Cost Of Failure!

But advancement wasn't just about acquiring more power, it was about mastery.

William had a growing sense that advancing to Sequence 8 required him to fully explore and integrate the six traits of his pathway. Each trait had to be developed, refined, and mastered to unlock its true potential.

In theory, this sounded straightforward. But in practice, exploring extraordinary pathways was grueling and unpredictable.

As William thought about it, he realized it was like becoming an elite athlete. Suppose [Athletics] was one of his traits, becoming an extraordinary person wouldn't necessarily mean being the best in the world, but it would require the fundamental identity of an athlete, along with proficiency in the skills and characteristics tied to that identity.

And it wouldn't stop there. A transcendent would also need to incorporate and balance all their other traits.