Chapter 5960

Sidney’s chuckle eased the tension only a little; then he began to lay out a map Jared had never seen.

“Mr. Chance, the thirty-six levels aren’t stacked like bricks. They’re grouped into the Lower, Middle, and Upper Realms, each defined by how complete its laws are and how rich its energy flows.”

“The Lower Realm covers levels one through twelve. Your level twelve stands at its peak-good laws, decent energy, but still fundamentally different from the Middle. Within the Lower Realm, yes, void tunnels work.”

“The Middle Realm spans levels thirteen to twenty-four: larger worlds, finer energy, stricter laws. My wife and I are sheltering in a hidden corner of level thirteen.”

“Above that is the Upper Realm, level twenty-five up to the fabled thirty-six. Stories say its laws verge on perfection, holding the very source of the Grand Way itself. I can’t speak to that; I’ve never climbed so high.”

The explanation cracked open a door in Jared’s mind; he had known the numbers but never the gulf between them.

He swallowed the rush of possibilities. “Senior Sidney, if the laws differ so sharply, what does it really take to cross from level twelve into thirteen?”