Divine Apostasy
A.F. Kay
On Ascension Day, Ruwen Starfield dies for the first time and is revived by the Goddess Uru with a Class and the ability to learn Spells and Abilities — and a hidden second Class that makes him Uru's Champion. Cast as a despised Worker despite his high Intelligence, hunted by a rival god, and burdened with a terrible death penalty (lose 2 attribute points across 6 categories per death as Champion vs 1 normally), Ruwen must reach level five to survive, uncover the truth about his missing parents, and navigate an ancient war between gods. The series follows Ruwen from a struggling level-1 Ascendant through dungeons, Spirit Realm exile, city building, Vault heists, alchemy Grandmaster trials, and ultimately toward Divinity itself.
Progression: Dual-track LitRPG + Cultivation system central to every volume. LitRPG track: Explicit levels (1+), Classes (Worker/Mage/Priest and hidden second Class), 6 Attributes (Strength, Agility, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom plus one), 4 attribute points per level (6 as Champion), Skills/Abilities/Spells learned per level, level-gated power and resurrection via temple with debuffs (Weak, Foolish, Clumsy) on death. Champion penalty doubles stat loss on death. Cultivation track: Meditation → Spirit cultivation → Core formation → Chakras → Soul levels (Soul level 4 by book 12) → Harmony/Divinity ascent. Supplementary progression: Bamboo Viper Steps (7 Steps to Master), Runes (Sixth Rune), Black Pyramid/Architect Role, Alchemy ranks (Grandmaster Alchemist), Vault levels (Legion's Fifth Vault), and Ink Lord / Destruction Realm towers. Both tracks are quantified, taught, and repeatedly foregrounded; cultivation level 19 in 6 hours on first day is noted as decades-worth for others.
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