by SteveHarthun
Burden of MasteryBook Two of Ashes of Vaeltharion The Dominion doesn’t forgive. And it never forgets. Trace Veeran survived the first ascent, but survival cost him everything. His team is gone. His safety is shattered. And the Dominion hunts without mercy. The only path forward leads into the mountains, where a new teacher waits. One without patience. Without sympathy. One who intends to break Trace down to the bone and rebuild him into something harder. Strength is no longer enough. Mastery demands blood. But the mountains cannot hide him forever. On the road south, unlikely allies fall into step, a quick-handed boy, a merchant hauling more secrets than supplies, and together they begin clearing dungeons and dodging patrols. Yet the deeper they push, the clearer it becomes: the Dominion’s reach is wider than anyone imagined. Criterion is evolving.Merlwyn is no longer quiet.And the System is watching. Trace isn’t fighting to survive anymore. He’s fighting to become something the Dominion cannot kill. Burden of Mastery is a gritty LitRPG portal fantasy where progression hits harder, enemies grow smarter, and the cost of power keeps climbing.
