Just like any artifact you feed it Nth Metal to rank it up. You will reach breakthrough points at ranks 80, 100, 120, 140, 160, 180 and 200. To pass a breakthrough point you will need the required catalysts and a seal. Seals of Preservation protect your catalysts from a failed breakthrough. Seals of Completion allow a 100% successful breakthrough. Rank 80 is a 100% guaranteed breakthrough that doesn't require a seal, the success rates continually drops on the following breakthroughs so you may need seals of completion to get through the final ranks.
If you place your cursor over the needed catalyst on artifact or augment, it will tell you what it's called. Artifact Catalysts can be purchased from John Constantine in the Hall of Doom or Watchtower.
My Symbol is at 19. I've been trying to upgrade it to 20. I have the quantum field energy and the paradox energy but I can't get the upgrade thing working.
wrong Lorax only rank 20 is 100% successful breakthrough. rank 40 is 95%, rank 60 i forget, and so on but gets lower each time of course
rank 20 just needs 2 dionesium if you already fed it nth metal. is the green button on the artifact loading screen lit up? if so i don't know what the problem is
Once it's showing that it's ready for the breakthrough, you should just need the catalysts in your character's inventory. Go to the artefacts tab and it should be ready to go - there'll be a prompt for which button to press to attempt the breakthrough.