in an ascender's strength invisibly pulled on the chain connected to the riverbed, continuing a salvage operation whose end was unknown.
Each person was a taut chain.
Ascenders would excel at fire-related spells. As links in those invisible chains, they could draw on the river's power and use it to better connect with their spells. This excellence was more than an empty promise, and it extended beyond merely