[Ding! You have obtained S-Ranked Talent – Sovereign Amplification]
[Sovereign Amplification (S Rank) – All stats are permanently doubled.]
When he looked at the talent's description, Ash raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Permanently… doubled?" He muttered under his breath.
"So it works similarly to ranking up until the 3rd Rank?" He continued, quickly piecing things together.
In this world, whenever a warrior advanced in rank, all of their stats were permanently amplified, even if the displayed numbers appeared the same.
For instance, a 1st Rank Warrior and a 2nd Rank Warrior could both have 70 Strength stats, but that didn't mean they possessed equal power. The moment someone advanced to the 2nd Rank, their stats were permanently doubled in effect.
So, technically… A 2nd Rank Warrior's 70 STR stats were the same as a 1st Rank Warrior's 140 STR stats.
Naturally, it wasn't actually that simple for even 1st Rank Warriors to have stats over 50 since their threshold was 49. That's because the difficulty in raising even a single stat above the threshold of their rank was harder than if they were to increase them at their original rank.
The thresholds were clear:
_1st Rank Warrior [0-49 Stats]
_2nd Rank Warrior [50-99 Stats]
_3rd Rank Warrior [100-149 Stats]
_4th Rank Warrior [150-249 Stats]
The reason why Ash had higher stats were mainly because he had been grinding his ass off for almost 6 years to increase them while finding a way to finish his mission.
Now, with Sovereign Amplification talent, everything changed.
This talent alone granted him the equivalent of a 2nd Rank Warrior's strength, despite him still being officially at the 1st Rank.
Subsequently, he checked the last thing that he had obtained from the welcome gift pack, which was the limitless rank upgrade.
The limitless rank upgrade was actually something which allowed him to upgrade his own rank or someone from his tribe at any point of time and strength. Which meant that he could basically use it personally in the future when the mission was extremely hard to complete or in emergency.
Outside the house, a man in his early thirties greeted Old Ni respectfully, his muscular body honed through countless battles could be seen clearly. "War Chief, the others have been waiting for you for a whi—"
Before the man could finish his sentence, Old Ni waved his hand calmly. "Let them wait a little longer then."
"But—"
"This is an order!" Old Ni said with a hint of anger.
The man shuddered under that gaze and immediately bowed before retreating in haste.
Moments later, the wooden door creaked open and a tall, handsome young man stepped outside. His short black hair swayed gently as the wind brushed past him.
He stood close to 190 centimeters, his body refined and well-proportioned rather than bulky. Two unusually large daggers rested behind his waist, their hilts gleaming faintly under the sunlight.
"Let's go." Ash waved his hand and walked toward the main hall, The Ragh'Tal Tribe slowly unfolded before his eyes.
The tribe was built in a wide clearing, surrounded by sharpened wooden stakes that served as a simple but effective defensive wall. The buildings inside were arranged in rough clusters rather than neat rows, forming narrow dirt paths that had been trampled flat by years of footsteps.
Every house was simple in structure. The walls were molded from hardened clay, uneven in texture but sturdy enough to withstand wind and rain. The ceilings were made from tightly bound stacks of dried hay, layered thickly to keep out the heat during the day and the cold at night. Some roofs were weighed down with stones or wooden beams to prevent them from being blown away by strong winds.
The air carried a mix of earthy smells—dried mud, animal hide, and faint traces of smoke drifting from cooking fires.
The people of the tribe moved about their daily routines with practiced familiarity. The men wore rough pants sewn from animal skins, their upper bodies left bare. Their arms and legs were wrapped in worn bandages, many stained or frayed as clear signs of frequent training, hunting, and battle.
The women dressed lightly, using strips of animal hide to cover only their most important parts, leaving their skin exposed to the elements. Some carried woven baskets filled with herbs or meat, while others tended to children or repaired tools near the entrances of their homes.
Children ran barefoot across the dirt paths, their laughter echoing between the clay walls, while warriors sharpened weapons or checked their gear under the shade of the hay roofs.
At the center of it all stood the main hall, larger than any other building in the tribe. Its clay walls were thicker, reinforced with wooden beams, and its roof rose higher than the rest, marking it as the heart of the Ragh'Tal Tribe.
As Ash and Old Ni approached, more and more gazes began to follow with mixed expressions—unaware that the young man walking calmly was about to change the fate of the entire tribe.
The instant the doors to the main hall were pushed open, a wave of surprise rippled through the room as no one had expected Ash to arrive together with Old Ni.
A bulky middle-aged man with a broad shoulder snorted in disdain. "What's our Tribe Lord doing here? Shouldn't you still be resting in bed?"
A man in his early 30s with a big claw scar on his chest sneered. "Tribe Lord, didn't you spend an entire day unconscious after being dragged out of the river? Shouldn't you rest a little longer?"
Another Middle-aged man in his early 40s with a spear beside him also joined in the fun. "Didn't you say yourself that you wouldn't take part in any tribal matters until you proved your worth by becoming a 2nd Rank Warrior?"
A middle aged man with a sword on his waist frowned deeply and glanced at the three men who just spoke. "What's wrong with—"
Before the man could finish his sentence, Ash interrupted with a calm expression. "Are you done?"
Then, he walked calmly toward the main seat and sat leisurely while Old Ni sat beside him on the right seat where the War Chief's position was located.
Everyone present was surprised hearing such a response coming out of Ash's mouth.
The broad-shouldered man finally broke the silence with a mocking smile. "Tribe Lord, have you already become a 2nd Rank Warrior?"
"Why does that matter to you, Kargan?" Ash smiled faintly.
"Let me be frank to you, Tribe Lord." Kargan tapped his finger on the table in rhythm, "You were the one who said you weren't qualified to sit here. You said you'd only attend these meetings after reaching the 2nd Rank."
"I did say that." Ash nodded his head in response, then continued as he tapped his finger on the massive table with a calm expression. "But what if I told you… that I'm already more than qualified to act as the Tribe Lord?"
Kargan raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what makes you think that?"
Ash chuckled and waved his hand. "Show them."
In the next instant, a terrifying pressure flooded the hall.
A powerful aura surged outward as Old Ni released his strength without restraint—the unmistakable presence of a 4th Rank Warrior.
The elders present stared in disbelief, their eyes wide as they saw with their own eyes that the War Chief of the Ragh'Tal Tribe had broken through to the 4th Rank.