Reidar walked toward the center of the cavern. He didn't hide. Stealth was useless here, especially since Reidar wasn't so naïve as to think that Silas hadn't noticed him already.
He reached the edge of the liquid mana lake. In the center, hovering slightly above a jagged platform of raw crystal, was the man.
He looked unremarkable compared to when Reidar had seen him in the past. He wore simple white robes, the same ones that the lower-ranking Deacons seemed to love. He sat in a lotus position with his hands resting on his knees and with his eyes closed.
—[Silas Bishop—Level 397]—
Reidar stopped.
<397. I came just in time.>
The number was terrifyingly high. He had expected Silas to be strong, but this was different. This was three levels away from level 400. In the System's logic, Level 400 wasn't just another step; it was likely a Tier threshold, a point where power scaled exponentially rather than linearly.
Reidar looked at his own status. Level 379.
