"And you need to reach the top to lock the door behind us," Aria realized. Her tactical mind instantly caught up to his calculations.
"Exactly," Vahn nodded his head. "But the Spire's inner architecture is bound by strict progression metrics."
"The elevators, the transition matrices, the higher tier command consoles are all level gated. As a Level 0 player, the system simply will not permit me to access the upper floors, regardless of my physical stats."
"The engine will literally treat me as a solid wall if I try to bypass the barriers."
"So you have to grind," Sia concluded. Her military posture was rigid.
"You must level up through the standard parameters. Commander, I will assemble the Vanguard. We will dive into the highest density hunting zones immediately. We will funnel every ounce of experience points into your reservoir."
"No," Vahn said softly. But the absolute finality in his tone left no room for argument.
