Divine Apostasy

It's Ruwen’s Ascension Day, and he finally dies for the first time. His newly revived body can learn spells and abilities for the class given him by the Goddess Uru, and dying is no longer permanent. Ruwen’s high intelligence makes becoming a Mage inevitable. With his new powers, he will locate his parents and clear their family name. But nothing goes as Ruwen imagined, and when a rival God tries to kill Ruwen shortly after his disastrous Ascension, his focus turns from his future to just surviving.

Reaching level five has allowed Ruwen to stay hidden from the gods and their minions. He just needs to survive the new Ascendant orientation, and he can finally look for his parents. But a secret discovered during orientation rocks Ruwen’s understanding and forces him to face the power of his Cultivation. He finds answers in the Black Pyramid, along with dozens of new questions. With new knowledge, Ruwen works even harder to gain the skills and abilities to battle those who wish him harm. But a betrayal shatters his world, endangering him and his friends.

Ruwen’s life is inside out, literally. Trapped in the Spirit Realm by a hostile god’s magic, Ruwen’s spells, abilities, and skills no longer work. Worse, his secret "cultivation" ability is now blindingly evident. A critical clue, given to Ruwen during the betrayal, makes him question the motives behind the treachery and offers a path home.

With the third temple restored, Ruwen must now prevent an imminent invasion of the southern border. But Ruwen’s new city is in shambles. If he doesn’t quickly fortify the walls and revive an army capable of stopping his enemies, he has no chance of surviving the coming onslaught. Running out of time and facing a lack of resources, Ruwen is forced to bargain for allies and take an unwanted new class. He fears the dire situation makes these preparations pointless, and his failure will doom the entire country.

Ruwen and his friends have five days to spring a comrade from the world’s most secure prison, Legion’s Vault, located in the city of a god that wants him dead. Permanently dead. Their only way into the city is competing in the yearly Step Championship. Nothing says low profile like combat in front of a hundred thousand spectators. If remaining anonymous and breaking into a legendary prison didn’t already spell disaster, an old acquaintance appears. One who knows Ruwen’s name and face and can destroy all their plans.

Ruwen survived Legion’s Fifth Vault with devastating consequences. His escape flung him far from home, severing his connection to Uru. Even his Void Band, with its link to the Black Pyramid, no longer works. Isolated, with no obvious path back, he must learn new skills or die here. For the first time, Ruwen can access his Core without worrying about discovery, and the work started in the Spirit Realm creating spells can finally continue. But that alone will not be enough, and he carefully explores the power of the mysterious Architect Role passed to him by the Goddess Uru.

Ruwen wants nothing more than to relax in the Third Secret and recover from the terrible damage to his core. Escaping the ambush in the Infernal Realm had come at a steep cost—one that means no Spirit use until he heals. Unfortunately, rest is one more thing that needs to wait, because the Bamboo Viper Master’s trial started days ago, and not participating results in the purging of his Step knowledge. Not something he wants to risk.

Ruwen returns home to discover a civil war he unintentionally ignited 18 months prior. Still haunted by the events on Savage Island, he resolves to rise above the specter of his past mistakes and seeks the counsel of loyal friends to avert a looming descent into tyranny.

In the wake of a cosmic upheaval, Ruwen emerges as an angelic being, his newfound Divinity granting him not just wings, but a destiny intertwined with the fate of the universe. "The Ninth Harbinger" unfolds as a tale of gods and powers beyond comprehension, set against a backdrop where the fabric of reality itself is at stake.